9 Best Practice Amps That Have Amazing Features!
We all love blasting our favorite amplifier, but sometimes it’s not sensible. Particularly when we’re at home, annoying your family or getting noise complaints from the neighbors isn’t something anybody wants. With the best practice amps, you can get great guitar tones from the comfort of your home without irritating anyone.
Which are the best practice amps?
Practice amps have come a long way thanks to some recent advancements in modeling technology. The amount of top-quality amplifiers that are great for home use has increased significantly, and it’s now a super competitive market with classic amp manufacturers like Fender, Marshall, and Vox getting on the act, as well as upstarts like Blackstar, Boss, and Yamaha innovating on tried and tested formulas.
These amps are all relatively low cost because, by default, a practice amp should be something that supplements your main rig rather than the star of the show. That doesn’t mean the quality suffers, though – there are some all-tube options here for those who can’t live without the real deal.
- Yamaha THR10II Wireless
- Positive Grid Spark 40
- Blackstar HT-1R MKII
- Boss Katana 50 MKII
- Supro Delta King 12
- Blackstar Fly 3
- Fender Mustang LT40S
- Orange Crush 35RT
- Roland CUBE-10GX
1. Yamaha THR10II Wireless
The Yamaha THR series is a cutting-edge guitar amplifier quickly becoming a classic. It was designed to be placed on a desktop, table, or bookshelf and looks like any other piece of home audio equipment.
It’s even capable of playing music, with its stereo 3″ speaker setup allowing you to listen to whatever you like via Bluetooth while cooking. However, insert your guitar cable and there’s no doubt this is a guitar amplifier with enormous potential, with a plethora of excellent amp tones that sound great at any volume.
Yamaha’s Virtual Circuit Modeling tech brilliantly captures valve-amp response. The latest edition of the THR, 15 valve amp models are available, each with three options for bass guitar and electro-acoustics. In other words, this is one versatile practice tool!
Key Features
- 20-watt, 1-channel 2×3″ portable guitar amplifier
- 15 excellent guitar tube amplifier emulation settings give you access to every popular amp style
- 3 bass amplifier emulations, 3 mic models for your acoustic-electric, and flat modes for everything else
- Great-sounding modulation effects, echoes, and reverbs for polishing your performance
- Yamaha’s Virtual Circuitry Modeling (VCM) technology delivers extremely realistic sound and feel
- 3-band EQ lets you further tweak your tone to perfection
- Runs on supplied AC adapter or rechargeable battery for up to 6 hours of continuous playing time
- Bluetooth support for streaming audio and preset editing via Yamaha’s THR Remote app
- USB connection provides 2 channels of recording to your computer and 2 channels of playback from your computer
Conclusion
The control panel is reassuringly familiar. You can assign up to five favorite tone settings to a preset button. Amp models are accessed via digital rotary switch and the guitar/audio volume controls work well in playing along to your favorite songs. What’s more, there is full wireless capability. Get a Line 6 G10 Relay and you can enjoy zero cables. Take it to the park. Hey, it’s not just a modern classic household amp. It’s a modern classic anywhere amp.
Price: $469 USD
2. Positive Grid Spark 40
The Positive Grid Spark 40 is one of the most inclusive practice amps currently available. With Positive Grid’s BIAS Tone Engine modeling technology, this amp can produce almost any tone you need.
All in all, the Spark has 30 amp models and 40 effects available, a great accomplishment in and of itself, but it’s when you launch the included app that things get more fascinating. With over 10,000 guitar and bass tones in the rapidly expanding tone library, you can download any tones you desire and share your own.
The Spark’s main features, Smart Jam and Auto Chords, are more reasons that make this amp so perfect for practicing. Smart Jam uses the amp and app to learn your playing style and feel, which translates into a backing track accompaniment with authentic bass and drum tones.
Key Features
- Smart Jam learns your style and feel, generating authentic bass and drums to accompany you
- Access to 10,000+ amp-and-FX presets on ToneCloud, powered by PositiveGrid’s BIAS realistic virtual tube amps and effects for Guitar, Acoustic or Bass
- Import your music from Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube and Spark’s smart app will auto display the guitar chords in real time
- Powerhouse 40 Watt combo includes onboard tone stack controls, effects, tone starter preset programs, a built-in tuner, tap tempo and more
- Use Spark as your USB audio interface and track your ideas with included PreSonus Studio One Prime recording software
Conclusion
The Positive Grid Spark 40 is one of the best practice amps on the market, perfect for those who want to get better at playing guitar or bass. With its many features and included app, this amp has everything you need to improve your skills.
So if you’re looking for an amp that can help you take your playing to the next level, the Spark 40 is a great choice.
Price: $299 USD
3. Blackstar HT-1R MKII
The HT-1R has long been a great choice for people searching for a household valve amplifier combo, but with the new redesign by Blackstar, which includes revised clean and overdrive channels, as well as a makeover with white chicken-head controls, it has never sounded or looked better.
Why should you choose the Blackstar HT-1R over its competitors, which are all more digitally sophisticated? The tone of the HT-1R is one reason, not to mention its simplicity of use. The ISF function (as seen on this list on the Fly 3) gives just enough control over your EQ to let you pick and choose from a menu, whereas a valve amp’s touch-sensitive response feels more genuine.
The clean sounds are great, and the digital reverb is more than good enough to create a spacious soundscape. The volume output is surprisingly high, but you can also get plenty of distortion without blowing out your speakers.
Key Features
- 1W, all-tube combo amp with Reverb
- Two distinct channels (Clean and Overdrive) with footswitchable voices
- USB audio out; headphones out; studio quality reverb
- Tube complement: 1 x ECC83 (12AX7), 1 x ECC82 (12AU7) power tube
Conclusion
The Blackstar HT-1R is a great choice for people looking for best practice amps. It offers great tone, simple controls, and high volume output. The digital reverb is also good enough. If you’re looking for an amp that’s easy to use and sounds great, the HT-R is a great option.
Price: $319 USD
4. Boss Katana 50 MKII
The Boss Katana MKII 50-watt is a great choice for anyone who wants an amp that can cover everything they need while still providing exceptional tone. It’s not just one of the best practice amps; it’s also one of the finest amplifiers available. With a powerful 12-inch speaker and a feature set that makes other amplifiers at home feel embarrassed, it’s an excellent little instrument to have around.
This product offers five distinct amp sounds, each with its own variation of tones. You can choose from a clean sound or a high-gain sound, both of which are super powerful and have plenty of low-end grit. The clean sound is also very inspiring, with everything from Strat-like chime to funk tones available.
The Boss Katana MKII 50 is unique among its competitors– you can run five effects at the same time. This lets you build your own pedalboard to complement your ideal amp sound. Furthermore, it has four ‘tone setting’ memories and a recording out, making it an extremely powerful practice tool.
Key Features
- Versatile combo amp with 5 amp voicings, customizable effects, and editor software
- Amp characters include Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown (derived from the BOSS Waza amp), and Acoustic (for acoustic-electric guitar)
- 60 timeless BOSS effects, accessible from the BOSS Tone Studio
- Variable Power Control allows you to achieve cranked-amp tone at lower volume levels
- Shape your tone quickly with dedicated Gain, EQ, and Effects controls
- Use the BOSS Tone Studio editor software to customize your effects and amp settings
- Power Amp In brings uncolored amplification to your external modelers and preamps
- Support for up to 2 footswitches or an expression pedal
Conclusion
I, actually, own one of these and couldn’t be happier! All-in-all, the tone is great, it’s plenty powerful and loud and the distorted and clean settings are well above average. Depending on the setting, it’s ideal for gigs!
Price: $269 USD
5. Supro Delta King 12
The Supro Delta King 12 is an all-valve combo that’s ideal for people who want a little practice setup but don’t want to give up tone. The Delta King 12 is in an especially popular and hotly contested amp class, with 15 watts issued through a single 12″ speaker, but this Supro delivers.
The Delta King 12 gives you a clean sound that’s perfect for practicing, but it can also get surprisingly gritty when you turn on the boost. The FAT setting gives you even more options for shaping your sound, making this amp ideal for gigging musicians who want an easy-to-use but versatile amplifier.
The only real downside to the Delta King 12 is that it’s not the most portable amp around. It weighs in at around 35 pounds, so it’s not something you’re going to want to lug around to gigs regularly. But if you’re looking for a great practice amp that won’t break the bank, the Supro Delta King 12 is a great option.
Key Features
- Master volume control allows you to distort tones at low volume
- 6L6-loaded, Class A power section delivers classic Supro tones
- Custom DK12 speaker produces extra punch
- FET-driven boost strengthens your midrange response
- Pigtronix FAT high-gain mode unleashes huge, saturated tones
- Custom-made analog spring reverb injects depth and dimension into your playing
- Line output eliminates the need to mic your amp for recording
- Optional footswitch engages boost (sold separately)
Conclusion
The bottom line is that the Supro Delta King 12 is a great choice for best practice amps. It’s affordable, it sounds great, and it’s versatile enough to cover a lot of different playing styles. If you’re looking for an amp to help you take your playing to the next level, the Delta King 12 is a great option.
Price: $699 USD
6. Blackstar Fly 3
If the Fly 3 were any cheaper I’d say get one for every room in the house. It’s refreshing to know you can still find a good deal once in a while. The Fly 3 may be small and really inexpensive, but don’t let its size or price fool you because it packs a serious punch when you turn it up loud.
The Fly 3 only needs a 6.5V DC power supply or half-dozen AA batteries to function, making it easy to take with you in your travels. You can also use the 1/8” auxiliary input to play music without your guitar present; the choice is yours!
At the top of our list is Blackstar’s ISF feature, which is an all-in-one global EQ control that places your amp somewhere between “British” and “American,” with a midrange that’s punchy on the British side and a little more bottom and top end on the American side.
Key Features
- 2 channels provide you with clean and overdrive tones
- Infinite Shape Feature gives you a plethora of tonal choices
- Tape delay effect adds a distinctive resonance to your playing
- MP3/line-in for jamming along or listening to music
- Emulated line-out for silent practice or recording
- 1 x 3-inch speaker delivers true Blackstar tones
- Battery-powered design lets you take it anywhere
- Use 6 AA batteries or optional power supply
Conclusion
The Blackstar Fly 3 is a great little amp that packs a lot of features into a small package. If you’re looking for an inexpensive practice amp that won’t break the bank, the Fly is definitely worth checking out.
Price: $65 USD
7. Fender Mustang LT40S
Fender’s opening desktop amp is modeled after its popular Mustang range of amps, but shrunk down to a smaller size. Although it only has two 4-inch speakers, this amp is quite powerful. It’s perfect for practicing at home or even taking to a gig.
If you’ve ever played with a Fender Mustang amp before, the interface and presets will be quite familiar. Despite excessive usage of the compressor pedal effect, with a little tweaking, you can create some outstanding sounds from the 30 preloaded presets. You also get 30 empty slots to fill with your own creations in addition to the aforementioned 30 preset ones.
It’s a really simple amplifier to use, and there’s no need to read the instruction manual. The LCD screen makes it easy to modify your patches while the headphone outs and aux input guarantee you get the most out of your training at home. Fender’s Tone Desktop amp makes it simple to customize your own presets.
Key Features
- 2 x 4-inch layout delivers 40 watts of stereo sound in a convenient desktop package with
- 20 amp models and 60 presets let you select from a variety of classic tones
- Clear, full-color display screen ensures easy access to presets
- Onboard tuner and tap tempo features eliminate the hassle for external hardware
- Onboard FX include stompbox, delay, reverb, and modulation, perfect for sound modeling and fine-tuning your tone
- 1/8-inch footswitch connection grants even more possibilities for player expression (not included)
- USB connectivity enables link to Mac/PC for loading, storing, managing, and editing presets via Fender’s free Tone LT Desktop app
- Weight: 12.5 lbs.
- Dimensions: 8.25 inches (H) x 14.5 inches (W) x 8.5 inches (D)
Conclusion
Overall, the Fender Mustang LT40S is a great practice amp for those who are looking for something simple to use. With its 30 preloaded presets and easy-to-use interface, this amp is perfect for anyone from beginners to experienced players. Whether you’re at home or on the go, the Mustang LT
Price: $229 USD
8. Orange Crush 35RT
The Orange Crush 35RT is a fantastic amplifier made with a transistor-based 1×10 combo that demonstrates how wonderful design and excellent amp manufacturing are possible. We don’t have the bells and whistles of effects or amp modeling, but we do have a great sense of depth thanks to an excellent digital reverb, as well as a really powerful overdriven voice suited for those out there who want some rock ‘n’ roll in their lives.
Orange amps are known for their rock music capabilities, but the cleans are excellent too thanks to a very nice reverb. The 4-stage preamp provides great tone options, and we really appreciate that Orange has included its CabSim circuit in both the headphones and line out. This makes silent practice or recording much simpler.
Key Features
- 4-stage preamp delivers highly-responsive overdrive and saturation
- Custom Orange Voice of the World speaker delivers wide-ranging tones
- CabSim-loaded headphone output emulates a 4 x 12″ cabinet
- 2 footswitchable channels provide convenient versatility
- Onboard reverb adds dimension to your sound
- Integrated chromatic tuner makes tuning easy
- Fully buffered effects loop for integrating external effects
Conclusion
The 35RT provides an excellent foundation for your tone development. The build is great, the layout simple to use, with a 3-band EQ providing lots of tone manipulation options. With a fully buffered effects loop, the 35RT makes an ideal pedal platform. With no onboard effects, it loses a few points, but this tiny practice setup helps you start building on that foundation.
Price: $279 USD
9. Roland CUBE-10GX
The Roland CUBE-10GX is a three-channel practice combo that employs Roland’s COSM amp modeling engine to effectively generate a three-channel practice device. It includes a few effects under one knob to make for an easy yet surprisingly modifiable performance.
There are three amp types that you can change with a switch: Clean, Crunch, and Lead. If you want to sculpt your tone, there is a 3-band EQ. To cycle through chorus, delay then reverb effects settings, turn the knob on the effects control until you reach spring reverb.
This construction is top-notch and will withstand anything you throw at it. The 8″ speaker projection is amazing and will fill any sized room with ease. There’s a reason why everyone who owns one loves it–it simply outperforms the competition. And, if you’re not a fan of the preloaded COSM amp models, no problem! You can easily swap them out with the accompanying CUBE KIT iOS/Android app.
Conclusion
Overall, the Roland CUBE-10GX is a top-notch practice combo that is perfect for anyone looking to get into playing the guitar. It’s easy to use yet surprisingly versatile, and its construction is top-notch. If you’re looking for a practice amp that will fill any sized room with ease, the Roland CUBE-10GX is the one for you. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed.
Price: $179 USD
Summary
So there you have it! The best practice amps on the market today. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, we hope this list helped you find the perfect amp for your needs. Happy playing! Tell us which one you like or purchased.
What is a practice amp?
A practice amplifier is an essential tool for any musician. It allows you to get the sound of your instrument just right, without disturbing anyone else. In this blog post, we will discuss the different types of practice amplifiers on the market and help you choose the best one for your needs!
Tags: best practice amps, best practice amps for beginners,
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