best jazz guitar amp

THESE 8 Best Jazz Guitar Amps Are Smooth Operators!

Updated on April 1, 2022 by Dan Harper

For years, I struggled with finding a great jazz guitar tone.  I wanted to find something that:

  • Had excellent clean tones with tons of warmth to the tone.
  • Easy to dial in tone without the need to use a lot of effects pedals.
  • Had a lot of versatility in order for me to easily dial in my sound to get the best tone possible.

I found it!

Quick Links To Our Top Jazz Amp Recommendations

The tone is critical to a jazz guitar performance – be it when you’re on a gig or just jamming out. Whether you are blowing or comping, the guitar amplifier you use ascertains the ideal tone. Finding the best jazz guitar amp for that coveted clean, signature tone isn’t that simple. You should know what to look for in the right amp that sounds great through a jazz or semi hollow body guitar. If you’re new to jazz guitar amps, this could seem extremely daunting – which it is.

Therefore, we’ve done all the hard work and compiled the top jazz guitar amps list so that you could skip the heavy research part and go straight to the buying stage.

Our Jazz Guitar Amplifiers Reviews:

Best Jazz Guitar Amps Of All Time – Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus

Roland JC120 Jazz Chorus Guitar Combo AmpRoland is a brand known for its solid state amps. For those not in the know, solid-state amps employ transistor circuitry to convert electric signals into audio waves. Compared to a tube amp vs solid state amps cost less to purchase and operate since you don’t have to replace tubes every now and again. Solid-state jazz amplifiers are typically more reliable or less delicate.

For less than $1,000, the JC-120 is quite capable. The solid body electric guitar amplifier design would remind you of the late ’80s and early ’90s. The controls are also reminiscent of classic amplifiers. There are a couple of input channels, each coming with a separate three-band EQ setup. The second channel comes with a reverb and distortion knob. You also get a control panel with knobs to control various effects such as speed, mode, and depth.

There are two power amps, dedicated to a speaker each. This results in a very authentic stereo image, particularly when you start to rock that chorus tone. The amps pack in 60W of power each for 120W of combined output. The speakers look like a couple of vintage silver-cone units that are quite characteristic of Roland designs.

As far as jazz performance goes, the clean channel works reliably, despite the solid-state build. The built-in effects may not be exceptional, the fact that the amp has two amplifiers and can genuinely produce stereo sound is quite a statement. Volume is in abundant supply too. You can easily stage the amplifier without worrying about it not being up to the task.

Pros

  • Clean sound, no coloration
  • Solid-state build
  • Classic vibrato effects
  • Proper power delivery

Cons

  • Effects could be better

Want more info?  Take a look at our Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus review.

Our Rating –
4.5/5


Check The Latest Price On The Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus

Best Small Jazz Amp – Roland CUBE Street

The CUBE Street by Roland is a fairly versatile and capable amplifier, particularly for the price. It combines great sound quality with portability and an array of features. The sound coming out from the two angle-mounted, six-inch neodymium speakers is quite impressive, providing solid clarity and producing more than decent volume for the size.

The Street has eight vintage amp presets, which include British Combo, Jazz Chorus, Acoustic guitar Sim, and Classic Stack. The British Combo, for instance, provides you a pleasing bluesy tone with very little distortion. The onboard effects capably add to the package, with one knob managing flange, chorus, tremolo, and phase and another taking care of reverb and delay. Though extensive, the controls are well-segregated and simple, sitting atop the amplifier for quick and easy access.

There is also an integrated chromatic tuner, a three-band EQ, separate effects and EQ, discrete mic/line channel, a 15-hour battery life, etc. These amps are for jazz guitarists on the move. If you need amps that can be plugged in and is versatile and portable enough for a rehearsal, street gig, or lesson, the Street ticks all the right boxes. And since it can be powered by battery, you need not worry much about not being able to locate electrical power. Not to mention, it needs only six AA batteries.

Pros

  • Quite versatile control panel
  • Compact, solid build
  • Portable
  • Bang for the buck

Cons

  • Effects go muddy when cranked up

Our Rating –
4.5/5


Check The Latest Price On The Roland CUBE Street

For Archtop Jazz Guitar – Fender ’65 Princeton Reverb

The Fender ’65 Princeton is a solid retro amp combo, dating back to 1946. It’s a rare breed that is still in production in some capacity. Originally intended to be a more portable, smaller combo for beginners, the Princeton Reverb soon fell in favor with studio players. Like the tweed Deluxe, the Reverb has seen an infinite number of recording hours over the years.

Kindly note this Fender Princeton Reverb is essentially a revamp of the classic legend. These jazz amps not just pay homage to its ancestors with its design language, but Fender has rightfully opted to keep pretty much all attributes of the original intact. The control setup, as a result, is fairly simple. There are a couple of quality electric guitar inputs, reverb controls, a basic control panel with two-band EQ, and a volume knob. The reverb controls comprise a speed knob, reverb knob, and an intensity knob.

At the Fender Princeton Reverb’s core are its complementing vacuum tubes. There is a single 12AT7, three 12AX7s, a 5AR4 rectifier tube, and a couple of 6V6 tubes. This setup is quite identical to amps that it took inspiration from. The power output rating is at 15W, 8 Ohms. All the power is pushed via a C-10R 10-inch speaker that justifies the entire package.

This single-channel amplifier Fender produces the cleanest sounding tones you would possibly hear in this price range. The phrase “vintage guitar sound” perfectly encapsulates the Princeton Reverb’s sound signature which is great for jazz. The best part is you could push the amp into an all-natural, warm overdrive with zero consequences.

Pros

  • Great tone and design
  • Lightweight
  • High-quality reverb
  • Ideal for blues or country type tones

Cons

  • A bit on the pricey side

Our Rating –
4.5/5


Check The Latest Price On The Fender ’65 Princeton Reverb

We also did a comparison post on the Princeton Reverb Vs Deluxe Reverb if you are interested.

For Blues And Jazz – Marshall Studio Vintage SV20C

Marshall is known for its loud classic rock amps. The Studio Vintage SV20C is yet another attempt by the company to recreate its yesteryear legendary tones, albeit in a lower-wattage, more compact head and combo forms. With 20W of EL-34 power that could be switched to five watts, this combo is capable of delivering JCM800 tones.

The Studio Vintage SV20C combo has a couple of EL34s for power. The electronics reside within a solid steel bodywork. The neat PCB layout, which is typical Marshall, features a mainboard that holds all valve bases. There are smaller ones for the rear and front-panel components that are connected with ribbon cables. The transformers used are smaller than average, which helps keep the weight and size in check.

The styling is quite classic, with a Plexi-style panel at the top, gold piping, vintage-style knobs, and yesteryear metal switches. The two channels have been designated ‘normal’ and ‘high treble’, and each comes with a low and high jazz guitars input. The S20C features a 10-inch V-Type Celestion speaker and it’s based on JCM800 2203, a circuit that heavy rockers or classic rock players hold very close to their hearts.

Sonically, the SV20C sounds like the era it took heavy design inspiration from. The regular channel is warm and fat. The high treble does what it says, providing an aggressive, sharp high-frequency response. On their own, neither channels shine, which is expected. However, when you connect both the channel inputs using a patch cable, the channel volumes turn into primary tone controls. Thereafter, it becomes quite straightforward to dial in the right balance, which could be fine-tuned using the standard tone knobs.

Pros

  • Offers plenty of clean headroom
  • Handy effects loop and line out
  • Plenty loud
  • Great rock tones

Cons

  • A footswitch jack missing for the effects loop

Check out our full Marshall SV20C Studio Vintage review post as well!

Our Rating –
4.5/5


Check The Latest Price On The Marshall Studio Vintage SV20C

Under 300 – Fender Champion 40

The Fender Champion 40 is a pretty versatile amp that could be used for rock music, and also jazz, metal, blues, and even country music. Since there are multiple controls on offer, you can easily adjust the amp to get it to sound and tone the way you want.

Weighing approximately 23 pounds, the Champion 40 is fairly portable and ideal for use in your rehearsal space or your home. The 40W power on offer should be plenty sufficient for group jamming sessions. Not to mention, you can also use the amplifier for some intimate gigs. Like its sound, the amp looks pretty solid as well.

From the outside, the Champion 40 may look pretty regular, but it’s quite a capable machine and packs in several special features that can be quite fun to experiment with. They are equally excited to listen to. The amps offer a variety of effects, which include delay, tremolo, chorus, and reverb. You can easily distort these sounds for effective rock and jazz guitar sounds.

The built-in digital amp modeling is akin to having multiple amplifiers within one amp. They help recreate a variety of sounds, right from heavy metal tones to classic sounds. If you prefer private listening while practicing, the headphone output would help you. There are a couple of channels that let you seamlessly switch between clean and distorted sounds.  Fender Amplifiers are always a great choice!

Pros

  • Complements classic Fender sounds
  • A huge array of integrated effects
  • Sound range and versatility
  • Portable weight and size

Cons

  • No footswitch
  • Reverb needs some minor cleaning

Here are more guitar amp under 300 dollars and tube amps under 300 options as well.

Our Rating –
4/5


Check The Latest Price On The Fender Champion 40

Under 500 – Roland JC-22 Jazz Chorus

The JC-22 Jazz Chorus by Roland offers the classic clean tones the JC line is known for. The JC-22 has a compact form-factor that helps with playing it in homes. The stereo amp is great for intimate recording and performances. A high sound quality reverb adds to the onboard chorus. The front panel also houses the stereo input so that you could plug in modelers, stereo stomps, and multi-effects. The amp has been built well too.

The JC series is known for its clean guitar amplification. The JC-22 packs that authentic tone within a compact, light package. The custom-designed speakers and two independent power amps deliver the clean sound that the bigger JC amps are renowned for. The Dimensional Space Chorus trademark effect fills the entire room with truly immersive 3D sound. Also, the amp comprises an excellent-sounding reverb that functions in true stereo, thereby offering a rich, expansive tone.

The rear panel has plenty of connectivity choices. There is the effects loop that helps with patching in stereo or mono effects. There is also the option of parallel or series operation. Line-out jacks provide you direct feed to the recorder or mixing console. Plugging into the audio jack will automatically mute the speakers for some silent practice sessions. The jazz guitar combo amplifier also supports optional footswitches that let you turn the amp’s reverb and chorus effects on/off during play.

Pros

  • Classic clean tone
  • Great headroom
  • Ultra-compact combo
  • High-quality reverb effect
  • Solidly built

Cons

  • Not the loudest

Check out these best tube amplifier under 500 options as well.

Our Rating –
4.5/5


Check The Latest Price On The Roland JC-22 Jazz Chorus

Best Tube Amp for Jazz Guitar – Fender GB George Benson Hot Rod Deluxe

Fender’s Hot Rod series is quite popular among blues, country, and rock guitarists. Jazz guitarists usually felt left out. With the Hot Rod Deluxe, Fender wants to change that. Fender’s association with George Benson, the jazz legend, has helped the Hot Rod series become more jazz guitarists friendly. This 40W amp combo has been fine-tuned pretty well to achieve its goal.

The controls setup is typical Hot Rod amps, with all the essentials atop the amp. You have a couple of inputs, along with rotary tone knobs for bass, volume, middle, treble, drive, and master control. There are presence and reverb controls as well, along with a switch to select channels. The design is urbane – a grey and black flecked vinyl cover drape the amp. The distinctive GB logo and silver grille are tucked in the bottom corner.

The amp settings sounds excellent – the George Benson association is certainly not just marketing. As mentioned above, this amp is ideal for jazz since it provides the responsiveness and warmth usually identified with a tube amp. There is enough headroom, which lets you retain clarity even when you go up the levels.

Pros

  • Warm jazz sound
  • Versatile all-tube preamp
  • Capable effects setup
  • Well-designed exterior

Cons

  • Slightly on the expensive side

Our Rating –
4/5


Check The Latest Price On The Fender GB George Benson Hot Rod Deluxe

Affordable – Roland Micro Cube GX

The Micro Cube GX is Roland’s offering for people who are looking for a budget- and practice-friendly amp. The design is quite simple, and the operations are pretty straightforward too. The Micro Cube GX, as the name indicates, is quite compact. In fact, it’s among the smallest in Roland’s GX series.

It’s a portable amp, which means it’s quite normal to have a default set of controls. However, the Micro Cube GX goes against the norm and offers an entire suite of controls. There are four modulation effects, eight different guitar amplifier emulations, and also a reverb/delay section. On the top, there is your standard gain, tone and volume knobs and also an integrated tuner.

The jazz amplifier may seem a bit pricey for its size, but all those reservations vanish when you hear the thing. It does not just offer an array of amp emulations, but the voice quality is rich and distinct too. The Micro Cube GX is definitely on par with most larger cubes. Though the volume levels will not blow your mind, the loudness is still plenty enough, particularly if you consider there’s only a 3W setup at play. In fact, if you crank up the volume very high, you could end up with too much volume.

Pros

  • Great sound
  • Accurate tuner
  • Versatile and quite capable for its size
  • Lightweight and portable

Cons

  • Could be a bit noisy in certain FX settings

Our Rating –
4/5


Check The Latest Price On The Roland Micro Cube GX

What To Consider When Buying A Jazz Amp

There are a number of thing that you will want to consider when shopping for a new jazz guitar amplifier.

What Size Amp Do You Need?

The first decision will be what size amp to buy. If you have a lot of space or live in an apartment, you can get an amp with 10 or more watts. This will mean that the sound is louder and it will also give the instrument a greater range. If you are living in a smaller place, however, then it would be best to go for something smaller like an amp with 5 watts so that your neighbors do not complain about how loud it is.

Do You Use A Lot Of Effects?

Another thing to think about is the way that the amplifier handles pedals. Does it have a built in tuner? Does it allow you to use pedals without them affecting the quality of the sound. These types of considerations should figure into your decision as well.

Will You Be Playing in a Band Or Solo Guitar?

If you are a solo guitarist, then you will probably want to get something with a clean sound. However if you are a member of a jazz band, then you may want to get something with some bass and volume as well as being able to handle pedals.

What Kind of Jazz Sounds Do You Want?

The guitar amplifier is the tool that you use to get a sound. Do you want something that sounds good for rhythm or do you want something that will sound absolutely incredible when you are playing lead? This is going to be decided by what kind of music you play and the style that best suits your needs.

What Is Your Guitar Amplifier Budget?

All of these things will impact on your final decision and will help to determine what type of price tag you can put on the item. If you live in a small place, then you will want to go for something that is going to be suitable for your needs. If you need a place to practice and it is the middle of the night, then having an expensive amplifier will not be of great importance.

What Do You Want From Your Amp?

The final concern that you have should be determined by what type of sound you are looking for. The amp is a great tool for shaping the sound that comes from the guitar. The sound is influenced by how you manipulate the amp and also by the quality of your instrument. The two will work together to create a result that will be altered only by your choice of guitar and your fingers.

You can achieve everything with just one good jazz guitar amp!  Also, check these other quick picks of combo amps:

  • Fender Blues Junior III
  • DV Mark Little Jazz
  • Fender Hot Rod George Benson
  • Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue
  • Orange Crush 35RT
  • Henriksen Jazzamp
  • Peavey Delta Blues
  • Boss Katana
  • Roland JC40
  • Roland AC60
  • Roland Cube 10GX

Jazz Amp Conclusion

There is no dearth of jazz guitar amps on the market. The variety also means there is no “perfect” jazz guitar amplifier. The one that serves your requirements the best is, in fact, good jazz guitar amp. When perusing options, consider your budget, preferences, and needs. If you have any design, size, or build considerations, account those aspects as well.

The Hot Rod Deluxe, for instance, is ideal for jazz guitarists who are looking for a flexible, compact, and well-built guitar amplifier. If you’re not seeking those attributes, the amp may not grab your fancy much. The point is buying the right guitar jazz amp or any guitar amp for the money is all about matching product features with your list of requisites.

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