best practice amp

THESE 10 Best Guitar Practice Amp Picks Sound Great!

Updated on April 1, 2022 by Dan Harper

Need something small and easy to use?  Below is a list of some of the most reliable and best practice guitar amp options that I’ve tried:

Quick Link To My Best Practice Amp For Guitar Recommendations

Here is a quick list of each of our top picks and the reason why we chose it: 

Our Top Guitar Practice Amp Reviews

1.  Fender Champion 20 – My Favorite Personal Guitar Amp

At a glance or first use, you would get the feel of assuring that the Fender Champion 20 is able to help you refine or hone your tones. It’s actually accompanied with great-sounding onboard effects, as well. If you’re a beginner guitarist or bassist, then there’s no doubt that this practice amp could guide you well at the start of your journey.

This amp’s voices and tones are promising and great. Just by turning its knob, you are granted different music styles, as well. Aside from being a dependable practice amp in terms of its specs, the Fender Champion 20 also has a chic, stylish design that is deemed to catch anyone’s eye.

After practicing in your living room, you can settle your amp safely into a corner, and it’d still go well with your room’s interior. The amp’s design makes its entirety a whole lot better.

The Fender Champion 20 Features

  • Kind: Solid State
  • Number of channels: One (1)
  • Total power: 20 watts
  • Size of the speaker: 1 x 8”
  • Amp’s inputs: 1 x 1/4”
  • Headphones: 1 x 1/8”
  • Footswitch I/O (yes or no): No
  • Power source: Standard IEC AC cable
  • Structure: MDF with Black Tolex
  • Dimensions: 12.75” in height, 13.75” in width and 7.5” in depth
  • Weight: 12 pounds

Check out our review of the Champion 20 too!

Pros:

  • Lightweight and easy to carry around.
  • Compact size makes it great for any living space.
  • Lots of power, with more than enough volume to practice at home or outdoors.

Cons:

  • As the Champion 20 only has a 6″ speaker, it is not as powerful as some other amps are. However, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem if you are looking to practice at home or outdoors.

Our Rating –
4.5/5


Check The Latest Price On The Fender Champion 20

2.  Orange Crush 12 Practice Amplifier

It’s actually a surprise that the Orange Crush12 is under the practice amps category because it has a whole lot of features in store that makes people wonder if it’s just a practice amp or an actual guitar amp for actual gigs and events.

For a practice amp, the Orange Crush 12 has an unbelievable wide range for tones. It has a jaw-dropping meticulous saturation and an extremely responsive overdrive, as well. It can also promise you such a loud sound if you want to while practicing, but if the lights are out and your neighborhood’s asleep, you could use the amp’s 1/4” jack instead.

It doesn’t end there, as the Orange Crush 12 is also very diverse and versatile, being able to handle whatever type of tone of music style you’re aiming for. Getting this practice amp for all of the specs would definitely be worth your money.

The Orange Crush 12 Key Features

  • Kind: Solid state
  • Number of channels: One (1)
  • Total power: 12 watts
  • Size of the speaker: 1 x 6”
  • Amp’s inputs: 1 x 1/4”
  • Power source: Standard IEC armored cable
  • EQ: Three band
  • Dimensions: 11.42” in height, 12.01” in width and 6.88” in depth
  • Weight: 10.4 pounds

Pros:

  • Superior tonal range for electric guitars
  • High quality distortion for that classic rock or metal sound

Cons:

  • Not the best for recording, as it tends to distort the original signal when played back at a high volume.

Our Rating –
4.5/5


Check The Latest Price On The Orange Crush 12

3.  Blackstar FLY3 Guitar Amp For Quiet Practice

The Blackstar FLY3 is definitely a little monster. Don’t let yourself be fooled by this practice amp’s size, because there’s more to it than the dimensions alone. Despite weighing around 2 pounds, the FLY3 is able to give you a variety of huge tones, regardless of it being at high volumes or even low ones.

It is able to go well with any distinct music style that you are aiming to practice with. It’s guaranteed to be lightweight, making it easy for you to carry and transport anywhere you wish, as well. To top all of that, the Blackstar FLY3 is also battery-powered. This practice amp also comes with a headphone jack, which lets you practice until dawn.

Even if you are a non-musician who just wants a simple, yet promising practice amp to play with, or maybe a musician who gradually wants to play the guitar again, then it is highly suggested that you get yourself a Blackstar FLY 3.

The Blackstar FLY3 Features

  • Kind: Solid state
    Channels: Two (2)
  • Power handling: 3 watts
  • Size of the speaker: 1 x 3”
  • Headphone jack (yes/no):  Yes
  • Power supply: 6.5-volts DC which is sold separately / 6 x AA batteries
  • Weight: 1.98 pounds

Pros:

  • It has a decent quality sound for what it is.
  • It is very lightweight and compact which makes it travel friendly.

Cons:

  • Small speaker so not a lot of volume.

Also be sure to check out our full Blackstar Fly3 review as well.

Our Rating –
4/5


Check The Latest Price On The Blackstar FLY3

4.  Fender Mustang LT25 – Smart Amp For Practice And Home Use

After knowing what the Fender Mustang LT25 combo amplifier has to offer, you’d surely want to purchase it and have it as your practice amplifier. In fact, the Mustang LT25 isn’t limited to being an amp only. It has been designed and modeled by Mustang, which has had years of modeling amp experience already.

Despite being small in size and having a total power of 25 watts, the Fender Mustang LT-25 sure has some specs that may come in handy and is also outstanding for a product that’s considered to be a practice amp. It has a variety of tones and pre-loaded hand-selected presets, as well, allowing you to explore with your guitar during practices, as well fully.

The Fender Mustang LT25 is also incorporated with a USB patch management for your presets and a headphone jack, which allows you to play quietly and not disturb your neighbors.

Classic Fender amp sounds in a modern package.

The Fender Mustang LT25

  • Kind: Solid State with Digital Modeling
  • Channels: One (1)
  • Power handling: 25 watts
  • Size of speakers: 1 x 8” Fender Special Design
  • Headphone jack size: 1 x 1/8”
  • USB: 1 x Micro-B
  • Power supply: Standard IEC armored cable
  • Structure: 5/8” plywood cab
  • Dimensions: 14.5” in height, 16.8” in width and 11.9” in depth
  • Weight: 14.9 pounds

Pros:

  • The Fender Mustang LT25 is inexpensive and works well for practice.
  • It has a built in tuner which eliminates the need to carry around an additional tuner or pedals.
  • It has a headphone jack, so you can play with headphones on and not disturb people in your house.
  • It is light weight for carrying around.

Cons:

  • The sound of the amp may be too quiet for some people’s needs.

Our Rating –
5/5


Check The Latest Price On The Fender Mustang LT25

5.  Blackstar ID: Core 10 V2 Small Guitar 10w Practice Amp

For the beginner guitarists or bassists, and for those who have been planning to go back to playing guitar again, then this practice amplifier would be the perfect match for you. The Blackstar ID: Core 10 V2 isn’t huge in regards to its size, but it definitely has a lot up its sleeves in regards to specs.

One of those is that its built-in effects are outstanding, allowing you to explore with modulations, delays, and reverbs. It has a variety of tones as well, ranging from chill and smooth jazz to a hype rock and roll. If that’s not enough, then the Blackstar ID: Core 10 V2 is packed with amp voices (clean warm, clean bright, crunch, super crunch, OD 1 and OD 2) that could enhance your performances more than you thought it could!

To top it off, this amplifier also has an inside application that allows you to edit your recorded patches thoroughly. This inside app helps you explore more during practice, and enhances your performances a whole lot better, as well.

The Blackstar ID: Core 10 V2 Features
Kind: Solid state
Channels: Six (6) voices
Power handling: 2 x 5 watts stereo amp
Size of the speaker: 2 x 3”
USB: 1 x Mini-B
Power source: Armored cable adapter
Computer connectivity: USB
Dimensions: 10.4” in height, 13.3” in width and 7.3” in depth
Weight: 8.1 pounds

Pros:

  • The amp has two channels with three modes on each channel, so there are six different sounds in total.
  • The headphone jack also doubles as a speaker out which is great for silent rehearsing.
  • The amp weighs only 8lbs, which makes it the perfect travel size.

Cons:

  • The amp is quite small and thus does not have much volume in comparison to other amps; it is, however, still loud enough for personal use.

Our Rating –
4/5


Check The Latest Price On The Blackstar ID: Core 10 V2

6.  Peavey Solo 12W – A Nice Bedroom Amp!

The Peavey Solo 12W has every basic practice amp feature that you’d need to start off your journey. It could let you play with your guitar smoothly and also maximize your performances with the tones it has in store for you.

It also comes with a 1/4” headphone jack to let you play your guitar without having to disturb your whole neighborhood. The Peavey Solo 12 watt is also integrated with two channels and a tape or CD jack input. Don’t let yourself be discouraged by the features that it has, because this practice amp’s performance is sure enough to meet, or maybe even exceed your expectations.

It doesn’t really have anything grand in store, such as footswitch and connectivity options, much less onboard effects, but if what you’re looking for is for a simple practice amp that comes with all of the basics, then the Peavey Solo 12W would definitely be worth spending money on. It’s promising enough as it is, and can be bought at a low price, as well.

The Peavey Solo 12W Features

  • Power handling: 12 watts
  • Size of the speaker: 8”
  • Effects: Overdrive
  • Controls: Overdrive, overdrive switch, volume
  • Inputs: 1/4”, AUX-in, Headphones
  • Outputs: 1/4”, AUX-in, Headphones
  • Dimensions: 16.12” in height, 9.75” in width and 14.87” in depth
  • Weight: 14 pounds

Pros:

  • Loud enough to practice with full power on.
  • Price for the amp is very affordable.
  • Built in tuner to tune your guitar.
  • The amp has an auxiliary audio input which can be used with other instruments as well as smartphones and tablets.

Cons:

  • Doesn’t allow you to switch channels without a footswitch which can be problematic when practicing because it becomes difficult to change channels in the middle of playing a song.

Our Rating –
4/5


Check The Latest Price On The Peavey Solo 12W

7.  Bugera V5 Infinium – Nice For Home Use!

Are you in search of a practice amp that’s worth your tight budget? The Bugera V5 Infinium may just fit your preferences and budget, as well. It is sure to be worth your budget, as for an amp, it could already serve you countless tones that intensify and makes your performances a whole lot better – even if it’s just for practice. With that said, the Bugera V5 Infinium is assured to be helpful to beginner guitarists and bassists, as well.

Not to mention, its tones are guaranteed to be impressive and clean, as well, making this practice amp look and feel like an actual guitar amp for actual gigs and shows. Its features allow you to do more than what a simple practice amp could offer. All in all, the variety of specs and controls that come with the Bugera V5 Infinium are what makes it versatile and outstanding.

The Bugera V5 Infinium Features

  • Kind: Tube
  • Channels: One (1)
  • Power handling: 5 watts Class A (5 watts/1 watt/0.1 watt setting)
  • Size of speakers: 1 x 8”
  • Turbosound speaker
  • Headphone jack size: 1 x 1/4”
  • Power supply: Standard IEC armored cable
  • Dimensions: 14.02” in height, 13.94” in width and 8.62” in depth
  • Weight: 22 pounds

Pros:

  • It’s lightweight
  • The sound is fairly well balanced and it’s got a lot of volume.

Cons:

  • The on/off switch is not very good quality and sometimes turns off in the middle of playing like mine does. Which is really annoying.
  • Sometimes the effects don’t always work right away or have scratchy noises coming from them.

Our Rating –
4/5


Check The Latest Price On The Bugera V5 Infinium

8.  Line 6 AMPLIFi 75 – A Best Sounding Choice

The Line 6 AMPLIFi 75 is your go-to amp when you’re in search for one that could be convenient for practices, but could also be used for actual shows and gigs, as well.

This practice amp is simple, has enough specs that could cover your needs in terms of practicing and playing your guitar or bass. It isn’t integrated with any fancy features but is still impressive with its volume and tones.

Aside from that, the Line 6 AMPLIFi 75 could also double as a Bluetooth speaker since it can connect to your wireless device and you could start playing songs there. May it is from YouTube, Spotify, or Apple music, or whether you’re using an Android, iOS, or Windows device, you could still jam loudly to your favorite tunes with this practice amp.

The best thing that this has, however, would be its free AMPLIFi Remote app. This application lets you adjust your amp models and presets smoothly. The Line 6 AMPLIFi 75 can also automatically adjust its tone to whatever song you’re playing from your wireless device.

The Line 6 AMPLIFi 75 Features

  • Power handling: 75 watts
  • Input: 1/4” guitar input, 1/8” Stereo AUX input
  • Output: 1/4” headphone output
  • Dimensions: 12.5” in height, 17.5” in width and 8” in-depth
  • Weight: 20 pounds

Pros:

  • Stylish design.
  • Amp modeling for different guitar sounds and styles.
  • Mixing for volume balance between music and audio apps.
  • Auto switch to tuner mode when the guitar is played into the speaker input jack on top of the amp.

Cons:

  • Bluetooth range is 20 ft or less, which may be too short depending not where you are playing.

Our Rating –
4/5


Check The Latest Price On The Line 6 AMPLIFi 75

9.  Roland Micro Cube GX

This practice amp has so much to offer you despite only weighing 6 pounds. A whole pack of specs that’s integrated into a small box is what makes it amazing. Your performances will be enhanced more likely than you think a regular amp would. Plus, you will also be able to carry the amp around and transport it to whatever place you wish to practice or perform at.

To make it better, the Roland Micro Cube GX is run by battery power. Despite that, expect this guitar amp to be able to spare you 20 hours of playing the guitar, allowing you to play outside without having to worry about it suddenly shutting down on you. To make everything better, you can connect to your iOS device via Roland’s i-CUBE LINK input and record all of the tunes you’ve been working on.

For such a small size, the Roland Micro Cube GX has already proven itself to be reliable and outstanding in terms of guitar solidstate amps. Getting your hands on this amp would definitely be worth your money.

The Roland Micro Gube GX Features
Kind: Solid State
Channel(s): One (1)
Power handling: 3 watts
Size of the speaker: 1 x 5”
Headphone jack available: Yes
Power source: An included armored cable adapter
Dimensions: 8.94” in height, 9.75” in width and 6.81” in depth
Weight: 6 pounds

Pros:

  • Rugged
  • Versatile
  • Great sound

Cons:

  • Lacks a little oomph in the volume department, even when turned up to max.

Our Rating –
4/5


Check The Latest Price On The Roland Micro Cube GX

10.  Vox AV15

It’s no surprise that the Vox AV15 has its controls divided, as Vox has always manufactured their amps that way. The gain, volume, and 3-band EQ controls are located at the top of the amp, while the effects controls are placed underneath it, this being the reverbs and delay controls.

A knob which reads “circuit preset” could also be found in the amplifier. Turning this knob lets you select numerous channels and lets you explore more options in enhancing your performances.

For 15 watts, the Vox AV15 is impressively loud and promotes countless combinations and options, as well. Furthermore, this guitar amp is also versatile as it is also integrated with a variety of presets, preamp, and power stage switches, as well.

You could get all of that and experience the most out of a guitar amp with the Vox AV15. To make things better, the Vox AV15 is also one of the most promising practice guitar amps in the market that could be bought at a really affordable price.

The Vox AV15 Features

  • Power handling: 15 watts mean power
  • Size of the speaker: 1 x 8”
  • Headphone jack available: Yes
  • Dimensions: 14.84” in height, 17.72” in width and 9.21” in depth
  • Weight: 16.98 pounds

Pros:

  • loud enough, or even too loud when maxed.
  • light and portable.
  • battery powered, so can be used anywhere.
  • convenient headphone jack for private practicing or quiet practice.

Cons:

  • Amp is prone to feedback at high volume levels
  • Not a lot of control over tone, bass/treble knobs are only volume controls.

Our Rating –
4/5


Check The Latest Price On The Vox AV15

Things To Consider When Buying An Electric Guitar Practice Amp

When you decide to buy a new practice amp, you have a few different considerations to make when choosing the right amp for your electric guitar. You’ll need to decide what you want to spend, how much space the amp is going to take up in your room (which you need to be mindful of), and what type of sound quality you want.

How Much To Spend

You’ll need to decide how much you want to spend, of course. $100 to $200 will get you a good solid amp for practice use, and if you have a budget that can go up to $300 you can expect very good quality. Just remember that the more expensive you go, the more features and frills an amp will have. If extras aren’t important, stick with the middle price range.

Sound Quality

A good solid amp will give you a good sound, and the more expensive the amp, the better it’s likely to sound. For practice use, however, on average you’ll get just as good a sound with an amp within that $200 price range. I personally like to use tube amps in my home studio when practicing guitar. It simply sounds better than anything else I’ve tried.

If you play bass as well, you may also want to make sure it sounds good with a bass guitar.

Amp Size

You’ll also need to decide how much space you have in your room for an amp. In general, the bigger an amp is, the more power it will have. If you can afford a bigger amp that’s better for practice use.

Also, be aware of how loud an amp gets. If you get an amp that’s too small, you won’t be able to turn it up loud enough to truly play. It should have a volume knob that goes up to at least two or three, and preferably five, on the loudest end.

Some More Quick Picks For Best Sounding Practice Guitar Amps

  • Fender Super Champ X2
  • Frontman 10G
  • Orange Crush 35RT
  • Boss Katana

Top Practice Amplifiers Conclusion

Practice amps are useful to those who are aspiring musicians and can also be of help to those who are planning to go back to the music industry once more. Even on a limited budget, there are still available amps that could help you with your performances and get you on track with music.

These best practice amps could be simple, while some may have more features than what a classic best practice guitar amp could have. Nevertheless, you should purchase a guitar amp that will work well with your needs and preferences. The dimensions of the amp would definitely matter too. Still, almost every amp mentioned above is portable and lightweight, making it easier for you to carry wherever you want to play.

Once you start playing with these amps, you’ll gradually improve, and then you’ll find yourself searching for actual guitar amps that are made for shows and gigs with live sound.