- 9.40/10 1. Premium pick: Fender Frontman 10G Electric Guitar Amplifier
- 8.80/10 2. Editors choice: Blackstar Electric Guitar Mini Amplifier (LT-ECHO15)
- 9.40/10 3. Best value: Orange Crush 12 PiX CR12L Electric Guitar Power Amplifier
- 8.40/10 4. LyxPro 40 Watt Guitar Amplifier
- 8.00/10 5. AROMA Mini Portable 5W Guitar Amp
- 8.80/10 6. Sawtooth 10-Watt Electric Guitar Amp
- 8.80/10 7. Pyle-Pro PVAMP30 30-Watt Vamp-Series Amplifier
Learning guitar is always better when you can hear what you're playing. If you're learning on an electric guitar, you need an amp. But given the price of amplification, this can seem prohibitively expensive.
Worry not. Several amp manufacturers have developed lower-priced combi amps aimed at beginners. Here are seven guitar amps that are perfect for beginners and experienced players looking for a low-powered practice amp.
Fender's Frontman 10G Electric Guitar Amplifier is a well-regarded practice amp with a six-inch speaker delivering a full sound for your first steps into the world of electric guitars.
Compact and easily recognizable as a Fender unit, thanks to the traditional design, the amp has a closed-back construction. While intended to maximize amplification forwards, this might limit how you record with the amp. It will certainly stop you from storing any cables in the back.
For a traditional rock sound, the Frontman 10G features a gain control and overdrive switch. You can use this to enjoy the valve tube emulated sound extensively used in blues, rock, and metal.
Are you worried about disturbing the neighbors? With an output of just 10W, this amp is still more than capable of making its presence felt. Helpfully, Fender has included an output jack for your headphones.
- 10W output
- Six-inch Fender Special Design speaker
- Overdrive switch
- Closed back construction
- Brand: Fender
- Power (W): 10W
- Inputs: Guitar, Aux in
- Outputs: Headphones
- Weight: 10.56 pounds
- Overdrive: Yes
- EQ Dials: Treble, Bass
- Aux input remains clean during overdrive
- Includes guitar cable and picks
- Headphone output
- No reverb
- Closed back limits audio options
The minimalist design of Blackstar amps makes them easy to overlook in favor of something more visually ostentatious, but this range is designed to let your music do the talking.
Aimed at beginners and anyone wanting great tone in a budget amp, the Blackstar Electric Guitar Mini Amplifier (LT-ECHO15) features gain, volume, and a two-band EQ. Also on offer is a 10-second delay switch and a switchable overdrive channel.
The dual 3-inch speakers handle 15 watts, more than adequate for a small practice room. For more private listening, there is a headphone jack and an MP3/line-in for accompanying other music.
You'll get a good quality of sound from this amp, making it as suitable for practice and rehearsal as it is for home recording. Equipped with a carry strap, the Blackstar Electric Guitar Mini Amplifier (LT-ECHO15) is light enough to take with you anywhere.
One shortcoming to bear in mind is the length of the AC cord. It's a little shorter than you would probably like, and without battery power, this might be an issue. Otherwise, it's time to rock out!
- 15W amp
- Dual three-inch Speakers
- Clean and overdrive channels
- Delay effect
- MP3 line-in
- Brand: Blackstar
- Power (W): 15
- Inputs: Guitar, MP3 Line-in
- Outputs: Emulated Output (EM Out), Headphones
- Weight: 8.81 pounds
- Overdrive: Yes
- EQ Dials: Tone, ISF (Infinite Shape Feature)
- Straightforward controls
- Surprisingly loud
- Fewer features than older models
An affordable 12-watt practice amp, the Orange Crush 12 PiX CR12L Electric Guitar Power Amplifier features a striking orange basket weave design, although you can also buy it in black.
With a closed-back design, the Orange Crush 12 also features a carry strap, with the controls mounted towards the amp's back. Officially known as the PiX CR12L, the amp features a three-band EQ with overdrive and gain controls.
Bearing a six-inch speaker and headphone output for personal practice, this is loud for a practice amp. It's unlikely that you will need to set the volume past halfway. You'll find it's perfect for solo practice and rehearsal alike, although it is particularly suited to providing entertainment at a party. It sounds good enough to record, too.
The manufacturer advises that this product ships with a choking hazard warning for small magnets. This is probably due to the magnet in the amp's speaker, but be sure to note this if you have children around the house.
- 12 watt
- Six-inch speaker
- Dual gain controls
- Brand: Orange
- Power (W): 12
- Inputs: Guitar
- Outputs: Headphones
- Weight: 13.23 pounds
- Overdrive: Yes, but no channel switch
- EQ Dials: No
- Light to carry
- Clean tone
- Also available in black
- MDF construction
If blasting your rehearsal through a 40-watt speaker sounds good, the LyxPro 40 Watt Guitar Amplifier should suit you down to the ground. While it is too loud for a beginner in a small room, in theory, no one said you had to turn it up to 11, right?
Offering mic input, passive and active inputs, a line-in input, and a headphone output, the LyxPro 40-watt amp also has an overdrive channel, a three-band equalizer, and a delay circuit. This allows you to play around with echo and time effects, and the right setting will give you a noticeable reverb.
Perhaps the most striking thing about this amp is how different it looks from the smaller 20-watt modes. While they almost look like toys, the 40-watt variant strongly resembles a Marshall amplifier.
If that's the look you're going for but don't have the budget for a Marshall, this is a good option. On the other hand, you won't get Marshall-quality amplification from this unit, but it's ideal if you've just started a band.
- 40W amplifier
- Channel select
- Delay function
- Brand: LyxPro
- Power (W): 40
- Inputs: Mic, Passive, Active, Line-in
- Outputs: Headphones
- Weight: 14.47 pounds
- Overdrive: Yes
- EQ Dials: Bass, Middle, Treble
- Ideal for intermediates and bands
- Great feature set
- Larger than other amps
- Looks like a Marshall but isn't
For a super portable option that won't disturb too many people, the AROMA Mini Portable 5W Guitar Amp is perfect. Designed to go anywhere, the AROMA Mini Portable is packed with features and even a built-in rechargeable battery for up to six hours of continuous playing.
With a belt clip and stand, you can connect this little amp to any suitable device. There's a micro-USB port for connecting to a PC or laptop, a guitar input jack, and a microSD slot.
Up to 32GB cards can be used with this device, letting you store recordings of your practice sessions. You can listen back on the amp's speaker or through headphones. There's also an LED display to help you check recording duration, MP3 track selection, input source, and more.
The AROMA Mini Portable includes playback and record buttons along with volume and gain knobs. Overall, this is a handy unit that you can take anywhere and use with almost any electric instrument.
- 5W output
- Rechargeable battery
- Play MP3 files
- TF slot for microSD cards
- Recording feature
- Brand: AROMA
- Power (W): 5
- Inputs: Guitar, micro-USB
- Outputs: Headphone, Aux
- Weight: 0.58 pounds
- Overdrive: Preamp
- EQ Dials: No
- Small
- Easy to carry around
- You can record yourself
- Preamp set to distortion
- Clean sound difficult to achieve
Featuring a 6.5-inch speaker, the Sawtooth 10-Watt Electric Guitar Amp is small enough to balance on your knee. Alternatively, you could place it under your foot to elevate your guitar into the correct position if you don't have a strap.
You can find amp controls in a recessed section behind the carry strap. Here you'll find the guitar input socket, volume, overdrive toggle switch, and gain controls. You'll also see a treble/middle/bass three-band equalizer and headphone socket. The power switch sits at the end of the controls.
The Sawtooth 10-Watt Amp ships with a 10-foot cable and collection of picks. However, as the picks are relatively small, it's important to note that the package may represent a choking hazard for small children.
- 10W amp
- Overdrive switch
- Three-band EQ
- Includes cable and picks
- Brand: Sawtooth
- Power (W): 10
- Inputs: Guitar
- Outputs: Headphone
- Weight: 7.09 pounds
- Overdrive: Yes
- EQ Dials: Bass, Middle, Treble
- Light enough to carry
- Sound is good for the size
- Warranty begins on day of purchase
- May detect radio waves
Adorned with a case with a distinctly retro look, the Pyle-Pro PVMAP 30 is a 30-watt portable amp perfect for beginners.
A single six-inch speaker sits behind the mesh material covering the case, while easily-accessible controls sit across the front of the amp. You'll find a standard guitar input and headphone sockets, along with an output.
An overdrive channel gives you a dirty sound with its own gain and volume control. Meanwhile, the clean channel has a single volume control, and the three-band EQ determines the overall shape of the amp's sound output.
A carry strap is provided to take the amp with you while storing the power cable in the open back. The amp also features corner protectors to defend from knocks.
- 30W amp
- Three EQ dials
- Overdrive included
- Brand: Pyle-Pro
- Power (W): 30
- Inputs: Guitar
- Outputs: Line Out, Headphones
- Weight: 12.92 pounds
- Overdrive: Yes
- EQ Dials: Bass, Mid-range, Treble
- Clean and overdrive channels
- Easy-to-find controls on the front
- Retro look
- Some background noise and hum
FAQ
Q: What Is an Amplifier?
An amplifier is a unit (sometimes with an integrated glass valve for a classic tube effect) that connects to a loudspeaker for playing electrical instruments.
Amplifier tends to refer to the unit an electric guitar can be plugged into these days, although the correct term for an amplifier and speaker in the same case is a combination (or combi) amp.
Q: Can a Beginner Use a Marshall or Vox Amplifier?
You can use any amp you like when starting, but your budget probably won't stretch to Marshall, Vox, Peavey, or other top-name amp manufacturers. Since 2020, UK-based amp manufacturers have cut back on exporting budget amps.
Q: Do Acoustic Guitars Need an Amplifier?
Acoustic guitars are designed with a soundhole for natural amplification, the tone of which is affected by the wood and shape of the instrument. However, you can fit a pickup or use an electro-acoustic guitar with an amplifier if necessary. For practice purposes, however, this probably isn't necessary.
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