[2025 Edition] Recommended Guitar Amps at Sound House!

With the hectic spring behind us, many of you may have joined light music clubs or are looking for new hobbies. When playing electric guitars or acoustic-electric guitars, you’ll need a guitar amp. Depending on the speaker size and whether it has tubes, the volume can vary even with the same wattage rating, affecting the ideal usage settings. It can be confusing to know which one to buy.
This time, I’m going to introduce various recommended amps, from new models released in 2023 to best-selling standard items. Let’s dive right in!

Combo Amps

PLAYTECH / JAMMER Jr. Guitar Amp

If you want to hone your technique, JAMMER Jr. is the way to go! This super amp delivers rich, clear sound with plenty of harmonics, even at low volumes. Its 5W output and compact size (3.3kg) make it perfect for home practice. Experience the world’s best price!

VOX / Pathfinder10 Guitar Combo Amp

The Pathfinder10 offers 10W output. This wattage is ideal not only for home practice but also for small-scale sessions and studio rehearsals. For those living in apartments or condos, this amp provides more than enough output. The distinctive VOX amp looks and sound are very appealing.

NUX / Mighty Air

This amp is perfect for those who just want to play guitar casually! It comes with a transmitter, so there’s no worry about tangled cables. In addition to Bluetooth connectivity for music playback, you can use various amps and effects through a dedicated app. Its rechargeable and lightweight design (780g) makes it easy to take to the living room, bed, park, or beach. With a 10W output, it’s an excellent small amp for beginners.

Positive Grid / Spark MINI Black

The compact version of the popular Spark guitar amp, Spark MINI, features a passive radiator at the bottom for clear and dynamic bass, making it suitable for music listening as well. Bluetooth connectivity allows you to manage listening and sound-making with just your smartphone. You can comfortably play guitar while watching YouTube videos.

Tube Amps

Marshall / DSL1C Guitar Combo Amp

Known from the lyrics of Ringo Sheena’s “Marunouchi Sadistic”, Marshall is a legendary amp brand famous for its pleasing distortion sound. Tube amps are known for their warm sound, and the DSL1C delivers the quintessential Marshall tone. It features a headphone output with an emulated circuit that reproduces the speaker sound and a power reduction function to 0.1W, making it ideal for home practice.

Laney / CUB-SUPER12 Guitar Combo Amp

For those wondering which tube amp to choose for their first one, the CUB-SUPER12 is highly recommended! The 15W output of a tube amp provides more volume than transistor combo amps, making it suitable for home practice and small to medium studio sessions. When full volume isn’t feasible, you can reduce the output power to below 1W by plugging into the 1W input. This amp lets you fully experience the warm tube sound while practicing and creating tones.

Blackstar / HT-1R MK2 Combo Amp

Despite its small size with 1W output, the HT-1R MK2 can create a wide range of sound characters. The unique ISF control circuit allows you to create tones from bright USA-style to woody UK-style. This amp is perfect for those who want to play various genres.

Headphone Amps

NUX / Mighty Plug

This headphone amp for electric guitars and basses connects instruments and headphones easily. By connecting your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, you can use the free Mighty Amp app to control the amp, play 11 drum patterns, including a metronome, and play music from your device. This model is perfect for those who are unsure about the different types of amps or are buying their first practice amp!

Fender / Mustang Micro

This is a personal guitar amp that includes preset tones from the popular Mustang Series. Plug it directly into your guitar to play professional-quality sound anywhere, anytime. It covers a wide range of styles from classic Tweed amps to modern high-gain amps. You can also jam in real-time with your favorite songs or videos by connecting to your smartphone via Bluetooth.

Amp Heads

Marshall / DSL1H Guitar Amp Head

For those wondering what an amp head is, it’s the separated version of the speaker part from the combo amp into an amp part that creates the sound. If you look closely at live performance videos, you’ll often see lead guitarists using a combination of amp heads and cabinets. Connecting to a studio cabinet allows you to use the same amp for both home practice and studio sessions. The DSL1H features speaker output from the cabinet and a headphone output with an emulated circuit, making it useful for home practice. It offers two-channel specifications (classic gain/ultra gain) with different levels of distortion, allowing you to create a wide range of sounds from sparkling clean tones to powerful heavy distortion.

VOX / MV50-BQ Boutique Guitar Amp Head

This model features the new vacuum tube Nutube in the preamp. Nutube is ideal for home practice due to its compact size, low voltage, and low power consumption. The MV50-BQ also has line/headphone outputs, making it suitable for recording. It covers a wide range of sounds, from warm clean tones to overdrive suitable for lead playing. It also reproduces subtle nuances of picking, so you can experience the unique compression of a tube amp.

Laney / IRT-SLS Guitar Amp Head

The IRT-SLS is a compact guitar amp head that allows for flexible sound creation. It’s small and lightweight that you can’t help but doubt if it’s really a high-output amp head. The portable size makes it ideal not only for practicing at home, but also for bringing into the studio. It offers a maximum output of 300W when connected to a 4Ω speaker, ensuring sufficient power for any situation. Its wide range of sounds, from crystal clear to hard overdrive, makes it suitable for various genres. It features two ECC83 tubes in the preamp section, providing the characteristic tube sound.

Small Guitar Amps

PLAYTECH / PGA5

The PGA5 is a perfect guitar companion that can be taken anywhere! It supports battery operation and has a headphone output. Its compact and lightweight design allows you to play guitar anywhere. It also features a drive switch, making it ideal for quick practice sessions while out and about! This amp is perfect for those who want to start playing guitar but are unsure if they can continue and want to buy an affordable amp!

Laney / MINI-ST-LION Battery-Powered Guitar Amp

This battery-powered guitar amp delivers surprisingly powerful and expressive sound. One of its standout features is its cute appearance! It comes in various designs, including those inspired by the Iron Heart and Super Group Series, so you can choose your favorite look. With 3W x 2 stereo output and built-in delay, you can enjoy experimenting with sound creation!

Fluid Audio / Strum Buddy Heavy Metal Portable Guitar Amp

This portable amp has a unique feature: it can be attached to the guitar body, making it convenient for playing in small spaces or when carrying an amp is difficult. It offers several sound variations and features a built-in heavy metal effect. Despite its small 6W output, it provides a sufficiently enjoyable distorted sound for practice!

I hope you found this guide helpful. From small amps for home use to amp heads for studio sessions, I included a variety of recommended guitar amps. Find the one that suits your settings and enjoy a better guitar life!

（2023-06-12 release 2025-01-22 update）