8 Awesome Guitar Amps for Metal Music That Will Blow You Away

This amp head from Peavey is expensive, but it comes so packed with features that it easily took our Editor’s Pick. To start, the amp head uses the tube construction that most metal guitarists swear by, so you can confidently use this amp for gigs as well as practice. Plus, with 100 watts of power, this amp head is capable of working with massive amp stacks for playing any venue.

Metal players especially loved this amp because of the level of control Peavey affords you over the amp. The number of knobs can be overwhelming when you’re first learning how to use this amp, but users reported that they quickly zeroed in on the sound settings that were important to them. Worth noting is the noise gate dial, which tracks even for songs that start and stop rapidly and give you tight control over the distortion from the amp tubes.

Users were also thrilled to find two effects loops on this amp, which opens up a ridiculous degree of possibility for customizing your sound. That’s something that most amp heads don’t offer, and it sets this Peavey head apart as one of the best tube amps for metal.

What stands out?

• Tube amp
• 100 watts of power
• Extreme control over your sound
• Noise gate with very good tracking
• Two effects loops

What cons did we manage to find?

• Expensive

This 30-watt combo amp from Laney offers a lot of possibilities for metal guitarists. With six pre-amp tubes and control over the amp’s wattage via a simple knob control, you can quickly saturate the amp and create a deep, fat metal sound. Users loved the quality of the digital reverb on this amp, and a dynamics controller even allows you to modify how the combo amp interacts with the rest of your amp stack for tight control at gigs.

One thing to note about this amp is that it produces sound on the dark side. This dark sound seems to come from the lead channel, and it can be a major advantage for metal songs that require darker tones. However, that flat, ominous sound can leak into your music even when you are playing cleaner, brighter songs, and it can be difficult to get rid of with this amp. Some users noted that changing the tubes may help alter the sound, although this is an expensive modification.

Another issue that users had with this amp is that it’s difficult to switch from a boosted lead channel to an un-boosted clean channel because of the way Laney designed the volume interaction. If you switch with a single foot pedal without the clean channel on high gain, the volume can unintentionally drop out.

However, guitarists noted that these issues were relatively minor and could be fixed with additional pedals or an effects loop. On the whole, they were extremely happy with the sound quality of this amp and the control over your sound – especially for the modest price.

Why did it make our list?

• Excellent price point for features
• Six pre-amp tubes
• Digital reverb and dynamics controller
• Very good sound quality
• Up to 30 watts, adjustable via knob

What is not ideal about it?

• Dark sound in lead channel
• Odd volume interaction between lead and clean channels

This mini amp head for metal from Orange provides just 15 watts of power, so it’s mostly suitable for small venues and practice sessions. That said, don’t count this amp out – it has a lot of features that make it a favorite among metal guitarists.

To start, the power is switchable between four settings. Many guitarists actually preferred the switch over a knob controller, since it’s easy to replicate a past distortion effect by switching to the same power level. With a minimum power of just 0.5 watts, it’s possible to create some pretty extreme distortion from the amp’s tubes as well. The effects loop is also buffered by valves, which helps to protect your sound as it travels through your loop.

Another advantage to this amp head is that it’s tiny. At just over one foot long, this is an extremely small and portable amp for metal. That means it’s never a problem to move your practice session around or to take your show on the road.

When it comes to control, you have both clean and dirty levels. The natural channel provides a clean, bluesy sound, while the dirty channel offers excellent low-frequency distortion control. Users especially liked the fatness of the distorted sound coming from this amp given its small size and power rating. There are also two channels to switch between on this amp head and an all-new gain setting that sets it apart from Orange’s other amp offerings.

What stands out?

• Extremely small amp for metal
• Strong control over distortion effects
• Natural and dirty channel controls
• Valve-buffered effects loop
• Relatively inexpensive

What cons did we manage to find?

• Limited to 15 watts
• Controls are not marked clearly

This amp head from Marshall is the epitome of quality, but that comes at a high cost – this amp is primarily recommended as an upgrade from your current amp for metal, rather than as an amp for first-time buyers.

What sets this amp apart is that it uses a single channel rather than three channels. You have EQ control over three frequency bands, plus control over the saturation of the tube pre-amp so you can most effectively customize the degree of distortion in your sound.

On top of that, this amp offers a whopping 100 watts of power. That’s more than most guitarists will use even at large venues, but it ensures that you can tightly control your distortion levels and that you never introduce unwanted noise into your music. In addition, true bypass switching allows you to seamlessly integrate an effects loop without introducing noise into your amp.

Since the controls on this amp are somewhat limited, you’ll definitely need to take advantage of an effects loop with this amp head. That can make it less of a plug and play solution than something like the Peavey amp head, but if sound quality is the ultimate concern than it’s hard to compete with this amp. Note also that this amp is over two feet long, so it is relatively large and heavy for an amp head.

What do we love it for?

• Extreme sound quality
• 100 watts of power
• Control over pre-amp saturation
• True bypass switching
• EQ control over three bands

What were we disappointed with?

• Most control must be added externally
• Very expensive
• Large and heavy for an amp head

This small and inexpensive amp head from Paul Reed Smith is a great choice for practice as well as gigs at small venues. The amp is switchable between 15 and 7 watts, which means you don’t have nearly as much control over your output as with the similarly sized Orange amp head. Still, users loved that this amp saturates quickly and offers the screaming metal sound that many classic metal guitarists are trying to achieve. Part of that is thanks to the low power, but the six pre-amp tubes also play a big role in the unique sound produced by this amplifier.

Users also appreciated the diversity of controls on this amp head. They wished that the layout of the knobs was slightly different to make it easier to quickly adjust the clean and lead volumes, but otherwise liked having access to change the EQ of both channels. The clean and lead channels are well balanced by default, making it easy to dial in a good sound whether you prefer a cleaner or more distorted metal effect. Guitarists also noted that the effects loop on this amp is very clean, which is important if you are trying to modify the highly distorted metal sound that the amp head produces naturally.

The amp includes a foot amp and cover. Given the relatively low price of the amp, we were pretty excited to see these extras thrown in.

What makes it special?

• Fast saturation thanks to six pre-amp tubes
• Unique screaming metal sound
• Two channels with EQ controls
• Clean effects loop
• Includes foot pedal and cover
• Small and lightweight

What cons did we find?

• Only switchable between 15 and 7 watts
• Control layout is somewhat odd

This combo amp from Marshall made our list because of the incredible value it provides, although it offers more of a rock sound than a classic metal sound. Part of the reason for this is that the amp uses solid-state electronics for amplification rather than tubes, so you won’t be able to achieve the distortion effect that metal is known for. That said, the 40 watts of power offers a compromise between volume and distortion when it comes to using your amp to create a custom sound.

Users loved the tone balance on this amp, which was updated from Marshall’s older combo amps to add gain to the crunch channel. However, metal guitarists noted that the amp is relatively weak on reverb – even though it offers individual reverb settings on each of the two channels – which further hampers using it for true metal. Still, if you prefer a clean, modern metal sound, users note that this amp is more than capable of producing that.

The speaker on this amp is Marshall’s Celestion V-type speaker, which provides incredible sound quality for a combo amp. In fact, this is one of the major selling points of this combo amp for metal guitarists. The sound quality simply can’t be beat as far as combo amps go.

Still, it is a combo amp, which means it’s heavy. At nearly 50 pounds, this amp can’t be transported easily between gigs.

What are our favorite features?

• 40 watts of power is a compromise between clean tones and distortion
• Adds gain to crunch channel
• Individual reverb controls on each channel
• Celestion V-type speaker

What could be better?

• Reverb is weak for a metal amp
• Solid-state amplification
• Weighs nearly 50 pounds

This budget-friendly combo amp from VOX is the only hybrid amplifier to make our list. It features a tube preamp to offer some of the distortion of a classic tube preamp, but a solid power stage to boost your sound. Users found that this combination works relatively well for producing a deep metal sound, although you’ll want to take advantage of the effects or an external effects loop to make the most of your sound.

The 40-watt version of this amp is capable of playing practices or gigs, but if you need a dedicated gig amp it’s worth looking at the 100-watt version. Alternatively, you can save money on the 20-watt model if you primarily need to use your amp for practice. Keep in mind that the distortion effect will be more noticeable on the 20-watt version than the 40-watt amp.

This amp also works well as a modelling amp for medal thanks to the inclusion of 13 onboard effects and 33 present programs. The amp connects to your computer via USB so you can add additional effects and take your sounds to the next level.

Of course, the most attractive thing about this amp is the price point. At just $250, this is one of the cheapest guitar amps for metal and you can get started playing immediately, since it’s a combo amp.

Why are we impressed?

• Inexpensive
• Tube preamp for deep metal sound
• Available in three wattages
• Includes onboard effects and presets
• Built-in tuner

What negatives must you be aware of?

• Requires effects to create traditional metal sound
• Sound quality is okay

This cheap combo amp for metal from Fender is a good choice for beginner guitarists and metal guitarists who primarily need an amp for practice. The amp is available in 40-, 100-, and 200-watt versions, so you can choose your wattage depending on your budget, how you plan to use the amp, and what degree of distortion you want at high wattage.

Keep in mind that the main compromise this amp makes to keep the price down is to use solid-state amplification. That means that you’ll want to take advantage of the included genre- and artists-specific presets onboard this amp in order to achieve a metal sound. The amp can also be connected to your phone via WiFi or Bluetooth so you can customize these presets for a more authentic metal sound. There are also slots for 200 presets on top of the ones the amp ships with.

Still, this is a cheap amp for metal. Rather than a single speaker, this amp splits its sound into two small 6.5-inch speakers. Users noted that the sound quality is fine if you’re using the amp at home, but it’s not the kind of amp you would want to bring to a venue for a professional gig. Firmware updates are a surprisingly frequent issue with this amp because of the extra digital features, and controls over the things that matter for your sound – like EQ and lead distortion – are surprisingly scarce.

What do we love it for?

• Inexpensive
• Available in 40-, 100-, and 200-watt versions
• Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity to add presets
• Artist-specific presets included

What were we disappointed with?

• Two small 6.5-inch speakers
• Little control over EQ
• Frequent firmware updates
• Sound quality is less than great