7 Best Guitar Amps under $200 – Make Excellent Sound Affordable

This combination modeling amp from VOX focuses on sound quality. The amp is constructed with VOX’s Virtual Element Technology, which analyzes the electrical current through the amp’s components to produce the most faithful tones of any amp we reviewed. That makes it an ideal choice for guitar players who prefer a crisp, clean sound. The preamp’s multi-stage amplification circuit, which uses a vacuum tube, also gives the amp some additional warmth that resembles the sound of a tube amplifier. In addition, users were extremely impressed with the ability of this amp to play without cracking at very loud volumes despite it’s relatively small 20-watt power output.

However, the amp is short on sound models and built-in effects. It includes just 11 amp models, 13 effects, and 33 presets, and users found that the volume changes unexpectedly when you change between presets. That said, users were extremely happy with the manual mode on this amp, which allows you to mix sounds directly from the amp itself and then to connect those sounds to pedals for remote play. Otherwise, the presets can be modified by connecting the amp to your computer via the built-in USB port.

The speaker itself is relatively standard for the sub-$200 price class. VOX built this amplifier with a single eight-inch speaker, although it’s worth noting the construction is thick enough to keep vibrations down and there is a back to the amp to improve bass quality.

What makes it special?

• Excellent sound quality
  
• Multi-stage amplification circuit in preamp
  
• Presets can be modified on computer
  
• Manual mixing mode
  

What cons did we find?

• Short on models and presets

Users love this extraordinarily versatile guitar amp from Line 6. The combination modeling amp comes with 78 amp models, all of which can be customized to your liking via the Line 6 remote editing app for iOS and Android devices. On top of that, the amplifier includes 128 presets and more than 100 built-in effects so that you can make a huge range of sounds. The only downside is that users felt that the presets weren’t perfect and did take some customization in the remote editor.

The 30-watt power is notably more than most other amplifiers in this price class, which is an advantage when using it for small gigs in addition to practice sessions. Users were happy to find that the volume knob was sensitive and covered a whole range of volumes, rather than just quiet and loud as for other Line 6 amplifiers. While the amp isn’t small, users felt that it was compact and lightweight enough to carry around without any issues.

Another plus to this amp is that it has a full-range speaker system that allows it to play extremely clean sounds for acoustic guitars. This is a huge benefit if you play both electric and acoustic guitars, as you can use the same amp for both and simply switch between models to get the tones right for each.

Keep in mind that while this amp can be used remotely, it doesn’t use a standard Bluetooth connection. Instead, you’ll need a proprietary Line 6 transmitter that is somewhat pricey.

What do we love it for?

• 78 amp models and 128 presets
  
• Presets can be fully edited
  
• 30-watt power
  
• Full-range speaker system
  

What were we disappointed with?

• Presets need some editing work
  
• Remote play requires proprietary transmitter
  
• Only one-year warranty
  

This incredibly versatile guitar amp from Peavey is designed to do a little bit of everything well. The amp includes not only 36 on-board models for electric guitars, but also six models for acoustic guitar and six models for bass guitars. Even better, the semi-enclosed back of the amp helps to produce rich bass sounds, and the amp is capable of playing up to four effects at the same time. Users also appreciated the built-in looper, which can be activated with a set of after-market pedals.

Users liked the 16 presets, but were even happier to find that they could connect the amp to a computer via USB to endlessly modify the presets. The USB connection also enables recording via Peavey’s software. Off the computer, the amp has a manual mode that allows users to modify the tone and sound effects with a what-you-see-is-what-you-get interface so you never have to guess at levels and sound quality. That said, some users felt that with all of this flexibility, it was surprisingly difficult to attain a basic clean-sounding tone – Peavey tends to focus on grainy electric guitar presets instead.

The amp itself is small and portable thanks to the single eight-inch speaker, and the 20-watt power capacity is more than enough for practice sessions and small gigs. The headphone output can be hooked into a PA system for using this amp at larger venues as well.

What are our favorite features?

• Acoustic and bass guitar models
  
• Built-in looper
  
• USB connection for recording and editing
  
• Can be hooked up to PA system
  

What could be better?

• Hard to get simple clean sound

This beautiful vintage amp from Bugera is one of only a handful of combo tube amps available for under $200. Users were extremely impressed with the quality of the sound and loved the warm, natural distortion that modeling amps are constantly trying to replicate. Some users felt that the tone was quite dark for a tube amp, which can be good or bad depending on the style of music you play.

Note that this amplifier is mainly designed to be used in conjunction with a PA system, since it only has five watts of power itself. Guitarists found that the amp doesn’t start cracking until moderate volumes, which means that this amp can be used for practice, but constantly playing at high volumes also runs the risk of burning out the tubes fairly quickly. While users felt that the amp could be used for gigs in small venues without a PA system, they warned that the amp could not stand up to the volume of a drummer in any circumstances.

One issue that users had with this amp was that the back is open, which created a significant loss of bass and reverb from the speaker. While Bugera does make a cab to add reverb back into the amp, this costs nearly as much as the amp itself. In addition, users highly recommend replacing the tube that comes standard with this amp, since it is of relatively cheap quality and is one of the biggest detractors of the amp’s potential sound quality.

Why did it make our list?

• Vintage tube amp
  
• Dark tone
  
• Small and portable
  

What is not ideal about it?

• Open back loses a lot of bass
  
• Comes with cheap tube
  
• Only five watts, low volume
  

This 40-watt combo amp from Fender is designed specifically for acoustic guitars, with incredible clean tons and reliable sound quality. What sets this amp apart for many users is that it has two 1/4-inch and XLR inputs, which allows you to plug in two guitars or a guitar and a microphone. Both inputs have their own volume and tone controls, which further enhances the versatility of this amp to be used for multiple instruments. You can also use this amplifier for monitoring a PA system or for audio recording thanks to the inclusion of a single line out jack.

The amp is somewhat larger than most amplifiers under $200 because it uses two 6.5-inch speakers rather than a single eight-inch speaker. Still, users felt that this amp was lightweight and portable enough to be transported between practices and gigs without any issues.

Note that while this amplifier is often listed as having a built-in chorus effect, that is not the case. The chorus effect is only available on the more expensive Acoustasonic 90, which exceeds the $200 mark. Because of that, some users who have experience with older acoustic guitar amps felt that this amplifier doesn’t do anything to improve on the basic acoustic sound as a higher-end amplifier would. Sure thing, the amp works with not only Fender instruments, but also any other brand models, including PRS, Ibanez, Yamaha acoustic guitars and so many more.

Why is it special?

• Dual ¼-inch inputs for second guitar or microphone
  
• Lightweight and portable
  
• 40 watts
  
• Two 6.5-inch speakers

What are the flaws?

• No chorus effect
  
• Somewhat large design
  
• Short one-year warranty

This hybrid amp head isn’t a full amplifier in and of itself, so expect to pay more than $200 in total to get a full sound system set up. That said, this amp head can give you the versatility to choose a wide range of cabinets and even to set up an amp stack for more advanced sound customization and for playing medium-sized venues. Plus, the amp head is extremely small with a simple metal bracket to make it easy to transport.

The high gain makes this head relatively unique, and it comes with a 12AX7 preamp tube to give it a dark and warm tone with just a hint of authentic distortion. Many users reported using this head for metal and punk rock thanks to the dark, grungy sound that it easily achieves.

Users loved that the controls are extraordinarily simple and provide a huge range of tone and volume in a small package. Users also felt that the head was significantly louder than its 20-watt power rating lets on and were impressed that it produced only a minimal amount of noise at maximum gain and volume levels. Still, you wouldn’t want to use this head for a bass guitar, since it is relatively low on total power.

The only problem that users have with this amp head is that it does not have a reverb control built-in. However, the head can accept an effects loop, so it’s possible to easily add reverb back into your sound that way.

What do we love it for?

• Amp head for under $200
  
• 12AX7 preamp tube
  
• Dark, grungy tone
  
• Extremely simple controls
  
• Portable and lightweight
  

What were we disappointed with?

• No included reverb
  
• Only 20 watts of power
  

This combination modeling amp from Fender is perfect for guitarists on a really tight budget but who still want the sound quality of a $200 amp. The amp includes 17 amp models that span a huge diversity of sounds, making this amp a good starting point for any style of music. Better yet, the amp can be customized either in manual mode or on your computer through a USB connection to fully adjust the basic amp models. The included software also allows you to use this amp as a recording studio.

That said, the main upside to this amplifier – the inclusion of Fender’s FUSE software – is also its main disadvantage. While the FUSE software opens up a huge range of possibilities with this amplifier, it also makes it relatively difficult to use this amp without constantly returning to your computer. The controls on the amp itself are relatively limited, and there is no way to mix effects in addition to the amp model tones you have created.

A unique feature of this amp, which is especially suited for beginners, is that you can play along to your favorite music. The auxiliary input jack allows you to plug in your MP3 player so that you can play your guitar and a favorite song over the amp at the same time.

What are our favorite features?

• Very inexpensive
  
• 17 amp models
  
• Includes software for customizing models
  
• Play along to MP3 tracks
  

What could be better?

• No effects or presets
  
• Requires close coordination with computer software