7 Best Guitar Amps under $300 – A Great Balance Between Quality and Price

One of the most popular amp models by Marshall, Code 50 is a portable modeling combo amp and can be synced with your phone or online software. Code 50 has one 12-inch speaker with separate Preset and Edit control knobs. Features on the control panel include master, gain, volume, Treble EQ, bass, and middle. It provides up to four power amp models, eight-speaker models, 14 preamp models, and 24 effects. You can use up to five effects at the same time. There are over 100 presets that you can edit to match the song you are playing.

You can use this amplifier with both electric and acoustic guitars. However, if you plan on using it exclusively with acoustic guitars, we’d rather recommend you other models designed specifically for that purpose, for example, Fender Acoustasonic or Fishman Loudbox, also available under $300.

When it comes to performance, Marshall Code 50 is the best. Download Marshall Gateway on your phone to have greater access to all the features. Use it to play music directly from your iOS or Android phone. Code 50 is recommended for studio recordings and gigs performed in a small or medium-sized auditorium. It isn’t loud enough to perform in a large auditorium, but for the price you get it, it is a sweet deal. We recommend this model for beginners and professionals as well.

What do we love it for?

• 100 editable presents to choose from
• Lots of effects
• Versatile model for a fabulous performance
• Great quality
• Bluetooth compatible

What were we disappointed with?

• Not suitable for performances in a large auditorium

A professional yet easy-to-use model, Fender Champion 50XL is a solid-state modeling combo amp with one custom 12-inch Celestion Midnight 60 speaker. The sophisticated design has an 8-way voice switch, which you can use to mix music and play every style from country to metal. It is a minimalist model and doesn’t have any menu, but you can modify the settings by turning the knobs clockwise or counterclockwise. You can use the FX Select dial to change the tone with your solos, chorus, or tremolo.

We are impressed by the amp’s tap tempo delay switch, which records repeats to match songs of varying tempos. The specially voiced 12-inch Celestion Midnight 60 speaker is encased in a 5/8-inch pressed wood cabinet, and the sound it produces has a huge impact. At 19 pounds, it is one of the lightest amplifiers.

Couple it with a 0071359000 footswitch, which you can purchase separately, access remote channel switching and FX toggling. The amp has 12 classic effects, including delay, reverb, and Vibratone to try your hand at sonic experimentation. It comes with a two years limited warranty, which is one of the best in the market. It is quite loud, so don’t ever use it in a small room.

Why did it make our list?

• Full tone with increased output
• Two-year manufacturer’s warranty
• Full-on metal distortion
• Simple model packed with features

What is not ideal about it?

• Not ideal for practicing or performing in a small room
• Makes a loud electronic pop sound before turning off

Designed for use by beginners, Vox AV15 can be used in closed spaces – at home or in a studio. It is a 15W modeling combo tube amp with one custom 8-inch Vox speaker that works the best with acoustic guitars. It comes packed in a vintage wood box for better resonance. The three analog-voiced digital effects offered by this amp include Reverb, Delay, and Chorus. Whether you are playing jazz or rock, this amp is suitable for all styles of music. The unique cabinet construction along with the tube equipped analog power section produces a clean sound that will definitely impress your audience.

It has Bright and Fat switches that help you while preparing for a mix of songs. Another wonderful feature is the switchable Bias control, which lets you select between modern and vintage tube response. The user-friendly layout assists beginners in adjusting to the amp’s settings easily. It also has a Reactor switch that allows you to loosen or tighten power amp damping. A few more convenient features include a full complement of clean, crunch, overdrive, and high gain tones and Hi-Fi Aux input. Also, the amp has a headphone output with realistic cabinet simulation to assist you while practicing.

Other than these attractive features, it comes with a two years long warranty from the manufacturer.

What makes it stand out?

• Three effects to choose from
• Lightweight
• Fitted with three types of outputs – phone, aux in, and input
• Two years of manufacturer’s warranty
• Lightweight and easy to use
• Sounds good even at low volumes

Which disadvantages must you keep in mind?

• The speaker is smaller compared to other amps on our list

Orange Amp Pumps created Micro Dark after several customers who used and were impressed by their other Dark Terror and Dual Dark amps, asked the brand to create something pint-sized. Don’t get confused by the amp’s tiny size because it can blow your voice and beats across the roof. It is designed for metal tones, but it is quite versatile and sounds just as good with any style of music. Our top favorite features of this model have to be its transparent, fully buffered effects loop, CabSim circuitry, and headphone output, which helps you concentrate while preparing for a performance.

Whether you are just practicing or recording a song in the studio, consider Micro Dark your best buddy for a record-breaking performance. The amp’s buffered, low impedance loop adds a variety of effects without affecting the tone. It is a transparent loop that will boost your pedal’s performance. Coming to its design, the nitty gritties have been worked out well. It has a small handle at the top to conveniently carry it around. The masterpiece costs almost half of Marshall amps, which makes it a more affordable choice for every type of guitarist. You receive a one-year warranty on the purchase, which can be extended to two years.

What do we love it for?

• Best for loud punchy sounds
• Small amp packed with powerful features
• Fitted with CabSim circuitry
• Convenient design makes it easy to carry

What were we disappointed with?

• You should be using Orange speakers to like the sound it makes, which is warm and a bit thick

Durable, premium quality and clean are three features that describe Roland amps the best. Roland CUBE Street is another wonderful product by the brand, which is a compact 5W combo amplifier that’s the ultimate amp for traveling musicians. It is battery-powered, versatile, and capable of high-volume output, thanks to its two 6.5-inch high-performance speakers. The amp is designed for convenience than for traveling, so makes a great choice for teachers as well.

We don’t recommend it for analyzing/transcribing music, and it isn’t good for vocals either. If you want to use it for vocals, you will need an extra channel. Since it isn’t a full range system, an acoustic guitar won’t sound good with it. However, if you are on a budget or want to buy this model only, you can tweak the settings to make it work for you. We like the separate volume, EQ and reverb controls and complements an electric guitar really well.

The battery lasts for up to seven hours, which is enough for conducting a class. After use, take out the batteries because some users complained of batteries leaking. Other features include 8 COSM AMPs, 6 digital effects, and chromatic tuner, which we liked as well. Roland offers a one-year warranty on purchase of this product.

What stands out?

• Ideal for traveling musicians and music teachers
• Budget amp with separate volume, EQ and reverb controls
• Portable and long lasting

What cons did we manage to find?

• Doesn’t work well with acoustic guitars
• Lacks bass reproduction

One of the best 15W combo tube amps on the market, Monoprice 611815 is known for its flexibility, versatility, and superior tone. It comes fitted with one 12-inch Celestion Speaker, which makes the amp the best choice for performances in large studios. You can switch on its spring reverb feature using the pedal. Our team’s favorite feature of this amp is its 3-band equalizer, which lets you dial in your sound. Coming to the design, it is sophisticated and stylish.

The beige box and handle are made of synthetic leather. However, we noticed that only in a few uses, the beige color started getting dirty but it easily went off using a wet wipe. You still need to be careful while using it, since it is a light color. It has three industry standard 12AX7 tubes to monitor re-amp and power amp sections, which adds versatility to your music and makes it unique. Since it is a vintage piece, the amp is best for playing tunes from the 1940s and 1950s.

It also features a low and high input, and Celestion Seventy 80, which produces a crisp sound. It comes with a one-year replacement warranty along with a 30-day money back warranty.

What do we love it for?

• Perfect for playing vintage tunes
• Powerful 12-inch Celestion Speaker
• Ideal for performances in large auditoriums
• Tone control for the wet reverb signal

What were we disappointed with?

• Synthetic leather cover starts peeling in a few months
• Plastic hex nuts look and feel cheap

An affordable model perfect for beginners, Line 6 Spider V 20 is a modeling combo amp with one 8-inch speaker. It comes with 16 diverse onboard presets, which can customize using Spider V Remote to create your own music. The presets can be used for both acoustic and bass guitar presets. The remote makes several features of the amp more accessible including 200+ amps, cabs, and effects. It delivers amazing blue and clean tones, which left us surprised too. We didn’t expect this budget model to perform so well.

It has an onboard tuner and tap-tempo along with USB interface, all of which come in handy when you are practicing. The amp comes with a headphone outlet, so if you are practicing at home, your neighbors won’t be disturbed and have their peace. You can play three simultaneous effects and independent reverb on this device.

If you have second doubts about this piece, don’t worry. When we compared it to MicroCube, we found that the sound was cleaner and stronger. Other than that, you receive a one-year limited warranty on purchase of this product. We enjoyed using this amp and we are affirmative that you will too.

What stands out?

• 16 diverse presets to choose from
• Pure, clean strong sound at low volume
• Headphone outlet to keep the noise down
• Bluetooth app makes customizing tunes easy and hassle-free

What cons did we manage to find?

• Only one input; two would have been better
• Some customers complained of a non-working speaker