The best guitar amps to buy in 2020: Nine best tube amps under $500. There’s so much out there, each head or combo with its own pros and cons. There was a problem. With sales season upon us, now might just be the best time to grab a sub-$500 guitar amp. Close. On the rear panel, there’s a flat/deep EQ switch, impedance switch, ECO switch, dual speaker output jacks and a headphones/line out jack. Overall, a huge success in a tiny box. The heart of this solid-state amp lies in Roland’s Tube Logic technology, which utilizes a mix of digital and analog circuits to duplicate the sounds of famous fine-tuned vintage tube amps, including preamp and output tube saturation characteristics, power supply compression and much more. At this point you can expect to find amps with genuine quality, … You’ll find 30 presets on-board presets, easily selectable using the large encoder to the right of the amp’s screen. The 30-watt Blues Cube Hot boasts a 12-inch custom speaker and footswitchable boost and EQ, as well as four output levels, from 30 watts down to around 0.5 watts, to properly reproduce the sound of a valve power stage driven into cut-off at any volume level. Two small illuminated buttons control the Cube's boost and tone features. Audio. The best budget guitar amps under $500: buying advice. Jason has been writing for tech and media companies for nearly 10 years. These amps sound killer when recorded, too, with this 30W version packing a pair of 1/4" line outputs for mix-ready tones. The world of tube amplifiers doesn’t have to run up a bill of thousands. When connected to a FLY 103 extension cabinet (sold separately or as part of the Fly Stereo Pack), it becomes a 6-watt stereo amp for guitar or music playback. Packing 100W of power, this model is suitable for home and gig use alike. The free Marshall Gateway app allows users to control all functions with an iOS or Android device via Bluetooth. Yamaha’s stylish THR combos pioneered the desktop amp format, and now its second iteration may have perfected it, with the THR30II standing proud as the cream of the crop. What a surprise. The head is powered by analog Nutube circuitry, which employs a VFD (vacuum fluorescent display) tube that captures the same sound and response of vacuum tubes without any of the inconsistent elements. Thank you for signing up to Guitar World. If you’re looking to play live, you’ll need to invest in a higher-output offering, but you’d be surprised by how much volume, say, Orange’s 20W Micro Dark or the 15W EVH 5150III LBXII can put out, especially if you’re taking your first steps in the live arena. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, Onboard wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, More features available on other similarly-priced amps, Bluetooth connectivity via Marshall Gateway app, Relatively narrow-focused amp and cab models, Vintage valve tones in solid-state design, Adjustable from 30 watts down to 0.5 watts, MP3/Line In for jamming along or listening to music, High-gain folks will need to look elsewhere, Today's best deals on budget guitar amps under $500, The rise, fall and rediscovery of the Fender Jaguar, How to set up a Les Paul: 7 essential tips, We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices. The first question to ask before you buy any guitar amp is ‘where am I going to be playing this?’ Beginner guitarists will want to look to cheap practice amps, designed for great tone at low volumes at home. Jason Schneider. A genuine sound is created through this amp’s valve (tube) too, because this amp contains four types of tube amps in one. Furthermore, an MP3/Line In socket allows the FLY 3 to be connected to an MP3 player, mobile phone, laptop or tablet. It’s a well-worn cliché, but there genuinely has never been a better time to buy a cheap guitar amp, especially if you’re a beginner or you're looking for a wallet-friendly practice amp. Another problem with my MG today. Effects consist of all the essentials like compression, overdrive, modulation, reverb and delay, and up to five effects can be used at once. These are the best guitar amps under $/£500; Improve your playing with the best practice amps; What is the best guitar amp right now? u/SinigangBang723. All things considered, it’s the best budget guitar amp under $500 right now. The unit sounds as good as practice amps four times the size, with thick bass, ringing cleans and substantial gain. Many of these amps also make great recording options, too, with Yamaha’s THR30II our favorite for getting outstanding mix-ready tones straight from the box. This 120W version is perhaps the standout of the series, with over 200, amps, cabs and effects, spread across 128 presets, and newly revoiced for this range.