Classic tube amplifiers have been around for a very long time and the sound really adds to the experience of listening to live music. If you want to live in the world of music, owning a tube amplifier is something that you should consider if you are a fan of live music.
Tube amplifiers are a lot better than solid-state amplifiers and the sound they produce is magic. If you love the tube sound, you will find the best tube amplifiers below in this article. This list is updated regularly, so be sure to come back and check the list out periodically.
Top 9 Tube Amps – Leaders in the category:
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall Amps Guitar Combo Amplifier | Best Overall |  |
| Monoprice 611705 5-Watt 1×8 Guitar Combo Tube Amplifier | Budget Pick |  |
| Fender '57 Custom Champ 5W 1×8 Tube Guitar Amp Lacquered Tweed | Upgrade Pick |  |
1. Marshall Amps Guitar Combo Amplifier
Pros:
- Will deliver a natural tube-like tone
- Operates quietly and is compact for easy transportation
- Plenty of useful features for virtually any style of music
Cons:
- Some parts may break down easily
- Cracks easily when dropped
- No built-in reverb
This baby is a beast. It delivers a killer tone and is especially perfect if you like to play classic rock. The depth and range that comes from this portable amp are amazing, and the price makes it even better.
This smaller version of the Marshall DSL amps is super small and heavy, weighing in at about 100 lbs and measuring 3 x 20 x 13 inches. That’s pretty portable for an amp! You can use this amp as a practice amp, but it is powerful enough to be used on stage.
It has 3 different channels – clean, crunch, and lead. Each of these channels has its own EQ controls, and there is an overall master for the volume. There is also a built-in noise gate. You can also hook this amp up to your computer and tweak your amp settings thanks to its USB connection.
2. Fender '57 Custom Champ 5W 1×8 Tube Guitar Amp Lacquered Tweed
Pros:
- Great tube tone
- Built in spring reverb
- Low wattage perfect for home use
- Instant response
- Fender's basic model
Cons:
- Cheaper construction
- Speakers go out too easily
- Exposed to feedback at higher volume
Sporting six tubes and packing a whopping 5 watts, this 8" speaker combo amp is a great little amp. With a basic scratchplate and tweed covering, the Fender Custom Champ has a vintage tone that sounds like what you’d hear from a fifties tweed amp. The blackface style tone stack lets you dial in the exact tone that you’re looking for, whether you want a raw, jangly tone or a smooth, snappy response.
What’s great is that the Custom Champ can be used with any kind of instrument without fear of feedback. This makes it a great amp to practice with at home, and build up to performing live. Another great feature of this amp is that since it’s such a small tube amp, you can stick it in the corner of the room and not deal with wall-to-wall reverb.
3. Archer TUBULARBK Tubular 5-Watt Guitar Combo Amplifier
Pros:
- * Affordable
4. Monoprice 611705 5-Watt 1×8 Guitar Combo Tube Amplifier
Pros:
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- Budget friendly
- Versatile and durable for all sorts of guitars.
- The speaker is a Celestion Super 8
Cons:
- The amp has been reported to be rather fragile
- The amp has not been reported to produce a lot of volume
- The amp has been reported to produce poor quality sound
- The amp has low quality pre-amps
The Monoprice 611705 5-Watt 1×8 is a very affordable yet very functional guitar amplifier. If you are a beginner guitar player, the amp is a good option for you. Some users even consider it ideal for use as a bedroom practice amp.
The Monoprice is available in Tan/Beige with a Celestion Super 8 inch speaker. The reason this speaker is included in the amp is because it will improve your sound quality and give you a more professional sound. The amp supports almost all electric guitars. It is versatile and durable.
The amp has a minimalistic design and design but has a lot of features that will make it stand out and become popular among guitarists. It comes with a sturdy and heavy grill. The cabinet is also very unique. The amp is also easy to carry since it is lightweight and compact.
5. CALIFORNIA TONE RESEARCH SET5 Single End Tube Guitar Amplifier
Pros:
- 5 12AX7 tubes in the pre-amp section
- Solid construction using hand-picked components inside and out
- 3-year warranty
- Great for both beginners and experienced players
Cons:
- Slightly awkward amp design for beginners
- Lack of modulation controls
If you’re a blues guitarist looking for something a little different, you’ll love this tube amp from California Tone Research. With a split-channel design, this amp can give you tons of live sound options. The single-channel design doesn’t have the best tonal possibilities since you can only tweak the volume knobs. However, the switchable amp channels and built-in effects offers tonal flexibility.
The amp also features a unique development in terms of its modular design. It comes with a pre-amp design that sends the signal through tubes in the pre-amp section directly to your output. When you consider that the pre-amp design of an amp is what helps to create its true sonic potential ,the design makes a lot of sense. In essence, you actually get a 12AX7 pre-amp configuration in the output section because each tube helps to add some tonal characteristics to the overall output signal.
6. Ibanez TSA15 1 x 12 15-Watt All-Tube Combo Guitar Amplifier
Pros:
- Simple and clean guitar tone
- Amazing price for a tube amp
- Simple and effective tone control setup
- Great for practicing
- Go to amp for singer songwriters
- Fits well in any size guitar-case
Cons:
- May not be a good match for playing in a band with other guitarists
- Can’t be controlled outside the US
- Not very high-powered
- Limited features
This is a great tube amplifier, perfect for practice or small home use. The really low price makes this tube amp so accessible to almost any player.. Perfect for singer songwriters.
Features:
Output power: 15 Watts
7. BUGERA G5 5-Watt Class Amplifier Head
Pros:
- Killer tone
- Pretty good price
- Great for small gigs or rehearsals
- Fits easily on smaller pedal boards
- Handles well on the road
- Solid construction
The 5-watt version of the BUGERA G5 offers a great value and a classic all-tube, Class AB sound. This little amp has been around in various forms for quite some time and will continue to garner accolades for years to come.
The G5 is a two-channel, all tube-driven, modeling amp. It produces only 5 watts, but the tone is big and loud enough to play lead, rhythm, and bass. Controls include gain, level, reverb, and mode for the Clean channel and gain, level, bass, middle, treble , and gain for the Overdrive channel. This all tube amp features two EL84 power tubes and a 12AX7 preamp tube. It also includes an onboard reverb and an effects loop.
8. Egnater TWEAKER 112 Guitar Combo Amplifier
Pros:
- It offers a full keyboard of tone controls including: Bass, Mid, Treble, Drive, and Reverb
- Tube preamp with 8 tube stages
- Solid State power section with 2 65W channels
- Channel switching and footswitchable EQ
- Master reverb, delay & modulation
- 24-bit effects with over 100 time-based and destination options
- Bluetooth connectivity and USB support
- Built-in tuner
- Built-in power soak
Cons:
- Poor build quality
- Leaky power switch
- Horrible user experience
- Inconsistent quality
- Not user-friendly service center
For those of you that are searching for the best tube amps under 1000 reviews, then consider the Egnater Tweaker 112 Guitar Combo. The word for this amplifier is “versatile” as it will provide you with a full keyboard spectrum of tone controls including: bass, mid, treble, drive, and reverb.
9. Bugera BC15 15-Watt Vintage Guitar Amp
Pros:
- Full-sized 1 x 12 combo amplifier
- Very clear and well-defined sound
- Dimensions are a convenient 28 x 18 x 11 inches, and weight is 22.3 pounds
- The price is extremely affordable
Cons:
- This amp is only 15-watts
- The amp is for low-volume practice and home recording
- It’s great for beginners, but is not ideal for gigs and concerts
For this price, you can’t get much more bang for your buck. This is an all-tube, 15-watt 1 x 12 combo amplifier for beginners and home recording enthusiasts. This amplifier uses the EL84 pentode tubes for the pre-amp, and has a single 12AX7 tube for its power stage.
The Bugera BC15 is a perfect practice amplifier, and you can also use it for recording. This is a good amplifier to introduce yourself to the world of tube amps, thanks to impeccable craftsmanship. It’s very lightweight, measuring at just 22.3 pounds.
Conclusion
It’s not easy to find great sounding tube amps in this price range, but if you do your research you’ll be surprised by the level of quality you can find. If you’re willing to sacrifice the 0.2% of tube sound quality to get a little more headroom and a little more power, we recommend the Art Probes. If you don’t want to compromise, we recommend the Rogue Ps-1. There’s really not a lot of difference in the sound between the two, although the Rogue has a little more power.
Our Recommendation
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall Amps Guitar Combo Amplifier | Best Overall | |
| Monoprice 611705 5-Watt 1×8 Guitar Combo Tube Amplifier | Budget Pick | |
| Fender '57 Custom Champ 5W 1×8 Tube Guitar Amp Lacquered Tweed | Upgrade Pick | |