Cheap guitar amps come in all sorts of incarnations, from tiny micro amps to practise amps, to amps that might just about have enough power to get through a small gig without you being drowned out by the bass player. The trick, as with most things gear related, is to make sure you’re getting what you really want. In particular, since costs for amps generally go up as their power goes up, you need to work out just how much power you really need.
Well, that depends on what you’re planning on doing with the amp. If you’re only ever going to use it to practise through headphones, then some sort of mini amp, like the Danelectro Honeytone M10 or the Dean Markley GR1000, is probably going to be enough for you.
If you’re planning on using it for practise, but would rather not have one extra wire getting tangled on the way to the amp, then possibly a slightly larger practise amp is in order. Rogue’s 10watt practise amp may not sound like it has much power, but it’s probably enough for a bedroom. The same applies to other good practise options like the Rocktron Velocity series 10W or the Fender Frontman 10W. Particularly good value for money is offered by the Behringer V-tone 15 Watt amp, which uses modelling technology to produce a number of different amp tones by offering options on amp type, speaker simulation, and gain type. Don’t let the slightly higher wattage fool you though, it’s still very much a practise amp.
So what do you do if you want cheap guitar amps that can handle large practises and some gigging? You up the power, of course. A thirty to fifty watt amp should be adequate for most small gigs, and you can always run it into the PA at larger venues, plus you can still usually roll back the power enough to practise without annoying the neighbours. Line 6’s Spider amps come in a thirty watt incarnation that lets you bring the versatility of modelling to your playing, while Marshall’s MG4 amp comes in at the same power, sounds good, and has one of the great names in amp design on the front as a bonus.
Generally, something in the 50 watt range will cover most needs, but if you’re gigging seriously, you might want to go bigger still. Much past 100 watts, of course, it becomes hard to see how you could practise without either having to use headphones or seriously annoying the neighbours, so you’re probably looking at a dedicated amp. It should also be remembered that more power generally means more cost. Raven’s RG100 is probably the cheapest of the hundred watt amps out there, and could well be worth a go if you’re looking for cheap guitar amps but still really need the extra power.
If you're tracking more than one musician at a time, or if everyone in a group wants to listen to a playback, you need a monitor distribution system. The compact, flexible AMP800 can power up to eight pairs of headphones and up to two different stereo mixes...
The Maxell Amplified headphones focus on dynamic sound quality and power. The extra large 40mm drivers provide deep bass and superior sound. The padding around these on-ear headphones is so comfortable on your ears, you'll be able to keep them on for hours...
The compact EF2A headphone amp from HiFiMan offers a USB input and built in DAC with Burr-Brown PCM2702 chipset for direct connection to your PC. Analog RCA inputs let you plug in a line level source, such as a CD player...
The Maxell Amplified headphones focus on dynamic sound quality and power. The extra large 40mm drivers provide deep bass and superior sound. The padding around these on-ear headphones is so comfortable on your ears, you'll be able to keep them on for hours...
"A must-have laptop companion! Discover digital music's true headphone potential". NuForce uDAC-2 is a high-performance USB Digital Audio Converter (DAC) that connects your personal computer's audio with your home stereo, desktop sound system, or headphones...
"A must-have laptop companion! Discover digital music's true headphone potential". NuForce uDAC-2 is a high-performance USB Digital Audio Converter (24bit/96kHz) that connects your personal computer's audio with your home stereo, desktop sound system, or headphones...
US $99.00
