8 Affordable & Portable Tube Amps for GuitaristsBuying Guide

Because rock and roll came of age before many advances in digital and analog technology were economical, the classic sounds associated with electric guitar were mostly played through amps powered by an assortment of vacuum tubes. Most guitarists, even those with high-end modeling setups, still crave the breakup, sag, and vibrations that only come from vintage—or vintage-inspired—amplifiers.

But musicians don’t need to break the bank, or their backs, to get genuine tube tones into their bedrooms, basements, garages, or studios. In this guide, we’ll look at some specific recommendations for amps with at least one vacuum tube. But first, let’s go over some things to know and consider about tube amps of any type.

Class

The class of amplifier (A, AB, D, etc.) refers to the engineering behind how the machines work. As a guitarist, the important thing to know is that class A amps usually offer more distortion than class AB. Class D amps are even cleaner.

Combo or Head

When most people picture a guitar amp, it’s a combo: the preamp, power amp amp, speaker, and any other electronics are all in one enclosure. However, many touring musicians use heads: an amp with no internal speaker. Usually they’re stacked on top of an unpowered speaker cabinet and plugged in with a speaker cable.

Those looking for flexibility, or hauling their rig between a studio, tour stops, and home may prefer a head. Newcomers to the amp market should go with a combo for simplicity’s sake.

Size and Watts

Generally speaking, bigger and higher wattage amps will be louder, but that’s not always an apples-to-apples comparison. For example, a Vox AC15 might be louder than an Orange Tiny Terror at the same wattage, but the Orange breaks up quicker.

The size, weight, and sound is also affected by the number and size of speakers. Commonly, guitar amps use 12” speakers. The large magnets on speakers often add a lot of weight to combos and cabinets, so Neo speakers with smaller magnets are a convenient, although usually more expensive, feature to search out.

Timbre

Guitar experts and marketers often divide amps into two categories: British and American. Although there is some overlap and variation on both sides of the pond, these flavors begin with the model of tubes used. British amps like Marshall and Vox are associated with EL34 and EL84 valves, while Fender and other “American” style-amps will use 6L6 or 6V6 tubes.

Upkeep

Also consider that tube amps usually require more maintenance than solid state and digital modeling amps. Tubes have limited life spans, and most repairs needed on vintage, or vintage-style amps, is often unsafe to DIY.

However, many of our suggestions use fewer tubes or hybrid designs, which means a smaller hit to your budget over time. Without further delay, let’s look at 8 options for portable tube-based guitar amps.