There is something about guitar players and their amplifiers. While the guitar is the “must-have” element in the equation (you can’t be a guitarist without a guitar), the amplifier is the “need-to-have” (an electric guitar without an amplifier is a darn quiet guitar). While continuous advances in technology give modern amplifiers near iPhone-level features and options, the vintage guitar amplifier will always tug at the heart strings. The dichotomy here is that smaller and often more-powerful digital modeling amplifiers virtually eliminate the need to haul hundreds of pounds of tweed up icy stairs for a gig, but we are still tempted to make the effort. Let’s face it: nothing sounds quite like a vintage tube amplifier that has been running hot all day and is cranked. If you are in the market for a vintage guitar amplifier, these lists provide a road-map to practically every great guitar tone ever created. Hop in, buckle-up and enjoy the ride.Best Vintage 1x10 Guitar Amp:
Small amps rock. It's really amazing how much effort guitarists put into buying and transporting such massive stacks when a small amp turned all the way up and then put through the PA sounds awesome. All of these amplifiers where breakthroughs at the time they were first manufactured. There are certainly bigger amps out there, but if you needed a practice amp or smaller amp for recording, these 1x10 combos were the cream of the crop, offering great tone and portability that cannot be matched by a 2x12 amp.
Fender Super Champ
This is one of the most sought after and coveted amplifiers of all time. Personally, if sheer volume is not an issue, I consider this one to be the "Holy Grail." Why Fender chose to discontinue production of this amp completely baffles me. I've never met a single sole who was not blown away by the sound of the Fender Super Champ. The clean channel has the perfect jangly grind to it, ... Read Full Review »
Fender Princeton Reverb Guitar Combo Amp
This little brother of the Deluxe Reverb kicks "you know what", and does not take names. The silver face version includes a "Pull for Volume Boost" feature that is excellent. This is one of those amps that you just plug strait into and turn up to ten; no pedal can make that kind of sound. Fortunately the low power and 10" speaker mean that you will not irk the ... Read Full Review »
VOX AC4TV Guitar Combo Amp
VOX amps have a sound that is hard to mistake; you just know one when you hear it. The AC4TV is no exception. First issued in 1961, nearly 50 years later, it is still a smoker. Of course one would not be advised to take on Madison Square Garden or Wembley Stadium with a 1X10 low-wattage amp, but you could certainly tackle a recording session or small gig. Now that putting a microphone in front ... Read Full Review »
Fender Pro Junior Guitar Combo Amp
I'm pushing the envelope here as this amp has been around not quite 20 years. But eh, lock me up; this amp is awesome. I bought mine back in 1995 and was immediately impressed with the incredibly minimal control set; Volume & Tone. "Is Fender Crazy?" I thought to myself. But man, this little combo with the pair of 12AX7 preamp and EL-84 power tubes rocked it. I used it on many ... Read Full Review »
Peavey Backstage Plus Guitar Combo Amp
Just about everyone has a practice amp. In fact, one not need to look too far these days to find a practice amp that offers digital modeling, direct out, etc... for a decent price. But there was a time when having a practice amp was a luxury. I can remember being kind of blown away by the Peavey Backstage Plus. I'd never seen anything like it. There was this little amp that had not only a ... Read Full Review »
Best Vintage 1x12 Guitar Amp:
There is a kind of logical procession of events when a guitarist advances in their career; there is the first amp, which is usually a practice amp or hand-me-down. At some point most folks move on to a full head / 4x12 cabinet combination as gigs get more serious. In-between these two phases is usually a 1x12 combo. This configuration is so popular because while a 12" speaker can allow for serious volume, it is also just portable enough so that this amp can be practical. This list includes the best vintage 1x12 guitar amplifiers. Regardless of your ability level or genre, there is probably a good chance that you owned one of these amps at one point in time.
Fender 65 Deluxe Reverb Guitar Amplifier
This is the original "Garage Band" amplifier, and I do not mean the software. I mean literally jamming with your buddies in your parent's garage, trying to nail the bridge to your favorite song and the sounds of "Turn it down!!..." coming from the kitchen.
This was my first "real" amplifier, and I'm sure there are many guitarists out there ... Read Full Review »
VOX AC15 Classic Guitar Combo Amp
This amplifier is like an early British version of the Fender Deluxe Reverb; it is also one of the classic "Working Man's amplifiers." Although somewhat eclipsed by its bigger brother, the AC 30, this little amp still held up well on its own for many years. Even the Beatles used these amps in the early days. All that great British tone is there with a very manageable footprint. The ... Read Full Review »
Marshall 1974X Handwired Guitar Combo Amp
Known at the “mini Bluesbreaker”, the 1974 was first introduced in 1965 as a practice amplifier. What was so awesome about this amplifier was that you could squeeze some classic snarl out of it, but at 18 watts, volume was not an issue. An indication of the era from which this amp hails is the inclusion of a tremolo circuit. Marshall has reissued this combo as the 1974X due to its ... Read Full Review »
Mesa Boogie Mark IIB
There were not too many amps like the Mesa Boogie Mark IIB when it first appeared. Mesa was starting to gain a very positive reputation for their world-class out of the box engineering. This amp heralded the introduction of thier "simul-class" system, allowing for a much more "Boutique" class of configuration and tone. The amount of volume that is possible with these ... Read Full Review »
Music Man RD 50 112
Another absolutely brilliant offering from Music Man. This might just be the most amazing offering of all time for working guitarists. At 50 Watts, there is plenty of headroom and volume for just about any live performance. The kicker is the size and weight: not too bad at all; you can actually put this amp on a cart and wheel it around town. The drive channel is possibly less-than-desirable, ... Read Full Review »
Best Vintage 2x12 Guitar Amp:
The 2x12 amplifier is the passport to serious volume. With a 1x12 combo or anything smaller, you will never be in fear of the police showing up; you can only push but so much air with a single 12" speaker. But two 12" speakers? yeah, things can get a bit loud. These amplifiers represent the best of 2x12 combo amplifiers of the early days when it really mattered what was under the hood. You didn't have digital modeling or fancy floor-based multi-effects pedals, so it all had to happen in the amplifier. If you are looking for a vintage 2x12 combo amplifier, look no further; there are are some serious muscle cars here.
Fender Twin Reverb Guitar Amp
The Marshall 1959 might just be the loudest amp still in use, but the Fender Twin Reverb is the only one that can cut through a diamond. With its classic Fender-ish clarity and over 120 Watts RMS, this amp is a sonic laser. It is also fantastic for high volume tweed sounds. With two 12" speakers and enough girth to stop a city bus, you'd be hard-pressed to find a mightier snap. As per the ... Read Full Review »
VOX AC30 Custom Classic Guitar Amp
Originally a 1x12 amplifier, the AC30 was billed as the "Big Brother" to the very popular AC15. VOX quickly switched to the 2X12" configuration and dropped the blonde "TV" front for a more sophisticated black tolex. But it is indeed what was inside that made this amplifier so awesome. You simply cannot mistake that "VOX" tone and few have done better. Over ... Read Full Review »
Marshall 1962 Bluesbreaker Vintage Guitar Amp
As the alter-ego the the 4x10 version (Model 1961), this 2x12 configuration was curiously titled a "Lead and Bass" amplifier. It did not include the tremolo circuit but was otherwise the same. Marshall has reissued this version of the Bluesbreaker that not only comes stock with Celestion Greenback speakers, but they put the tremolo back too. This combo provides an excellent ... Read Full Review »
Music Man 212 HD-130 Vintage Guitar Amp
An absolute volume machine. This 2x12 combo amp from Music Man was manufactured from 1974 to 1979. Around the same era they were used heavily by such guitar greats as Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler. There is good reason for this; they sound excellent. It's no coincidence that these amps were made by the same man that made the Fender Twin: Leo Fender. The Music Man version has a slightly more ... Read Full Review »
Marshall JCM-800 4104 Vintage Guitar Amp
Essentially a combo version of the JCM 800 head, this amplifier provides a slightly more manageable opportunity to get that classic early 80's Marshall tone. The key word here is "slightly". Although a 2x12 combo should be somewhere in the neighborhood of half the hassle of a head / 4x12 cabinet combination, Marshall made this amp heavier than vending machine. I dont' think they were ... Read Full Review »
Best Vintage 4x10 Guitar Amp:
I'm always surprised as how infrequently I see guitarists on stage with a 4x10 combo. The 10" speaker has a sound that differs wonderfully from the 12" speaker. While you cannot push quite the same amount of smoky air with a 10" speaker, with four of them, you can do just fine. These amplifiers are the best of the bunch when it comes to vintage 4x10 combo amplifiers. There is a unique sound here that you don't really get with a 2x12 combo. If you are a fan of Blues or Classic Rock and have never considered a 4x10 amplifier, you're missin' some pretty cool stuff.
Fender Super Reverb Guitar Amplifier
The Super Reverb is one of the greats. The combination of relatively low-wattage (approx 40 watts RMS) and the 4X10 speaker configuration is awesome. There is just enough headroom so that you can have some snap and crackle, but the early breakup provides the thumpy "pop". Fender has been making this amplifier forever and all flavors are great; black face, silver face, and it ... Read Full Review »
Fender Bassman Vintage Guitar Amp
Everyone knows this story; the bass amp that wound up being one of the most popular guitar amplifiers of all time. Why? Just because Fender made such great amps that even a bass amplifier sounded terrific with a guitar running through it. At the time, bass amplifiers were not the high-powered machines that they are today, so it's not such a stretch that guitar / bass amps could be a bit ... Read Full Review »
Marshall Bluesbreaker 1961 Vintage Guitar Amp
What made this amp so unique was that unlike most Marshall amps, KT66 output tubes were used instead of the usual EL34 set.This made for a nice combination of Marshall grit and a bit of a more glassy tone. At Eric Clapton's request, this was essentially a JTM-45 head shoved into a 4x10 cabinet. Marshall also issued a 2x12 version (Model 1962), but the 4x10 is a bit unique in the Marshall line ... Read Full Review »
Music Man 410-65 Vintage Guitar Amp
It's getting a little hard to write a "Vintage Amplifier" review without including a Music Man. The reason for this is that Leo Fender offered such a great range of products, all of which where excellent. This 4x10 version of the 65-watt line was awesome. You had pretty much the same feature set of a two-channel amp with tremolo, master volume, solid-state pre-amp and two 6CA7 power ... Read Full Review »
Fender Concert Vintage Guitar Amp
The Fender Concert is an often over-looked member of the prestigious Pre-CBS lineage. The Super Reverb gets all the "4x10" credit, and it is an awesome amp. But, the Concert was a great sounding amplifier. If you are looking for a really serious vintage Fender amplifier for that serious "Tweed" tone, this is the one; somewhat obscure, but nonetheless, one of the greats. Read Full Review »
