Is it possible to find the best guitar amps under 100 dollars? Yes, definitely. Of course, budget amps might be smaller, weaker and not as versatile as expensive ones, but there truly exist various decent, high-quality options that don’t break the bank.
Whether you’re a newbie who has just purchased a brand new guitar or a professional who has been in the industry for years, having a small and portable amp is necessary. You can take it anywhere to practice and perform, from your small room to bigger gigs. So in this post from Carroll / Fletcher, we’ll review 15 best guitar amps under 100 and write a guide on how to choose the best amps for your music journey. Let’s dive right in.
Best Guitar Amps Under 100 Comparison 2023
| Fender Mini Deluxe Electric Guitar Amp | Fender Acoustasonic 15 – 15 Watt Acoustic Guitar Amplifier | NUX Mighty Lite BT Portable Modeling Guitar Amplifier |
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$$$ |
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Best Retro-Looking Guitar Amp |
Best Guitar Amp for Acoustic Nights |
Best Modern Guitar Amp |
** Below, you will find our detailed reviews of the Best Guitar Amps Under 100, but you can also click the links above to see current prices or read customer reviews on Amazon.
Detailed Reviews Of Top Best Guitar Amps Under 100
Pignose 7-100 Legendary portable amplifier
Features:
- Power output: 5 watts
- Speaker: 5″
This Pignose amp has an affordable price and a simple, classic, yet cool looking design. It’s very portable. There’s only an on/off switch and a volume knob. You have to change the tone by opening up the gain from the guitar. It doesn’t come with the power supply. You can use an AC adapter or 6AA batteries to supply power to the amp. There’s a preamp port in the back of the amp.
The tone is clean and rich, especially for blues or rock. It’s easy to switch tones with the volume knob. Increase the volume and you can get some distortion. If you want something mellow, reduce the volume. To add more treble, you can open the cabinet and make it an open-back amp. If you’re looking for an amp that produces vintage tone, this amp is an excellent choice. It’s a great steal at this price.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Affordable
- Simple, classic, cool, portable design
- Clean and rich, vintage tone
Things we did not like
- No power supply included
VOX AP2AC amPlug 2 AC30 Guitar/Bass Headphone Amplifier
Features:
- 3 sound versions and 3 Effects
- Tone, Gain and Volume pots
- Battery-operated
This is a tiny and portable amp for practicing your guitar late at night if you don’t want to disturb your family and neighbors. It’s budget-friendly, battery-operated but has surprisingly good quality. You need good headphones or a stereo system to get the highest sound quality from this amp. There’s no noise.
The tones are clean and overdriven. You can definitely create natural tones to shimmery tones with enough gain. The effects, of course, can’t be as excellent as more expensive options, but are good enough. The material looks a bit plastic and cheap, but it’s reasonable at that price. This amp obviously can’t deliver the top-notch performance, but its mobility and quality make it worth the price.
If you’re looking for the best guitar amp under 100 dollars for late night practice, this can be it.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Small, portable design
- Clean and rich tone
- Budget-friendly
- The tones are clean and overdriven.
- Great for quiet practice
Things we did not like
- Need good headphones or stereo system to get the highest sound quality
- Effects are not that good.
- Plastic look
BOSS Katana Compact 7-Watt Guitar Amplifier (KTN-Mini)
Features:
- 7 watts
- Three channels: Brown, Crunch, and Clean
- Aux input
- Phones/recording output
This portable Boss Kanata is simple and has high quality sounding. It’s surprisingly loud. It can produce rich, full sound just like some expensive options out there. It’s battery-powered, which many people love. This amp does not come with a power supply. It has an aux input and a recording output.
There are 3 amp types: brown, crunch and clean. The distortion can be heard quite early in the clean channel. The small downside is that the on/off switch can be a bit wonky, but that’s not a big problem.If you’re looking for a high quality amp for Gilmour songs that you can bring anywhere, this is a fun amp to have.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Portable and simple design
- Rich, full, loud sound
- Battery-powered
- Great for Gilmour songs
Things we did not like
- Doesn’t come with a power supply
- Wonky switch
- Distortion can be heard early in the clean channel
- Plastic chassis creates less than optimal sound
- Does not come with a power supply
Hotone Mojo Diamond Mini Guitar Amplifier Head
Features:
- Power Output: 5 Watts
- 18V DC power supply (Adapter included)
- Input and output sockets at the back
This small, portable amp produces tweed like tones. It’s budget-friendly, well-built and looks cool. It has controls that are easy to blend and shape your tone. The power supply adapter is included. It has input and output sockets at the back. The sound is loud enough to practice at home. Its sound can be a tiny bit noisy sometimes.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Small, portable
- Tweed like tones
- Budget-friendly
- Well-built, cool
- Controls: easy to blend and shape tone
- Loud enough for home practice
Things we did not like
- Noisy sometimes
Blackstar amPlug2 FLY Bass Headphone Amplifier
Features:
- 3 built-in channels: Classic, Modern and Overdrive Bass
- 6 rhythms: Rock, Funk, R&B, Hip Hop, Blues, Metronome & Tap Tempo
- Foldable jack plug
- 2 AAA batteries
The build quality of this amp seems great. It has 3 sound modes: standard, tube amp and distortion. The first 2 can create different sounds. The distortion seems a bit too heavy. The sound is crisp and clean. It’s quiet enough to practice late at night without disturbing other people.
The drum tracks are great and the aux-in feature lets you listen to the track or tutorials right from your phone or computer while playing. The sound quality could be improved but at this size and price, this amp is very nice. The amp turns off automatically if you don’t use it. There’s a slight crackle when you adjust the settings but it’s not much of a problem.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Turns off automatically
- Great build quality
- Crisp and clean sound
- Great for home practice
- Drum tracks are great
- Aux-in jacks
Things we did not like
- Distortion seems a bit heavy.
- Slight crackle when adjusting the settings.
Andoer Mini Rechargeable Electric Guitar Plug Headphone Amp
Features:
- 3 knobs: blend / tone / volume knob.
- Aux jack: connect an external audio device
- Headphone jack: connect headphone, portable speaker or mixer.
- Built-in battery. Charged by USB cable
This is a great, compact, lightweight amp for those who play guitar at home and are trying to keep the noise down. It produces clean sound when paired with good headphones. It’s very easy to use. There are 3 knobs: blend, tone and volume. It has a built-in battery and is charged by USB cable, which is convenient. It can be noisy sometimes, but not much.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Tiny and light-weight
- Clean sound
- Works great with headphones
- Easy to use
Things we did not like
- Noisy sometimes
Marshall Amps Guitar Combo Amplifier (M-MG10G-U)
Features:
- 24 watts
- 6.5” speaker
- Clean & overdrive channels
- Gain channel contour control
With the iconic Marshall logo as usual, this amp has a retro, cool and vintage look. It’s small and light, so it can be put anywhere and can be put away when not in use. The amp is a closed back cabinet. The control knobs and control panel have an attractive matt gold.
It’s a plug and play kind of amp. There’s no onboard effects. There’s no EQ. There’s not really a lot to find out about. So it’s easy to play. There’s an aux jack if you want to put on your headphones and practice in silence.
It actually delivers a clean and powerful sound at that size and price. It has clean and overdrive channels. If you’re a big fan of crunchy blues or heavy metal, this guy might be what you’re looking for. It may hiss a bit if you turn the volume knob to zero.
If you’re a beginner and want something simple, this might be for you. But as it lacks many advanced features, you may have to upgrade later on.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Retro, cool and vintage loo
- Small and light
- Plug and play, easy for beginners
- Aux jack for headphone practice
- Clean and powerful sound
- Great for crunchy blues or heavy metal
Things we did not like
- May hiss when volume turns 0
- Lack many features, may have to upgrade
Peavey Solo Guitar Amp Guitar Combo Amp
Features:
- 12 Watts
- Clean and Lead channels
The special thing about this amp is that it has a distortion knob instead of a traditional switch. So you can customize the intensity of your sound. Now you can play something clear or massive. It sounds loud while still keeping its tonal clarity. You can tweak the controls however you want, the tone is excellent. It has that organic sound of the tube amp. The small downside of this amp is its weight. It’s quite heavy, so moving around a lot will take a bit of sweat. Overall, this is an easy-to-use amp, and it suits beginners.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Distortion knob to customize intensity
- Loud and clear
- Organic, excellent tone
- Easy to use, great for beginners
Things we did not like
- Heavy
Fender Frontman 10G Electric Guitar Amplifier
Features:
- 10 Watts
- 1-6″ Fender Special Design Speaker
- Controls: Gain, Over-Drive Select Switch, Volume, Treble, Bass
- Input and Output jacks
The next amp that we want to suggest is the Fender Frontman 10. Fender has always been known for their clean sounds and bluesy overdrive, and this amp is no exception. This amp has decent overdrive and no reverb. This Fender amp suits lighter music. If you are into country, jazz, blues, or classic rock, this amp might be the right one for you. But if you are into hard metal rock, the Marshall mentioned above would be a better choice. It’s well-built. The controls are responsive. It can be loud.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Suits lighter music, great for country, jazz, blues, or classic rock
- Decent overdrive
- Well-built
- Responsive controls
- Loud
Things we did not like
- Not for hard metal rock
Fender Mini Deluxe Electric Guitar Amp
Features:
- 1 watt
- Dual 2″ speakers
- Headphone jack and 9V adapter jack
- Gain, Tone and Volume controls.
Replicating the classic look of the full-size Deluxe amp, this Fender MD20 Mini Deluxe has a retro, neat and cool design. It’s very portable and adorable. It’s nice for a wide variety of styles. It’s powerful enough to practice in a normal size room. It has knobs for gain, tone and volume, so you can create many tones from clean to crunch.
This amp is perfect for practicing quietly without disturbing others in the house. It can produce from impressive, overdriven sound to crunchy, warm sound. The sound quality is decent at this price and size. If you’re looking for the quality of the more expensive version, be willing to pay extra, but not on this one.
If you’re someone who is into small, portable and retro-looking amps with decent sound quality, this is a good option to add to your cart.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Retro, neat and cool design
- Portable and adorable
- Powerful enough
- Perfect for practicing quietly
- Sound quality is decent
Things we did not like
- The quality can’t be compared to more expensive amps.
NUX Mighty Lite BT Portable Modeling Guitar Amplifier
Features:
- 3 Watt
- Bluetooth
- Built-in Digital Reverb & Delay
- 3 channels: Clean, Overdrive and Distortion
- 9 Drum Patterns and a Metronome
It’s literally an all-in-one modern and portable guitar amplifier. Not only can you take it on your trip, but it can also stay comfortably in your room. It’s a 3 watt bluetooth practice amp that you can use in your home, put on a desk or take it wherever you want and jam. It has good sounds and clean overdrive and distortion channels.
This amp is extremely lightweight, portable due to its small size. It has some built-in effects such as reverb and delay. There are three channels: clean, overdrive and distortion. It also features 9 drum patterns and a metronome. A highly customizable amp that suits many styles of music. At this price and size, it’s acceptable that the sound can’t be as loud as expensive amps. So we haven’t really found any cons and we really think this can be the best guitar amp under 100 dollars.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Portable, small
- Built-in effects
- Highly customizable, suit many music styles
Things we did not like
- Maybe not as loud as expensive amps
Dean DA20 Acoustic Guitar Amp
Features:
- 20 Watts
- 1 Channel
- 4 Band EQ
- Two 5″ Speakers
This amp has two 5” speakers and 20 watts of power, so it can be suitable for small gigs. It has a 4-band EQ including treble, middle, bass, and presence knobs. To be honest, the equalizer this amp features is not capable of fine-tuning your tone. It’s extremely easy to use as there are no special buttons, channels, modes, or special features. But it makes the amp less versatile. This amp does the job well, but there’s really no way to customize your tone and sound, unless you purchase other equipment. If you’re looking for a cheap, simple and sturdy amp, this might be for you.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Powerful enough for small gigs
- Easy to use for beginners
- Sturdy
Things we did not like
- There’s no special modes or features, less versatile
Pyle-Pro PVAMP60 60-Watt Vamp-Series Amplifier
Features:
- 8 Inch Speaker
- Two Channels: Clean and Overdrive
- 60 Watts
- 3-Band EQ
- 2 input jacks for low & high input
This amp features 60 watt and an 8” speaker, which are more suitable for gigs. It might be too loud to play in your house if you don’t know how to adjust. The distortion is not really great, so you can make it better by using a distortion pedal. There’s a hum when the cord is not plugged into a guitar or mic.
It has a sturdy design as the edges are leather, and it’s very heavy. The controls are responsive. The 3-band EQ includes treble, middle, and bass knobs. The gain knob is in another place. There’s a built-in digital delay effect. There are also 2 channels, which are clean or overdrive. You can choose between them based on your style and preferences. This is one of the best guitar amps under 100 dollars, as it’s sturdy, powerful and versatile.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Powerful
- Sturdy design with leather edges
- Versatile and highly customizable
Things we did not like
- Distortion isn’t great.
- There’s a hum when not plugged in.
- Very heavy
Monoprice 611720 20-Watt 1×8 Guitar Combo Amplifier
Features:
- 20-watt
- 8-inch, 4-ohm speaker
This is a 20 watt and 8 inch speaker amp, so it’s quite strong and powerful for small gigs and quite loud for home practice. It has a jack for headphones so you can plug your guitar in and play without bothering your family and neighbors. It also has a jack for your phone.
The special thing about this amp is that it has separate controls for clean and driven sounds. It includes 2 channels and 6 knobs onboard so that you can customize your tone. This amp looks bulky and it’s quite heavy. But it’s versatile and powerful and really is one of the best guitar amps under 100 dollars.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Quite strong and powerful.
- Clean and overdrive channels.
- Headphone and aux jacks.
- Versatile
Things we did not like
- Quite bulky and heavy.
Fender Acoustasonic 15 – 15 Watt Acoustic Guitar Amplifier
Features:
- 15 watts
- 6” Fender speaker
- 3-Band EQ
- 2 channels
Just like its name, this Fender amp is made for acoustic performers who are always on the move and need a compact amp for small gigs and gatherings. It’s light, small, portable and has a leather handle, so you can easily take it anywhere you want. It’s great for both electric and acoustic-electric guitars.
The Acoustasonic 15 has no gain or drive knobs, so if you want to play something in hard metal rock styles, you may need a pedal. This amp works best for pop, jazz, or blues. There’s a headphone jack if you want to practice in silence.
It has 3-band EQ and 2 channels and they have separate volume knobs. There’s a chorus effect knob. The sound is clean. This amp is great for tremendous clarity and vibrato sounds. The main purpose of this amp is to create the cleanest and brightest acoustic tone possible.
This amp comes with a 5 Year Transferable Warranty, which is a huge plus. It’s definitely one of the best guitar amps under 100 for acoustic performances.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Great for acoustic, light music
- Great clarity and vibrato
- Chorus effect knob
- Portable and light weight for easy transport
- Headphone output for silent practice
- 5 Year Transferable Warranty
Things we did not like
- Not made for hard metal or rock
A Complete Guide: How To Choose The Best Guitar Amps
There are numerous options of amps, including different types of amps, with different construction, configuration and size. Below, you’ll find a useful guide to help you choose the best guitar amps under 100 dollars.
Types Of Amplifiers
There are 4 main types of guitar amps: solid state (analog), tube, modeling (digital), and hybrids.
Solid-state amps
Solid-state amps use transistors for their preamp and power sections. They produce clean tone, or distortion. They are quite durable, which are suitable for guitarists looking for a sturdy amp. You can find that many low cost amps are solid-state ones.
Tube amps
Tube amps create fat, warm tone and distortion. They have louder sound than solid-state ones and they have their own uniqueness. They also have channels so you can switch from clean to distorted tone quickly. They aren’t as sturdy as solid-state amps, so you have to change the tubes. Tube amps are often louder than solid-state amps of the same power rating.
Tube amps are preferred by most professional guitarists because of their unique sounds. They are quite expensive and fragile. They need regular care and maintenance.
Modeling amps
Modeling amps are programmable and they can create digital effects such as chorus, reverb, delay, phase, etc. They can stimulate the sound of various amps, including tube amps, by modeling the sound of other amps through software. From low budget amps for home practice to expensive ones for big stages, these digital amps can give you the tone and effects that you’re looking for.
These modeling amps are particularly useful for guitar players in cover bands and those who want to deliver certain sounds of their favorite guitarists.
Hybrid amps
Hybrid amps include a real tube and a solid state power section. They are the combination of the best types of amps.
These days solid-state and modeling amps produce excellent tone for less money, and with less effort to maintain. However, tube amps still own one seat in many guitar player’s priority.
A huge number of guitar players love to own a tube amp. These days, modern technology has allowed companies to produce the most innovative amps. So it’s still up to your personal preference to choose the amps that you love most.
If you are into country, blues or soft rock you can look to amps that produce a good clean sound and softer overdrive. If you play metal or more extreme music you want an amplifier capable of high-gain overdrive.
Amps that deliver clean sound and have softer overdrive are more suitable for country or blues music, while hard metal, rock songs require high gain overdrive amps. If you know how to tweak things, there are amps that lie between the two. So to look for the best guitar amps under 100 dollars, it also relies on your ability to adjust the settings.
Construction
The wood thickness of the cabinet is an important factor that determines the sound quality. Half an inch thickness would help create a strong sound and keep the speaker stable. You also need to check the back of the amp. Amp with a closed back will produce better bass compared to one with open-back. You need some corner protectors to protect the amps if you have to move it a lot.
Configurations
Amplifiers come in different configurations. Combinations, or combos include both the amplifier and speaker in the same cabinet. They are easier to move around.
Amps can come in a separate head cabinet and a speaker cabinet, allowing you to use one without the other. In this configuration, the amp is often placed on top of a cabinet containing two or four speakers. 2 cabinets and amp combined are called a “stack” or if there’s 1 cabinet, it’s called a “half stack”.
Big stack looks powerful and strong, but it’s more challenging to move around. This is the hassle that you have to face if you want to produce amazing sound quality, resonance and projection.
Power and Speaker Size
The power output of a guitar amp is indicated in watts. Choose the power rating and speaker size that are right for your application and budget. Amps for performing in large places require power above 100 watts. Amps for smaller performances require modeling and tube amps, 40 watts power and 12” speaker. Amps for home practice can be solid state or modeling, with power rating lower than 40 watts and smaller speakers.
Different speaker sizes deliver different sounds. Speakers of the same size can still produce different sounds. Smaller speakers can produce higher frequencies compared to bigger speakers.
If you plan to play with drums, you need higher watt amps. A tube amp needs to be above 40 watts. With solid-state amps, the more, the better.
Other Features
Pay attention to the gadgets at the back of the amps, check if they have a place to plug in a footswitch, jacks for external headphones, on and off switches and so on.
Reverb units
There are spring reverbs and digital reverbs. Spring reverbs sound more natural. Reverb is often featured in most amps nowadays.
Effects loops
Effects loops make effects sound clearer and also help match the impedances of equipment. As guitar players add more power and distortion to their amps, the sound can turn muddy. Here’s when the effects loop comes into play.
Channel switching
With channel-switching amps, you can switch between preamp channels to change the tone. Some amps have a footswitch, and you can also buy a multi-function footswitch.
Built-in effects
Numerous amps have built-in effects, which is a special feature to look at. If you happen to be in love with an amp that has no built-in effects, you can use an outboard effects processor or pedals to create the effects that you want.
Here’s a video about how to choose a guitar amplifier that we find useful and we think you may need:
Each guitar amp has different characteristics, and what works for one person may not work for another. With so many styles, configurations, construction and special features available it can be quite confusing when you’re trying to decide the best guitar amps under 100 that are worth your money.
As you practice constantly, your ears get better and they can differentiate between good sounds and not that good sounds. So you may have to upgrade your amps when you realize the old amp doesn’t give you the melodies that you expect. It’s fine to be constantly searching for the best amp for yourself.
Final Thoughts of best guitar amps under 100
By the time you get through this section, you should have a clear idea about what to look for in a guitar amp. If you’re a beginner, it might be confusing to choose the best guitar amps under 100. Just take some time to do some research and read our reviews and guide carefully, you’ll be able to choose the one that you love most based on your personal preferences and application.
After a long list of amps, we’ve come up with our top 3 best guitar amps under 100 as some suggestions for you:
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Best Retro-Looking Guitar Amp |
Best Guitar Amp for Acoustic Nights |
Best Modern Guitar Amp |
We hope that our post about the best guitar amps under 100 has made your search for amps much easier. Have you found the best one for you? Tell us in the comment section below.
See more best seller of Guitar Amps Under 100 on Amazon and find the best option for you here!
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