Competition between different amps in the $100 to $200 price range is fierce. So, if you’re looking for the best guitar amp under 200, you’ll have to sort through a lot of good quality options.
This is where we come in with our top-rated recommendations, covering the cream of the crop in three popular categories, Combo, Amp Heads, and Pedal Board Amps.
Orange continues to be dominant across all three categories, proving that guitarists are highly appreciative of amps that can provide great tones with simple controls. Fender also made the cut, offering multiple amp voicings by leveraging the flexibility of digital amp modeling.
Best Guitar Combo Amps Under $200 | Product Image Best Guitar Combo Amps Under $200 | Product Title | *GEARANK | **Sources | Check Prices |
 | 96 | 1300+ | |||
 | 96 | 4400+ | Amazon |
Best USB Microphone for Vocals & Musical Instruments - 2024 | Product Image Best Guitar Amp Heads Under $200 | Product Title | *GEARANK | **Sources | Check Prices |
 | 94 | 1700+ | |||
 | 94 | 1110+ |
Best Pedal Board Amp Under $200 | Product Image Best Pedal Board Amp Under $200 | Product Title | *GEARANK | **Sources | Check Prices |
 | 89 | 20+ |
*Gearank = Rating score out of 100.
**Sources = Number of gear owner and user opinions analyzed to produce the product’s Gearank Rating.
Best Guitar Amp Under 200 – Combo Amps
Orange Crush 20
Ideal for beginners seeking a straightforward and reliable practice amp.
Pros:
- Simple operation
- Great sounding overdriven tone
- Good build quality
- Distinct Orange aesthetics
- Limited functionality
- Clean tone is not as good as overdriven
- No Reverb
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While most big-name brands have gone the modeling route, Orange maintains their traditional 2-channel design in many of their good budget guitar amps – and they do so with continued acclaim.
A case in point is the Orange Crush 20, which enjoys high ratings despite its straightforward functionality.
What makes it stand out is its 4-stage preamp that adds realism to its tone giving it a great sound when overdriven. With minimal tweaking, it produces great-sounding tube-like overdriven tones at manageable volume levels.
It also easily stands out visually, with its distinctly Orange profile. And build quality is more than what you’d expect for its price. If you want to practice quietly via headphones, this amp comes with a built-in cabinet simulator.
Its 4-stage preamp adds realism to its tone giving it a great sound when overdriven.
The main weakness of this amp is its clean tone, so if you are looking for a good clean sounding amp, this is not for you.
The Orange Crush 20 is a true-to-form plug-and-play amplifier for guitar rock styles. Hard to go wrong with its tried and tested simplicity and killer tone.
- Power Rating: 20-Watts
- Speaker Size: 8”
- Channels: 2
- Controls: Clean/Dirty Switch, Dirty, Treble, Middle, Bass, Gain, Clean
- Amp Models: None
- Effects: None
- Inputs/Outputs: 1 x 1/4″, 1 x 1/8″ (Aux), 1 x 1/4″ (Headphones)
- Dimensions: 12.8″ x 14.67″ x 7.75″
- Weight: 15.8 lbs
Rating Source Highlight
Richard Blenkinsop
Matt Dunn
80/100
86/100
*Displayed values are prior to the Gearank Algorithm’s adjustments it makes when evaluating the source.
Fender Mustang LT25
Perfect for players who need versatile amp modeling and built-in effects.
Pros:
- Versatile amp modeling and effects
- Good sounding Fender clean tone
- USB recording and software control
- Sleek modern aesthetic
- Requires more tweaking to get good tone
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Check Out on Amazon
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The Mustang LT25 is a 25-Watt guitar combo amplifier with an 8″ speaker, part of Fender’s popular Mustang line of entry-level modeling amps, loved for their good overall quality and portability.
The LT25, in particular, features 20 amp models, 25 effects, and 50 presets – which cover a wide range of tones, from Fender’s classic clean tones to mid-crunch and high gain. That’s a lot of features packed inside something compact and affordable.
While it’s not as simple to operate as traditional amps, it is still more intuitive compared to other modelers. It has a good balance of features, presets, and parameter options while dropping some control options, the most notable of which is the lack of a mid-tone knob.
It is definitely one best low priced guitar amp under 200 and is a great pair for a beginner electric guitar. It can even be used as an acoustic guitar amp as long you stick to clean settings. But note that dedicated acoustic amps are still better for acoustic guitars.
The LT25, in particular, features 20 amp models, 25 effects, and 50 presets – which cover a wide range of tones…
More in-depth control is available via software control when plugged in using the USB port. Other beginner-friendly features include having a headphone jack for quiet practice, and it has a built-in tuner. To meet the demands of home recording, it also comes with USB recording.
Get the Fender LT25 if you want nothing less than the best budget guitar amplifier with amp modeling.
- Power Rating: 25-Watts
- Speaker Size: 8”
- Channels: 1
- Controls: Gain, Volume, Treble, Bass, Master, Preset, Back, Save, Menu, Tap
- Amp Models: 20
- Effects: 25 (Modulation, Reverb, Delay)
- Inputs/Outputs: 1 x 1/4″, 1 x 1/8″ (Auxiliary Input), 1 x 1/8″ (Headphones)
- Dimensions: 14.5″ x 16.8″ x 11.9″
- Weight: 14.9 lbs
Rating Source Highlight
Stuart Williams
Teemu Suomala
90/100
92/100
*Displayed values are prior to the Gearank Algorithm’s adjustments it makes when evaluating the source.
Best Guitar Amps Under 200 – Amp Heads
Orange Micro Terror MT20
Great for those looking for a compact amp head with classic tube tones.
Pros:
- Great sounding tube overdrive tone
- Lively and responsive
- Can go loud and still sound good
- Limited functionality
- No reverb
- Not for those who want great-sounding cleans
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The Orange Micro Terror is cheap tube amp head that features a combination of tube and solid-state design.
This 20-Watt hybrid tube amp sports a 12AX7 preamp tube paired with a solid state poweramp, reproducing classic Orange tones. The resulting sound is organic and lively, even when the amp is cranked.
As expected from Orange, this is no modeling amp. Instead, it’s focused on reproducing the iconic British Orange tone with minimal complication, and it does it very well.
With its compact profile, this amp head has limited tone shaping controls which include volume, tone, and gain knobs.
The resulting sound is organic and lively, even when the amp is cranked.
Speaking of compact, the Micro Terror MT20 is packed inside Orange’s distinct lunchbox-style all-metal amp head design.
If you’re a fan of the classic Orange tone, then this is the best budget amp to get. The MT20 is a great portable practice amp solution.
- Power Rating: 20-Watts
- Speaker Out: 1/4″
- Tubes: 12AX7 (Preamp)
- Channels: 1
- Controls: Volume, Tone, Gain
- Effects: None
- Amp Models: None
- Inputs/Outputs: 1 x 1/4″, 1 x 1/8″ (Aux)
- Dimensions: 5.3″ x 6.49″ x 3.6″
- Weight: 1.87 lbs
Rating Source Highlight
*Displayed values are prior to the Gearank Algorithm’s adjustments it makes when evaluating the source.
Orange Micro Dark
Excellent choice for musicians wanting a portable head with a blend of tube warmth and modern distortion.
Pros:
- Loud for such a small amp
- Simple controls
- Great tone across the gain range. Surprisingly good cleans
- Includes an effects loop
- Lack of EQ limits tone shaping
- Single channel only
- Headphone out tonality is harsh and only for last resort practicing
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By its name and appearance, the Micro Dark was designed to be a smaller version of Orange’s Dark Terror amplifier. Surprisingly enough, the Dark Terror is rated at 15W (tube) while the Micro Dark is at 20W (solid-state). Numbers aside, the Micro Dark is a hybrid amp tuned to sound and feel close to the Dark Terror.
Figure 2: The Orange Micro Dark’s rear view and outputs, as well as its effects loop. See a larger version in the Extended Review.
I was surprised to see that it was affordable, and at 20W, I thought it would be a lot quieter, considering the volume difference between solid state watts and and tube watts.
Tube Amps sound louder at the same wattage because they are designed to be pushed beyond their power rating for more saturation.
Most solid state designs are designed to operate around their clean ceiling, as solid state clipping is nowhere near as good sounding as tube clipping. Hence a 20W solid state amp will run quieter than a pushed 20W.
Tone-wise, the Micro Dark’s gain range can take it from sparkly clean to blues grit, all the way to modern metal. The “Shape” knob is a combination of an EQ and a contour control (as seen on some Marshall amps) that shifts the tone from dark to bright. The sound quality is really high, considering its small size and price.
Others might feel that the lack of a typical EQ can be seen as a minus. Personally, I like the pedal-like simplicity of singular tone control.
I often found myself going towards both extremes depending on the genre.
Tone-wise, the Micro Dark’s gain range can take it from sparkly clean to blues grit, all the way to modern metal. This is the best budget guitar head for fans of aggressive styles of music.
I also play an all-tube Dark Terror. Listen to the comparisons I recorded in the extended review.
All in all, The Orange Micro Dark is one of the best value purchases I’ve ever made. It’s a fun piece of gear that I use a lot for both rehearsals and recordings and has the potential to be a main amp for smaller gigs with less overall stage volume. Get it if you want a small cheap amp for rehearsals, recording, or as a backup for gigs. It’s much more than just a toy that you play with a few times and forget.
- Power Rating: 20-Watts
- Speaker Out: 1/4″ (8 Ohm)
- Tubes: 12AX7 (Preamp)
- Channels: 1
- Controls: Volume, Shape, Gain
- Effects: None
- Amp Models: None
- Inputs/Outputs: 1 x 1/4″, 1 x 1/4″ (Headphones), 2 x 1/4″ (Send/Return)
- Dimensions: 5.3″ x 6.5″ x 3.74″
- Weight: 1.72 lbs
Best Guitar Amp Under 200 – Pedalboard Amp
Electro-Harmonix Howitzer
A must-have for guitarists who need a powerful, compact amp for their pedalboard setup.
Pros:
- Compact 15W amp in a pedal
- Good overdriven tone
- Pedalboard friendly FX Loop
- Solid build quality
- No power button
- Limited projection at 15W
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The Howitzer is a 15-Watt solid-state amplifier in pedal format, featuring a speaker out that connects to any 16 or 8 ohm speaker, making it compatible with popular 1×12 cabinets, though it has limited projection/volume.
Despite its size, it includes essential tone shaping and amp controls such as volume, 3-band EQ, and gain, with the gain knob providing a range from clean to dirty overdrive, similar to classic tube amps. The EQ knobs allow for cutting or emphasizing frequencies as a regular amp would.
It also has a bright/normal switch, typically found on older amps, which lets you adjust the amp to suit different types of guitars.
Designed to fit on a pedalboard, it includes an effects loop send and return ports, facilitating easy integration into existing pedalboard setups.
For its size, it comes with essential tone shaping and amp controls including volume, 3-band EQ and gain. The gain knob goes from clean to dirty overdrive, and behaves similar to classic tube amps.
However, it lacks a power button, which can be inconvenient during setup and teardown.
For a practical and user-friendly solid-state amp, the Electro-Harmonix Howitzer Power Amp Pedal is worth considering.
- Power:15W Amp
- Speaker Out: 1/4″ (8/16 ohms)
- Channels: 1
- Controls:: Vol, Treble, Mid, Bass, Gain, Bright/Normal Switch
- Channels: 1
- Input: 1 x 1/4″ (Instrument), 2 x 1/4″ (Send/Return)
- Power Source: 24V DC 1000mA (Included)
- Dimensions: 2.25″ x 4″ x 4.75″
- Weight: 1.54 lbs.
Rating Source Highlight
*Displayed values are prior to the Gearank Algorithm’s adjustments it makes when evaluating the source.
Things to Consider When Buying a Guitar Amp under $200
Cheap guitar amps’ quality is steadily climbing, which is good news for the average guitarist. But it pays to know what to look for when choosing from the many available budget guitar amps under 200.
If this is a stretch, you should have a look at our best guitar amp under 100. This may save you a few dollars. Alternatively, you may want to step it up and look at our best guitar amp under 300, or if you are looking for more features, read our recommendations for the best guitar amp under 500.
In any case, the following considerations will help you when looking for the best amp under 200.
Amp Head / Pedal Amps vs Combo
Combo amps are guitar amplifiers packaged with speakers, while amp heads and pedal amps do not come with speakers. Combo amps are more common because they can be used immediately without the need for an extra purchase – making them more practical and easy to acquire. This is why many are specifically looking for a combo amp when shopping for the best amp under 200.
Amp pedals and heads, on the other hand, require a separate speaker purchase to work, which adds to the cost. You also have to understand a bit more about speakers and compatibility before you even think of getting one.
The main advantage though is portability and the ability to mix and match amps with your preferred speakers – a decision which usually is reserved for more experienced guitarists. A good inexpensive guitar amp head usually have good power output, when paired with a good guitar speaker cabinet.
Power Rating
Power rating gives you a good idea of how loud an amp can go, and in the sub $200 bracket, the power ratings of good guitar amps under 200 are usually around the 20-Watt range.
For this reason, most of the amplifiers in this price range are meant for practice or for small venue jamming.
The best guitar amplifier under 200 doesn’t necessarily have to be loud. Because loud is not always better, amps with lower power ratings allow you to get good cranked tones at lower volumes, ideal for bedroom or apartment use, and for home recording.
Speaker Size
The difference will usually be subtle to a beginner’s ear, but generally speaking, the bigger the speaker, the more low-end it can reproduce. And this added low-end is ideal for modern musical styles. Good cheap amps will have big enough speakers to give you full sounding tone for practice.
Smaller speakers have more articulation and emphasis in the middle frequencies, making them great for practice amps, or for those who prefer the styles of blues and classic rock. They are also lighter which makes them a good choice for a portable practice amp.
Some manufacturers utilize dual speakers in their combo amp design, resulting in a stereo sound that’s closer to how you hear guitars in music tracks, as opposed to how guitars sound and feel on stage.
Amp Modeling / Channels
Many digital amps in this price range are packed with multiple guitar and bass amp models” (some manufacturers call these “channels” but they are the same in principle) that let you switch between different sounds.
The most common configuration is still the 2-channel setup with one for clean and the other for overdriven sounds.
The more amp models, the more tone options you can choose from, which can be good if you prefer deep tone customization, or bad if you just want minimal tweaking and don’t want to be distracted by tone chasing. Some of the best cheap guitar amps even come with extras like acoustic and bass guitar amp models. The best cheap guitar amp to get is one that can cater to your flexibility needs.
Built-in Effects
Many of the good affordable guitar amps included in this list come with built-in effects, the most common of which is Reverb. In contrast, others offer a whole host of effects from modulation, to delay effects, to distortion and many more.
Built-in effects help simplify your practice rig, especially if you don’t really need high-quality effects for your practice routine. If you’re looking to conveniently use effects right on the amp, then the best amplifier for guitar on budget would be one with effects.
Solid State vs Tube
There was a time when all tube amps were recognized as the only real option for a truly great tone for some styles and many still see them as the pinnacle for their organic and detailed sound.
But in the lower price bracket the ‘all tube’ options are limited and the modelling amps are now recognized as producing some pretty convincing versions of the classics.
As such, the more practical choice would be to get a solid-state amp with digital sound processing, especially for those who want to play with different tones and effects. This is the reason why when looking best inexpensive guitar amp, your options are usually flooded by solid state amps with amp modeling.
There are a few amps which incorporate a preamp tube along with solid state amplification and digital modelling. This option may not impress some tube purists but they do impress many players, so much so that many of them rate highly.
Direct Recording, Tuning, and Other Features
USB connectivity is now becoming standard feature on many amps, even in this price range. This lets your amp double as an audio interface, allowing you to capture your guitar playing for practice, evaluation, and even for producing your own songs. The best affordable guitar amps usually have built-in USB connectivity, others even have Bluetooth
Other notable features that you want to look for include looping, tuning, and modern preset management with sharing and Bluetooth connectivity. If you are not into tweaking and recording, then you can go for more streamlined plug-and-play amps.
Note that features can influence the final price of a guitar amp. So if you’re asking how much is a guitar amp, it will depend on what you currently need.
In situations when you don’t have access to a power supply, you may want to consider having a look at the best battery powered guitar amp.
Best Guitar Amp under 200 Selection Methodology
The first Edition was published in 2016. The current edition was published on August 14, 2024
To be considered in this guide, our criteria was simple: it has to be a guitar amplifier priced between $100 and $200 and be available from a US-based retailer. This includes the three major types of amplifiers: combo, amp head, and pedal amps. For this edition, we ended up with a short list of 45 amps, which included popular amps that did not make it to this guide, like the Peavey Vypyr VIP 1, Marshall MG15CFR, Donner DA-20, Roland Cube series amps, and more – See the list in the Music Gear Database. This entailed gathering and analyzing over 51,700 reviews, ratings, and forum discussions. All these data were then fed into the Gearank Algorithm, which gave us the rating scores out of 100 for each amp. This allowed us to zero in on what the market truly considers as best guitar amp under 200, divided into three categories: Combo Amps, Amp Heads, and Pedal Amps. For more information about our methods see How Gearank Works.
About the Author and Contributors
Here are the key people and sources involved in this guide’s production – click on linked names for information about their music industry backgrounds.
Lead Author & Researcher
Before I simplified my rig with guitar processors, I owned and used a number of Fender amps. My dad now owns my old Fender Frontman practice amp, and amazingly, it still works well! These days, I still get to play on a Fender Mustang amp which I gave to my son, hence my admitted preference to Fender’s voicing, influenced by the tone of my favorite guitarists which include Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Johnson.
Contributors
Raphael Pulgar: Orange Micro Dark Review, Supplemental Writing
Jerry Borillo – Research
Jason Horton: Editing and Illustrating.
Media / Image Credit
Main/Top Image: Compiled using photographs of the Fender Mustang LT25, Orange Crush 20, Orange Crush 20RT, Orange Micro Dark and Orange Terror Stamp.
The videos have been embedded in accordance with YouTube’s Terms of Service.
The individual product images were sourced from websites, promotional materials or supporting documentation provided by their respective manufacturers with the exception of the additional Orange Micro Dark photographs which were taken by Raphael Pulgar.
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Comments:
20 responses
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Absolutely agree!
You’ve done a great job at picking out the best beginner and professional gear alike. I would just add the Vox Mini 5 to your fantastic list. -
The following amps came off the recommended list when we published the December 2022 Edition:
Electro-Harmonix Howitzer Pedalboard Amp
Fender Champion 20 Combo Amp
Joyo Bantamp xL Zombie II 20W Amp Head
Orange Crush 20RT Combo Amp -
Publication of our April 2022 Edition resulted in the Joyo BanTamP Zombie coming off the recommended list above.
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We’ve moved our recommendation for the Blackstar ID:Core 40 V3 to The Best Guitar Amps Under $300 due to a price increase.
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We have moved our recommendation for the Yamaha THR5 to the Guitar Amps Under $300 guide due to a price increase.
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Publication of our July 2021 Edition resulted in the following amp coming off the recommended list above: Fender Champion 20.
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As a result of our August 2020 update the following amps came of the recommended list above:
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“Smaller speakers have more articulation and emphasis in the middle frequencies, making them ideal for intimate practice, or for those who prefer the style of blues and classic rock.”
Is it correct, or you mean bigger speaker instead of smaller? Thanks
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Yes it is correct.
Smaller speakers generally lack low frequency response (think laptop speakers), which result in more pronounced middle frequencies. This mid frequency bump is appealing to guitarists, as it emphasizes picking attack and dynamics.
Bigger speakers are fuller sounding because they can handle lower frequencies better, but this same bass tends to drown some of the middle frequencies.
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Today we removed the following amp from our recommended list above due to a price increase, but you can still read our analysis of it: Marshall MG30CFX.
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With today’s update of this guide one of the amps we were previously recommending has dropped off the list but you can still read our meta review: Vox Valvetronix VT20X
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We have removed the following amp from the recommendations above due to a lack of availability, but you can still read about it: Blackstar ID:Core 40.
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Hey I just want to mention that BOSS KATANA 50 is one of the best solid state for the money right now
Its 1×12, practicable, gigable and recordable tone amp
So, I think it is going to beat all of this list
Thx-
Our data supports this comment – the Boss Katana-50 currently has a Gearank score of 90 – read more about it at Amazon.com.
The only reason its not currently in our recommended list above is because it was released the month after we published this guide – there’s a very good chance the Katana-50 will be included when we update this guide.
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An update to the above comment – the Boss Katana-50 now has a street price above $200 so it’s no longer eligible for this guide.
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Today we removed the Fender Mustang II v2 because it has been discontinued by Fender – you can still read our meta review: Fender Mustang II v2 Meta Review.
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Today we removed the Blackstar ID:Core Stereo 20 from the list above due to unavailability.
You can still read our meta review: Blackstar ID:Core Stereo 20.
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