Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Tube Amp for Guitarists

What is a Tube Amp?

This is one of the most inescapable questions for a serious guitarist – What is a Tube Amp? The quick answer is that it is an amp that utilizes vacuum tubes for both the preamp and power amp sections. These tubes are similar to old picture tube TVs and radio tubes from back in the day.

This use of tubes differentiates the tube amp from the more common solid state amp. When comparing Tube Amp vs Solid State from a neutral point of view, you’ll notice that electric guitars sound more well-rounded and natural.

This is especially obvious when driven hard because tubes clip sound in a way that is pleasing to the ears. This results in preamp and power amp distortion that sound really good. And this sound quality is what endears tube amps to guitarists even to this day when vacuum tubes are considered old technology.

With the emergence of good digital sound processing and quality Class D amps, you can now get “tube amp” like sound via amp modeling. These digital emulations get really close to the real thing theses days, but there still is enough difference for many guitarists to still prefer tube amps, especially when recording.

Sound Quality

Sound quality is the main factor to consider when it comes to buying tube amplifiers. While opinions may differ on which particular amp model sounds better, most will agree that clarity, articulation, and dynamics are important.

Because of its subjective nature, individual reviews on tone are not conclusive, but when utilizing the reviews of the people who actually used the amps, you can get a reliable picture of how good an amp sounds.

Tube amps are beloved for use with a Reamp box, improving the tone of an already recorded guitar track.

Amp Tone or Voicing

There are many different amp tones, and the differences range from subtle to obvious. Some experts (including manufacturers) divide tube sound types into flavors, usually labeled American tone (emphasizes the highs and lows) and British tone (emphasizes the mids and punch). While this may seem like a generalization, it does make the job of describing tonal differences easier.

If you’re not familiar with amp tones, the best course of action is to look at the amp used by your favorite guitarists and go for something similar sounding. Thankfully, some manufacturers (like Marshall Amps, Blackstar Amplification, and Fender Amps) produce tube amps with multiple voicings. They are ideal if you want sonic flexibility. Because of voicing variations, the best tube amps for guitar can be vastly different depending on the musical genre you play.

But don’t be surprised if there are amps like the Fender Twin, which sticks to the familiar formula of warm-sounding tube tones without any extra voicings.

Combo Amps vs. Amp Heads

The two main amp types are Combo amps and Amp Heads. Combo amps combine the amplifier section with a speaker system, while amp heads have the amplifier component only, so they need to be paired with an external speaker to work.

Since everything you need is packed inside combo amps, these amplifier boxes are the more convenient option. The downside to them is they are heavy and take up more space. On the other hand, amp heads are lighter and give you more freedom to use different speakers and cabinets. The freedom to choose is limited by the capability and compatibility of the amp itself. Also, while the amp head is light by itself, you still have to factor in the weight and space taken by the speaker cab that you will be pairing it with.

Cabinet

Since combo amps come with speakers, the amp section is housed in the same cabinet as the speaker. Closed Back cabinets project the sound forward. They produce a punchier and clearer tone. They are often preferred by live sound engineers because of the front projection, which is easier to mic. Open Back cabinets project sound to the front and back, resulting in a more natural ambient sound. These are preferred by guitarists because they fill rooms and stages better. Back Ported cabinets let some of the sound leak through small ports at the back and are usually designed for low-end emphasis.

Another obvious function of the cabinet is to protect the amp’s internal parts. It’s visual look also gives the guitarist a visual image of how the amp sounds like.

Cabinets are where some cheap tube amp manufacturers cut corners, which can result in Amp Buzz, and other unwanted noise. Keep this in mind when you’re considering affordable tube amps.

Speaker

The general idea is that the bigger the speaker size, the better it can reproduce lower frequencies. But bigger is not always better, especially if you’re not planning on using the amp on stage. 12″ speakers are the most commonly used because they provide a good balance of highs and lows. Also note that many amps can drive an external speaker for better projection.

Power Rating and Attenuation

The amp’s power rating dictates the loudness of an amplifier, along with its sonic headroom. The idea is that low-power amps are ideal for practice while playing big venues requires more power. Some tube amps are equipped with power attenuators that allow you to lower the power rating in case you want to tame the amp’s volume.

Also, lowering the power output lets you crank the gain at quieter volume levels, which many use to get good tones without disturbing the neighbors. Note that tube amps tend to be louder than solid state amps of the same power rating specification. This also means that tube amps tend to have different ratings on their power supply.

Equalizer

Having the ability to shape the sound of your guitar via EQ controls is important, but it doesn’t always have to be the amp that does this job. There are now many pedals and rack effects that can accomplish the same Equalization with more accuracy. Still, there are tube amplifiers that have expanded EQ controls, like the Mesa Boogie Mark V. And in my experience, I prefer the convenience of tweaking amp EQs over kneeling over to tweak pedals. I get better reactions when I do subtle EQ tweaks.

Input/Output Options

While most tube amps in this price range have a single input, some have two inputs to accommodate different types of guitars or for routing your signal to different channels. These multi-input amps provide added flexibility and, at times, allow for two guitars to use the same amp, albeit with some limitations.

Multiple output options are usually reserved for amp heads, but there are some combo amps with headphones and extension speaker outs. Those looking for a quiet practice amp will want one with a headphone output. Interestingly, some offer direct USB recording functionality, which makes tube amp recording even more convenient.

Extra Features

Solid state amps tend to have more extra features, but some tube amps do come with nice additions. Extra features like spring or digital reverb, tremolo. Some modern hybrid tube amps can even come with built-in multi-effects, and modern connection options like Bluetooth and DAC. These extras won’t get much use in stage settings when you use pedals to achieve the same effect. Other amps have extra features that relate to build quality, like being hand-wired instead of using modern PCB boards.

Other Amp Types to consider:

Solid State Amps – Discover the differences between tube amplifiers and solid state amplifiers in terms of sound and performance.

Modeling Amps – Explore the best modeling amps that replicate the sound and look of classic amplifiers.