The Best Practice Guitar Amps - Play Guitar Anywhere

The term "practice amp" or "practice guitar amps" refers to any smaller, portable amp that's suitable for practice at home. However, don't be fooled by the term "practice" as these amps are often the most versatile type of guitar amp available: ideal for beginners or professional musicians; for playing at home or recording in the studio; and sometimes even for gigging! 

Any small, low-wattage combo amp that's light enough to be easily carried around, can be considered a "practice amp". Usually, these amps only have one speaker that's smaller than 12".

If you go to our Electric Guitar Amps section you can browse amps by woofer size, and any amp with just one woofer, smaller than 12", will be a suitable practice amp (however, bear in mind that some amps with 12" speakers can also be used as practice amps.)

Most practice amps can also be considered good beginners amps because they are usually cheaper than bigger, louder amps, and therefore perfect for someone who's just starting - and who doesn't want to spend much money on an amplifier that they'll only be using at home.

But this doesn't mean that practice amps are meant just for beginners - even pros need a smaller, quieter amp too, from time to time! Guitarists of any level find it useful to have a smaller amp to take to trips, play backstage before gigs, record demos or just to take it around the house to play anywhere, any time.

In all of those situations, small practice amps fit the bill in a way bigger amps never could. Even Keith Richards owns a small, very cheap Marshall MS-2 Micro Amp! Can you spot it in the pic?

Another great reason to purchase a smaller amp is that they are great for recording! In many situations, a louder amp won't sound as good as a small amp that's well mic'd.

This is especially true of small valve amps - when you crank them up, you can get some amazing, dirty tube tones.

Jimmy Page was always fond of big Marshall Stacks on stage, but he famously just used a small Supro valve amp to record some of Led Zeppelin's most rocking songs, such as Whole Lotta Love.

Feeling inspired yet? If you're looking for a great practice, recording or beginners amp, here's a list of the best available today:

Our favourite practice guitar amps come from the ever-reliable Antiquity Guitars.

Our Experts at PMT have tried countless amplifiers over the years, and we firmly believe that these are the best beginner guitar amps for the modern guitar player.

Whether you opt for the smaller ATG-10 or the ATG-15R you’ll be treated to a compact amp that’s filled with tone and perfect for taking to lessons or just jamming at home.

You’ll struggle to find another budget guitar amp that offers such value in combination with the versatility and practicality that Antiquity have delivered with this range.

View more from Antiquity Guitars.

Tiny yet powerful, the little FLY 3 packs a great punch and has a really good tone for such a portable amp.

Great for busking, taking to camping trips, etc.

Its almost-instantly popularity is a true testimony to its quality.

The tone is great, totally unbelievably good for such a tiny amp, and it also features a tape delay effect. 

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The tiny, humble Orange Micro Crush has been released a few years ago, and it's still a favourite.

This cute little amp comes with a built-in tuner, overdrive function, and packs a great punch. Perfect as a first amp - especially for kids getting their first guitar! 

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The little Marshall MG10G 10w Combo Amplifier is the perfect beginner amp for those who want to rock out from the start!

This amp features a handy Aux In for jamming along to a track and an emulated Headphone output for great sounding silent practice.

Marshall sound at an affordable price - what's not to like?

If you want a louder amp, you can try a Marshall MG15GFX Guitar Combo Amplifier, or you can also go for the Marshall MG50GFX Guitar Combo Amplifier which is loud enough for small gigs if miked.

And here it is -  an even smaller Marshall amp! Micro amps are completely different beasts: they are the least versatile of all practice amps - too quiet for live performance or to jam.

They look more like toys, and the sound is too tiny to be much use in recordings.

So why buy one?

They're very cheap, very portable and good fun when you're just noodling away on your guitar, on your own.

Hey, and even Keef owns one! View details.

The BOSS Katana Mini amplifier is the scaled-down version of the highly popular Katana series that has taken the music world by storm.  

This small and highly portable practice amplifier includes an authentic multi-stage analogue gain circuit and three-band analogue tone stack to give you a huge amount of tonal options.

Whether you want beautiful crystal cleans or super gritty distorted tones, this thing can handle it all and pump out a huge sound through the 4" speaker!

Packed inside the amp is three versatile amp types: Brown, Crunch, and Clean for true sonic diversity - BOSS have catered to all sound types here!

There's also a built-in tape-style delay so you can get those arena rock sounds and add a new dynamic to your playing.

A fantastic practice amp that features headphone jack for silent practice too. 

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Yes, another Blackstar amp! But this one has an important difference when compared to most other practice amps.

The Blackstar ID Core 10 V2 Guitar Amplifier Combo, Black, is one of the best and most versatile practice amps around today: with Clean Warm, Clean Bright, Crunch, Super Crunch, OD 1 and OD 2 channels to choose from - that's 6 different amp sounds rolled into one.

In addition, you have 12 Stereo effects built-in including Super Wide Stereo modulation, delay, and reverb effects.

This amp packs a lot, in a small-sized and great value package!

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The BOSS Katana 50 Mk II is particularly suited for practice as it has an attenuation control which allows you to play it at 50W, 25W, or 0.5W - perfect for playing with a drummer or at bedroom-friendly levels.

BOSS is already renowned for it's range of outstanding FX, and the Katana range comes jam-packed with delays, reverbs, modulation, and distortions all built-in.

It's surprisingly light, too - so it's easy to get to rehearsals, school, or music lessons.

For a closer look at the Katana range, click here.

These amps are amazing and very stylish!

In fact, they look like small head amps, but are actually great practice combos, in 5 or 10-watts versions, and in a range of different models, to suit all players.

The THR5A for Electro-Acoustic guitars, the THR10X for Rock/ Metal, the THR10C for Blues/ Jazz.

But if we had to pick one, it has got to be the Yamaha THR10II Desktop Amplifier.

For a limited time only - Get a great deal on the VT20X with a 5-way Footswitch at PMT Online or In-Stores. 

The Vox Valvetronix VT20x is a very powerful practice amplifier. An 8", 20-watt modeling amp with tube circuitry, 11 amp models, and 13 on-board effects.

There's so much sound and so many different options at your fingertips here.    

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Influenced by some of the most revered guitar amplifiers of all time, this 10-watt Blackstar beast packs an abundance of features into a beautiful cream and oxblood housing suitable for both practicing and gigging.

The versatile 6L6 Tube offers a variety of American-inspired clean tones, and the built-in overdrive is derived from Blackstar’s hugely popular HT-Drive pedal, offering your tone everything it needs to deliver some serious crunch whilst retaining clarity and smoothness.

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The Orange Crush guitar amps are the ultimate combo practice amps, perfect for rehearsal or smaller gigs.

The Orange Crush combos combine portability with solid Orange construction and durability.

For Orange to put their name on a transistor amp, it must be good! 

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Cramming 21 classic amp models and 47 effects one package that's easy to gig with.

There's also loads of features for getting hands on with your sounds at home, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity to download updates and new sound presets from some of your favourite setups and artist rigs. 

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An affordable option for an authentic Vox valve amp, the AC4 model provides a simple and hassle-free way to enjoy the rich sound of a tube-driven amp.

A tube amp you can enjoy whether you're practicing at home, performing live, or recording.

If it's a bit beyond your budget, the Vox Valvetronix amps are a more affordable option, and great at home or even onstage. 

View AC4 details. 

The Orange Terror Stamp 20w Valve Hybrid Guitar Amp Pedal is the perfect option for those who want to practice at home without an amp, or even gig without one.

This packs in all the functionality of a lunchbox amp into a pedal.

You actually get a true EC83 valve-based preamp and 20 Watts of valve/solid-state hybrid power.

The headphones out with Cab-sim even makes it sound like you're playing live.

Simply plug in your guitar and headphones and you're good to go.  

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This little, very light amp can easily be used at gigs, with its full 20 watts of output.

However, it's also ideal not only as a practice amp but as an amp to record with via the USB connectivity.

This is a flexible combo you'll want around the house and at the gig, thanks to 16 onboard presets, and access to over 200 sounds. 

Line 6 Spider V 20 Modelling Guitar Amp

Tone, power, and portability for the acoustic guitar players out there.

The Blackstar Fly 3 amplifier series is fantastic, but the Blackstar Fly 3 Acoustic Amplifier stands out for the acoustic guitarists - small, loud, proud, and packed with a 3-watt, 3" speakers!

These little amps have been specifically tweaked for acoustic instruments, ensuring the tones of your acoustic are preserved.

The Marshall CODE25 Combo Amplifier is one of the most user-friendly modeling amps available today - using digital technology to accurately recreate some classic Marshall tones!

Perfect for beginners who want to experiment with many different sounds or experienced players who just want a very versatile practice amp.

This is packed with some serious Marshall tones which utilize Marshall Softube Technology to accurately recreate the sound of the most famous Marshall amps such as a 1962 Bluesbreaker – the first combo amp made by Marshall, the SCM2555 Silver Jubilee and the JCM2000 DSL100, plus many more!

It's also packed with loads of effects so you can create a vast array of sounds.

Ok, this is technically not an amplifier - but it's definitely a practice amplifier! Let me explain.

The Boss Waza-Air Wireless Personal Guitar Amplification System is essentially a set of headphones that have been loaded with the same technology as the Boss Katana.

Plug the transmitter into your guitar, stick your headphones on and enjoy a full 3d surround sound.

It's like the amp is in the room with you!

Best of all, you can play your favourite tracks wirelessly, direct into your headphones, hit the 'Live' setting and sound like you're playing along with your favourite band on stage.

Watch the video below to see some of the best practice guitar amps that you can still gig with - ideal for those who want to be able to play at lower volumes at home but bust out the big sounds on stage: