The Top 7 Best Modeling Amps With Great Tone

First up on our list we have the Marshall CODE100 - 100 Watt Guitar Amp Combo an absolute powerhouse of classic and instantly recognisable tones guitarists of all genres and styles will love. This is one of the best modeling amps on the scene today thanks to the fact its packed with Marshall Softube Technology, or MST for short which includes 14 x MST Preamps, 4 x MST power amps and 8 x MST speaker cabinets – it’s like taking an entire studios worth of history’s greatest amps with you anywhere you go.

The Marshall CODE100 features 100 Watts of pure solid-state power that pump out exact component-level replications of some of Marshall’s most popular and respected amplifiers from the past five-plus decades through 2 x 12 speakers! This means you get the exact same sound and responsiveness of the likes of the coveted 1962 Bluesbreaker – the first combo amp made by Marshall, the immense Marshall Silver Jubilee and the JCM2000 DSL100 plus many more.

In addition, you have 24 professional-quality effects built-in to the Marshall CODE100, 5 of which you can use at the same time. This means you have a selection of distortions, Wah pedals, delays and reverbs at your disposal making it an impressive tool for both professional musicians who might need to scale down their live rig and first time players who don’t want to have to fork out thousands for pedals and amplifiers. 

 The Fender Mustang GT-40 Combo Amplifier builds on the success of the classic Mustang II amplifiers and adds built-in WiFi, Bluetooth capability as well as a host of brand new effects to make it one of the best modeling amplifiers for the modern musician. This is actually the world’s first WiFi equipped amplifier – an amazing feature which allows you to update the Mustang GT series with new sounds and Fender artist-created presets whenever you like. However, it’s the 21 classic amplifier models and 47 high quality effects built-in the Fender Mustang GT-40 Combo Amplifier that will really entice guitarists over to the modeling amplifier camp (seriously come join us, we have cookies and awesome sounds). As stated, you have 21 classic amplifier models to choose from, including the likes of a ’59 Bassman, ’57 Champ and even a selection of modern metal amplifiers making it another great option for those who need a lot of different tones and sounds for live and studio use. In terms of effects, you can use the full-colour LCD display to program your pedal settings and even change the order you have your effects in, opening up a world of sonic creativity. You can even use the optional footswitch to trigger effects and change amps on the fly. The Fender Mustang GT-40 Combo Amplifier pumps out 40 watts of power using two high fidelity 6.5” speakers – more than enough to gig or practice with, however, should you want more power, the mustang GT series also comes in a 100-watt and 200-watt version.

We can’t have a best modeling amps list without the Line 6 Spider V 120 Modeling Guitar Amp! Since its release, the Line 6 Spider V has been relied upon by everyone from beginners to professional gigging musicians in need of a wide variety of sounds, superior reliability and a far lighter option than dragging a valve amplifier around the country with them. The Line 6 Spider V, seen here as a 120 watt version, follows on from the immense success of the popular Spider IV range and adds a variety of new sounds, improvements and upgraded effects. Straight out of the box you have 200 newly refined amplifier and FX models to get to grips with - all of which can be accessed easily via the front panel controls. With over 100 specially designed presets as well as iconic rigs, artists built tones built in too, you’ll find it difficult to get bored with the amount of amplifier sounds within this modeling amp. As we mentioned you also have a myriad of effects to play with and manipulate the same as you would with real pedals. Use 8 in unison to craft your perfect sound and enjoy jamming along to collection of real drummer loops. With 120 watts of power pumping out through a 12” custom speaker and high-frequency tweeter, you have plenty of volume for live gigs, rehearsal and any studio work you might be doing. One of the best modeling amps you could play – and believe us, we’ve only just scratched the surface with what it can do!

For fans of high gain amps and the tones found within the metal and hard rock genres, the Yamaha THR10X Valve Modelling Guitar Amplifier should be on your “must try before you die” list. Sitting comfortably in-between a stage and practice amplifier, you get a world of great tones, just at lower volumes – ideal for those in need of that high gain tube sound for around the home or recording bone crushing distortion straight to your DAW. Dual 3.15” speakers provide players with stereo audio, making it a fantastic portable amplifier and the 7 channels. And for those who want to burn the midnight oil and jam well into the night without disturbing the neighbours you can take full advantage of the headphone output with adjustable aux input/amplifier output control. If you want a high-quality desktop practice amplifier with dynamic, intense distortion and superb response, then the Yamaha THR10X Valve Modelling Guitar Amplifier Combo is one of the best modeling amps you could ever want. Carry it anywhere, record lush tones anywhere and enjoy music anywhere – Yamaha THR Amps are a great option for around the home, on the tour bus or in the hotel.

Ok, the BOSS Katana 50 MKII Guitar Amplifier may not technically be a modeling amplifier, but it does include a variety of different amplifier characteristics and effects built in, making it a sonic powerhouse that we feel makes it qualify for our best modeling amps list. Each of the Katana amplifiers, includes 5 x selectable amplifier characters for you to play with including Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown, and Acoustic – all of which have been fine tuned by the BOSS engineering team to deliver superb sound and response to your playing. Each channel also has a variation too - so you're essentially getting 10 sounds. On top of that, you also get access to over 65 legendary BOSS effects and can load 15 directly into the amp. All effects are customisable via the free BOSS Tone Studio editor software and each effect you load onto the amp can be manipulated directly on the amp too. The BOSS Katana 50 MKII Guitar Amplifier in particular features 50 watts of power busting out of a 12” speaker, making it a fantastic live amplifier. However, should you want to be able to enjoy all the lush tonality and responsiveness of a cranked amp at lower volumes, the Power Control Switch allows you to drop right down to 0.5watts, or 25 watts depending on your environment. Lush tonality, huge sounds for both electric guitars and acoustic guitars – the BOSS Katana 50 MKII Guitar Amplifier is a must for musicians of all levels and a complete “musical multi-tool” for guitarists.

 The Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb Combo Amplifier provides players with an extremely portable, highly responsive and incredible sounding modeling amplifier for a budget friendly price. The team at Fender have meticulously recreated the sound, response and aesthetic of the coveted Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb within this solid state amp. This digital amplifier models the classic 85-watt twin valve amp but offers up a whopping 200 watts of headroom. The amp is also considerably lighter than its valve counterpart – about only half the weight of an all-tube Twin reverb. So, you can take it anywhere! The classic features such as Normal and Vibrato channels, each with two inputs and Bright switches have been included too, so you get all the sound and response of the valve option. This modeling amp is ideal if you’ve always wanted a Fender Tone Master amp, but couldn’t quite stretch your budget. This is one of the best modeling amps in terms of price, sound quality and versatility – you won’t be disappointed when you plug one of these in and let rip.

When you want all the tone of a tube amp but need a more affordable and lightweight option, the Blackstar ID:Core Stereo 150 is a fantastic option and sits firmly in our best modeling amps list due to its lush tonality and stereo sound. You have a choice of 6 different amplifier models including Clean Warm, Clean Bright, Crunch, Super Crunch, OD 1 and OD 2 all of which have their own unique sonic qualities. When coupled with Blackstar’s patented ISF control these sounds provide you with amplifier models reminiscent of some of the most coveted UK and USA amplifiers. A selection of on-board effects are also included to help you sculpt your perfect sound and you have 4 different types of modulation, delay and reverb effects that can be used with each amplifier model. Enjoy classic and boutique pedal effects direct from the amplifier. This 150-watts (2x75 Watt Stereo) guitar combo amp is ideal for professionals in need of a hard-working gigging amplifier and anyone with a need for great tone at a wallet friendly price tag.