Best Guitar Amplifier For Blues

Now, to be clear – this isn’t a “best of” list, but it is a list of amps I’ve tested or owned over the years.

You can plug into two different channels. The “normal” channel which just has a volume control, or the “top boost” channel which features a bass, treble and volume control.

Fender

Then you’ve got a built-in reverb and tremolo, with a volume and tone cut for the master section. Each channel has a slightly different flavour – regardless of which, you’ll notice that beautiful “chime” that Vox is known for.

Roland Blues Cube Hot Guitar Amplifier

The channel volume controls are really just gain controls. So, the higher you crank the volume, the more breakup/distortion you’ll get. You can then control the overall level with the master volume.

On the back, you can hook up some extension speakers and a footswitch (not included). But there’s no FX loop. The footswitch jack gives you the option to turn the reverb & tremolo off/on.

I opted for the slightly more expensive version which came loaded with a Celestion Blueback speaker. But, in hindsight, I’d of been better off buying a Greenback speaker separately and fitting it myself – it’d be cheaper and I’d have a spare speaker. Ah, the benefits of hindsight.

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The Vox AC15 is capable of putting out a wide range of tones – far more than you might expect. And it sounds great – some of the best tones I’ve got out of this amp have been through P90 loaded guitars.

Of course, tone is entirely subjective. While this may be built overseas, it’s at a good price point and just so happens to be one of my favourite amps.

The AC15 is available in a variety of configurations. As a head, 1×12” combo, or a 2×12” combo. And with various speaker options. Limited edition handwired models are also available.

Blues Junior™ Iv

Two of the things I love about Fender amps: spring reverb and great cleans. So, if you find yourself wanting to partake in lush beautiful reverbs and beautiful glassy clean tones, without shelling out for a Deluxe Reverb or Twin Reverb, definitely check out the Blues Deluxe.

Here we have a limited edition FSR Blues Deluxe in Emerald Green. This variation of the Blues Deluxe is no longer in production, but the regular version is a mainstay of Fender’s product line up.

There isn’t much of a difference between the Emerald Green version and the current Tweed version as far as I can tell – aside from the styling (click to see latest version).

Fender Blues Junior Lacquered Tweed Valve Guitar Amplifier For Sale Online

Inside, we’ve got two 6L6 power tubes delivering 40 watts of classic Fender tone, three 12AX7 tubes and an upgraded 12” Eminence Governor speaker.

This model has 2 channels – normal and drive. There’s an FX loop which together with those great Fender cleans, makes this amp a decent pedal platform.

But, what I especially like about this FX loop is the controls are on the top, next to the rest of the controls. So, it’s great news for anyone who wants to use pedals with this amp but without the hassle. The footswitch jack socket is on the top too, and the included footswitch will control channel switching and reverb.

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On the subject of the footswitch, it has a jack socket rather than a molded connection which is good so you can swap out the included cable with something decent.

EQ controls are shared between both channels and you’ll be able to shape that tone even more with the addition of a bright switch and presence control.

Now, I’m not a fan of this stainless steel & reversed lettering on the top panel, but that’s just me. And the power cable is molded – not the usual 3 pin “kettle” lead you’ll find on most amps. This is the only Blues Deluxe I’ve tried out so it’s entirely possible that this was done to ensure the build was as close to vintage spec as possible.

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For clean tones, this amp is excellent. The spring reverb sounds just as you’d expect from a classic Fender – awesome. I know the drive channel isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s far better than some of the comments I’ve seen on forums might suggest.

For the money, this is a seriously good amp. Solid build, great tones and a more affordable price point than a lot of others on the market.

While this particular model is no-longer available, you can usually find it in black, or tweed, although not always with the upgraded speaker.

Supro Blues King 12

If you want a smaller amp for home use, check out the Fender Blues Junior. It’s single channel but it’s got those classic Fender cleans and great sounding reverb. Here’s a photo of mine:

If you want more volume, you may want to check out the Hot Rod Deluxe or Hot Rod Deville. I haven’t tried these myself, but I hear they’re quite popular as backline amps in clubs.

I recently reviewed the Supro 1605RH Head amp, and while this 2×10” combo has plenty of vintage vibe, it’s a completely different animal.

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The Supro Coronado was the first Supro I added to my collection – the amp that kick started my fascination with the brand.

This 2-channel amp is simple but it has a few surprises up it’s sleeve. The first channel is “channel 1+2”, so when you are using channel 1, you can turn up channel 2 and combine both pre-amps. The result? More volume and more gain.

Ready

That makes channel 2 the cleanest channel – ideal for your pedals. And this setup should work well with an A/B pedal to give the ability to switch channels.

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There’s no FX loop or anything like that and there’s only a volume and tone control for each channel. This is as simple as it gets and that’s one of the things I love about this amp. And it makes a great pedal platform thanks to offering plenty of head room.

So, what does this amp sound like? It’s a stark contrast to the chime of the Vox. The Supro offers warm and full tone, with plenty of character and grit, when you play hard.

‘The Duchess’ is a single channel lunchbox style head amplifier. Despite its size, you get a lot more features than you might expect.

Fender Blues Junior Iv 15 Watt 1x12

In terms of controls, there’s also the treble, middle, and bass. You’ve also got a digital reverb which you can control from the front of the amp, or with the included footswitch. There’s a mid kick which adds some extra juice to the mid range, and 2 voicing switches.

On the back, we have a few different jack sockets to go to your speaker cab, FX loop, and bypass switches for the reverb/FX loop, etc.

There are plenty of tones on offer with this amp. Especially with the help of those extra switches on the front. The onboard digital reverb is good and it’s nice to have, although I much prefer a real spring reverb. And this little amp offers far more headroom than you might expect.

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While we’ve covered mainly vintage re-issue amps up till now, ‘The Duchess’ definitely isn’t that. There’s a lot less compromise than what comes with vintage re-issues. And the size makes it far easier to gig with.

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The V40 ‘The Duchess’ may not be forgiving but it’s extremely well built, sounds great, and comes fully loaded with features. If you get the opportunity to try one – it’s well worth it!

Victory have a great range of amps to suite a variety of different needs. If you want the benefit of a second channel, check out the V30.

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Want actual spring reverb? Victory released a higher end version of this amplifier (the V40 Deluxe), with slightly different styling, and most importantly, real spring reverb.

Orange are one of longest standing British amp manufacturers. And they’re best known for their dirty tones, so if you like your blues dirty, this could be the option for you.

I was half expecting these channels to sound exactly the same. But, as it turns out, it’s more like 2 different amps in one. Each having their own flavour – one is thick and creamy, the other is much tighter with a faster attack.

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It’s capable of nice cleans, and has a good amount of gain on tap. The gain offered by the AD30H isn’t overwhelming. It’s just enough. I guess we could say well balanced.

Each channel has a master, treble, middle, bass, and gain control. Each channel is footswitchable (sold separately). On the back, there’s not much to write home about – there’s a footswitch jack socket, as well as speaker connections – no FX loop to speak of.

The AD30H is well built and capable of a sizeable tonal palette. The unique twin channel design offers even more tonal options.