18 Best Combo Amps of 2022

Ah, combo amps. Where would we be without you? Like their fast-food counterpart, the combo meal (burger, fries, and drink), combo amps have everything you need to get through the day as a guitarist. Combo amps aren’t unforgettable haute cuisine, but they’re the meat and potatoes that most of us turn to daily for practicing, gigging, and recording. No matter what amp you pick, the core ingredients remain the same: an amplifier head and a speaker cabinet conveniently packaged together — no guesswork about impedance, speaker matching, or any of that dull, cumbersome stuff. With sizes ranging from compact 1×10-inch models to massive 2×12-inch titans, combos are a wide-ranging category. Some are only loud enough for practice at home while others can easily keep up with a band and even pack power sufficient for a large venue when put to good use. Let’s look at some of Sweetwater’s favorite combo amps on the market this year!

Solid-state Amps Under $500Tube Amps Under $500Solid-state Amps Between $500–$1,000Tube Amps Between $500 $1,000Solid-state Amps Above $1,000Tube Amps Above $1,000

Solid-state Amps Under $500

BOSS Katana-50 MkII 1×12-inch 50-watt Combo Amp

No surprises here — BOSS’s Katana line of combo amps swept through the industry in 2016 and left a glut of lesser modeling amps in its wake. The entry-level Katana-50 MkII includes everything a guitarist needs to gig out, record, and practice in style.

You’ll find everything you need to dial in a full set’s worth of great tones right on the amp. But connect the Katana-50 MkII to the free BOSS Tone Studio software, and you can fine-tune your sound with 60 virtual stomp effects and more customization than you’d ever find in a traditional amp. Even better, you can save clean, crunch, rhythm, and lead presets for instant recall from the amp or footswitch (not included).

BOSS did a great job tuning the cab and speaker to mimic several shades of British and American voicings. There’s even an Acoustic setting that unlocks a more full-range tone.

Additional features that give the Katana-50 MkII big-time staying power include direct recording over USB, a headphone output for silent practice, and a power-amp input that bypasses preamp and effects coloration to amplify modelers with 50 watts of clean Class A/B amplification.

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Line 6 Catalyst 200 2×12-inch 200-watt Combo Amp

The granddaddy of Line 6’s Catalyst series of modeling amps is the Catalyst 200. Two hundred watts strong and packing twin 12-inch drivers, this Catalyst makes a plentiful stage amp and a formidable pedal platform.

The Catalyst’s six onboard original amp models net you squeaky cleans, boutique breakup, crunch and chime from both sides of the pond, and all the gain you could reasonably need to handle most forms of music. All controls are intuitively laid out and will be familiar to anyone who’s touched a traditional guitar amp before.

Inside the Catalyst Edit software you’ll find not only a ton of deep-dive options but also some surprisingly nuanced effects options. For instance, you can pull up a delay preset from Line 6’s legacy Echo Park pedal then quickly decide whether to place it before the preamp or after to find the right degree of coloration.

There’s even a switchable Power Amp In jack on the Catalyst’s rear that’s specially voiced for powering a Helix or another modeler for the live environment. You know — for players who want to feel their pant legs flap while they play.

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Fender Mustang LT25 1×8-inch 25-watt Combo Amp

For new players, choosing the right amp to complement their guitar and playing style can be overwhelming. That’s why we’re quick to recommend the Mustang LT25. This amp is a far cry from the starter amps many of us cut our teeth on.

Part practice platform, part guitar tone master class, the LT25’s 30 hand-selected tone presets give beginning players an accessible starting point for just about any tone and genre they’re chasing. Adding to the fun, each preset is fully editable inside the free Fender Tone mobile and desktop apps, allowing players to fully realize the sound in their heads without the need for additional stompboxes, heads, or cabs.

And here’s a little secret: the Mustang amp series is so good and so versatile that even advanced players will enjoy the convenience of the LT25’s headphone output, instant preset recall, and line/USB audio recording, making this an amp that we expect to serve players for years to come.

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Tube Amps Under $500

Vox AC4 1×12-inch 4-watt Tube Combo Amp

Itching for a Top Boost tone fix but don’t want to drag out the ol’ boat anchor every session? You’ll find the sounds you’re after in the compact Vox AC4.

The all-tube AC4 makes a stellar recording amp and practice platform. It’s the sort of amp that you can fix all knobs at 10 to get the glass glowing then adjust its breakup characteristics just by spinning your guitar’s output knob. Run full tilt, it absolutely sings for blues leads and indie snarl. Pulled back a touch, it nails that magical Top Boost squish and shimmer.

This little combo is big on iconic Vox looks, chime, and bite. The 12-inch Celestion VX12 speaker has layers of nuance to discover once broken in — sort of like the Silver Bell alnico speaker Vox used in the ’60s. The no-frills control panel is perfect for players who just want to turn in, crank up, and play out. And the size is ideal for home players and bedroom recording setups. It’s a definite hidden gem of the Vox AC family.

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Blackstar HT1R MKII 1×8-inch 1-watt Tube Combo Amp with Reverb

Blackstar’s little amps are pretty popular here at Sweetwater, and the HT1R MKII is no exception. This 1-watt tube amp pumps out enough power for visceral practice and recording, but it won’t raise red flags with neighbors or roommates.

The HT1R MKII offers two channels, clean and OD, with adjustable gain and two distinct voices for each channel plus built-in reverb. Blackstar’s clever ISF EQ feature lets you tweak the HT1R MKII to sound more like a British or an American amp with one knob, and there’s even a headphone out and aux in port so you can jam with your favorite tracks! Blackstar’s versatility is frequently overlooked, and more than one guitarist was shocked by the flexibility and depth of Blackstar’s clean and dirty channels.

If you’d like to dip your toes into the Blackstar universe without investing in a massive head or combo, then the HT1R MKII fits the bill (and fits your space)!

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Bugera V22 Infinium 1×12-inch 22-watt Tube Combo Amp

The handbuilt V22 Infinium from Bugera exudes vintage sound and style at a hobbyist’s price. It’s a no-nonsense tube amp with two independent channels and plenty of ways to craft a tone right from the front panel.

Whether you’re after glassy cleans or bluesy grit, the boutique-style Bugera V22 Infinium delivers with its top-tier Turbosound speaker, trio of 12AX7 preamp tubes, and twin matched EL84 power tubes. An onboard boost drives the front end into a creamy crunch. Meanwhile, a super-usable digital reverb enhances cleans and leads without washing out tones.

Unlike most tube amps on the market, there’s no guesswork about the state of your power tubes inside the V22. Built-in Bugera monitoring technology extends your tubes’ longevity and lets you know when it’s time to order a replacement.

Thanks to the V22’s switchable pentode/triode operation and master volume, after-hours practice and tracking won’t ruffle any feathers. From stage to studio, the Bugera V22 Infinium is a knockout choice for players drawn to real-deal tube saturation.

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Solid-state Amps Between $500–$1,000

Quilter Labs Aviator Cub 1×12-inch 50-watt Combo Amp

Quilter Labs has changed the way many players look at non-modeling solid-state amps. Take the Aviator Cub. This roaring single-12 amp weighs only 20 pounds and delivers Southern California vintage-amp vibes while shedding its tube section completely. And did we mention there’s no modeling in this amp?

Three inputs — named Tweed, Blonde, and Black — supply a fair range of voicings. Toggle the Tweed setting and drink in the mid-forward snarl of a late-’50s workhorse. Use the Blonde setting to access ’60s bell-like cleans and a scooped, crumbly gain structure. Or engage the Black setting to uncover the throaty breakup and velvety highs reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughan.

The Eminence-designed Red Seal speaker mics up well and nails the character of these classic American amps — just be sure to give it a couple weeks to break in properly.

Features that take the Aviator Cub from good to great include speaker-emulated line and headphone outputs for silent recording and practice, onboard digital reverb, and a built-in effects loop for preserving your pedal effects in perfect fidelity.

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BOSS Katana Artist MkII 1×12-inch 100-watt Combo Amp

The BOSS Katana series continues to slice through the limitations of yesterday’s combos. The BOSS Katana Artist MkII boasts 10 distinct voices onboard paired with 100 watts of power — plenty for gigs, practice, and even direct recording when you take advantage of the Katana Artist’s line-out options!

At the core of this amp is a custom-voiced 12-inch WAZA speaker that packs a rich, harmonic-laden punch. Like many of our favorites on this list, the Katana Artist MkII also features a wattage attenuator switch with 0.5-watt, 50-watt, and 100-watt options, which means this can double as your stage amp and your home practice amp. With the Katana Artist MkII’s built-in effects, you can achieve various tones beyond basic clean and dirty sounds. Unlike some amps’ built-in effects, these can all be used simultaneously for rich blends of delay, tremolo, flanger, pitch shift, phaser, and wah. For easy programming, the Katana Artist MkII also lets you thoroughly customize effects and presets via Katana Tone Studio software on your computer.

All that only scratches the surface of this mighty amp; but, if you’re looking for a medium-size combo with modern I/O and a host of usable features, this rig might be calling your name.

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Orange Super Crush 100 1×12-inch 100-watt Combo Amp

The latest addition to the massively popular Crush series of Orange amplifiers is the Super Crush 100 combo. As you might expect from the name, the Super Crush takes everything we love about the original Crush series and turns it up to 11.

How Orange managed to pack 100 watts of meaty cleans and hairy screams into this fearsome 40-pounder is a mystery to us, but we know they do it without tubes and without modeling. If you ask us, then the JFET preamp and class A/B power amplifier probably have a lot to do with why this amp handles so great.

The Super Crush supplies a control layout functionally identical to the all-tube Rockerverb 100. Its two independent channels allow you to dial in the perfect tone quickly and methodically from blues to doom and more. Given that the Super Crush’s power section and fully buffered effects loop are ripped straight out of the Pedal Baby 100, it’s no surprise that this amp takes pedals like a champ.

Though cranking the Super Crush into submission is tons of fun, this amp is perfect for silent stages. An XLR CabSim output sends speaker-emulated tone straight into your PA so you don’t have to raise the dead when you play out.

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Tube Amps Between $500–$1,000

Blackstar HT Club 40 Mark II 1×12-inch 40-watt Tube Combo Amp

The HT Club 40 could be the type of amp you bring to the gig and leave your pedalboard on the sidelines. Its two independent channels, power soak, digital reverb, and powerful ISF shape control pack an impressive range of vintage cleans and modern drives.

The secret lies in Blackstar’s continuously variable Infinite Shape Feature. Spinning this knob counterclockwise nets you the tight-bottomed, aggressive signature of an American high-gain amp. Spin it clockwise, and the EQ curves shift, taking on the squishier, mid-forward tone of a famed British high-gain amp. Though most players will use this as a set-and-forget control to find their favorite voicing, it can be continuously dialed in throughout a gig to unlock a wide palette of tones from a single amp.

The HT Club’s single 12-inch enclosure pumps out big sound despite only taking up a corner of the stage. And, if you need more volume, a cab-emulated XLR output feeds a clean signal straight to the PA.

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Marshall DSL5CR 1×10-inch 5-watt Tube Combo Amp

It may fit in the corner, but it doesn’t cut any corners! The DSL5CR is the smallest offering in Marshall’s revamped Dual Super Lead lineup, making it the perfect tube amp for recording and low-volume practice.

The DSL5CR offers the DSL line’s signature modern voices, including Classic Gain and High Gain channels. Both channels have independent gain control, and there’s 3-band EQ and a “Deep” switch for adding instant bass-frequency heft. Beyond capturing the DSL series in a smaller combo, the amp sports some must-have practice and recording features, including low-power mode, an aux in, an emulated out, and an effects loop.

When it comes to recording, Marshall partnered with Softube on the DSL5CR’s emulated out, which emulates Marshall’s iconic 1960s speaker cabinet and gives remarkable fidelity.

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EVH 5150 Iconic Series 1×12-inch 40-watt Tube Combo Amp

The 5150 Iconic Series combo offers clean, driven, and high-gain channels plus an added boost channel via the included footswitch all housed in an attractively sleek housing that will surely turn some heads.

Like its namesake, EVH, the 5150 Iconic makes a strong impression with up to 40 watts of tube power — plenty for stage use — and a 10-watt mode that lets your guitar sound rich and full even at home. The 5150 Iconic offers clean and dirty channels with alternate modes on each (overdrive and “burn”) for more gain. Inside, a custom-voiced EVH Celestion speaker stands ready to tackle dry cleans and hot saturated output. Sweetwater guitarists’ favorite thing about the EVH 5150 Iconic is its clean control panel.

Beyond the basics, there’s additional 3-band EQ, a handy noise gate for high-gain tone, plus resonance and presence controls for tailoring treble and bass frequencies as needed. The control panel perfectly matches the amp’s aesthetic by dedicating equal space to each function, which helps the EVH 5150 Iconic live up to its name.

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Solid-state Amps Above $1,000

Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb 2×12-inch 200-watt Combo Amp

Can’t believe it’s not a tube amp? Neither can we! Fender’s Tone Master series is a game changer when it comes to vintage reissues. This solid-state amplifier emulates a Fender Twin Reverb tube combo down to the last eccentricity.

Translating the Twin Reverb into a solid-state setup reduces weight (this Tone Master weighs just 33 pounds) and puts an authentic-sounding ’60s Blackface amp within reach of the average player. There’s definitely some electronic sorcery inside this amp but, in a good way, enhanced by period-accurate housing and controls. Onboard you’ll find two channels plus vibrato, “Bright” switches for each channel, built-in reverb, and customizable EQ. Inside, two 12-inch neodymium Jensen N-12K speakers give the Tone Master the instantly familiar body and reactivity of a Twin Reverb.

On the back, you’ll find a selection of handy, modern I/O that adds new features without intruding on the amp’s classic look. There’s a full-range output attenuator, an XLR line out with an output dial, and even two optional cab-sim choices — handy if you’re planning to use the Tone Master Twin Reverb for recording or low-volume practice.

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Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus 2×12-inch 120-watt Combo Amp

Roland’s enduring Jazz Chorus line has enjoyed an impressive career, thanks to high-profile artists like Johnny Marr and Robert Smith. The granddaddy of it all is the OG JC-120 — an amp that has remained relatively untouched for the past 40 years.

This King of Clean is famous for its immaculate strums, love-it-or-hate-it distortion, and true stereo mechanical chorus. This makes the Jazz Chorus a great platform for players whose tonal preferences lie left of center.

What players love about this amp is that it has plenty of power to fill a stage. It also makes a killer pedal platform for New Wave and shoegaze fanatics. Take it from the ranks of fans who still clamor for this quirky amp: when it comes to the JC-120, if you know, you know.

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Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 1×12-inch 200-watt Combo Amp

If you’re searching for an analog amp that has all the benefits of a modern modeler — including 128 recallable presets, wireless Bluetooth streaming, onboard effects, and a Red Box speaker-emulated direct output — then the Black Spirit 200 is calling.

This toneful combo brings you 60 years’ worth of iconic amp tones, courtesy of four independent channels. We’re talking squishy American cleans, overdriven Browns, and beyond. The secret lies in Hughes & Kettner’s Spirit Tone Generator. This technology replicates the biasing, crossover, and sag characteristics of classic tube circuits without resorting to digital modeling whatsoever.

The Black Spirit 200 sounds especially full and punchy, thanks to its heritage Celestion C12H-75 Creamback speaker with 50-ounce ceramic magnet. Trust us — this is one mid-level combo that doesn’t want for mods. Pair it with the optional FSM432 footswitch to unlock full hands-free channel switching and effects toggle.

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Tube Amps Above $1,000

Fender ’65 Princeton Reverb 1×12-inch 12-watt Tube Combo Amp

If there’s any feeling better than plugging into a cranked Princeton Reverb, then it’s plugging into a 12-inch-loaded Princeton Reverb! Just ask artists, like Chris Stapleton, who have been modding their Princetons with 12-inch speakers for years.

At just 35 pounds, the ’65 Fender Princeton Reverb is the classic American tube circuit in a highly portable package. Its spanky cleans, tube-based reverb and tremolo, and light-and-punchy overdrive are synonymous with surf, rock, and country records of the past 50+ years.

Sweetwater’s limited-edition ’65 Princeton Reverb comes in an exclusive lacquered Tweed cabinet loaded with a 12-inch Eminence Cannabis Rex for a clearer top end and a smooth breakup. It also makes this ’65 more of a pedal platform, in our opinion, than the classic PRRI.

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Tone King Imperial MK II 1×12-inch 20-watt Tube Combo Amp

Customers tell us the welterweight Imperial MK II combo has the tendency to replace multiple amps in their collection — including several generations of Golden Age California combos. And, honestly, we’re not surprised. Mark Bartel’s legacy amp brand has been driving the boutique amp industry for 30 years.

The Imperial MK II is perfect for players of discriminating taste who don’t want to fuss around too much with tone. Just plug in and turn up, and great tone is waiting around the corner.

That’s not to say the Imperial doesn’t have plenty of subtlety hiding behind its TV Front grille. Footswitchable Lead and Rhythm channels permit access to the full range of this amp’s 4-tube preamp section. Then there’s the Mid-Bite control, which takes the custom-voiced Eminence speaker from ’60s scooped to modern crunch in a way no classic could muster. Under the hood, onboard tube reverb and bias-modulated tremolo drizzle dollops of gooey, chewy Tweed authority on your base tone.

Tone aside, one of the Imperial’s greatest strengths is its Ironman II reactive load attenuator. This power soak helps preserve speaker performance and frequency response even with the output dialed back to extremely quiet levels. This allows you to get a rich, punchy tone for practice and recording even with the kids asleep in the next room.

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Mesa/Boogie Mark Five: 35 1×12-inch 35-watt Tube Combo Amp

File this mighty mite under D for does it all. The king of Mesa’s Mark V combo lineup is the 35-watt Mark Five: 35. Double the EL84 power tubes and a beefed-up output transformer give this 35-watt Mark V a higher-headroom clean and a richer, throatier breakup over the smaller Five: 25.

You can think of the Five: 35 as a “greatest hits” of the Mesa Mark amplifier series. Its two independent channels and a six-mode preamp equip this amp for authentic Mark II cleans, creamy Mark IV crunch, and blistering Mark IV Xtremes in a single amp.

In addition to being extremely versatile and fun to play, the Five: 35 is the toast of gigging amps everywhere. An included 4-channel footswitch brings channel switching, EQ on/off, and per-channel solo boosts to your feet. There’s also an onboard headphone amp for silent practice, a CabClone DI with cab-simulated XLR output for mic-less gigging, a tube-buffered effects loop for treating pedal effects to a pure tube signal path, and a 3-way Dyna-Watt power soak that can bring this bad boy down to a manageable 10 watts.

All told, these features and more make the Mark Five: 35 one of the best-equipped combo amps in the game. Whether you’re playing bar blues or SoCal punk, you’ll find all the tones you need in this versatile 40-pounder.

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Always Amped at Sweetwater!

Our team of dedicated Sales Engineers is constantly sifting through hundreds of combos we offer so customers like you can find the right sound with the right looks at the right price! If you’re interested in one of these amps or any other amp, then make sure to call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700.
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