Best Home Amps: my favorites and why 

Got a Boss Katana 50w and a Fender Rumble 40w. With four electrics (two self-made) and my modest collection of pedals I’m set for life. Great to see lots of other wee amps getting some love 👌🏼

My best home amp is my 64 Fender Princeton (non reverb). I bought it used before I graduated from high school in 1971. It’s been modded a lot over the tears, it now has a Vox blue. I record both guitar and bass with it. I love it.

Definitely not just another "best home amp" vid! This was so educational and engaging, and even though I have lots of experience playing and recording at low volumes this has made me think about the game in totally new ways. Thanks, Keith and Shawn!

Great video Keith. I turn 62 on Monday so I remember Romper Room. I also was a Sally Star, Pixanne and Gene London fan but they may have been more Philly based shows.

I have a Helix LT I run through studio monitors and I am completely in love with it. I had various amps and could never gel, but the modeling solution works really well for my situation!

This was an delightful conversation- thanks for sharing, Keith & Shawn. Appreciate you being so generous with your knowledge.

I gotta say, the Marshall Class 5 tube amp gets undeservedly overlooked. I have the combo, and the head. The head thru a vintage 30 is pretty darn good 👍

Playing catchup watching now. Was busy painting ceilings this morning. Yes, romper room. I grew up in New England in the 60s.

For a big sound, even at home, a 2x12 works wonders. My Suhr Badger 18 has been going into an Orange PPC212 for 10+ years in my apartment. Lovely tones both in the room and mic’d recording.

Romper Room = NEVER be a don't bee... But ALWAYS have a doo bee😉😎👍

Thank you soooo much for this episode. The quest for the gig-n-home amp is a struggle I have faced for a long time.

Loved this interview. Shawn seems like a genuinely nice guy. My favorite home amp is a 65 PRRI. I swapped the Jensen for a GA10-SC64 and not sure I’ll need anything else now…famous last words, right?

The best home amp is the one that inspires you to play. It doesn't have to be the biggest or best. My home amp is a full stack all tube Crate BV 120, 2x4 12 cabs. Beautiful cleans and rowdy dirt. No pedals required. My travel amp is a Fender Mustang, and my wife's laptop with FUSE software. All affordable, and inspiring to me.

Hi Keith, Always enjoy your videos and your whole vibe. Considering the volume level you're discussing I feel like I've played around with quite a few amps in this space and the one I always come back to is the Yamaha THR10 II desktop amp. It's versatility, modeling quality, tone and portability are really impressive. And such a small package! I've been hooked on them for about 5 years now. I currently own the wireless version. No more guitar cable. It's pretty flawless.

Great chat! I got a Revv G20 in large part due to both of you guys and have been really happy with it. I mostly use it on the clean channel as a pedal platform but like having the gain options built in if I want to do a very minimal board.

I sold my last “gigging” amps last year and have a Dr Z Z-Lux head on order (20w/40w switchable, 4x 6v6, master volume, tube Reverb and tremolo etc). Meanwhile, while I’m waiting for the Z-Lux, I’m using a cheap as heck little Honeytone amp with a little tiny speaker for my very small living room in the apartment I’m now living in. It sounds okay for just practicing without hurting my ears. Where I used to live before and during the lockdowns, I could use a 100w Marshall 2466 half stack, a Super Reverb or a Vibrolux Reverb in the living room so long as no one was trying to talk to me! I’m hoping to move to a new house next year (saving for a mortgage deposit as well as the final payment for the Z-Lux) and I can’t wait to plug in and play with a good tube amp at home again. If I could afford them, I’d probably be interested in a Z-Master (amongst a couple of other Z’s). There are a few recordings I know where done on Tweed Bandmasters that I really love. How did you find the Z-Master at lower volumes? I see Dr Z also has another interesting Joe Walsh and Champ inspired amp called a Z-Plus, 7/15watts operating in dual single ended operation for a “big champ” type of tone.

My home amp for 15 yrs has been my H&K Triamp Mk II through a quad. 100watts of Fletcher-Munson goodness. 1 watt gives 97dB of ear bleeding pain. Small amps won't break up at home volume unless driven by pedals, and then you may as well use a big one. Compression is the friend of the home player, which is why we love overdrive and distortion. It's the clean transients that get the cops called.

Thank you Keith for this informative stream with the ACE Shawn Tubbs, I enjoy your work immensly, keep them comin'! Nabs.

Yes, I remember Romper Room with the “Magic Mirror”. I thought that was just a Chicago thing. Carry on, love ya!

The Marshall Studio series is a 20W mini-stack and combo that looks so cool in the Man Cave with an angled cab. There is a Vintage (1959 Super Lead Plexi), Classic (JCM800 2203), and Silver Jubilee 1987 versiona. Ward Carroll has a Naval Aviation Channel and has all his guitars and amps in the background. Mesa Boogie has a short mini stack as well, called the Mark V 35 (35/25/10 Watt power attenuation). If you are feeling crazy, the EVH 5150 III Lunchbox is a mini head to bring the pain. Friedman has some lunchbox sized mini heads like the Runt 20/50, mini Dirty Shirley, Pink Taco, and the Smallbox, etc..

How can there only be one comment on this after and hour and so many likes? Lol .storms blowing through upstate NY just woke me from a nap..lol.. pouring..hey Keith! Was cool to see u on Jeff's channel...I'm catching up now!

My favorite home amp is still a Vox VT30 that I put a TungSol Gold pin tube in. It sounds great, and I love it. ❤️

Without finishing the video, the Quilter Aviator Cub is great on stage and at home. The tone is awesome. Also the Roland JC22 is great at home. I’m not sure if it’s loud enough for a band gig but for a “quiet” jazz gig or duo/ trio gig I think it would work great

I’ve got a few great home amps. My 5w Swart STR Trem is a killer, but even those five watts can get loud enough to scatter balls of dog hair. My BluGuitar Amp1 is a terrific head phone amp, despite having an alternate personality as a 100 watt Plexi clone. The home amp I seem to plug into most often is a Bad Cat Paw, with preamp tubes and a class D power amp. It sounds great, but can walk as softly as a teenager sneaking into the house at 1am. To top it off, its 20 watts are quite gigable when called upon for that application. My wife and I are currently on an extended RV trip, and in the interest of domestic harmony in such tight quarters, I’ve been using a Fender Mustang Micro headphone amp. Not much larger than a USB stick, it has multiple amps and effects, and keeps me entertained quite adequately.

Mine is my Friedman BE50 Deluxe. Some may think it's a big amp for home playing. But even with the Friedman 2×12 cab it's perfect because it has great tone at low volume. No need for an attenuator. Bring it to 1 on any of the 3 channels and it's ideal for my apartment. The clean is Buxom Betty, a Fenderish tone, BE which can be very Plexi-ish if you turn the gain down and use a Buxom clean Boost pedal and tweek the EQ, or the high gain HBE channel which can do almost anything in the high gain territory. It was my dream amp 18 months ago when I got it and still is today.

I have a Supro Blues king and absolutely love it. I'm just a basement player so 5 watts is plenty. Amps have been a mystery to me. I'm still a newbie of about 5 years of playing so I love these educational videos. As always thanks Keith, love the channel. Hit that like button even if you're constantly watching these vids months late.

Greetings from Nashville north, Louisville, Ky. My one wish in life??? I wish Keith Williams was my neighbor!!!!

Romper room. Yep, remember that! Thank you for the video!

For me it's the Mesa Lonestar Special. Nice EL84 personality, 2 great channels, silky cleans and vocal drives... great reverb... and maybe best of all, choice between 30, 15 and 5 watts. The only thing is, it's too freakin' heavy (and discontinued).

Love my D-20. Both of you guys were contributors to me buying one. Very versatile. Now I need a Tilt. Thanks REVV.

Been playing for about twenty years and have just bought my first amplifier- Revv D20. Saw it on one of your videos. Nothing to compare it to but I think that it sounds fantastic! Have been using it a lot. I have a pair of beyerdynamic DT770 Pro headphones and a ten inch Celestion cabinet and it sounds great with both.

Hate being first but love the channel Here because of the Vox. About 10 years ago before a move, i'd run a Vox Pathfinder 15 with a Blues Jr in stereo (UC100) in opposite corners of the room. Both are gone now (Jr, money, Vox space :( But i miss the Vox more. Go to, first gen Cyber twin. Not only great here with headphones (yeah, sux) but i played three sets of covers with this amp. ha gots an original Roland MicroCube here. Could make some noize :) 3 watts. I dig it. btw,,,,the hair...I grew mine out twice to my shoulders in the '70s. (wee bit of trouble). Its here but grey, Used to have it longer like Shawn's but just had it cut,,,,shortest in years.Tried to grow it out again during the pandemic....couldn't wait to get it cut. unruly. Its still here !!! Just turned 65.

Romper Room! That is one of my earliest TV memories.

Great interview. Love the discussion about how to use a pedal. The Grandma's tune is a testament to his touch. 🚀🚀

Depending on budget: every amp can do speakinglevel If you use a fryette power station. I'm enjoying my jtm45 at 60db with it, amp ist fully cranked

Hey Keith! As always another interesting feed man. I own a Revv G20 ( most probably due to your channel too I suppose ), it’s a great little amp which I have hooked up usually to a set of Yamaha speakers which I have hooked up to my laptop and of course I just use the Two Tone app for all sorts of different sounds. It’s not my favorite amp however for me, it’s nice when I’m practicing / learning songs and such. By far my favorite amp is this Two Rock Burnside I have, the only feature I wish it had would be a real spring reverb built into it ( especially at these prices LOL ). It’s fantastic paired with your favorite pedals and it really still sounds good at lower volumes ( a bit louder yet than ‘bedroom’ volume though ). Always a pleasure watching each and every feed, thanks again. Tommy~

I remember Romper Room. I very much enjoy the work you produce. Well done.

Marshall Haze 15w tubes with 2 12” cabs. I love it for the home… super versatile and takes pedals well. Its super clean or funky clean, the gain channel is heavy. And with a metal pedal and noise compressor, it gets heavy and loud for a small head.

I have a Catalyst 100; I use it with an HX Effects in 4CM with MIDI. It works great. I find putting an EQ at the end of the HX Effects chain helps to get close to usable edge of breakup, crunch and high gain tones. I was on a search for a JTM 45/100 when I found the Origin 50; I got the combo and it sounded great, so much so that I also have an Origin 50 head and 2 x Origin 4x12 cabs. It gets close enough for me. I use the HX Effects in front of my Origins, even though it has an effects loop.

Romper room reference made me a fan for life. "I see Tony ans John and...."

My home setup is a cheap 15w monoprice stageright.stock with jj tubes.i run it through a marshall 2x12 with a couple vintage 30's.perfect for me loud or quiet.the setup takes pedals well too.usually just run delay and reverb through the effects loop and a fuzz up front.

Great show, Keith! So much wisdom here. What a great guy Shawn is... Not to mention a monster player! That tune on the intro and outro was really lovely. Wish you guys would have played some though.... maybe next time? Man! I have so much homework to do!! 😉

Mesa Rectoverb combo is not debilitatingly heavy, has a 10-watt switch and sounds very much the same quiet as it does loud. Plug-n-play at home sounds great, with a pedalboard at a gig also sounds great. Two-channel and quite big sounding for a small cab.

Marshall Origin 20 going to a 2x12 with Celestion G12 vintages. I play it on the lowest output switch. With my setup and volume it peaks at about 75DB and it sounds like plenty in my room. Without Boost i have presence about 9am, master at 9:30am, treble is dialled right down. Mid at 1pm, Bass and Tilt at 12. Gain is at 11am. Sounds awesome.

My favorite home amp is a Roland Micro Cube N225. I play and self-teach guitar only at home and the Micro Cube N225 sounds great and is loud enough for my needs. My guitar is a 2016 Squier Bullet Stratocaster that I bought new that same year.

Swart low watt amps sound very good. Even the 5 watt with a 12 inch speaker. Guess I like that tweed sound.

I am a learning guitarist who has experimented with several amps over the past 3 years. I have ditched them all for now for a Spark. Handles the electric, bass and acoustic. I had a Fender GTX50, a CATALYST 60, a VHT Special 6 Ultra, and some others, that I may go back to one day, but now I know what I need at my stage of learning.

Miss Jean, Romper Room, 1960.

Played a blackface Deluxe for years. Got tired of people telling me to turn it down all the time, even on medium size stages! Learned about the Revv D20 on this channel, bought one and never looked back. It does everything I need it to, it's light and makes a perfect pedal platform for me.

This was more helpful than I thought. I avoided it because my lack of financial assets always negates gear advice. But some of what you and Shawn discussed about boosts and EQ at low volumes may help me.

For me Fender Blues Jr. All the way. Great controls, warm tube sound, well built, loud enough for small rooms, handles exterior effects well, not crazy expensive.

We have a Fender Deluxe Tone Master. I love the amp because of the attenuator. If I need more mid range I hit an overdrive. They are great pedal platform.

I have a Tone King Imperial Mk II that is a pretty good alternative to the DR--and I love it for it’s attenuator . I also like my Princeton Reverb 65 RI --it is light and portable.

I have a Brownface Vibroverb RI that was modded to have a master volume by the guy from Budda amps at some point. Its incredible and am able to play literally all night and not be much louder than my unplugged guitar volume.

Shawn just took a little bit to get going, don't let people in the comments here make you think you didn't let him talk. Great show and good interaction between you guys. You have a lot of info to offer and you are obviously the one leading the conversation nothing wrong here IMO.

Great discussion on amps for home. One of my favorites is my 72 Vibro Champ all original though i need to change capitors. Great Fender clean with a touch of plate reverb and its heaven.

A good bedroom amp is an Ampeg Jet ll R and it works great for gigs. Been using them for a couple years. Also, It would be cool to see a short history on Ampeg guitar amps..

My home and gigging amp is a Katana 100 head through a 2x12 set clean. My pedals do all the work. It’s great at any level. I will say it’s way louder than any tube amp I’ve ever played. Tube amp for home I actually had an Ampeg Jet-12R and it was amazing.

I just got a UA Dream 65 for an at home digital amp and it is pretty good. Can use it with headphones with an adapter.

I love low watt amps... My fave is my Marshall DSL1 followed by my Epiphone Valve Jr head. What a joy they are to record and jam with.

Thanks Keith for all the great videos on making a effective small rig. So far you’ve managed to keep me from buying anything other than a Klon clone to go with my old pod 2.0.

Totally agree about Shawn’s writing. Top notch.

One of my favorite ways to play at home is Helix into a class d power amp into a cab. Give you that amp in the room feel, easy to control the volume and sounds really good.

I use fender bassbreaker 15 and the JHS amp top black box in the effects loop to attenuate my volume and it works fantastic..3 stages of cranked up gain from the amps gain structure options to get all the glory without the volume..that's my tube end of things and I use boss katana mk2 50 for modern tones and recording etc...also a great amp..so many headphone amp options too if that's your thing..

I just came to speak wonders about the Yamaha THR’s. I play waaaay more often and enjoy it more than ever. I know there are good options, those are good options as well.

I've been using a Quilter SuperBlock US in the 1w setting (by using a 9v power supply instead of the included one). That and an HX Effects is everything I need for playing in my basement

I use the D-20 with great results for any style. It sounds great and has so many different ways one can use it. With an efx loop for time based efx, or running something like the Kingsley Constable or Maiden preamp into the efx return, to using the IRs into delays and verbs and miking a cab, to just using it as a traditional amp.

My Orange OR15 is an awesome home amp. It’s only 15 watts but it can go loud if you need it through a 4x12 cab. Ever played one? If not, you should try. 😄

Wondering if you ever thought of making a video about the history of tremolo arms. From the earliest to Bigsbys to all the fender designs, gibson maestro to Floyd rose. I think it would make a really interesting video

I live in an apartment with an entrance door that might as well be open for all of the sound isolation it provides. I've tried a truckload of amps (Fender, Vox, Blackstar, Peavey, Orange, Katana 100, Ibanez Tube Screamer 15w) trying to get a decent sound at lower volumes, without resorting to headphones-only playing. I'm currently using a Line 6 Catalyst 100 with the wattage attenuator at its lowest setting, and as an alternate a Single-Ended Class ‘A’ EL34 all tube Laney Lionheart L5-Studio amp head (using the 0.5 watt output) into an Egnater Rebel 112X guitar speaker cabinet. I'm very happy with the tones I can get with these setups and I think I'm done hunting for a while.

Line 6 Pod Go/Powercab with Ownhammer IRs here. Been super happy with my “budget” rig for anfew years now.

Fractal FM9. No hassle, tons of options, reasonable cost. Quality Amp Sims and Effects. Highly tweakable. For the money it can't be beat.

My home amps are; Marshall Vintage Modern 2466 through a matching 425a cab, loaded with G12C’s Marshall DSL100h with 1960a cab, G12T75’s Vox AC30CC2 with Eminence Legend speakers Fender Blues Deluxe with Eminence Swamp Thang I have a headrush but it just doesn’t feel the same under the fingers 🤷‍♂️ I’m lucky in that I don’t have volume restrictions where I am, I put on some high fidelity earplugs and crank a 100w Marshall, it is glorious!

I'm using 2 small wattage tube amps for home: The VHT Special 6 Ultra combo and Blackstar HT-1R combo. I also have a Blackstar Fly battery amp but thinking about getting something new.

I play LPs mostly and like that dirty Marshall crunch, but I have a family and have to rock out at serious bedroom volumes. I have used the Yamaha THR10 for about 5 years and it’s amazing. It’s the size of a toaster but produces a very tube-like tone. It’s a keeper

I was gifted to a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Modern 3, 40 watts and I made 2 JBL handmade cabinets. So the amp was paired with a Celestion V-80, but when I go to mine I recorded video to hear the difference when I A/B both. It's different!

I remember Romper Room. Do you remember New Zoo Review? When I was a child, the host lived next door to me, so I thought he was a superstar. Really enjoyed this video and found it useful. I've got multiple amps and cabinets in the garage. In the house I've got a Roland JC-120 and a Milkman The Amp 100. However, when I'm recording I rarely use any of them, and opt instead for the ease and practicality of plugins. In the words of Beck, "Got a couple of couches, sleep on the loveseat". My current amps are great for live applications but not ideal for my recording setup. Whether too loud, not exactly what I want tonally, or too much trouble, I don't have the optimal amp solution just yet. The results with (really good) plugins are "good-ish", but certainly not great. I want to add an amp for recording purposes but am still searching for the right one. The only thing I've resolved is I don't want to go the amp modelling route (i.e. things like Kemper). I've also recognized as much as I love the idea of a vintage AC-30 or Fender Blackface, they might not be ideal for my needs. If I'm honest though, I'm still finding it extremely difficult to resist this temptation. That's why videos demonstrating modern amps which are derivatives of these classics but provide modern conveniences are so helpful.

I. LOVE my Yamaha THR30II. It also works as an audio interface. It's been a game changer for me, as I live in an apartment.

I've been using Boss Katana's for years...sounds great at home or onstage...or in the rehearsal room...or for recording

I just got a NUX 20BT and its even got tremolo!

This conversation inspired an idea for a new product or technology - a piece of equipment that pushes air nearly silently, and can be made to do so in coordination with the frequencies and amplitudes of audio signals. This would allow us to create the feeling of loud amps moving our bodies, while the actual volume level could be kept reasonably low. Send me a bonus when you develop this technology and sell it to a big amp or speaker company! 😆

I have the Line 6 Catalyst 60. I grew up playing tube amps, but for the price that Catalyst is amazing.

Years go I dated a gal who went to James Madison Univ for her law degree. She gave me a sweatshirt that I still wear today. When someone sees me wearing it and asks me if I went to JMU, I smile and reply, "Yep. I think it was a Wednesday."

loving my Boss street 2 , looper, great vocal harmonized bluetooth long battery life etc.

Holy Miss Nancy! My magic mirror was in the shop. ;)

I feel it all depends on what you already have, nowadays there’s so many options for every circumstance, if I had a 100 watt that I love, just buy a two notes or if you have the budget an Universal Audio OX, if you dont have an amp and just want to play at home, a boss katana or a line 6 catalyst will be more than appropriate, even for small gigs, if you have an interfase and studio monitors, an HX stomp works wonders! The fender tone masters are great, a bit overpriced I feel if you only want to play at home. I haven’t played the Rev stuff, would love to play them at some point, implementing a two notes on a traditional tube amp is genius and every tube amp manufacturer should catch up!

I’ve been pursuing the holy grail of a small tube amp for bedroom use for decades and think I’ve almost cracked it. I use a Victoria sheriff 22 utilising its dedicated 0.3 watt output into an orange open back 2x12 cab. This gives me those lovely clean plexiglass tones as well as the later jam driven tones on ch 2. I use a boing reverb pedal in the effects loop. Also c urgently I’m using a superchamp x2 along with a Bugera power soak for more fender style tones. There’s also a Vox pathfinder 10 that I can’t bare to get rid of as its got such a lovely sound to it. Hoping at some point to try the re-issue vibrochamp but for now my search is over.

Thanks again!

I love my Boss Streetcube, the Fender Mustang and the Blackstar ID core 40 I borrow sometimes. Those three really hit the spot for home use for my needs. We don't play against real drums so I don't need the volume but recorded you wouldn't know the actual size of them by how they sound ... 😀

When I was in high school, I played easily with my Peavey Backstage 30 while my brother drummed in a small spare bedroom.

My David Allen Chihuahua is my holy grail home amp. It's modeled after the black panel champ but fixes some of the issues w/ champs. 10 watts w/ 6l6s and 6 watts w/ 6v6s and the master volume works great. David's raw control acts essentially as your mids knob (though adds gain)--takes it from black panel to tweed ish sounding. I liked it so much I bought a second one just in case anything happens to the first one. If you need to be quieter than that then solid state and/or boss waza air headphones are probably the move (I use the Waza airs A LOT still because it's still impossible to simulate what a loud gig is like at home). But as I said, the Allen is the only tube amp for home--it works great for small gigs and/or putting a mic on it so definitely not a toy

I had a G20 in purple and loved it, but sold it and now have a Marshall Studio Jubilee. I really love it, but miss my G20.

I played on a Marshall valvestate 20 for about 20 years. It was a great sounding amp though it broke up at volume more like a transistor amp than a valve amp. That said at slightly lower gains it did have the sweetness of a valve amp. I really liked the clean channel. I've also now got a valvestate 8100v head which is in no way a practice amp but it does sound awesome on the few occasions I crank it. Nice valve breakup on the preamp then savage transistor faithful amplification to 100 Marshall watts. It's Fierce and uncompromising as a 100w stack should be. Not for use at home if you want your home to remain as such. Luv and Peace.

Fargen Mini-Plex MKII...at home and in clubs

My personal home amp is a Laney VC-50 2x12 combo with a jumper on the rear loop I use as an attenuator. If ur married or in a committed relationship it probably won’t work out well as a home amp, and It’s honestly overkill for daily practice even with the basic attenuation in a bachelor pad, but it’s been my main since early 2000’s (even though I have practice amps). Just something about it.

I have an HX Stomp with a FRFR I use for ampless worship gigs. I have an EVH 5150 LBXII and Panama 2x10 guitar cab that I use for home use and the occasional amps allowed on stage gigs

I appreciate when you let the guest speak at length. Thank you Keith!

Best home amp, I have to say the AC10C1. I did however trade mine to a friend for her AC30C2. lol. what a fantasticly loud beast.

Extremely surprised that I didn’t get much of anything out of this. I admire both of these gents greatly. Very surprised no mention of Carr Mercury V or Super Bee since both are low watt & have excellent attenuators 4-0 & 2-0 watts respectively.

I have a Vox AC-10, which is perfect for home and church