How do I choose an electric guitar amp?

If you want to play at home without having the cops called on you and still be able to play with a drummer if needed you most likely need something in the 15-22w range. And of course the style of music you play will lend itself more to some amps then others but you can play any style on any amp if you do it right.

There’s several concerns:
1. How loud are you trying to play?
2. What style of music?
3. Do you need a direct out to play with headphones or recording?
4. Are you planning on playing with pedals or mostly just the tone on your amp

There are two different types of amps:
Solid state and tube.

Solid state amps tend to be able to sound more consistent at lower levels. Tube amps have that warm classic sound that feels more real, and also tends to get more distorted at higher volumes.

There’s also the fact that some amp brands are more known for amps that sound great clean verses other amps that are made to sound great dirty with onboard overdrive or distortion.

Fender amps tend to be clean style.
Vox, orange, mesa boogie, and marshall tend to be more designed around sounding great dirty.

If you’re mostly playing rock music in your bedroom, I’d recommend a solid state amp. Fender mustang ii is a good cheap one with lots of effects to play around with and a headphone jack. Fender champ 20 is a decent budget solid state smp for clean tones. Orange makes a slightly more expensive solid state that actually sounds pretty good for gigging, but comes without most of the onboard effects besides reverb and overdrive. Vox has some decent cheap solid state practice amps as well. Do not get line 6 spider or a fender frontman amp as they Both sound like absolute trash.

A Marshall half stack is likely going to be way too loud.

If you’re playing 60’s/70’s classic rock or country music and can afford to turn up a little louder, it’s hard to go wrong with a fender hot rod deluxe with that warm tube sound. I’ve owned one and gigged with it for almost 6 years.

Get a 15W Fender Bronco.

I bought a Boss Katana MKII 50 watt amp and I love it. Has a power control knob that you can set at .5W,25W or 50W. Check out the reviews on YouTube.

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it’s hard to go wrong with a fender hot rod deluxe

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If you are just starting with electric, I think the Fender Mustang 1 is a good choice. It mimics several other amps and isn't very complicated or expensive. I've got one that's 20 watts, and I use it most of the time, instead of something bigger, but it's still loud enough to piss off neighbors, if they live close and you crank it up. I bought mine used several years ago for 150 bucks.

LINK

Spark Amp - If you want a ton of tones for not much money

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Spark Amp - If you want a ton of tones for not much money

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Thank you.

OP perk up too.

I was going to hijack this thread to ask about this one. It has modeling features and play along software with chord recognition.

What it doesn’t have are a ton of reviews.

I mean it does have reviews but they are GLOWING reviews from you tubers who got them for free to plug the amp. Then you have negative reviews from people butt hurt about others getting it for free.

I just want first hand normal consumer reviews.

I just bought that spark amp on a whim to use as a little practice amp. I love it. I find myself using it more than my bassman or Hiwatt lately. Great clean tones and the delay and reverb are very good, as well.