The Top 5 Solid State Guitar Amplifiers That You Can Gig With!

[@panhandlegeardemos6837]

You are killing it with all these videos recently! Keep it up!

[@intheblues]

Thanks a lot Panhandle! :-)

[@ernestovelasquez9147]

I have a 80s Roland JC 120 a Fender Twin reverb and a Fender Blues Junior they could do anything I always Mike don't no fxxxing sound stick my amps like they always want to do he'll no use my Shure sm 57

[@kuyakoi3469]

intheblues Can you help me find a whole piece of circuit for fender deluxe 112 plus? I have one, but theres a lot of issues from input to knobs..

[@BenDewhirstMusic]

Man, I wish people would just get over the solid state vs tube business. If it sounds good and feels good to play, then what does it matter? Just my two cents.

[@intheblues]

I am pretty sure you've heard the Bandit in a live situation too hey. Turn it up and the thing sings. :-) hehe

[@BenDewhirstMusic]

intheblues Yeah I have. Played through one at one of the jams and was getting some stellar tones!

[@intheblues]

It's an analog solid state amp. No preamp tubes or anything Marc. :-)

[@brbadge]

I'm over it for sure.I've made my decision.No way in hell do solid state amps sound good.

[@danielhartman6529]

bentertainment115 I agree. I have a peavey bandit and i just love it and the sound i get from it.

[@intheblues]

I've owned, reviewed, and used the majority of these amps enough to know they are good for live use. Let me know if you think I missed anything! :-)

[@jamalabdul2009]

intheblues is that a horror movie poster behind Your Strat?

[@childrenonacid]

intheblues what about the katana? Falls under modelling to you?

[@intheblues]

It's a modelling amp in my opinion based on all the built in effects pedals etc. Great amp though.

[@intheblues]

It's the Spanish Dawn of the Dead poster from 1978. It was the poster for the first pedal giveaway. :-)

[@childrenonacid]

intheblues fair enough. Makes sense to me.

[@lestelie4410]

Hi Shane. I am an amp repairer in Sydney. I have a Tech 21 on the bench at the moment. They have an inherent cost-saving design flaw. The heat sink is minimal and inside the amp chassis with little air flow. You can probably guess the rest. At gigs it overheats and the thermal protection shuts it down. Run cool air over it and its a nice amp. ALL amps are built to a price. Its just where did they shave their savings.

[@scm1716]

I come to this channel a lot for solid advice. You've about got me convinced to track down a Bandit 112.

[@ssolo8]

I became a "tube snob" for years. Then recently rediscovered the Marshall MG series again. I laughed aloud, as I was playing, because my tone was sooo awesome! Scored Two heads immediately, at half the price of a DSL.. Life is awesome when you learn to work the EQ!

[@TVguy9999]

Completely agree. I picked up a used great quality EQ pedal and use a Marshall MG series amp to get that 60s rock sound. 🎸🤯🎸🔥🎸🔥

[@chrisw5742]

@@TVguy9999 The old Marshall Mosfets were awesome.

[@mrtcfuzzy4furer121]

I've been eyeing the MG50GFX, seen some good reviews on them.

[@MrMedtech1437]

For my taste, I’m gonna go with the Orange CR 60 Pro. For a solid state amp it is gig worthy and then some. Had mine for over a year and love it.

[@shaneirwin9461]

Whatever you can afford, you MAKE that sound great by trying harder....

[@pawelhabrajski9866]

Yeah but they have to be loud enough to gig tho

[@zandig666]

Yes sir I'm thinkn bput ditching my dsl20h seems it's different day to day I'm playing my marshall mg more it sounds the same every day

[@zero318]

Your list is pretty spot on, Shane! I've been working my Tech 21 for well over 5 years now and it's been exceptional. A couple of interesting little side notes, if I may...it has a SansAmp built into it with an XLR out so basically a built in DI. I don't ever have to mic it, I just run an XLR to the board! I know, weird concept for a guitar rig, but it works fantastically well. Another really nice feature is the footswitch. It switches channels, yes, but also kicks on your boost and toggles your effects loop. One of the weirdest foot switches I've come across as it uses just an ordinary guitar cable, but it's rock solid. You're right about it when it comes to volume in a hot situation, but most of my gigs are blues or jazz so I've never topped out. Hey, while you're toodling around fooling with solid states, I recently picked up an unlikely backup unit for gigging. Never had an issue with the Tech 21, but they're really hard to find (always sold out) so I'm a little more careful where I haul it. Anyhow, I got a deal on a Hughes and Kettner 'Edition Blue 60'. Weirdest name ever! Hughes was never on my radar, but my buddy swears by them. The little single 12 Hughes has got some serious chops!!! All analog, spring reverb, and certainly no slouch in a blues setting...check it out if you come across one...they're easy to miss. Carry on, good sir!

[@leftyyobbo]

my favourtte things about these reviews..... 1---An AUSTRALIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2--------HE IS A LEFTY!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3-----Honesty...theres a strong feeling of honesty in these videos without fininacial "impressions" from the bigger companies Great work bloke!

[@intheblues]

Thanks, Chris!

[@coachcleats13]

I agree with every amp on that list, I just would have put the Jazz Chorus as 1 and the Bandit 2. good vid!

[@FastRedPonyCar]

The problem with excluding amps like the mustang/katana/marshall code amps is that having those effects built in is a HUGE reason to pick them for gigging as you can downsize your pedal board, cabling, etc for a faster setup/teardown. It's the main reason I've switch to a Katana artist. It's an easy grab and go package with a simple pedalboard, covers the whole gamut of sounds and (in my opinion) sounds significantly better than the Code and Mustang, vox, etc. I've gigged quite a bit with my kemper and floor controller as well and while the tone from it is amazing, it makes me nervous having over 3 grand worth of gear (not including guitars) on stage at dirty bars and you still need a FRFR/floor monitor on stage to get some stage fill volume.

[@bluraynation5188]

I have a Peavey Bandit from 1983. It’s a little heavy but it has a real spring reverb tank inside and I love it so much. I play rhythm guitar and sing in my band, and combined with my Fender Standard Tele (usually on bridge or both pickups) it just cuts right through the mix. I also use effects with it like overdrive, compressor, and a Boss multi effects, and it’s takes them magnificently. What a dream to play. It’s 50 Watt output also proves that numbers don’t mean everything. I simply love it.

[@motorrebell]

For British clean - crunch - dirty metal tones with some fuzz i would recommend the Orange cr60 and Orange Crush pro 120 !

[@AmericanVetMusic]

I own a Bugera V22 to a Fender Champion 100 all the way to my trusty old cat amp…my Line6 Spider II that I use for a pedal platform. Surprisingly, with a Klon, the Line6 sounds amazing and it’s powerful enough to gig with. I’m not a gear snob, if it gets the job done…I’ll use it. My wife picked out the Bugera for its tone and beauty. She just simply loves the way it sounds, so that’s important. Seeing as how she’s my better half and the lead singer in my band, her input is important. I love my solid state stuff just the same. My Champion 100 is growing on me by the day. Thank you for all your great videos, you’re one of my favorite KZbinrs.

[@listillolordoc7604]

After touring for 25 years, I've found that solid state amps were more reliable. This is very helpful. Nothing is worse than having to run across a town you're not familiar with to get a backup set of tubes because they couldn't survive the trip from gig to gig. It only had to happen once before we all went solid state... For touring.

[@tisbonus]

Listillo Lordoc so freaking true! How many matched 6L6 or EL84 tubes do you need to replace over the years? For me it was too damn many at $70 a matched set. Bought two solid state amps for the price of retubing my 81 blackface twin II.

[@ToddSauve]

Especially when the amps are turned up way too loud anyway. I can't believe how many deaf or going deaf musicians there are--and who want to take their audience with them.

[@BoltRM]

@@ToddSauve I had to leave one bar cuz of the bass vibrating my guts making me nauseous 🤢

[@garryrathmann7367]

I have the Roland Blues Cube Artist 212 . It's a great amp . The best amp I've ever owned . The tone is great and it sound is very valve like . Wouldn't want anything else . Should have been nunber 1

[@SmithWesson90]

I played the world famous Whiskey a gogo in Hollywood CA with a 2007 Marshall MG100DFX 1x12. Never let anyone tell you that you cant gig with a combo amp. I played all over SoCal with my 1x12 100 watt for years before buying an MG 4x12 Cab for my combo and or a different amp in general. I now use a collection of amplifiers to shape my tone but that MG100 1x12 was my reliable best friend for years and I will always speak greatly of it. Not a bad sounding all solid state reliable road amp.

[@colinstout7184]

The hh amps , made in Cambridge of the seventies/eighties are very underrated amps .very very loud and with a strat or Tele are the sweetest sound.very heavy in combo mode.

[@sonicboom9739]

I gig with a solid state fender stage 1600. Awesome amp . Lightweight and has 3 channels, in built tuner , effects , reverb , and I never run it past 4 on the clean channel and 6 on the distorted / lead channel . So understated. It also has an effects loop and I’ve fogged with it for 12 years ! Played to fifty to 2 thousand people with it and it has a di on it to put through a PA system . All this debate over solid state and tubes is all down to what music you are playing and what you feel comfortable with . I love it ! I’ve bought two ! You have to get every amp serviced but if you keep it clean and buy some electrically cleaner you will be fine .

[@BoyAditya]

Tech 21 is a Legend! Early 2000s kids know how useful those cali and brit sound on the amp! .. i mean.. you don't need to bring your metalzone if you have tech 21 amp 😋 ... The drive is so good considering it's a solid-state amp.

[@joelpoitras6226]

Awesome review!!! 🖤 Playing over 25 years, had many amps,had a Bandit myself 20 years ago, and still have my Fender 112, and recently went regular solid state for my bedroom. I got a 50W Tube amp in my living room for my main playing. But downstairs in my Jam room with drums etc. I still stick to my solidstate Fender 112, Loud,dependable and sounds just great. In my bedroom i had a Line 6 spider IV 15 watts for a few years, couldn't stand it no more. So was shopping for a low watt lunchbox practice amp for my bedroom. All them modern amps are digital, even non modeling amps are...and suck!. spent hours trying out most popular models. Bought a Fender Mustang V2... Next day i returned it. So I went down the same road as you. I ended up with a solidstate 1993 Peavey Studio Chorus 210 2 10" stereo independant speakers.From the last Peavey series made in USA i beleive. Man! Love it!. Those regular solidstate amps are underestimated. Thanks for shining a light on them🤘😎

[@joelpoitras6226]

I agree 100% with your deluxe 112 appreciation. Every now and then i gather all my 7 amps(including 2 tube amps) together and tone tweak back and forth between them just for fun. The one that stands out of the bunch everytime is my Fender Stage 112SE It's a 1993 black knob model that's the very same as your Fender Deluxe 112 exept that it's 80 Watts RMS instead of 65W and it has a speaker output instead of a headphone out. When plugging a cab , it runs both speakers at once making it 4 ohms 160 Watts. It's like the "Peavey Special 112 compared to the Bandit 112" It's the same as your Deluxe112, but a tad louder even though that's hard to imagine. It's been my main gigging amp and practice amp. I feel Fender solidstates reached their highest point on that series before the digital modeling era. It's 30 years old, ran it at outdoor parties on gas generators many times, even in the rain a few times lol. Simply undestructible. I opened it up recently to clean the controls and there is absolutely no more scratchy controls. It works just like it did when it came out of the factory in 1993.

[@1alb]

Tech 21 - I own two - I ditched my Fender deluxe twenty years ago when I discovered these… Warm and really versatile… for loud gigs, I mike it. 🎶🎸

[@artvandelay2111]

The main problem is Shane, that most guitarists listen with their Eyes, and not their Ears !!

[@doctorskull8197]

Art Vandelay right on!

[@TheGhostGuitars]

A wise man considers what he sees and hears before he says. A fool only hearsays what others says.

[@javiceres]

Let them do that and is keep the good stuff B)

[@mefirstandthegimmiegimmies5160]

Exactly, most quality solid state amps vs tube amps cannot be picked out in a blind test. There are tons of videos online where people get blindfolded and swear they can pick out tube sound vs solid state and they get it wrong most of the time. Solid state has come a long way in the last 20 years. You just can’t tell the difference when you aren’t looking at them and I’m keen on saving money so I’ll buy a 400 solid state over a 1600 tube anyway. At the end of the day my mediocre playing makes either amp sound mediocre lol

[@georgefromgreece4119]

@@mefirstandthegimmiegimmies5160 all you say is spot on, except for the pricings over periods of time- today you find good and cheap tube amps as well, on the contrary, high quality solid state might cost even more. Cheers!

[@psychojackjack2139]

For price and tone, it's really hard to beat the Peavey Bandit. They can do anything, especially if you add a few pedals.

[@ltournell]

Without a pedal the Peavey Bandit sounds flat to me especially when clean sounds are concerned. Just add power scaling to a simple DIY 5F1 valve amp ( only 3 tubes) and it beats a Bandit 112 hands down whether clean or dirty provided the output is on a good 12" cab.

[@drummer4hire12]

I have a red stripe 112.....set it up yesterday(had her tucked away for some years) to find the reverb was out. I performed a continuity test and found the problem to be the coil on the input in the tank. I was ready to order a replacement tank but remembered I had an old Peavey Delta Blues that fried out a long time ago. Literally 5 minutes later, and the Bandit was working in all her glory......I just LOVE that amp

[@celticfury7328]

Great selection...I'd like to add one in the "honorable mention" category, the mid to late 80s Marshall Lead 100 Mosfet. If your gig demands that classic JCM800 tone but you don't have two grand to drop on your amp, the Lead 100 Mosfet will give you the most beautiful approximation of that classic sound, tied with a fantastic clean channel and a great spring reverb. Best part is, you can grab these for $200 all day long! Pair it with your fave cab and you are ready to go! A little history on the Peavey Bandit too. Back in the late 80s/early 90s, just about everyone who crawled the South Jersey music scene had two rigs...their huge, heavy af overpowered half/full stack that they used for those gigs where what it looked like was more important than what it sounded like, and for the times when it needed to sound great they all had a Peavey Bandit, which many of them upgraded with an EV G12 speaker...made those little beasts into true full stack killers that would keep up with the best PA systems of the day on their own, even when run with crystal clear cleans!

[@mikeroadblock]

Glad to see you are still kicking ass! Cheers.

[@DoctorMcFarlandStudios]

I have a Peavey Bandit Teale Stripe and it rocks. I also have the Quilter Pro Block and Micropro Mach 2. The Pro Block is the perfect one channel amp and has balls. The Micropro can really get any tone imaginable. Acoustic guitar even sounds good through it.

[@detectivemedia3957]

I am not sure if you are familiar with or not but Moog built a solid state guitar amp back in the late 70’s early 80’s called Lab Series. These were all SS technology and if you can still find either the 2 x 12 (L5 model) or the 1 x 15 (L9 model) you would be hard pressed to find a better tone out of a solid state amp. You can still get them for a good price. BB King, Ty Tabor of King’s x, Alan Holdsworth, Ray Flacke all swore by them.

[@smcook8]

Michael Stakelum agreed. My L5 sometimes beats out my hot rod deluxe on cleans. With my experience it gets the Klon Centaur sound, without the Klon Centaur!

[@tazsnuts99]

Moog made the lab series amp

[@jameslaversa528]

Used to use a L5 back in the day.But,with age, reliability may become a problem .

[@greghenderson4582]

I totally agree with you on Solid State it is all about tone ....Albert King, Frank Marino and BB King all used Solid State amps ! What is a kemper ?? A more modern Solid State amp !! I use Peavey Studio 40's and I have had a lot of folks mention my tone lately !

[@AudaciousAce1989]

I have the mg15dfx. Is sounds HUGE on the distortion channel. EVH type tones for days. Best $70 I ever spent. Takes pedals very well too. Only thing its missing is an FX loop. Perfect for carrying it around to bring to a friends house. Sounds good quiet and loud

[@bestplans9051]

The Blues Cube Stage model 60w is a great versatile amp like the Katana. 4 different power supplies ranging from 0.5w, 15w, 45w, 60w. Practice in your home or apartment and use it for live gigs as well. Great tube tone designed by Eric Johnson through the built in pre-amp also! Give it a listen if you see one. Bought my 2nd hand for $300 off of the retail price :). And only 30 pounds!

[@BazCBazC]

Sessionette 75 from the 1980s is well worth looking out for. Made by Award-Session it’s a hand built transistor amp, 85 watts with a spring reverb, Celestion G12 speaker. Takes pedals well and has been used by some big name guitarists - Jan Ackerman, Mike Rutherford, Geoff Whitehorn, Dave Stewart. Eric Clapton recorded his August album with it’s baby brother the Rockette 30

[@roybrooks]

I have a Sessionette 75. It is awesome. I will be using it tonight.

[@ernestorodriguez6097]

I currently own a Fender Deluxe 90 made in Mexico, packed with a British Celestion G12T and spring reverb, which as far as I know is practically the same as the Deluxe 112 (but with different speaker, no Contour knob and MIM). I've owned the Deluxe 90 for a year or so, and let me tell you this amp is just AWESOME. I've had the chance to compare it with the Roland JC and I would choose the Fender a thousand times with my eyes closed. Throw some TS on front of the drive channel with a low gain setting and you'll get all the punch, warmth and responsivity you'll need to play any kind of rock :) I'm so satisfied with it, I just took it to the studio where I'm currently recording with my band: it didn't disappoint me. All of this is just to say, to all of those tube-snobs out there, that a good amplifier is not defined by the technology it uses (digital emulation, analog solid state or tubes), but by a good sound. Sounds good, it's good. It might have the best tubes in the market, but if it doesn't work for you and your sound, it will always be trash to your ears.

[@Trenchant463]

Nice choices there Shane. I used to play only tube amps but then realized there is a ton if great sounds out there in the solid state mode.

[@jacak47410]

Couple more suggestions. Orange cr120 Ibanez tbx150h Marshal vs8100 Crate gt3500h Ampeg vh140c Most a geared towards metal for my taste but can do a wide variety

[@Jrj777-v5p]

Love my peavey bandit, wouldnt trade it for anything. Peavey gets no nod from most guys but they make quality gear and guitars

[@WTNall]

I've got a Solo Series, second version (the one between the Gunsmoke and the 65) that I got during an inventory reduction sale at a local Music-go-round for $45 in 2006. It's my main practice amp at home and rocks my T-40 bass. I love this thing!

[@cormacbobertson4732]

Bought my 112 bandit a year ago brand new and it's a bulldozer for neighbours 😁😁😁

[@caseylee12]

I just got a used Peavey Wolfgang Special (USA) and it's PURPLE! Great guitar! I absolutely hate that they no longer make anything in the states. But there are still some good used ones out there. Now I just need that amp... .. 6505?

[@jimsteger5844]

I’ve got the silver stripe bandit love it

[@kevinmcguinness1113]

Nice vid, thnx. Been playing Marshall MG series for about 15 years. They get a bad rap, but I've got no complaints - great versatility, clean, crunch, through to death- and/or nu-metal-type tones and with LINE OUT, no need for mic'ing, just DI into the desk. Great range of amps, especially the head-only versions - you can then mix and match with whatever cabs you want. I use two 100W versions in a stereo config, each with a Marshall 1936 stereo 2 x 12 cab. Loud AF if you need it and you can pick them up cheap as chips on eBay. Only flaw seems to be the unreliable fans, but they can be replaced quite cheap. I use external OD/DIST pedals to set up the dynamic range I need on the guitar volume knob, don't use compression for live gigging and personally, I don't buy into the "biased tubes" method of getting tone. There ARE other ways, if people are only prepared to get their head out of their backside to bother looking. Your vid should help persuade them :-). Thought I'd have to replace the MGs recently and checked the Roland CUBE 80X. Didn't need to as it happens, but they're also great amps - get a +1 from me.

[@2gazbo]

I use a Tech 21 Trademark 60, I have a single 12" and a 4x10", they are both the most versatile amps i have used, they have 2 channels and a boost switch for both channels, if I play outside or want more volume I hook a Tech 21 Power Engine up to them. The 4x10" is amazing. I have 2 Fender amps and 2 Marshall amps (One is a 1986 JCM 800 50 Watt & 2x12 cab.) but choose the Trademarks to gig with.

[@felixirkinas2750]

Great stuff! I have a Tech 21 TM30, Peavey Transtube Envoy 110 and Quilter Aviator 8 & Tone Block 200. They are all pretty good and I will never have to worry about getting a good sound. The Quilter Aviator needs a pedal or two for some dirt. The Peavey & Tech21 are really versatile, pedals not required which is awesome, just plug and play. Thanx for the video!!!

[@southfloridaarcheryguy114]

Back in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, solid state amps weren’t very good at all. They were okay for strictly clean sound, but no one seemed to want that. Today’s solid state amps sound extremely good! No comparison to the junk we used in the 80’s. Plus they’re loaded with features and are extremely lightweight. Great grab and go amp to small gigs. I own a couple.

[@stephenpirie8900]

Just bought a Roland JC-40 - best amp I've ever had. Over thirty years, I've had three Fender solid state (including the dual speaker Ultra Chorus, which I liked) and a Blues Jr. 15w tube amp (tubes can be a pain) - been there, done that. I kept my Peavey Envoy w/10" speaker - lightweight, sounds good, nice practice amp for hauling around. But the Roland JC-40 has the a pristine clean sound (not at all sterile), the chorus is "heavenly" and, if you like effects pedals, it's a great platform. I don't use the on-board Distortion (eh), but the Vibrato is very much "Tom Petty-esque". This amp is worth every penny I paid...

[@scottmclennan6114]

I’ve got. Yamaha G50 112 I bought new in 1980 and it is great. Bought its big 100 watt twin speaker brother recently and it is fantastic. Both great for nearly forty years old.

[@RaoulVanDePetrucci]

Yamaha G100-112 mk2 is great too.

[@kootab]

I own a Quilter Aviator combo. Its 100 watts and has a digital reverb. Over all it has very good clean sounds and takes pedals well. I play blues so I don't use distortion or even HEAVY overdrive but I use 2 overdrive pedals at semi clean and crunch levels and Im happy. The master volume on the amp sounds the same from level 2 all the way up to around 7 or 8 then the speaker itself adds breakup in a good way. Try out some Quilter amps!

[@TheRosswise]

The reason why Peavey Transtube amps weigh so much is because they have a lot of the same components as tube amps. Like the transformers. And Peavey speakers also weigh a lot because Hartley used quality magnets for his speakers.

[@ampcruz2540]

Sir roland small combo amps weigh as much as tanks also ,,,, they sound great to me too

[@lucaswood7602]

I have the quilter Micropro Mach 2 HD (HD being the 12 neo speaker). I really enjoy it. I have heard a few people say Quilters are a little difficult to dial in, though that hasn't really been the case for me. I don't really play blues primarily or even rock though I do those things. I find that the Micropro is really versatile and I get a ton of different sounds out of the amp and it has a lot of different characteristics. I use a lot of FX and a lot of octave based FX and the speaker seems to keep things sounding very rich no matter what is going on. The EQ section is also very powerful, I used to use a 10 band EQ on my board but since I got the micropro I find that I can easily dial in things for the context of what I'm doing.

[@lupo10]

I have a Marshall MG50, clean is gorgeous, OD’s and digital effects are amazing.

[@vinceruland9236]

Same. Mg50dfx. I even have the mg15dfx and it sounds great.

[@landonbailey]

good #1 choice. I was shocked when I first picked up my Red Stripe Bandit. I was expecting it to be light like my deluxe 85

[@KurtFuller]

Peavey Transtube (Silver or Red Stripe). You can't go wrong with it.

[@grantcyster4427]

Solid channel, Shane. Compliments. One other name I'd add to the list is the Orange Crush Pro series - the CR60C combo and the CR120 head.

[@intheblues]

Thanks so much Grant! :-)

[@andrewl5127]

So refreshing to hear a balanced view (negative comments too) Most KZbin videos could be promos from the manufacturer.

[@jaguar15ful]

Honestly the best amplifier its Fender Deluxe 112 Plus, versatile, loud, punch, powerful. My favorite

[@db10632]

How does pedals sound on it? Also, how good it is for gigging?

[@jessythomvandergeest439]

Hughs & Kettner Silver Edition is the best solid state amp I've ever played!!!

[@wokrzysiek]

I'd recommend old ss Marshalls from the 80's. I own Marshall Lead 20 and it's a killer amp. Plenty loud, it'll keep up with a drummer. There are others in this line that people are raving about ie. Master Lead 30 or 100Wat MOSFET.

[@stevebishop3924]

Krzysztof Wójcik I agree...I’ve got the Marshall Lead 100 mosfet, and I’ll NEVER part with it. Will handle any gig, even outdoors.✌️

[@wadeolder7193]

Orange Crush 60 is killer but heavy. The Boss 50 Kantana is nice for grab and go and great sound. Usually around $200

[@craiglarbes1546]

I can’t believe the Fender frontman 10G didn’t make the list! Geez! 😜

[@RackhirTheRed]

I used a Fender Yale Reverb for years for gigs and it more than held it's own alongside tube amps. Fantastic cleans and it takes every pedal I throw at it. I've still got it along with an Old Princeton SS - but the Yale Reverb is the better of the two amps. It's also perfect in a wet dry setup which I did for a while too. I haven't played for years but now I'm going to have to dig it out. Great video!

[@frankcastelo6980]

I totally agree with you! I had a Fender Hot hod deluxe, Peavey 6505+, Peavey Classic 30, many Line 6 and a few Marshalls. But the only one I've kept is the Peavey Bandit 112. With the right pedal you can achieve any sound you want.

[@kirktonkin1112]

Excellent review. Just the stuff You needed to know, nothing You didn't. This is the exact video I needed to see. I've never been happier with my tones as I am with my 1/2 stack, but I'm getting to the age where hauling a battleship anchor, tube head & 4 x 12 up & down stairs & to & from gigs is ever, more exhausting. I play in a 3 piece, Southern, Classic, blues, & Country Rock band, that rarely mics anything but the bass drum. I use one, basic sound & my guitar's volume knob & attack dynamics to vary my sound, so I don't need anything too complicated. Just about any of these amps would fit the bill. I just need decent tone, with good cut, & enough volume for un-miced, small to medium venues, & lighter weight, portability is always welcome. I tried the Trademark 60 & loved it, but the guy wouldn't part with it. I agree about the speaker upgrade, though. The Blues Cubes are great amps, but I can't justify the price tag. I'm a Peavey guy & I like the Bandit, though myself, am not all that impressed with it, but I know different year models sound a bit different. Perhaps I just need to find the right one. Thanks, again, for the great, very useful review.

[@15thwardadrian]

The Bandit is just a great all around budget amp period. Every basic guitar tone is in there, and they are all believable, and usable. Hartley Peavey deserves much credit for looking out for working musicians with his useful, practical and affordable amps these last 50 years or so. I concur also that 90’s SS Fender amps were very good. I have a 1993 Fender Pro 185. It sounds remarkably good-especially in parallel channel mode. The Blues Cube is a phenomenal SS amp, but at that price, people can be forgiven for thinking a Peavey classic is a better bet. I think you come out ahead cost wise in the long term with the reliability of a SS amp, but cost is far from the only metric. I would suggest the Vox AV series also. No digital modeling tomfoolery there, and great tone.

[@stanthebluesman9650]

I have a Fender Deluxe 112 Plus and use a ZOOM G7.1ut Guitar Effects Console with it. The console incorporates a 12AX7 tube to create the tube "warmth" which many guitarists consider the Holy Grail of tone. The tube tone is adjustable. The Deluxe 112 Plus was created to emulate the sound of valve amps despite the fact that it is SS. The combo of the 2 yields a tone to die for. The amp can be unbelievably LOUD, if necessary, boosted by the preamp in the console.

[@BENDBLUES]

Currently I would say: 1-Katana 2-Marshall Mosfet Lead 3-Mustang V2 4-Bandit 5-Supertramp Trace Elliot

[@bestplans9051]

Sorry but the Mustang V2's are not that impressive.

[@caioantonio0001]

I own a Mustang V2. The amp's problem for me is that this one was made to play with no pedals. Now Ive been building my pedalboard, this amp almost make no much sense to me...

[@paulj0557tonehead]

The best solid state guitar amp is the FET based 1976 *AMPEG* *G110* . Warm clean to 'pick attack' punchy, warm crunch. Loud! I'm was a tube purist until one day while walking home sat this very clean G110 on the sidewalk marked 'FREE''. I figured I'd be repairing it, but to my amazement it worked perfectly! It's a full frequency, great bass, closed back, front ported model, has tremolo and incredibly sweet reverb. It is incredible for KIETH Richards riffs and rhythms. Also is the best acoustic guitar and Wurlitzer 120 electric piano amp!

[@zachparker3994]

The beautiful posters of history in the background 😍

[@MyName-nx1jj]

Love my two Bandits - teal and red. However, my Blues Cube Artist is in another league all together. Absolutely NO comparison.

[@MikeCarvin]

I would add the long discontinued Yamaha DG series. Extremely underrated.

[@lorenwright8305]

Got the Tech 21 and the Fender, The Tech 21 has a pre-amp out which you can plug into a Tech 21 Power engine for more volume and you can chain as many as you want. Love both those amps, still play my Mesa, tube powered fender and Marshall but nothing beats those SS combos for ease of use and real decent sound. Good video!

[@robertvels680]

Excellant. I recently bought a "backup amp". This is a cheaper amp that covers in an emergency situation. I got a Traynor Quarterhorse 25W pedal amp on ebay for $120 hooked up to my 2×12 orange cab it sounds great. So you get the Ehx magum 44 and quilter 45. Nice niche new market. The peavey bandit is a legend!

[@ricklee4513]

Hi Shane, Great video as usual. Glad you have put the Peavey Bandit 112 as number 1. I watched your earlier reviews of this amp and on the strength of what you said and how the Bandit sounded, I picked up one for a good price ( so the seller clearly had not seen any of your videos!!). Have now gigged with it and it cuts through very nicely above the rest of the group and the general audience and background noise. Still learning all that it can do. And your comment about the weight, well it is much lighter than my Fender Super 60 red knob amp, that one is physically smaller than the Bandit and has great tone etc, but is so much heavier.

[@brucekrohn4863]

I just played another large outdoor gig with my 80's Peavey Special 130 SS amp. It sounded great, as usual and no worries or issues. Laughing all the way to the bank this morning.

[@ampcruz2540]

Danggit !!!! I was gonna buy one at pawnshop for $100 ,,, but didn't know if it was worth it or not !!!! Golly !!!

[@smackythefrog91]

Shhhhh. Now they just went up in price.

[@90sGuitarCovers]

For classic marshall tones check out the 5010 and the 5210 from the 80s. I like my 5010 better than my dsl40c. I got it for $100!

[@georgeallison6228]

90s Guitar Covers got 2 Master Lead Combos. Yep...100 bucks a pop. One has the Jensen Mod12 speaker . Quite nice . Good amps with balls. Single channel one trick ponies

[@Betoronado]

They aré cool amps, i own lead 12, Lead 20 and 5210, those 80s solid states were the best as yours (5010)

[@leonthompson8988]

90s Guitar Covers who makes those

[@guitarzan73]

Peavey Bandit-absolutely. In fact,Id choose it over alot of tube amps.Very versatile-and putting a nice compression pedal before it rounds it off nicely too.

[@tomirwin4819]

Good to hear the JC120 in the list, I've had one for many years and I am happy with it..

[@phatagorva6076]

I bought yamaha g100 212 couple of years ago. Amazing amp! Parametric EQ makes it so versatile.

[@garyreid1766]

I got my red stripe studio pro last week, the whole band loves it.

[@intheblues]

Nice man! Those amps rock. I want one!! :-)

[@garyreid1766]

I was on the hunt for something non digital that i didn't need to wait an hour for it to warm up(sometimes never warming up 'cos i'm in Scotland) that sounded good clean and i came across your videos, i was leaning towards Laney up 'til then, really glad i went down the Peavey route thanks to you, i'm playing with a big stupid smile on my face all the time the now.

[@3cardmonty602]

I have a 1994 Teal Stripe Peavey Bandit 112, with a Zoom G3x multi-effects pedal going into it - it is OUTSTANDING! Total cost=$275

[@ethanwolters5618]

3 Card Monty I have the original bandit only paid $100 and it sound better then my friends $1500 Orange

[@socialdef3]

You use the Zoom G3x into the effects loop/return right?

[@sandycarter9988]

One caution on the Fender series you highlight: Make sure you get the channel switching pedal that belongs to the amp. Although the switches within the series may look right, they are wired differently and usually won't work. New replacement switches from Fender also don't work, and can damage the amp. Also, since these are older, repair components can be hard to find, and repairs can cost more than the price of the amp. I used many in this series for years. Loved the sound, but gave them up for the above concerns. Switched to Tech 21's. Amazing amps...

[@charlesameyer1]

Overlooked here are the Hughes & Kettner Edition Blue amps. Nice, rich clean tone, even the 15 watt is good and loud, and a spring reverb. Also, the control panel lights up blue!

[@MaximusAdonicus]

Heyy, I have that too, the 60w model! The blue light is what makes its tone great! 😁

[@mwyatt222]

I have many amps both tubes and SS and can tell you the Fender Princeton Chorus 'red knob' verison w/ an eminence speaker swap is one of the most under-rated SS's . I amaze people with them played next to my Bogner Shiva 1/2 stack , JVM or Marshall JCM 800 combo , at lower volumes theyre amazing. I have several and leave one on pretty much all day most days , try that with a tube amp . They'll crunch legit metal and play great Fender clean and the chorus is awesome if you turn the rate on O and the depth on 10 , never gets old. This amp also takes fuzz pedal extremely well as well as acoustics and piezos.

[@sthengr]

Two of my guitar buddies use Quilter solid state amps and love them, both are veteran players in their 60's. I still have not played thru one, on my bucket list.

[@kevinwade1775]

Great choices! I really did like my Marshall mg50 as well. I use that quite a bit with a 4 speaker cabinet. It sounded surprisingly well!

[@landonbailey]

If you don't mind me adding an amp recommendation. I still have my Red Knob Fender Deluxe 85. I gigged with it for years. It's super lightweight and has one volume (loud). So it's awesome for gigs. and you can grab them for really cheap on ebay. Im going to guess its very very similar to the deluxe 112.

[@intheblues]

Those are really good amps too. I haven't used one for yonks! I should see if I can get my hands on one again at some point.

[@AlexRamosDrTaz]

I still have a Deluxe 85. The clean channel is very pedal friendly... I can run my metal pedals on that, and they sound great. The amp distortion is cool though, sounds awesome boosted with an overdrive. Also love the dual channel input, what a great idea, running both the clean and distortion at once. Try that with a tube amp!

[@billhenry9610]

I have the Deluxe 85 from the 1980's. Its a great gig worthy amp!!

[@doctorskull8197]

I tried a Fender red knob amp many years ago. Excellent! Unfortunately, I let it go and now can’t find them anywhere. Bummer.

[@baronvonchickenpants6564]

lando27music it's a great little amp with some great features

[@OddTimeMan]

I have a ZT Lunchbox combo amp (rated at 200 watts) which I use with a small 1x12 extension cab. The amp's 6.5 inch speak together with the 12 inch speaker create a big full sound. ZT's prices have gone way up over the years though. When I bought mine, they were on sale at Guitar Center for only $199!

[@xebio6]

Hey, I'm also a proud owner of a ZT LB. I've been considering adding a cab, could you please describe yours? I hear you have to be careful with cab specs and Lunch boxes... Thx in advance

[@chriscarreno4930]

Good job Shane!! Love my Bandit. Maybe some day I'll get to turn it up all the way.

[@stephenhermenze1527]

I own a Blues cube artist and a quilter mach 2 micro pro. The quilter works so well I can show up to most gigs with just a it and a guitar. It sounds swell.

[@ElectricLabel]

There's loads of great solid state amps, you can get them really cheap and they last forever. More importantly, they are consistent at any volume, which is hugely important. Valve amps are next to useless without attenuators to bring them under control, also they weigh too much and break too easily. If you are touring and playing most nights on small to medium sized stages with limited space and limited soundcheck time and no tech time then you'd be INSANE to choose a valve amp over a decent solid state. Whenever I hear people bleating on about valve amps I just dismiss them as unprofessional. I use both, run together (a Fender Twin and a Carlsbro Stingray Super), but if I had to downsize for one show, which happens occasionally, I'd always use the solid state over the valve. Experience has brought me to that conclusion. Also, most guitarists will never experience the joy of playing through a Vermona Regent or a HH or a Fal Super100 just because they are stuck up about valves. You're missing out.

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

People dis SS amps because of the resurgence in tube amps over the last 25 years and it's cool to knock SS amps. Then there are 1000s of cheap SS amps and some are nasty. There is a difference between tube and SS as I have a few of both and that is that the tube amp usually has a smooth warmth that melts with touch sensitivity. Saying that, I gig with a Fender Super 210 but one night I took my 25 year old Roland Jazz Chorus just for a change and that sounded superb with my pedals. Go figure! I bought Fender FM 212R this week and that sounds great too with a great clean channel that loves pedals. I must admit I prefer tube amps as I have been using them for over 25 years now but I'm open to experimenting and not an amp snob.

[@drlzanej]

Ypu should try the Fender Champion 100 watt. 2 x 12, alotta voices 2 channel, $349 . I love mine

[@sacasticus]

I know a guy who has one and the effects loop doesn’t seem to work with some pedals?

[@omarsharif927]

Best bang for the buck. I want one.

[@seanwesley9556]

I managed to get one from gumtree for £100, I run a massive pedalboard into it and it sounds lush, beautiful clean

[@aliengtr]

I have 2, they are ok, but man, I just cant get into the ss power amp section, a tube power amp section is just warmer in sound and spongier. I am going to sell both champion 100's..I tried ss and mosvalve and hybrid amps all with ss power amp sections and always had to use fx to cover up how crappy they were for clean sounds. they are ok/very good for distortion stuff

[@MrAMF50]

Orange and ZT amps should at the least mentioned as they also are great analog amps.

[@triplejudy]

My Roland Cube 100w Bass amp. is perfect for guitar. with a Boss SD-2 dual overdrive ... love it for over 10 years now.

[@jvin248]

Glad I got my Peavey Bandits before your videos started uncovering them! Another popular SS amp for home and gigs has been the Orange 35RT.

[@w.rustylane5650]

I love my Crate CPB 150 Power Block amp head. It really sounds great through my stereo Akai speakers and 1 car 250 watt woofer. Don't worry - I have the stereo 8 ohm speakers wired in parallel to give me 4 ohms and the speaker group wired in series to give me 8 ohms 'cause the car speaker is 4 ohms, so 4 + 4 = 8 ohms. My Crate sounds great so it's a Great Crate. Quiet as hell turned all the way up even with the gain near max.

[@fransvanhelvoort1083]

I love Fender amps and guitars. I have owned only 1 tube amp (HR Deluxe), before that I had a Fender Performer, loved it, sold it for the Hot rod and never got that clean sound that I loved from the performer anymore. Maybe due the Celestion speaker in the HR. Sounded very Marshally. After the Hot rod came a Fender champion 110, Yes the clean is back, Stil in my music room. After that a frontman 212. Great but too heavy, Then a couple of Frontmans 15R and a Frontman 25R. All very very good clean sound. At last I bought a Fender Deluxe 112 for about 55 Euro (less than 55 us dollar!) . It has a very old (70er) alnico 12 inch speaker. Tone heaven. No more heavy tubers for me. And I am a real tube lover, I build tube pedals and amps, I built ss pedals too. Love the sound but love the clean SS more. lol. I performed with the HR deluxe and the bigger SS Fenders and I never never ever missed the "tube feel" that so many guitarists seems to love. I never felt the "tube response/feel" but hurt my back with the HR! lol

[@52TeleGuy]

The Orange crush pro cr 60c 60w and the Orange crush pro cr 120h 120w head are great solid state amps.

[@utubehound69]

I wish i had an 120 Jazz Chorus , I played one the years ago w/Boss HM petal lol it's an amazing amp, when the drummer would get to sloshed to play i'd play it clean it sounded so good doing blues & other clean tones. It's in a class of it's own imo.

[@motorrebell]

The Roland Jazz chorus may be the Best amp for beautiful cleans , Andy summers of the police and even Metallica used one !

[@stefanoargenys]

@@motorrebell and wes borland

[@guitagious9464]

... and for anyone looking for a great sounding amp "head", don't forget about the Peavey Supreme XL and XXL models. Two very decent sounding amps that will not require selling a kidney to purchase (can only get them used now). I have two Supreme XL heads that got me by for many years until I could get an expensive tube amp. And now that I have one, at tonight's practice, you'll find me still using one of the XL heads with an MXR delay pedal and I'll be getting some great tones (as always). I'm convinced it's really all about having good pickups on the guitar and then taking the time to dial in a good tone on the amp. This may require lots of experimenting and patience, but will be more than worth the effort!

[@Letsrideht8806]

Had a 112 studio pro red stripe and sold it to a buddy sadly, I absolutely loved it!!! I will be driving 3hrs away this Friday and picking up another one to replace it!!!

[@doctorskull8197]

I’ve had Peavey Bandit. It was just OK. The Vox Valvetronix amps are phenomenal. Cheap. Light weight. Sound fantastic.