The Ten Best Amplifiers To Gig With Under $500!
Guitar and Bass Amps with Enough Wattage To Play A Show!
If you're a gigging guitarist or bassist in 2019 - we can bet that you're like us. You want gear that works, sounds great, and when you're confronted two flights of stairs to load in to the venue of your gig - you're not ready to turn around and go home.
The Music Zoo stocks many quality, name-brand amplifiers that are going to let you perform the songs you need to play and sound great, all without breaking your back or your pocket! Brands such as Fender, Fishman, Roland, and more have solid-state and tube circuitry with enough wattage onboard to let you be heard with or without the assistance of mic'ing the speaker or going through a PA. Let's take a look at our Top Ten Amplifiers that you can play a gig with - all under $500!
Fender Champion 100XL Combo Amp - 100 Watts, Solid State
The Fender Champion 100XL is one of the latest Fender offerings that is loaded with on-board effects and 16 different amp models. It's a 2x12" with Celestion Midnight 60 speakers. There's two channels to switch between, with delay, reverb/echo, chorus and tremolo effects. If you're in something like a fun cover band - this is a great pick for an amplifier.
Fender Champion 100 Combo Amp - 100 Watts, Solid State
The Fender Champion 100 is essentially the same model as the 100XL, with a model classic appearance as opposed to the modern black grille and it's loaded with Fenders in-house Special Design Speakers. There's two channels to switch between, with delay, reverb/echo, chorus and tremolo effects. If you're in something like a fun cover band - this is a great pick for an amplifier.
Fender Bassbreaker 007 Combo Amp - 7 Watts, EL84 Tube Powered
This is the limited edition Bassbreaker 007 from Fender with a special lacquered tweed covering. The amp has only 7 watts of power, but if you've cranked up a tube amp with less than 15 watts of power - you know about that awesome saturated power amp distortion that happens! If you are a Blues player who wants that classic crunch, this is a great amp to pick. With the help of a mic on the speaker - you can handle a mid-sized room with this Bassbreaker, no problem!
Fender Mustang GT40 Combo Amplifier - 40 Watts, Solid State
The technology loaded into the Mustang GT40 from Fender is kind of unreal. For heaven's sake, it has WiFi connectivity to go right to Fender and download the latest updates to software and tone patches! There are two 6.5" Fender speakers, effects with 'spillover' capability to let your reverbs and echoes fade as you turn them off, and Bluetooth streaming control to jam along to songs. With 40 watts of power, you can go right out to an external cabinet or mic the speakers up at a show to be heard. The GT40 sounds just as excellent on stage as it does when you're practicing at home.
Roland JC22 Jazz Chorus Combo Amp - 30 Watts, Solid State
What else can we say about the Roland Jazz Chorus that hasn't already been said? It's one of the best clean guitar tones of all time, bar none. Recently, Roland shrunk down the original Jazz Chorus 2x12" which at times could be a bit cumbersome to this smaller 30-watt package with two 6.5" speakers with all the same great shimmering chorus tones we love the Jazz Chorus for.
Seymour Duncan PowerStage 170 Pedalboard-Mountable Head- 170 Watt, Solid State
With the Seymour Duncan Powerstage 170, you can believe that there's a power amplifier that will fit into your backpage with ease. This is a super underrated piece of gear that professionals have used to tour with around the world. It has a super clean pre-amp section with a global 3-band EQ. We really like that you can tweak the master volume with your foot with the big center knob should it be on your pedalboard in front of the stage. This amp with some of your favorite overdrive and distortion pedals is an awesome setup!
Fishman Loudbox Mini 60 Watt Acoustic Amplifier, 60 Watts Solid State
Acoustic guitarists long know the struggle of finding an amplifier that accurately represents the sound of their fantastic guitar, but pushed through a speaker. Fishman has given us one of the best tools for the trade with the Loudbox Mini. This 60-watt amplifier has lots of crisp and clean power with independent channels for your guitar and microphone to dial in the mix just how you need it. Whether you're playing a small cafe or an even bigger gig where you can use the DI out of the amplifier - this is a great acoustic amplifier! It even has onboard reverb and chorus effects, and an anti-feedback phase switch.
Fishman Loudbox Mini Bluetooth Combo Amplifier - 60 Watts, Solid State
All of the same features as the Loudbox Mini 60, but with onboard Bluetooth capability to stream tracks from your phone or laptop right into the amplifier! This Loudbox Mini Bluetooth is a great amplifier for solo performers who are playing to backing tracks.
Fender Rumble LT25 Bass Combo Amplifier - 25 Watts, Solid State
The Rumble LT25 is a low-powered bass amp which is great for perhaps students or beginners who are playing their first shows but still want to sound great! over 50 presets are onboard for all of the tones you'd need through various genres. There's a single 8" speaker, and a 1.8" color display!
Trace Elliot ELF Bass Amplifier - 200 Watts, Solid State
You might think the ELF isn't up to the task of a gig, but it is definitely is! It only weighs 1.6 pounds and measures no more than 6" across, but it pumps out 200 watts of awesome bass tones (into 4 ohms) or 130 watts through 8 ohm cabinets. You can literally throw this amp in your back pocket and use the venues cabinets or DI it right into the PA system. You could even practice with it in your home with its 1/4" headphone output jack.
Shop All Amplifiers Under $500 at The Music Zoo
There is an even bigger selection of amps that are affordable at The Music Zoo, with different features that fit any genre or style of player. Already have a head? Grab an extension cabinet for even more depth and volume to be heard in your tone. Shop all amps under $500 now!
