Guitar amps are one of those "necessities that seem to create excitement as well as anxiety for the average purchaser. The choices are numerous and it can be a daunting task to sift through all the technical jargon and feel confident with your decision. Still, regardless of the challenge, you can be sure they have "come a long way, baby!" I remember back in the "oldin' days" lugging huge, heavy, awkward, speaker columns to the gigs my band used to play. Now you can find amps that deliver great, powerful sound through relatively small, lightweight speaker cabinets. That's what I call progress!

So where do you begin? The first thing you should do, before looking at the various guitar amps that are available, is to assess your specific needs.

Making a mental list of the features you want and the questions you have can help to narrow your choices down quite a bit. Also, when looking for an amplifier, plan to take the guitar that you will be using along with you when you shop. That way you will really be able to test the sounds you can achieve on a particular amp with your own axe. With these things in mind, feel free to take a look at a few of my personal recommendations below.

"A powerhouse of killer tone" this combo offers clean/crunch and tonal versatility. Independent channels provide tone controls for bass, middle, and treble. Learn more...

The Fender Acoustasonic 30 is an upgraded version of Fender's popular Acoustasonic guitar amp. It features digital effects including Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Vibratone, and more. Learn more...

Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and George Harrison are among the many who used the wah-wah pedal to create their own distinctive guitar style during the 1960s. The sound is unmistakable. Learn more...

The DS1 faithfully reproduces all the subtle nuances of your playing dynamics, from whisper-quiet to screaming loud. Learn more...