Best Head Guitar Amplifiers of 2025

* We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.
For any musician looking to take their guitar playing to the next level, a high-quality amplifier is an essential piece of equipment. Head guitar amplifiers are a popular choice among serious guitarists due to their powerful sound and versatility. These amplifiers can be used with a variety of speaker cabinets, allowing musicians to customise their sound to suit any venue or performance. With features such as built-in effects, multiple channels, and advanced EQ controls, head guitar amplifiers provide a wide range of options for guitarists to create their desired sound.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Head Guitar Amplifiers
Vox MV50-BM Brian May 50W Guitar Amplifier
The Vox MV50-BM is a remarkable guitar amplifier that captures the iconic tone of Sir Brian May. Weighing just 540g, this lightweight amp makes it easy for you to transport your sound without sacrificing quality. Its striking red casing not only pays homage to Brian’s famous ‘Red Special’ guitar but also stands out visually. The Nutube technology provides a powerful 50W RMS output, while the switchable KAT treble booster helps you achieve that instantly recognisable tone, perfect for any performance.
BOSS Katana MkII Portable 100-Watt Guitar Amp
The BOSS Katana MkII is a lightweight and portable 100-watt guitar amplifier head that delivers a powerful, gig-ready sound. With its integrated five-inch monitor speaker, you can practise without needing an external cabinet, making it convenient for home use or quick jam sessions. The amp features five unique characters, including Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown, and Acoustic, allowing you to explore various sounds easily. Additionally, the Tube Logic design ensures you enjoy class-defying power and punchy sound, perfect for live performances.
Hotone Nano Legacy Mojo Diamond Mini Amp
The Hotone Mojo Diamond Amp is an ultra-compact and portable guitar amplifier head, making it perfect for musicians on the go. Its sound is inspired by the legendary Fender Tweed, delivering rich tones that enhance your playing experience. You can easily adjust the 3-band EQ (Bass, Middle, Treble) to suit your desired sound. Additionally, the speaker output is versatile, fitting cabinets with different impedances, so you can connect it to various setups without hassle.
TC Electronic THRUST BQ500 Portable Bass Head
The THRUST BQ500 Bass Head offers exceptional features for bass players. Its 4-band EQ section allows you to shape your tone precisely, ensuring you get the sound you desire. The balanced DI output with pre/post EQ routing makes it easy to connect directly to mixing consoles and recording equipment. You can also use the auxiliary rehearsal input to play along with tracks through the speaker or your headphones. Plus, the speaker output on a premium speakON connector ensures a reliable connection, providing you with peace of mind during performances.
Orange Micro Terror Head with PPC108 Cab Stack
The Orange Micro Terror Stack is a compact yet powerful guitar amplifier head, delivering 20 watts of RMS power. It features an ECC83 valve preamp, which enhances your sound with rich tonal qualities. You will find controls for volume, tone, and gain, allowing you to shape your sound exactly how you want it. Additionally, the aux input lets you connect external devices, making it convenient for practicing along with your favourite tracks.
Gator G-TOURMINIHEAD2 Heavy-Duty Guitar Amp Case
The Gator G-TOURMINIHEAD2 Case offers excellent protection for your guitar amplifier. Its heavy-duty plywood construction ensures durability, making it ideal for transport. The adjustable interior allows you to customise the fit for your specific amp, giving you peace of mind while on the move. With EVA-Dur interior protection, your equipment is safeguarded against any bumps or knocks during travel. The heavy-duty Gator signature hardware adds an extra layer of reliability, ensuring that your gear remains secure wherever you go.
Laney IRF Dual Top 60 Watts Guitar Amplifier
The Laney IRF Amplifier Head offers impressive features for guitarists. Its transformer isolated FX loop ensures noiseless performance, allowing you to focus on your sound without unwanted noise interference. The on-board reverb, based on the Secret Path algorithm, enriches your music with depth and ambience. The clean channel toggle provides flexibility, enabling you to choose between symmetrical gain, asymmetrical gain, or a clean sound, depending on your style. Additionally, switchable high-quality IR loaded speaker emulation enhances your tone while providing convenience in various settings.
JOYO ZOMBIE-II 20 Watt Tube Guitar Amp
The JOYO ZOMBIE-II Amp is a versatile guitar amplifier that features independent control over its CLEAN and DISTORTION channels. This allows you to tailor your sound precisely to your liking. With its high gain structure, you can use your favourite overdrives to achieve richer tones. The amp's CLEAN channel is also pedal-friendly, giving you the flexibility to experiment with various effects. Additionally, a single 12AX7 tube in the preamp contributes to its impressive sound quality, making it feel like you're playing through a larger amp.
Valeton TAR-20G Guitar Amplifier Head with Cab Sim
The Valeton TAR-20G Amp offers a pure analog preamp design, delivering a super wide tonal range. You can easily achieve sounds from a pristine chime to classic British crunch and even roaring hi-gain tones. With a maximum output power of 20W, it mimics the rich, harmonic tones of a vacuum tube amp, providing an authentic experience. Additionally, the AUX IN and phones jack with cab simulator allows you to plug directly into an audio interface or PA system, making it convenient for recording or live performances.
Laney IRONHEART IRT60H 60W All Tube Amp
The Laney IRT60H Amp is a powerful 60W all tube guitar amplifier designed for versatility and tonal quality. It features a full 3-channel pre-amp, allowing you to switch between Clean, Rhythm, and Lead channels with ease, perfect for adapting to different musical styles. The independent 3 band EQs on the Rhythm and Lead channels let you customise your sound, enhancing your performance. Additionally, the Variwatt control enables you to achieve your desired tone at any wattage level, making it ideal for both practice and studio sessions without sacrificing sound quality.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What does a head do for a guitar amp?
An amp head is just a preamp and a power amp section without any speakers. It processes the signal and amplifies it before it goes into a speaker cabinet. We can find this same formation with some home stereo systems with a separate amplifier and passive speakers.
2. What is the difference between an amp and amp head?
An amp is an all-in-one unit that may refer to a 'combo amp' or an amp head and a speaker working as one unit. A head refers to just the 'amp head' (no cabinet or speaker) that amplifies the electrical signal but cannot produce sound. It must be paired with a speaker or cabinet.
3. What are head amps used for?
What is a headphone amp? A headphone amp is a relatively low-powered amplifier that raises the low-voltage audio signal from a source device (be it a turntable, PC, or smartphone) to a sufficient level such that it can be converted (or transduced) into sound waves by the speakers inside your headphones.
During our head guitar amplifier research, we found 62 head guitar amplifier products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 17,256 customer reviews through our big data system to write the head guitar amplifiers list. We found that most customers choose head guitar amplifiers with an average price of £232.66.
The head guitar amplifiers are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of head guitar amplifiers, including VOX, BOSS, HOTONE, TC Electronic, Orange.

Hayden was born in Liverpool, and he never left his hometown until university. In his freshman year at the University of Manchester, Hayden was the group leader of a popular music group. Hayden is responsible for the popularity of his music, and this is because of his natural ability to play with keys and strings. He graduated with BFA in 2016 and returned in 2018 as a lecturing staff in the School of Music.