Solid State Amps

Solid State Amps are often lighter than valves, less expensive and can be more reliable and require less maintenance, making them a great choice for beginners or gigging musicians alike. The physical difference in solid state amps is the lack of vacuum tubes (also known as valves), which gives a valve amp its distinctive dynamic response and harmonic distortion. The tradeoff with a solid state amp is lower output power and a less natural distortion than classic tube amps, which depending on context can be a good thing!

A solid state guitar amp is often a traditional amp choice for clean tones as the overall sound quality can be more hi-fi than vintage tube amps, and many famous guitar players specifically use solid state amps when they need to record a clean guitar tone.

We stock a huge range of guitar amps with solid state technology. Whether you are looking for a combo amp or a head plus speaker cab we have options from the very best solid state amps for professional musicians to small inexpensive amps for beginners. Some offer internal effects or an effects loop, and some offer ways to adjust the amp voicings.

Solid State Amps are lighter, quieter, and packed full of features; making a brilliant alternative to valve amps. A solid state amp is any amp that doesn’t use valves to amplify the signal and instead uses transistors. They were originally designed for jazz guitarists and bass players who demanded an exceptionally clean sound and shied away from the overdriven sound valve amps were famous for.

Although sometimes used interchangeably with digital amps, solid state amps are their own category of which digital modelling amps are a subset. These amps can actually be all-analog such as the famous Roland Jazz Chorus. A key feature of solid state amps is the ability to create lots of different guitar sounds and effects. This makes them extremely popular as practice amps and beginner amps. The Boss Katana Series, Orange Crush Series, and Marshall MG Series are all popular solid state amps.

Why Should I Choose a Solid State Amp?

• Great clean tones
• Easy to maintain
• Perfect for beginners
• All-analog, digital or hybrid technology
• Rich array of different sounds and effects
• Lighter and more reliable than valve amps
• Less expensive than valve amps