If you’ve read my article on the different types of guitar amplifiers and are getting ready to make a purchase, then this buying guide is for you. I’ve reflected on the hundreds of hours I’ve spent researching and playing different amps. And I’ve broken down my top favorites which all fall into the ‘combo’ category. I’m confident that no one buying their first or even second amp needs a half or full stack amp set-up cranking out 100+ watts of power. You’d be amazed how loud these amps are when played in a garage, basement or bedroom. This article focuses on my top recommended electric guitar amplifiers that can be purchased for $800 or less.
Let’s get started!
Recommended Guitar Amplifiers Under $800
 |  |  | |
| Rank | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Brand | Fender | Vox | Marshall |
| Model (w/ Amazon Link) | Blues Junior IV | AC15C1 | DSL5CR |
| Power | 15W | 15W | 5W |
| Speakers | 1 x 12″ | 1 x 12″ | 1 x 10″ |
| Gain/Master Volume | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Equalizer | 3-Band | 2-Band | 3-Band |
| Channels | 1 – Normal 2 – Fat | 1 – Normal 2 – Top Boost | 1 – Classic Gain 2 – Ultra Gain |
| Onboard Effects | Reverb | Reverb, Tremolo | Reverb |
1st Place – Fender Blues Junior IV
- While this legendary tube amp has the word ‘Blues’ right in its name, don’t let that fool you into thinking it can only play that particular genre. This guitar is very versatile and delivers beautiful clean, overdriven or downright dirty tones. The only genre I would avoid with this amp is heavy metal. Hint: See the Marshall amp below.
- One of my favorite features of this amp is the smooth spring reverb. It adds rich and shimmering ambience to your playing environment. You may be strumming in your bedroom, but it will sound like you playing in a much larger space!
2nd Place – Vox AC15C1
- Are you ready to become part of the British Invasion legacy? Join none other than The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Queen and other bands who featured Vox amps in their legendary sounds. They usually went with the more powerful AC30 version. But since you’re not exactly playing sold-out arenas yet, the smaller AC15 will be more than powerful enough for you and your mates.
- Vox amps are known for the bright and chime sound, which sounds great both clean and with a bit of overdrive. Like the Fender amp, this Vox beauty can play virtually any genre of music…except metal.
- A unique feature of this particular amp is that it comes with an onboard tremolo effect. Being able to control both the speed and depth of the tremolo effect (rapid changes in volume) gives you tons of space to find your sound.
3rd Place – Marshall DSL5CR
- OK hard rockers and metal-heads, it’s finally your time! Marshall tube amps have been on stages all over the world delivering their famous crunchy tones that define hard rock, classic rock and heavy metal.
- And when you’re ready to crank this amp to generate it’s legendary distortion, you can do so without waking the neighbors. That’s because this amp includes a switch to reduce the power down to 0.5 watts. While this doesn’t sound like much, it’s perfect for generating the tone of a pushed amp without the unnecessary volume.
Summary of Buying Guide for Guitar Amplifiers Under $800
All three of these guitar amplifiers will satisfy the needs of every beginning, intermediate and even advanced guitarists. These amps are so good that working guitarists use these amps to play small gigs in bars and clubs. Given that you’re at or near the beginning of your guitar journey, that’s probably not your concern at the moment. But you can be confident that you will not outgrow these amps for years and years. And maybe not ever! So try one of these out and get busy learning and loving to play guitar!