12 beautiful boutique amps

Oft-mentioned in the Dumble lineage, this is the Cali brand’s most famous amp. John Mayer and Matt Schofield appreciate their loud, clear, majestic tone.

The original boutique guitar amp brand, Boogie still makes world-leading, no-compromise valve amps. The Lone Star has been a Texas-inspired, do-it-all fave for many years.

Hand-built in England, this is as tonally devastating as it is wonderfully built. All-out rock tones from mild break-up to huge, crunching gains: unique, brilliant and well priced.

Matchless’s genre-defining DC-30 is the obvious choice, but we also love this. In short, it’s a DC-30’s EF86 channel with reverb and tremolo. Utterly astonishing.

Steve Carr’s amp punches harder than an irate Klitschko. It’s a crunching delight for strong rock and blues-rock, in a distinctly boutique enclosure. Stunning build, too.

Fender makes amps as meticulously as anyone. This 3x10, 26-watt reissue plugs the gap between a ’57 Deluxe and ’59 Bassman. It’s the sound of Townshend on Who’s Next?.

Eccentric and enigmatic, you say? The man behind this four- 6V6 chameleon certainly fits the bill! You get two vintage- inspired channels, and a neat approach to effects loops.

Created by Fred Taccone, this offers a mix of EL84s and 6V6s for a superbly capable, mid- power tone machine. Built one at a time in California, seen on pro stages everywhere.

You’ll scarcely believe the volume and headroom from two EL84s and ‘18’ watts. Hand-made in Ohio, Z artists include Brad Paisley and bluesman Buddy Whittington.

The latest version of this diminutive tone monster gives you varying options of EL84 and EL34 valves for a huge variety of classic-voiced clean and drive sounds.

What’s more boutique than having your own amp made? Brit Denis Cornell offers a custom-spec option on his amps, hand-built in the UK. Clapton likes ’em, after all.

You may think the German brand is all about technology. Well, the Puretone is one of the most visceral, stripped-down EL34 rock heads we’ve ever played: true fact.