Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitar Amps
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • You Oughta Know
  • Glasto 2025 - how to watch, who's on?
  • Wrecking Crew
  • 95k+ free music samples

Recommended reading

A Boss IR-2 amp modeller pedal
Guitar Amps Best amp modellers 2025: High-tech tone solutions for all guitarists
Laney Lionheart Foundry Supertop
Guitars Laney unveils the IR-equipped 120W Supertop head with onboard effects and matching cabs
Two AER acoustic guitar amps on stools with an acoustic guitar
Guitar Amps Best acoustic guitar amp 2025: Amplify your acoustic with a top-rated amp
PRS Archon Classic and Mark Tremonti MT 15 v2: the newly redesigned tube amps offer a host of new features and tones, with the Alter Bridge guitarist's new lunchbox head [right] featuring the Overdrive channel from his MT 100 head, and there's a half-power switch, too.
Guitars PRS refreshes tube amp range with the reworked Mark Tremonti MT 15 head and Archon Classic
Supro Airwave: the new 1x12 tube combo combines old-school looks and tones with onboard cab sim tech from Two notes Audio Engineering.
Guitars Supro teams up with Two Notes for the Airwave, a vintage-voiced 25W tube combo with onboard cab sims
Line 6 Helix Stadium XL: The new flagship amp modeller and multi-effects unit is a dramatic expansion of the Helix framework with a suite of state-of-the-art features
Guitars Line 6 debuts all-new AI tech as it supercharges its amp modelling platform with the Helix Stadium
Superbooth 2025
Synths 12 new instruments and effects you need to know about from Superbooth 2025
  1. Guitars

NAMM 2014: best new amplifiers

News
By Rob Power published 31 January 2014

We check out this year's crop of amps

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Blackstar ID: Core

Blackstar ID: Core

NAMM 2014: As ever, there was plenty of new noise-making gear at NAMM this year, but it was British brand Blackstar that bagged the Best In Show award for its new ID: Core series.

The new entry-level guitar amp line features three models, the ID: Core 10 Stereo, the ID: Core 20 Stereos and the ID: Core 40 Stereo, and each punches way above its diminuitive size.

Check out the full details of the ID: Core range here, and watch the demo video below to get the full low down:

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
Ibanez TSA5TVR Tube Screamer

Ibanez TSA5TVR Tube Screamer

There was a big trend for retro-flavoured amps with modern features this year (hello, Fender Vaporizer), and while the the Ibanez TSA5TVR Tube Screamer might not be winning any awards for snappy naming, this is a hell of a lot of amp in a tiny package.

The 5-watter follows in the footsteps of the TVR series by plumbing a Tube Screamer pedal into the amp itself, and wraps the whole thing up in a gorgeous sea-foam green tinged package with cool little legs.

Find out more about the Ibanez TSA5TVR Tube Screamer

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
Orange Dual Dark Series

Orange Dual Dark Series

Orange got heavy this year, with the release of its heaviest sounding set of amps ever.

The Dual Dark series, in case you didn't guess from the dastardly black livery and, well, the name, is the highest gain amp that Orange has ever released, and it's an absolute stormer. We reckon it's going to be incredibly popular this year, so give one a try as soon as you can.

Find out more about the Dual Dark Series

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
Magnatone returns

Magnatone returns

The relaunch of Magnatone amplifiers has been nothing short of astonishing, with guitarists of all stripes discovering or falling in love once again with that classic "True Dimensional Sound".

We took a tour of the Magnatone stand over in Anaheim and were blown away by the tone and sheer vibe on offer from these resurrected beauties.

Find out more about the relaunch of Magnatone

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
Marshall Custom Shop Tattoo Series

Marshall Custom Shop Tattoo Series

Ok, so technically these aren't new amps, but just look at them.

Marshall have teamed up with five of the UK's leading tattooists to produce a range of limited edition custom shop amps, and the results are pretty impressive in our opinion.

The artists were let loose on a ton of amps, including a JVM1H all-valve 1-Watt head with a C110 1x10” cabinet; JVM215C all-valve 50-Watt 1x12” combo and JVM410H all-valve 100-Watt head with a 1960A angled 4x12” cabinet.

Find out more about the Marshall Tattoo series

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
Line 6 AMPLIFi 150

Line 6 AMPLIFi 150

Is Line 6's new-for-2014 launch a game changer?

Well, quite possibly. While the company's claim to have reinvented the guitar amp may be a touch grandiose, it has certainly come up with something cross-genre and quite different - an amp designed for two very different roles... roles, however, that can be combined for extra practicality.

What this means is that you can listen to your favourite tracks and play along with them at the same time with no compromise in the quality of either guitar sound or music reproduction

One unit – two functions, comprehensive range of models, easy editing, good looks. Really, what more could you want?

Check out our exclusive review of the Line 6 AMPLIFI 150 here

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
Vox Night Train G2

Vox Night Train G2

Vox rolled out the latest incarnation of its popular Night Train amps, introducing the G2 range at this year's show.

The latest Night Trains retain the bulk of their predecessors features, but adds digital reverb, more channel options and re-voiced tones.

Find out more about the Vox Night Train G2

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
Rob Power
Read more
A Boss IR-2 amp modeller pedal
Best amp modellers 2025: High-tech tone solutions for all guitarists
Laney Lionheart Foundry Supertop
Laney unveils the IR-equipped 120W Supertop head with onboard effects and matching cabs
Two AER acoustic guitar amps on stools with an acoustic guitar
Best acoustic guitar amp 2025: Amplify your acoustic with a top-rated amp
PRS Archon Classic and Mark Tremonti MT 15 v2: the newly redesigned tube amps offer a host of new features and tones, with the Alter Bridge guitarist's new lunchbox head [right] featuring the Overdrive channel from his MT 100 head, and there's a half-power switch, too.
PRS refreshes tube amp range with the reworked Mark Tremonti MT 15 head and Archon Classic
Supro Airwave: the new 1x12 tube combo combines old-school looks and tones with onboard cab sim tech from Two notes Audio Engineering.
Supro teams up with Two Notes for the Airwave, a vintage-voiced 25W tube combo with onboard cab sims
Line 6 Helix Stadium XL: The new flagship amp modeller and multi-effects unit is a dramatic expansion of the Helix framework with a suite of state-of-the-art features
Line 6 debuts all-new AI tech as it supercharges its amp modelling platform with the Helix Stadium
Latest in Guitars
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: The 4th of July sales are here, and you can score $1,000 off a Vox guitar, $600 off the Music Man St. Vincent, as well as hundreds off gear from Alesis, Roland, Yamaha and more
Harley Benton ST-80FR
Harley Benton erupts with '80s shred fever as it launches the Floyd-equipped ST-80FR Series S-styles
Uli Jon Roth wears a blue bandana as he plays a G3 date in 2018 with his Sky guitar.
Uli Jon Roth says his Sky Guitar’s active pickup system was so powerful it blew up his amps
Behringer BM-15M Murf Box: this vintage-style multi-filter pedal has eight filters, selectable patterns and MIDI control
Behringer unveils the BM-15M Murf Box, a $129 animated filtering pedal based on a ‘00s Moog classic
Catalinbread Proto Club Triton Pitch Echo
“The Tritone was universally loved by the crew but the vibes clashed with the palette of the Soft Focus Deluxe”: Catalinbread is selling off its prototype guitar pedals, and the first is a “B-side” pitch echo from its smash-hit shoegaze stompbox
Strandberg Boden Standard NX 6 Plini Edition Mirage
Strandberg launches limited edition Plini Boden Standard with glow-in-the-dark Mirage graphic finish
Latest in News
Lorde
Lorde on the Frank Ocean collaborator who helped to humanise the synths on her new album, Virgin
synth one j6
"In a blind test of 100 musicians, it beat the $200 plugin 3-to-1. Not bad for a free app": AudioKit releases Synth One J6, a free Juno-inspired synth for iOS
Neil Young
BBC confirm that they won’t be showing his Glastonbury set “at the artist’s request”
Nadia Struiwigh
Tresor resident Nadia Struiwigh on why she avoids tutorials and keeps things 'loose' in the studio
Sam Ryder on a train
“The energy on there was unreal”: Sam Ryder performs an impromptu set for passengers on a Glastonbury-bound train
velvet sundown
"There's not a shred of evidence on the internet that this band has ever existed": This apparently AI-generated artist is racking up hundreds of thousands of Spotify streams

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...