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  1. Guitars
  2. Guitar Amps

The best new guitar and bass amps of NAMM 2016

News
By MusicRadar, Michael Astley-Brown ( Total Guitar, Guitarist ) published 26 January 2016

Combos and heads to look forward to this year

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Amplification overload

Amplification overload

Valves, digital, analogue with digital control… Every possible form of guitar and bass amp has been covered this year, with great strides being made across the board, from shrinking down classics (Peavey 6505 Piranha) to bigger gig-ready combos (Blackstar ID:Core 100) and mini-valve technology (Vox Nutube).

Here’s what you can expect this year – whatever the next 12 months brings, it’s bound to sound good…

Page 1 of 22
Page 1 of 22
Orange 10th Anniversary Tiny Terror

Orange 10th Anniversary Tiny Terror

After 10 years of the lunchbox revolution-inducing Tiny Terror, the amp is set to be discontinued – the 10th Anniversary ‘Shiny Terror’ commemorates its great service, with handwired point-to-point construction and a polished stainless steel chassis, while the cab comes in British Racing Green with 10” Celestion G10 Alnico Gold speakers.

Page 2 of 22
Page 2 of 22
Laney GH50R-212

Laney GH50R-212

Laney’s new range offers the ability to blend the amount of output section in a guitarist's signal by balancing the amount of preamp distortion vs power amp gain using the master output control – it’s an innovative take on a classic idea.

Page 3 of 22
Page 3 of 22
Vox Nutube

Vox Nutube

State-of-the-art Japanese production has allowed Vox to shrink traditional valves to 30% of their original size and consume only 2% of the power.

This 150-watt head is only a prototype, but it sounded rather good on the show floor, we must say.

Page 4 of 22
Page 4 of 22
Blackstar ID:Core 100

Blackstar ID:Core 100

Blackstar’s ID:Core line has been a runaway success, so the company has seen fit to release two gig-ready combos: a 100-watt and 150-watt.

Both amps utilise guitar rather than full-range speakers, and add an impressive polyphonic pitch-shifter and fully functioned looper – when the amps hit in May, they’re expected to hit around the £220 and £299 mark. Unbelievable value for money, that.

Page 5 of 22
Page 5 of 22
Friedman Butterslax Bill Kelliher Signature head

Friedman Butterslax Bill Kelliher Signature head

Mastodon tonehound Bill Kelliher has unveiled his signature amp head with Dave Friedman: it has three channels, a clear and defined distortion and a $3,899 price tag.

Page 6 of 22
Page 6 of 22
Line 6 AMPLIFi 30

Line 6 AMPLIFi 30

Line 6 is calling this “the world’s most innovative compact amp”, and with a colossal range of tones, phone/tablet integration and a four-way stereo speaker setup, we aren’t going to argue.

Page 7 of 22
Page 7 of 22
Peavey 6505 Piranha Micro Head

Peavey 6505 Piranha Micro Head

A teeny tiny 20-watt head that aims to mimic the crushing output of Peavey’s longstanding metal behemoth, the 6505, all for just $179 – Peavey also launched a fairly niche 6505 subwoofer, which sounds ridiculously heavy in person.

Page 8 of 22
Page 8 of 22
Joyo BantamP

Joyo BantamP

Six different Bluetooth-equipped amps, packing 20 watts of output via one preamp valve and a solid-state power amp, plus clean and overdrive channels? For under $200? Joyo delivers.

Page 9 of 22
Page 9 of 22
Stone Deaf SD50

Stone Deaf SD50

All analogue valve amps with digital control is the name of Stone Deaf’s game, and the SD50 offers switchable wattage, a pair of channels and up to 32 presets, as well as MIDI switching – we also love the diddy eight-watt version, the SD8, too (below).

Page 10 of 22
Page 10 of 22
Marshall CODE series

Marshall CODE series

Marshall’s latest step into virtual territory sees its pair up with Softube for this Bluetooth-enabled amp range, with models of Marshall’s greatest amps, a USB output and app integration – should be good.

Page 11 of 22
Page 11 of 22
Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister Deluxe 20 & 40

Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister Deluxe 20 & 40

Two new models join the successful H&K TM range, both with completely overhauled voicings, plus a new Red Box AE DI out, which features FRFR technology – the first time such a feat has been achieved in a valve amp.

Page 12 of 22
Page 12 of 22
Orange 4 Stroke 300 & 500

Orange 4 Stroke 300 & 500

The first Class A/B power amp-equipped bass amps in the Orange line are all-analogue, featuring a four-band parametric EQ with cut and boost, plus line outputs and direct recording capability.

Page 13 of 22
Page 13 of 22
Victory V22 & V44 The Sheriff

Victory V22 & V44 The Sheriff

A pair of British-voiced heads from the rapidly growing UK company, The Sheriffs offer two channels each, from 60s blues-rock leads to 70s hard rock and beyond.

Page 14 of 22
Page 14 of 22
Blackstar Fly Bass

Blackstar Fly Bass

The world’s finest micro amp gets a bass incarnation, which serves up a compressor, plus a sub volume to enhance low-end feel at low volumes – this should be available from May for £49.

Page 15 of 22
Page 15 of 22
Vox AV series

Vox AV series

Also on display at Vox was the AV series, with eight distinct analogue preamp circuits driven by 12AX7-powered preamp and power amp sections, resulting in affordable yet flexible all-analogue valve sounds.

Page 16 of 22
Page 16 of 22
Magnatone Panoramic Stereo

Magnatone Panoramic Stereo

Magnatone’s renaissance goes from strength to strength, with the new Panoramic Stereo delivering true stereo vibrato in a more portable package, bolstered by four EL84s and two 10-inch speakers.

Page 17 of 22
Page 17 of 22
Victory BD1

Victory BD1

Victory’s stand also showed off the BD1, a black-finished version of Rob Chapman’s RD1, offering 28 watts from a pair of fixed-bias EL84 output valves, with a single channel offering everything from clean to break-up and full-on overdrive.

Page 18 of 22
Page 18 of 22
Orange OB1-300

Orange OB1-300

A combo version of Orange’s well-received OB1 series, the OB1-300 packs a 15-inch Eminence speaker, as well as a distinctive blend circuit for tones that mimic a clean/dirty dual-amp rig.

Page 19 of 22
Page 19 of 22
Line 6 Firehawk 1500

Line 6 Firehawk 1500

A 1,500-watt (yes, 1,500) combo with six speakers, the Firehawk packs Line 6’s HD models, controllable via the Firehawk Remote app – true stereo sound and compatibility with acoustic guitars make this a formidable onstage proposition.

Page 20 of 22
Page 20 of 22
Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MK II

Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine MK II

Boasting “clean to scream and everything in between”, this 45-watt combo looks the business, and its true pitch-shifting vibrato, tremolo and pair of inputs should ensure versatility from its EL34 power amp.

Page 21 of 22
Page 21 of 22
Blackstar Fly 3 Union Jack

Blackstar Fly 3 Union Jack

Just to round things off, here’s a look at the limited-edition UK version of Blackstar’s perennially popular Fly 3 micro amp – it’s not for everyone, but pretty cool nonetheless.

Page 22 of 22
Page 22 of 22
Michael Astley-Brown
Michael Astley-Brown
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Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.

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Laney Lionheart Foundry Supertop
Laney unveils the IR-equipped 120W Supertop head with onboard effects and matching cabs
Laney Digbeth Foundry Series: the new bass amp range from the British amp band is offered in head and combo formats, and with a variety of wattages.
Laney Amplification unveils Digbeth Foundry range – affordable, powerful bass amps from 30W to 200W
Blackstar ID:X 50: The new combo from the British amp titan is described as "this is the most natural-sounding" modelling amp on the market.
Blackstar unveils ID-X combos – complete with 6 amp voices, over 35 effects, CabRig and OLED display
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
Laney LFR-110: A compact 1x10 version of the British amp brand's "best in class" FRFR speaker cabinet.
Laney expands Devin Townsend and Guthrie Govan-approved FRFR speaker range with compact 1x10
EVH Gear Hypersonic FR-12: The newly launched FRFR speaker packs 1000-watts, is available in black or ivory, and might just be the perfect companion to your amp modeller.
EVH Gear drops the Hypersonic FR-12 FRFR speaker – 1000-watts to get the most from your amp modeller
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