While some players can get away with practicing on their usual amp, most metal players will find a small bedroom amp invaluable for home play. Since bedroom amps are typically smaller in terms of their speaker configuration they’re compact, too, making them easy to store and transport. They’re also typically a bit more affordable than larger amps of the same quality level—good news if you already blew your yearly equipment budget on your main equipment.
Check out the reviews below to see our picks for the 4 best bedroom metal amps on the market:
Fender Mustang V2 Amp
Practice time is when you get the most freedom to experiment with your sound. In that spirit, an amp like the Fender Mustang V2 can be the perfect option. It features 17 on-board amp models and a suite of two dozen included effects. If you want more, you can add it thanks to the FUSE software that comes with the amp.
Sound-wise, this Mustang V2 is acceptable for a practice amp. With 20 watts of power, it has a bit more oomph than many practice amps—enough you could hook it up to an extension cabinet if you wanted to, which does make it more versatile for metal players. The sound can be a bit thin paired with brighter guitars and pickups, though it’s easy to adjust and control.
The combination of features on the Mustang V2 makes it an excellent practice amp for students, especially. It includes a version of the Ableton Live Lite recording software, and has full USB connectivity so it’s easy to send your signal to your computer. It’s easily the most versatile practice amp you can get for the money.
Roland Micro Cube GX Battery-Powered Guitar Combo Amp
The Cube series from Roland is an innovative line of super-compact, go-anywhere amplifiers. For a 3-watt, 7-pound amp, it puts out a good amount of sound—and it’s a high-quality sound, too, through both the 5” speaker and the included headphone jack.
Portability is the biggest advantage of the Roland Micro Cube (see full specs). It can run on either battery or AC power. The built-in carrying strap makes it even easier to take with you to your next jam session, and it has the same high build quality you’d expect from any Roland equipment, so you know it can handle the trip. The compact size is useful even if you’re using it exclusively as a bedroom amp because you can store it anywhere and pull it out easily when you’re ready to play.
In terms of features and effects, this has some nice modern touches. The CUBE LINK jack lets you interface easily with Apple products. You’ll also get 8 amp models and 8 DSP effects. That’s a lot packed into a tiny tank of a package and one of the best bedroom metal amps for the money.
Marshall Amps Guitar Combo Amplifier
If you do have a bit of a bigger budget and want to get the maximum sound quality in your bedroom amp, check out the Marshall M-DSL1CR-U Combo Amplifier. It has the warmest and most natural tone of any 1X8” amplifier you’ll ever hear. Adding to this high sound quality is a host of useful features that both students and pros will appreciate.
Let’s start with the sound. The Celestion eight-15 speaker (see full specs) that comes installed has a clear, crisp tone when played clean. While it is a bit treble-heavy, ECC83 and ECC82 tubes add a nice warmth. For a 1-watt amp it can put out a lot of power, and it gives you a pretty mean overdrive on a second channel.
Moving on to the features, this amp is designed to work in the studio as well as in the practice room. It has both a silent recording mode and an emulated line out that can function as a headphone jack if you disconnect the speaker. Add in features like an optional foot switch and a great on-board reverb and this is an amp that functions just as well beyond the bedroom as inside it.
Orange Crush Mini 3-watt Micro Amp
If your bedroom amp budget is more limited, the Orange Crush Mini is an impressive contender that comes in at a right price. It’s the lightest amp on the list at just 3 pounds, and since it’s battery-powered you can easily use it wherever you practice.
Orange makes this amp so small and light by shrinking down the speaker. This does diminish its overall output and bass power. The good news is it includes a speaker out to easily connect it to an extension cab for more sound. There’s also a headphone jack, if you want to go the other way and practice in silence.
The sound quality from this amp is excellent—especially from an amp you can hold in one hand. If you’re looking for the most affordable and convenient bedroom amp, you can’t go wrong with the Orange Crush Mini.
Buying the Best Bedroom Metal Amp: What’s Most Important Consideration?
Sound is paramount anytime you’re buying guitar equipment. That’s true of bedroom amps, too—you’re just looking for a different kind of sound. No amp at this size will give you the distortion and power most metal players are looking for. Instead, you want to aim for something that will represent your signal accurately and naturally, not necessarily a sound you’d be happy with on-stage.
Finding a bedroom amp that has similar sonic characteristics to your main amp is a great way to go. You’ll be able to experiment with things in practice and know basically how they’ll sound when you apply them. The amp modelling you’ll find on many combo amps can be helpful in this regard. They’re also a great choice if you want your practice amp to let you experiment with different sounds and settings.
Convenience is going to be one of the key considerations for a bedroom amp, of course. All four of these options are very light and compact, so you can keep them easily in your closet or under your bed—or take them with you without a hassle. Think about your space and life and find the best bedroom metal amp that fits into them. Good luck in your search!
