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The 10 Best Reggae Amp

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Quite a few people would love to know which Reggae amp is the best. But that is a hard question since any decent amp can be used for Reggae.  The 10 best Reggae amp below are based mostly on popularity, and to some extent cost and sound. 

1.  Roland JC 120. 

It is probably the best Reggae amp around. If you go to many of the top reggae gigs you will notice that it is the amp of choice. Why? It’s Transistor (The best Transistor amp around), can take a battering, it does not breakdown, its loud as hell and sounds really good. Be warned, it is very heavy though.  Also, the Roland Jazz Chorus is a very clean flat response amp.  That is, what goes in is what comes out. 

2.  Fender Twin Reverb. 

You will get a very warm sound with this Reggae amp because of the valves. Some people swear by them. They’re very loud and clean and they do sound nice, but they are also heavy and expensive. If you have the cash go for it, I don’t think you will be disappointed. 

3.  Vox AC30 

This Reggae amp is good for a crunchier Reggae sound.  Like the Twin, it gets loud and sounds very nice when it is warmed up.  In the past they have been know to breakdown frequently but, with the current models I think that has changed.  Having said that, the older models will probably give you the best sound.   

4.  Peavey Classic 50 and 30 

These Peaveys are really nice sounding Reggae amp for the price; to me they’re some what akin to Fender but with a voice of their own.  If the classic 50 is too loud for your purposes, you could always go for the Classic 30.  

5.  Mesa Boogie Express 5:50 

Though not a traditional Reggae amp, it’s nonetheless very good.  No joke, every nuance of your playing can be heard in this baby, and you can get some decent lead tones out of it too.  They’re relatively expensive but worth it. 

6.  Peavey Classic Chorus 

Many Reggae Guitarist, love this Reggae amp because it is similar to the Roland JC 120. They are cheap and you should be able to get a good deal on eBay if you look. In fact, many of the old Peavey amps were well made and very cheap. Look for any of their 212 models. The Bandit is the worst you could do and it's still not a bad Reggae amp.  

7.  Fender Blues Deville 212 

A friend of mine has this Reggae amp and man does it sounds nice when it’s warmed up. It is so loud he rarely ever turns the volume beyond 3. I believe they've stop making the 212 model (I think Fender has started making them again) but they are worth it if you can find one. I had the 410 and hated it! It kept giving me trouble and I’ve heard people complaining about them too. But

that’s what happens sometimes with valve amps. 

8.  Fender Blues Deluxe 

I actually own this Reggae amp and for the price it can not be beat.  Honestly, when it is warmed up the tone is to die for.  I use a Black Star HT Dual with it (If you haven’t got one of these pedals do yourself a favour and get one).  The amp by itself is very good but with the pedal, I get some harmonics that’s out of this world. 

9.  Marshall BluesBreaker       

This Reggae amp will give you a good vintage Reggae sound.  It is a Blues amp and early reggae was influence by Blues.  When you go amp shopping look at this one also. 

10.  Marshall MF 350 

I have to be honest, when I was looking for a Reggae amp, I was never really into Marshall heads until I heard Andrew Simpson playing one with Morgan Heritage in Amsterdam. Man he sounded good. And this is the only reason I have put this amp in the list. You have to hear him play (Check it out on YouTube). It's not that pricey either. Try one, you may like it.  Click link for more on Reggae guitar and Reggae amp

There are loads more reggae amps out there, like the Peavey Bandits (I own the Bandit 75), Special 130 and 150 which are really, really good reggae amps.  In fact you can't go worng with any of those and they can be had for very cheap on ebay, Craigslist and at your local pawn shop or cash converters.  feel free to buy and use which ever one you like though. That's it take care.

I am now starting to see a few reggae guitarists using the Fender Mustang amps.  I have also seen blues and jazz guitarists using the fender mustang amps.  In my opinion they are very good amps for reggae.  They are not tube amps, but of all the digital amps out there, these are some of the best.  They are very light and portable and I am actually thinking of getting one to just grab and go.  Go for the Mustang III 100 watts.

A few years ago I had a Roland Cube 60 and it was a good amp for reggae and jazz stuff.  I sold it after a year because the tone became a bit muddy when I played it loud.  They make a cube 80 model which should solve the muddy issue at high volume.  Check the Roland Cubes out.

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