THE BEAST

If you are looking to sweep, shred, chug, and play guitar at insanely high and distorted sounds, then you will need the right amp. In this genre there are several reliable amp makers that assure your final signal will be enough to wake the neighbors and cause permanent ear damage! Here are some of the best guitar amps for the heavy metal genre. 

It’s All About the Gain 

In the world of amplification and heavy metal the goal is all about high gain. It often takes a separate amp head and speaker cabinets to get to the high levels for death, thrash, speed, and all the dark modern hard rock genres. You will want to keep this in mind when budgeting for the right metal guitar amp.

If you have a higher budget it is easier to get a massive tone with many features. Tube amps are often the best for the genre and the more tubes there are, the meaner and grittier the signal can be. In fact, you want to be sure you get something reasonable, if you are playing shows an expensive amp head is great. But if this is for home and hobby use, stick to something smaller. 

As you get lower in budget the amp head gets smaller and eventually they come in combo models with both the pre amp and the speaker. In these cases we can rely on pedals and other effects to later boost our signal. It’s always useful to know these amp things when learning how to play guitar, in order to get the guitar sounds you are hoping to achieve. You can apply these sounds to your guitar exercises . Here are the best amps for heavy metal in a variety of budgets, sound shaping abilities, and potential musical needs. 

The Best Metal Guitar Amps

PRS MT 15

This is an affordable lunchbox head for under $1000 and it is powered by 2 JJ 5881 tubes and with 6 ECC83S. Because of the price and power it is a popular amp that can provide both cleans and crunching high gains. Many of the reviews for this small amp show that people are surprised by how loud it is and they also love the effects loop pedal on back.

Boss Katana MkII 100 Watt 

This has become a very popular amp brand for many genres, not just metal. If you need power and want classic tones it can be found in one of the many Katana amps. The more affordable ones include both the amplifier and speaker. However the MkII guitar amp head has a lot of power for a low budget, and it is very versatile. If you have only $1000 for the amp head and cabinet, Boss is the way to go.

Marshall DSL 100

Of course Marshall has always had some of the best metal amps, if you have a little over a grand to spend on an amp head the DSL100 HR has all that classic sound. With 8 tubes altogether (4 ECC83 and 4 EL34) you can be sure it will give incredible power and tube roar. If this is too much power, there are other models in lower wattages like the DSL 20 HR, or the speaker and cabinet mix with the DSL 40 CR.

Orange Rockerverb 100

With 10 tubes this amp can pack quite the high gain punch, but it comes at a much higher budget, which is understandable as the Orange tone is highly sought in the metal world. This amplifier is incredible, as are others in this budget range! The Micro Dark will give you that similar Orange tone but in a much more affordable package. It only has one 20-watt 12AX7 tube but it still has quite a bit of power. 

Blackstar HT Stage 100

If your amp head budget is a little over $1000, then this is a great model to pick with 6 tubes, 2 12AX7’s and 4 EL34’s. Besides the tubes, this amp head has a lot of knobs for sound shaping, with clear tones and grit, there is a lot to choose from. There is also an effects loop and footswitch for added tones. If this is too high in budget Blackstar has a few different combo amps for practice scenarios.

Soldano 100 

Of course this is for those buyers with massive budgets! It is super heavy and has 9 tubes (5 12AX7 and 4 6L6/5881) that have made history. If you will be playing shows and want the greatest tone possible, this amp has you covered. Of course if this is too much, which is understandable, you can get a more entry level in the SLO mini 30-watt amp model.

Peavey 6505 MH

This is another popular amp head, reasonably priced and it has lots of metal power! You can switch between 20, 5, or 1 watt so it at least is suitable for multiple situations. It has 5 tubes (3 12AX7 and 2 EL84) and is popular thanks to its history and tone. 1 X 12 cabs are usually offered with this amp, but if you have a higher budget and want a lower end you can try the 2 X 12. If you want a better Peavey with more power, the higher budget Peavey Invective is also popular with guitarists!

EVH 5150III

The Black Stealth is an apt name as it may seem like a smaller amp head for the price and wattage, but it is still quite powerful. 9 total tubes (2 6L6 and 7 12AX7) will give you both clean sparkle and heavy high gain depending on one of the 3 channels. Of course a more expensive amp like this will give you more control over your final tone. If you want the same brand but have a lower budget, the 5150 III LBX has an output of 15 watts compared to the larger head. 

Mesa/Boogie Mark V

This is another top end high budget brand; it is sold as 9 amps in 1 with all the best of their technology over the years. There are 11 preamp and power amp tubes (7 12AX7 and 4 6L6) which will give you some of the highest gain ever! The Boogie JP-2C is another option if you have a high budget and want more control over your tone. If you really want the best metal amp for deeper sound sculpting this would be a great pick. 

Engl Fireball 25

If you have a medium budget and want some incredible overdrive, Engl is another well-known metal brand. It has 6 tubes (4 12AX7 2 6L6) in a combination that can give you the heavy tone and loud volume they are known for. It also has a nice clean sound when that is needed so you aren’t always stuck in a world of distorted high gain.

Line 6 Spider V

While tube amps are often the way to go, solid state is also usable in heavy metal. At the end of the day you can get incredible versatile tones from solid state amps and they are often more affordable for the power. They are also great amps for other genres, so if you plan on playing more than heavy metal, any of the Line 6-amp heads or combos are great choices with many happy reviews!

Your decision for getting the best metal guitar amp will come down to budget and the reality of what you need the amp for. Remember, if you get something too powerful for the wrong situation it may mean you will play less. Weigh your need for high gain with your playing and practice situation and pick what makes the most sense. Either way whether you buy a massive amp head or a mini, getting a great sound out of it will come down to how much you practice!