Best Fender Amps: Fender Amplifier Range Explained

Fender make some of the best amplifiers on the market, and although they are mainly known for their tube amps, they also make some brilliant affordable solid state options as well.

They have such a large range, that it can be quite difficult to navigate and figure out example what model is best for you, so I’ve made this guide to help simplify and explain it.

Best Fender Amps

Fender have a huge range which I will break down in the next sections. Here are just some of the best Fender amplifiers on the market today.

  • Fender Mustang GTX: very versatile and affordable.
  • Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb: great for gigging.
  • Fender Super-Champ X2: very affordable tube amp.
  • Fender Blues Junior IV: great value tube amp.
  • Fender ’65 Super Reverb: most iconic tone.

Contents

This article is split into the following sections:

  • Overview of the Fender Amp Range
  • Solid State Electric Guitar Amps
  • Tube (Valve) Electric Guitar Amps
  • Acoustic-Electric Guitar Amps
  • Bass Guitar Amps
  • Which Amp Should You Choose?
  • More Frequently Asked Questions

Overview of the Fender Amp Range

Fender mainly produce solid state and tube combo amplifiers, but do also produce some head units. They also make a decent range of acoustic-electric and bass guitar amplifiers as well. In order to help categorise the Fender amplifier range to make it more manageable to understand, I have created the following tables.

They are split into different amp types: solid state electric guitar, tube electric guitar, acoustic-electric guitar and bass guitar. The tables contain all the amps in each type, the power rating (wattage) options available and the price range from Guitar Center at the time of writing. All the tables are ordered from the cheapest to most expensive starting price.

Make sure you check my in-depth guide comparing solid state and tube amplifiers so you can decide which is the best option for you.

Note: you may have to scroll sideways for the bass and electric-acoustic guitar tables if you are on a mobile device to see all the columns. Also, all amps are combo amplifiers, unless specified as a “head” instead.

Solid State Electric Guitar Amps

Fender Amp SeriesPower RatingsPrice Range
Frontman10W$100
Champion20W, 40W, 100W$140-$400
Mustang25W, 50W$180-$280
Champion XL50W, 100W$240-$450
Mustang GTX50W, 100W$400-$500
Tone Master Reverb45W, 100W, 200W$900-$1200
Fender Solid State Electric Guitar Amplifier Range

Tube (Valve) Electric Guitar Amps

Fender Amp SeriesPower RatingsPrice Range
Super-Champ X215W$400
Bassbreaker7W, 15W, 30W, 45W$500-$1100
Pro Junior IV15W$550
Bassbreaker Head15W$650
Blues Junior IV15W$650
’68 Custom Vibro Champ Reverb5W$800
Hot Rod Deluxe40W, 60W$900-$1200
Blues Deluxe Reissue40W$900
’57 Custom5W, 12W, 40W$1100-$3300
’65 Princeton Reverb12W$1200
Super-Sonic Head22W$1200
’68 Custom Deluxe Reverb22W, 85W$1150-$1600
Super-Sonic22W$1400
Vintage Reissue ’65 Deluxe Reverb22W$1500
Vintage Reissue ’65 Reverb45W, 85W$1800-$1900
’64 Custom Deluxe Reverb20W$2750
Fender Tube (Valve) Electric Guitar Amplifier Range

Acoustic-Electric Guitar Amps

Fender Amp SeriesTechnologyPower RatingsPrice Range
AcoustasonicSolid State15W, 40W$130-$250
Acoustic JrSolid State100W$400
Acoustic Jr GOSolid State100W$500
Acoustic 100Solid State100W$500
Acoustic SFX IISolid State100W$700
Fender Acoustic-Electric Guitar Amplifier Range

Bass Guitar Amps

Fender Amp SeriesTechnologyPower RatingsPrice Range
RumbleSolid State10W, 25W, 40W, 100W, 200W, 500W$100-$650
Rumble LTSolid State25W$250
Rumble StudioSolid State40W$400
Rumble HeadSolid State800W$700
Rumble StateSolid State800W$1000
Bassman 800Hybrid800W$1100
Super Bassman ProTube300W$2000
Fender Bass Guitar Amplifier Range

Solid State Electric Guitar Amplifiers

Fender make 6 main models of solid state amplifier:

  • Frontman
  • Champion
  • Champion XL
  • Mustang
  • Mustang GTX
  • Tone Master Reverb

Most models also come in various different power ratings (wattage), and some of the controls may be different depending on the power rating. It is common for the same model amp with a higher power rating to have additional controls.

Here is a table to summarise the different models in terms of their power ratings and controls. The table is ordered from the lowest to the highest price.

AmplifierWattageSettings
Fender Frontman 10G10W2 channels, gain, treble, bass
Fender Champion 2020W2 channels, gain, treble, bass, reverb, delay, chorus, tremolo, flanger, phaser, vibrato
Fender Mustang LT2525W30 presets, gain, 3 band EQ
Fender Champion 4040W2 channels, gain, treble, bass, reverb, delay, chorus, tremolo, flanger, phaser, vibrato
Fender Champion 50XL50W2 channels, gain, treble, bass, reverb, delay, chorus, tremolo, flanger, phaser, vibrato
Fender Mustang LT5050W30 presets, gain, 3 band EQ
Fender Mustang GTX 5050W30 presets, gain, 3 band EQ, reverb
Fender Champion 100100W2 channels, gain, 3 band EQ, reverb, delay, chorus, tremolo, flanger, phaser, vibrato
Fender Champion 100XL100W2 channels, gain, 3 band EQ, voice control, reverb, delay, chorus, tremolo, flanger, phaser, vibrato
Fender Mustang GTX 100100W200 presets, gain, 3 band EQ, reverb
Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb100W2 channels, treble, bass, reverb, tremolo
Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb200W2 channels, treble, bass, reverb, tremolo
Fender Tone Master Super Reverb 4×1045W2 channels, treble, bass, reverb, tremolo
Fender Solid State Amps Compared

Top Solid State Picks

For Beginners: Fender Champion 20

This amplifier is very well priced considering the amount of effects it has. I think this is a much better option than the Fender Frontman, as although it is more expensive, the additional effects and big increase in sound quality make it much better value for money.

Here is a link to the Fender Champion 20 on Amazon so you can check the current price.

Image links to Amazon

Most Versatile: Fender Mustang GTX 50W

Being a modelling amp, you’ll get plenty of versatility with 30 presets which are designed to sound like iconic solid state and tube amps, that can then be tweaked using the gain, and three band EQ controls. You can also connect it to an app to tweak your tone even more, so there’s not really much you can’t do with this one.

Here is a link to the Fender Mustang GTX 50W so you can check the current price.

Image links to Amazon

For Gigging: Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb

With the 100W version of this amp, you get a lot of volume, although you can step it up to the 200W version if necessary. The two channels, bass, treble ,reverb and tremolo controls provide you with enough versatility and the tonal quality is one of the best since it is based on the tube version.

Here is a link to the Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb so you can check the current price.

Image links to Amazon

Tube (Valve) Electric Guitar Amplifiers

Although the solid state range by Fender is pretty straightforward, the same can’t really be said for the tube amp selection. The brand are incredibly well known for their high-end tube combo amps, and they have a pretty extensive range to suit different budgets and requirements.

Here is a list of the main types of tube amps made by Fender. You can find different power ratings (wattages) for some of them, so I’ll talk about that in a little bit.

  • Super-Champ X2
  • Bassbreaker
  • Hot Rod
  • Super Sonic
  • Vintage Modified
  • Vintage Reissue

All these amp come in combo options, however the Bassbreaker and Super-Sonic also come in head units with 15W and 22W power ratings, respectively. Now I’ll briefly summarise each range.

Super-Champ X2 (Affordable)

This is the most affordable tube amp Fender offer, and it comes with a generous 15W of power, making it suitable for small venues. It has the basic controls you’d expect: 2 channels, gain, bass, treble, voice (16 options) and multiple effects (15 total).

Bassbreaker (Affordable-Mid Range)

The Bassbreaker range has the most options in terms of wattage with 7W, 15W, 30W and 45W combo options as well as a 15W head unit. It is still a very affordable tube amp, and offers excellent value for money.

It has more modern styling compared to most Fender tube amps, so does not look like a particularly iconic Fender model but it does have a great range of controls including: gain, structure, 3-band EQ and reverb. The only drawback in my opinion, is that it is a single channel amp, however the structure control does allow you to adjust the level of overdrive.

Fender Bassbreaker (image links to Amazon)

Hot Rod (Mid-Range)

The Hot Rod models can be broken up into two categories: Junior and Deluxe, with the latter being the more expensive.

The Deluxe version is more premium and includes 40W and 60W combo models. It is a mid-range valve amp in terms of price. The amps have volume, drive, 3-band EQ, master, reverb and presence controls.

There are two models in the Junior range: the 15W Pro Junior IV and the slightly more expensive Blues Junior IV. They both have single channels, however the controls differ. The Pro Junior only has a volume and tone control, whilst the Blues Junior has volume, treble, bass, middle, master and reverb controls, making it a lot more versatile despite not being a tonne more expensive.

These two amps are still considered quite affordable for tube amplifiers, offering good value for money.

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (image links to Amazon)

Check out my in-depth comparison between the Hot Rod Deluxe and Blues Deluxe amps.

Vintage Modified (Mid-High End)

This includes the following models:

  • ’68 Custom Vibro Champ Reverb
  • ’68 Custom Princeton Reverb
  • ’68 Custom Deluxe Reverb
  • ’68 Custom Pro Reverb
  • ’68 Custom Twin Reverb

There’s a pretty big difference in price between these three models, the list above goes from the lowest to highest price. They all have very similar appearances, and differ due to the controls, power ratings and speaker sizes. They are all of course based on vintage amps and have that very classic “sparkly Fender tone”.

Fender ’68 Custom Princeton (image links to Amazon)

Super Sonic (Mid-High End)

The Super Sonic range has two models: a 22W head unit, and 22W 1×12″ combo amp. They have two channels. The Vintage channel has treble and bass controls as well as a voice switch (normal/ fat). The Burn channel has gain 1, gain 2, treble, bass, middle, volume and master reverb controls. These two amps are in the mid-high end range. It is marketed as a very versatile amp, due to the drastic tonal difference between the two channels.

Fender Super-Sonic (image links to Amazon)

Vintage Reissue (High-End)

This includes the following models (from cheapest to most expensive):

  • ’65 Princeton Reverb
  • ’65 Deluxe Reverb
  • ’65 Twin Reverb
  • ’65 Super Reverb

These models are the top of the line in the Fender range and the option to go for if you want that iconic tone, and price isn’t an issue.

Check out my in-depth comparison between the ’65 Deluxe Reverb and ’65 Twin Reverb.

Image links to Amazon

Guitar Center are always the first place I look at when I’m interested in a new amp because have a huge range of amplifiers for sale and always have some excellent deals on. Here’s a link to take you directly to Guitar Center’s amp range so you can see all the offers available at the moment. 

Acoustic-Electric Guitar Amplifiers

Fender make 5 main acoustic-electric guitar amplifiers:

  • Acoustasonic
  • Acoustic Jr
  • Acoustic Jr GO
  • Acoustic 100
  • Acoustic SFX II

All these amplifiers have two inputs and channels. One is designed for the guitar, and the other for a microphone. Here is a quick comparison table.

AmplifierPower RatingControlsSpeakerRechargeable Battery
Acoustasonic 1515WVol, 3-band EQ, chorus1×6”No
Acoustasonic 4040WVol, 3-band EQ, reverb2×6.5”No
Acoustic Jr100WVol, 3-band EQ, reverb, delay, chorus, vibratone, looper1×8”No
Acoustic Jr GO100WVol, 3-band EQ, reverb, delay, chorus, vibratone, looper1×8”Yes
Acoustic 100100WVol, 3-band EQ, reverb, delay, chorus, vibratone, looper1×8”No
Acoustic SFX II100WVol, 3-band EQ, reverb, delay, chorus, vibratone, looper1×8” and 1×6.5”No
Fender Acoustic-Electric amplifiers compared.

The amplifiers are all different prices, and will excel in different situations and for different players. Here’s what I think are the best choices:

  • For Beginners: Acoustasonic 15
  • For Buskers: Acoustic Jr GO
  • For Gigging: Acoustic SFX II

Acoustasonic 15 (image links to Amazon)

Acoustic Jr GO (image links to Amazon)

Acoustic SFX II (image links to Amazon)

Here are the links to each amplifier on Amazon so you can check the current prices:

Bass Guitar Amplifiers

Fender also make a range of bass guitar amplifiers to suit both professionals, and entry-level players. There are two main amp types: Rumble and Bassman. However, there are a few different types and sizes of each amp available. Here is a table comparing the main features of each model. It is ordered from the least to most expensive model.

AmplifierTypeTechnologyPower RatingControlsSpeaker
Rumble 15ComboSolid State15WVol, 3-band EQ1×8”
Rumble 25ComboSolid State25WVol, 3-band EQ1×8”
Rumble 40ComboSolid State40WVol, gain, 4-band EQ, overdrive, switches (bright, contour, vintage)1×10”
Rumble LT25ComboSolid State25W50 presets, gain, 3-band EQ1×8”
Rumble 100ComboSolid State100WVol, gain, 4-band EQ, overdrive, switches (bright, contour, vintage)1×12”
Rumble Studio 40ComboSolid State40W15+ models, 40+ effects, gain, 3-band EQ1×10”
Rumble 200ComboSolid State200WVol, gain, 4-band EQ, overdrive, switches (bright, contour, vintage)1×15”
Rumble 500ComboSolid State500WVol, gain, 4-band EQ, overdrive, switches (bright, contour, vintage)2×10”
Rumble 800 HeadHeadSolid State800WVol, gain, 4-band EQ, overdrive, switches (bright, contour, vintage)N/A
Rumble Stage 800ComboSolid State800W15+ models, 40+ effects, gain, 3-band EQ2×10”
Bassman 800HeadHybrid800W2 channels, gain, 4-band EQ, blend,N/A
Super Bassman ProHeadTube300W2 channels, gain, 4-band EQ, blend,N/A
Fender Bass Guitar Amplifier Range Compared

Here are some of my top picks for different budgets and experience levels:

  • For Beginners: Fender Rumble 15
  • Best Value for Money: Fender Rumble Studio 40
  • For Large Venues: Rumble Stage 800

Rumble 15 (image links to Amazon)

Rumble Studio 40 (image links to Amazon)

Here are the links to each amplifier on Amazon so you can check the current prices:

Which Fender Amp Should I Get?

So this is the ultimate question, and one that’s quite hard to answer considering the size of Fender’s amplifier range.

The best thing to do, is to identify which models are in your budget and go from there. You then need to consider the power rating and speaker size to figure out what size amp you need so it is loud enough for the location you plan on using it in. After that, consider the tone of the amp and do your best to try them in person using your own guitar to see which sound you prefer. Then you can consider the controls available and finally the look of the amp might come into play as well.

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind and help you narrow down your search:

  • If you want the iconic Fender tone, your best bet is one of the tube amps. The Vintage Reissue models will give you the most iconic tone, but at the most expensive price. The Hot Rod and Vintage Modified amps are great if you’re on a stricter budget.
  • For the best value for money and versatility, consider one of the solid state modelling amps such as the Fender Mustang.

In the market for a new amplifier? Check out my complete amplifier buyer’s guide to help narrow down your selection and find the perfect amp for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to some more questions you might have on your quest to find the right Fender amp for you.

What power rating (wattage) do I need?

I’ve written a full guide on how to choose the best power and size amplifier here.

Which guitarists use Fender amps?

Many famous guitarists have been known to use Fender amplifiers including: Eric Johnson, Neil Young, Stevie Ray Vaughan, James Burton, Eric Clapton and Mike Bloomfield. Fender amps are often associated with blues, country and rock music.

What do Fender amps sound like?

Fender amps are often described as sounding “sparkly” particularly when referring to their clean tones, as they have very pronounced treble frequencies. The tone is characterised by its slightly scooped mid-range, and emphasis on the bass and treble, in addition to the broad dynamic range.

Here are some more articles you might find useful:

Heather

Hey, I'm Heather. I started playing an electric guitar when I was given a Squier Strat for my birthday around 15 years ago. I now own an acoustic guitar and several electric guitars including my personal favourite, a PRS SE Custom 24.

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