Best Clean Guitar Amps – 8 Ideal Pedal Platform Amps!

The JC series by Roland is, perhaps, the market benchmark for clean solid-state amps.

Well, it was also the one that started it all. The famous vibrato/chorus circuit in these amps was the first one ever made into a guitar pedal. Remember that Boss, part of the Roland Corporation, released the first chorus pedal (the Boss CE-1 came out in 1976).

It has all the features you would expect from an amp like this, with a few neat extras. The main feature being the vibrato/chorus effects.

But let’s talk about the knobs and features first. The EQ is very usable, especially to cut frequencies. I love the fact that you have that middle control because it allowed me to make my TS-9 shine through with that razor-like midrange and my Telecaster.

I had to roll the treble a little back and added some low-end for punch and warmth. This amp can be a little shrill or stale if you’re too used to playing valves. As a counterpart to that statement, the cleans are just pristine.

Moving over to the reverb control, Roland overhauled the entire circuit and it adds a nice ambience to whatever you play. Furthermore, mixing the reverb at around noon with the stereo chorus is a one-way ticket to psychedelia.

I went with my entire pedalboard into the stereo inputs and got my sounds mixed with the true stereo chorus. It was a mind-flipping experience, one of those setups you just can’t stop playing through. Especially with the delay ON and the Tele in the middle position.

The JC-40 is also a fully stereo amp. It features not just stereo output, but also stereo input and stereo effects loop. These can also be used in mono, giving the amp more versatility.

With such a great clean sound, it is no wonder that so many guitarists use the JC-120 and JC-40. From Pat Metheny to even Metallica. You can actually hear the JC-120’s clean tone in the intro of Metallica’s One.

A very iconic case of JC-120 users is Wes Borland from Limp Bizkit who plays Diezel and EVH heads for distortion but keeps cleans glassy through a pair of these in every live show.

The big difference between the JC-120 and the JC-40 is the speaker configuration. While the 120 carries two 12” speakers, the 40 carries two 10” speakers. This changes the way the midrange reacts, therefore, the sound of your guitar. I would say 10” speakers aren’t everyone’s cup of tea (that’s 12” speakers) but they have a great base sound for pedals.

Yes, the JC-40 handles effects pedals with ease. Furthermore, I didn’t find myself or the amp changing the sound of the pedals. It actually allows pedals to shine quite well.

This is also a good thing, because I am not too fond of the onboard distortion of the JC-40. Although the company overhauled the reverb and the distortion circuits, it’s still quite unusable. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the distortion is good and quite versatile, but it does become a bit sharp the higher you push it and is a nice add-on but not the reason to buy this amp.

So, if you like the overdriven, distorted, and fuzzed sound of your pedals, and want a great amp that’s reliable, sturdy, portable, and clean enough to see through it, this is a must check.

It is a bit weightier than you would expect from such a small amp. But I wouldn’t call it heavy, it just feels solid. I can see myself carrying this amp to gigs and not being annoyed by it.

One thing that I also really like about this amp is its look. Supro has given it a nice light blue finish, instead of the standard black. This makes the amp stand out a bit more on stage. Furthermore, it would make a great addition to the furniture and ornaments of any living room or studio. Yes, it’s THAT good looking.

But looks or weight aren’t the reason this amp is so high up on this list. The thing is that this combo was developed by Supro and Robert Keeley, one of the most respected pedal makers in the world today.

If you look at what compressor pedal most pros use live, the Keeley in all its forms would be, perhaps, the most common one to appear.

So, these two companies joined forces to create the ultimate pedal platform amplifier. The result? Well, a terrific tool for the gigging musician and the studio player.

Let’s begin with the amp completely clean with no pedals. I have to say that, with my Telecaster plugged in, the sound of the amp was pristine. Supros are known for having a midrange snarl that’s beautifully complex and harmonically supercharged. Well, that’s not what you find here, this amplifier is as neutral as it gets without losing the warmth and tone you would expect from a tube amp.

The interplay between the volume and the master volume knobs is great and the amp stays clean with the volume up to 3 o’clock with single coils. This meant all my drive stages were singing through the 12” Celestion Creamback.

Also, the 2-band EQ proved to be very efficient in taming my guitar’s high-end and the low-end of my humbucker-equipped Ibanez Studio ‘80.

Since it’s only 25 watts, you can crank it and get some pushed tones out of it at a reasonable volume too. This means being able to compete with a loud drummer but also playing in your bedroom.

Speaking of humbuckers, things change drastically when you plug in a guitar with hot pickups. The volume knob becomes something closer to a gain or preamp knob like you would find on a JCM 800 for example. It was a very crisp, crunchy drive that kind of reminded me of The White Stripes’ Fell In Love With A Girl.

The traditional Supro snarl comes to surface and, combined with the TS-9, TS808, distortion, and fuzz, became a rocking beast ready to conquer the world.

Another aspect of this amp that’s very handy for live shows and pedals is the effects loop that’s easily accessible in the nice-and-polished silver panel.

I tried the Carbon Copy, the Strymmon FLINT, the MXR M95, and other modulation pedals through the input and also through the effects loop and results were drastically different but very usable in both scenarios.

The smoothness of the effects loop grants you instant trip hop and ambience music tones. I did a quite believable version of “Where The Streets Have No Name” and the delay and reverb tails were clean, crisp, and with the tube warmth you would expect from an amp like this.

So, in summary, the Supro 1968RK does exactly what it is advertised to do. It’s a terrific pedal platform that can take any and all pedals and also give you great tones on its own, both clean and cranked.

If this amp is within your budget, I urge you to check it out. It has headroom for days and tone to spare.

The AC30C2 is a sort of redone, modernized version of the classic AC30. It brings the amp into the 21^st century without sacrificing any of the classic tone.

If you have ever heard an AC15 or AC30, you know exactly what you are in for. The AC30 is that classic British rock tone. When comparing it to a USA-friendly kind of amp (mainly 6v6 power tubes instead of el84s as in this amp) what you hear is a very different overdrive grain and a different midrange.

While the USA-style can be defined as clear and sparkly with kind of a scooped sound, this amp is brown and defined with low-end punch and high-end clarity but a more raunchy mood.

Yes, the AC30C2 has a very crunchy gain with quite a lot of attitude. The gain is also quite crisp, even when you push it. It doesn’t become muddy or even really dirty.

If you are looking for that classic sound in the vein of The Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin, the AC30C2 is really a great option.

Let’s start with the technical side. This amp has two channels and four inputs. You have the Normal channel and the Top Boost channel. As you might imagine, the second is more prone to distortion than the first.

That said, there’s a master section that allows you to control the overall volume. So, if you crank the first volume knob and leave the master low, what you have is low-volume crunch. Doing the opposite gives you generous crisp headroom to play with pedals.

I did just that, plugging into the normal channel I was able to get that trademark The Edge sound with just the delay and the reverb. Furthermore, this amp packs delicious reverb and tremolo effects that can be activated via footswitch.

Again, my version of “Where The Streets Have No Name” was not perfect, but sounded outstanding through this amp.

In this setting I hit the amp’s preamp section with everything I got and went back and forth from single-coils to P-90s to humbuckers and the result was always punchy, clear, and powerful.

The AC30C2 isn’t by any means a small amp but it does pack enough power to stay clean when you’re playing to a loud drummer. Moreover, the tube circuit cleaned very nicely when rolling off the volume of my guitar.

Speaking of which, moving over to the top boost channel and using the pedals through the bypassable effects loop opened up a new sonic highway. Yes, I could set the amp to distortion and use the guitar’s controls to tame the beast and add color through pedals.

The effects loop takes away some of the grit from the pedals’ trails and makes everything more pristine. Although it’s not my favorite approach, I have to say that those who want pristine tones to play neo-soul or such genres will find this a great feature.

To say it one simple statement, the AC30’s clean tone is just as impressive as its overdriven tone.

I am always surprised by just how loud the AC30 is. It might just be a 30-watt amp, but it sounds like one that is four times as powerful.

Another thing that I am also always surprised by is how heavy this amp is. The AC30 is a hefty amp at 70 lbs. Let me just tell you that every ounce of that is pure tone at your fingertips.

The AC30 is always an easy recommend regardless of the music you’re planning to make. It’s not easy to carry or light, but it makes up for that with tone and versatility for days. If it’s within your budget, you should consider it as a viable option.

The Deluxe Reverb is, for many, the pinnacle of Fender amplifiers, the most perfect amplification machine to come out of the Big F factory. Well, not just the DR65, also its bigger sibling, the almighty Twin Reverb.

But why is the DR the perfect amp to play with or without pedals? I’ve had mine for a number of years and, although it’s primarily a studio amp for me, it gigs amazingly.

But let’s get the technicalities out of the way before going into the sounds.
The Deluxe Reverb 65 is the reissue of the famous Blackface era amplifier and it copies that circuit to perfection. Furthermore, a big difference between this amp and much of its competition (including the Supro 1968RK) is that it has valve-driven rectification.

What does it mean? Well, it means the amp’s overdrive and natural crunch are on a different level, a different plateau. It sounds more harmonically complex but as clear and articulate as it gets.

The two channels, normal and vibrato, work with different voicings. While the first is a tad darker, the second is brighter. Moreover, the reverb and tremolo with their tube circuits are stellar additions to an already outstanding package.

I always jump the channels, this means I use an interpedal cable to go from the normal to the vibrato channel and that’s where I plug my guitar. This way, you get some leakage and whichever volume is higher is the channel that dominates the sound.

While some might miss the middle control missing from the two-band EQ, my answer is: Tube Screamer. The clean of the amp is so full and clear that you don’t miss the midrange at all. That said, if you push the amp a bit going above 5, you get this natural, organic, touch-sensitive mild overdrive that’s just perfect for crunchy rhythms and blues.

The particularity of the Deluxe Reverb is that it stays articulate and clear even when you throw tons of gain on its (black) face. I’ve played gigs in which I had a TS-9, a Tech21 Double Drive, and a Big Muff Pi going at the same time and I could hear everything I was playing.

With no effects loop, there’s no way to get your time-based and modulation effects between the pre and the power amp. That might be a drawback for some who need synthetic-sounding, ultra-clean tones.

Well, the organic quality of the Deluxe Reverb’s sound makes up for the lack of an effects loop in my opinion. Furthermore, it’s one of those strange cases in which the amp’s tone blends in with the pedals. It doesn’t change the pedal’s sound and pedals don’t make the amp muddy or make it lose its clarity and articulation.

Finally, if you dime the volume control and play with a humbucker-equipped guitar, you’ll get this creamy, organic, naturally-compressed distortion that just begs for a Carbon Copy and a minor scale to rip the night away.

It’s hard to come back from that journey, you’ve been warned.

If this amp is within your budget, trying before buying is a must.

For a much more in-depth coverage of this amp, you can read this article, also written by me.

Yes, it has a dark, massive clean tone that’s bluesy and drips coolness all over. The thing is if you intend to fuzz it out or add a lot of distortion to the signal, it can’t cope with those tones the way the rest of the line can.

So, the Pro Junior and Blues Junior are great for small-sized venues. They pack 15 watts of valve power but have no master volume. So, if you crank them to compete with the drummer, some of that cleanness will be gone.

That said, gigs with no drummer that allow you to keep the volume tamed are perfect for these amps. You can carry them up the stairs with one hand!

For medium to large-sized venues, what you need is a Hot Rod Deluxe. It’s a sturdy, well-made amp with a lightweight pine cabinet that makes it lighter than most amps out there. The dual footswitchable channels and the easily accessible, top-mounted effects loop allow you to carry only your time-based and modulation pedals if you want.

Furthermore, at 40 watts the Hot Rod Deluxe gives you enough headroom to play with pedals and is usable at a moderate volume to get tube saturation.

For bigger venues or more headroom, the 2x12 Celestion-equipped Hot Rod Deville delivers 60 watts of clean power with footswitchable channels and front-mounted effects loop.

There’s a Hot Rod amplifier for every budget and size, so try them out and get the one that suits your sound the most.

Most guitarists might look down on modeling amps, but Boss has proven that they are more than just gimmicks with their Katana series. The series is made of three amplifiers, the Katana 50, the Katana 100, and the Katana Artist.

I threw everything I had at it with all the gain stages, the delay and the phaser to try and make it muddy and bad, but the amp stayed clean and understandable all the time. Yes, it doesn’t sound as warm, round, percussive, and articulate as the valve amps on this list, but it’s a usable, modern, pristine sound that works great as a pedal platform.

What I tried after the effects loop was the power reduction and it worked perfectly well to have wild sounds at bedroom volume. But what surprised me the most about this amp was blending the overdriven and distorted sounds within the amp’s modeling stage with the pedals on my board.

I was pleasantly surprised to know all models in the wheel blended in so well with pedals.

Since the Katana sounds are also controlled through software, you can easily tweak the onboard sounds or even replace them entirely.

I know what you’re thinking, there’s a huge selection of effects, both onboard and with the software available in this amp; why would you put pedals in front of it? The Katana is essentially one big pedalboard built into an amp.

That’s exactly what sets this amp apart from the rest of the modelers out there, analog effects sound just as great as they would on a tube amp or normal solid state. You aren’t losing any tone on your effects pedals when they go through this amp.

So, if the pedalboard breaks down, or you have no room for pedals, you can just create some usable banks and cover most of your material. Therefore, the Katana series by Boss offers a great solution for the gigging guitarist (especially the Artist with the balanced DI out with ground lift) who loves to play through analog pedals while enjoying the practicality and weight of a digital amp.

If you play in multiple bands in different genres, or you play in a cover band, this is the perfect amp. You can get sounds for every song, no matter the genre.

Regardless of your personal opinion about modeling amplifiers, do yourself a favor and try a Katana out, they’re great pieces of gear.

Further reading: BOSS Katana vs Positive Grid Spark (a much more in-depth take on the Katana, and comparison with the newer Spark amp from Positive Grid)

Well, I tried it first with a Marshall Origin 50, an honorary mention on this list, and it sounded great but was harder to get a clean sound to play at band level. The DSL40CR, on the other hand, gave me enough headroom to put my pedalboard through it.

Furthermore, what I did with great results was pushing the amp’s front end with some overdrive and adding the crunch and ultra distortion to the sound. What I got was a cascade of gain with different stages to choose from. I especially loved my TS808 going straight into it, making the low-end tighter and giving the midrange more edge.

Also, since this amp has an effects loop, using all that gain and running your delay through it keeps repetitions clean and adds another layer to your playing without making the sound muddy.

Furthermore, the effects loop is footswitchable from the included pedal, so you can bring it in and out of the mix whenever you want. This is also a great way to activate several pedals at once with a single switch.

I tried this amp with single coils, P-90s, dusted off my mini-humbucker guitar, and also plugged in some humbuckers. The single-coil and P-90 guitars shone through with enough bite to tear the fabric of reality. Getting into dual-coil territory, and mixing in-amp gain stages with pedals made things a little muddy.

Finally, the built-in power attenuator helped me get some real Led Zeppelin-like tones at bedroom volume easily.

Although it’s not such a lightweight amp at 50 lbs. It’s a great all-in-one solution for the gigging musician.

All of the controls are at the top of the amp in this iconic series, bringing them closer to the original and moving away from the 5150 III front-mounted controls.

The 5150 has quite a bit more controls than you will usually find on a 40-watt amp, but don’t let that intimidate you, it’s a straightforward configuration that makes it an easy-to-use pedal platform.

The crucial aspect in that regard is that this amp has two channels, with independent gain and volume controls. This allows you to dial a very clean side to use with all your pedals and combine them with the utterly-distorted, face-melting, mayhem-causing distortion of this amp. Yes, the gain seems endless and there’s tone and sustain for days.

So, with the footswitch, you can have the best of both worlds.

But that’s not all, because you also have a very usable effects loop to send all your modulation and time-based units. For example, I did the good-old TS-9-in-front trick and suddenly, the distortion became tighter and the midrange turned sharp enough to cut through any mix. With a little Carbon Copy in the effects loop, I was shredding the night away in no time.

Also, one thing I do a lot is to cause mayhem with fuzz and use distortion for power chords and defined riffing. If you go from distortion to fuzz, the effect is as if you’ve unleashed chaos. I did it with this amp going from the distortion channel in the amp to the clean and hitting the fuzz. The result was a big wave of sound crushing everything around.

The best of it all is that the amp’s speaker and preamp section didn’t even notice and handled the low-end marvelously. Furthermore, I threw an octave pedal over the fuzz and I stepped on Jack White’s feet for a moment.

The amp remained consistent and tight throughout the test.

Also, the direct XLR out is a great addition for the gigging musician who wants to have a great sound on stage and some reliable source for the soundman or the band’s in-ear monitoring.

Going back to the amp’s controls, it sports a three-band EQ, and reverb with controls for resonance and presence. The 5150 also has a boost for when you want to give it an extra push. And most interestingly, it also has a noise gate for the second channel.

Two channels, both with independent gain and volume controls, a three-band EQ, and reverb with controls for resonance and presence. The 5150 also has a boost for when you want to give the amp an extra push. And most interestingly, it also has a noise gate for the second channel.

This amp gets loud and mean. It's not hard to see why this amp is a favorite of guitar legends like Buckethead and bands like Gojira.

On channel one, you have a very nice crunch which can get quite aggressive when you push the gain far enough.

Channel two is the lead channel which pushes the distortion further. This is where the amp is especially true to the EVH name. The amp sounds like something Van Halen himself would have played.

The 5150 is just an incredibly fun amp overall. Whether you are using it as is or putting a pedalboard in front of it, or both, you are going to have a ton of fun with it.