17 Best Small and Low Watt Tube Amps in 2026

Tube amps are often perceived as being louder than solid-state amps, which is technically true. A low-wattage tube amp, of say 10 or 15 watts, will actually sound as loud or louder than a solid-state amp of 50 watts or more. Speaker impedance, which is the amount of resistance that a speaker offers to the current that flows through it, actually depends largely on the nature of the frequencies that the speakers are reproducing, and the hard clipped signals produced by solid-state amps strongly reduce the available power, giving them higher speaker impedance and less overall power.

The difference in power and signal clarity is one of the main reasons why you will find 5 Watt, 10 Watt, and 15 Watt tube amps priced in the same neighborhood as high quality 50, 60, and 100 watt solid state amps. However, for some players, the fact that you have to push the tubes in your power amp at very high volume to get the saturation that modern lead players are looking for makes tube amps impractical. This is why many amp manufacturers have outfitted their tube amps with power reduction switches and attenuators that allow you to push the power tubes at lower volume, essentially making it easier to overdrive the amp.

We’ll start this article by discussing the best small tube amps at each price point. We’ll cover tube amps of all types, whether you are looking for a combo or head unit, something with low watt output or an attenuator to reduce the output, great overdrive tone or clean tone, we’re sure to cover something that fits your needs.

Here Are the Best Small Tube Amps / Low Watt

1. Friedman Runt 20 (Best Overall)

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Estimated Price	$1700
Output	20w
Number of Channels	2
Speaker	1×12″ Celestion G12-M Creamback
Tubes	Preamp Tubes: 3 x 12AX7, Power Tubes: 2 x EL84
Weight	41.5 lbs.

My Review: This compact 20-watt two-channel all-tube combo amp is perfect for small-room gigs and studio recording, with great versatility and tonal full-spectrum quality. You can run the gamut from crisp cleans to high gain, perfect for creating your own sound. The touch response is on-point too. And with the cab-simulated XLR output, you can achieve silent performance with comparable sound quality to a digital cab-sim.

Overall Build: The Runt-20 is constructed with Baltic birch with black Tolex, and comes with an inbuilt 12 inch Celestion G12-M Creamback speaker, three 12AX7 preamp tubes, two EL84 power tubes, one 1/4- inch (instrument) input, two 1/4- inch (speaker out) outputs, and one XLR (direct out) output. There’s also a buffered series effect loop.

Control and Built-In Effects: There’s one 1/4- inch footswitch I/O (channel; 1-button footswitch included) and 3-band EQ

Conclusion: This 20 watt combo amp is all-tube, delivering smooth, old-school sounds from a 12 inch Celestion G12M-65 Creamback speaker. The two channels are clean and dirty, making it a great genre-bender that can go from crisp cleans to crunchy rock and metal. It’s made from rugged Baltic birch to take a bit of manhandling, so it’s great for the guitarist on the go. The analog cabinet-emulated XLR output is a great point of difference – the sound quality is on par with top-notch digital emulations. It also comes with an internal speaker load allowing you to run directly without the need to plug a speaker in, and features Friedman’s beloved transparent series effects loop. In my opinion, this is the best small tube amp out there.

2. Vox AC15C1 (Best Value)

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Estimated Price	$800
Output	15w
Number of Channels	2
Speaker	1×12″
Tubes	Preamp Tubes: 3 x 12AX7, Power Tubes: 2 x EL84
Weight	48.5 lbs.

My Review: This 15-watt combo amp is part of a proud heritage of Vox amplification, with famous players like Brian May & Tom Petty shaping that classic British sound. The Celestion 25-watt Greenback speaker helps soften out harsher frequencies; combined with the power and preamp tubes, there’s a really iconic Vox tone. The AC circuit goes well with your favorite array of pedals, so you can tone-tweak to your heart’s content. At 15W, it’s powerful enough to deliver a full, clear sound when you’re gigging or in the studio, too.

Overall Build: The Vox AC15C1 is a two-channel amp with one built-in 12” Greenback speaker, three 12AX7 preamp tubes, two EL84 power tubes, an effects loop, two 1/4-inch inputs (normal & top boost), and two 1/4- inch outputs (speakers).

Control and Built-In Effects: Master volume, master tone cut, and normal volume; Top Boost volume, bass and treble; speaker level, tremolo (depth & speed), and reverb. One 1/4- inch footswitch I/O (normal & top boost; footswitch not included).

Conclusion: Vox amps are the stuff of music legend, and this 15 watt combo guitar amp sure doesn’t disappoint. The Celestion 25 watt Greenback speaker really mellows out the harsher frequencies, for reliably full & attractive sonic quality. The EL84 power offers up great chime, and there are normal and top boost channels, tremolo, and spring reverb. All-in-all, a powerful amp with great tone. I’d say this is the best 15 watt tube amp for the money right now.

3. Marshall SV20H Studio Vintage (Editor’s Choice)

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Estimated Price	$1750
Output	20/4w
Number of Channels	Single channel
Speaker	none
Tubes	Preamp Tubes:3 x 12AX7, Power Tubes:2 x EL34
Weight	20.4 lbs.

My Review: The Marshall brand has been legendary in the world of rock music for decades, and the Studio Vintage takes all that Marshall awesomeness and packs it into a 20-watt head amp with serious firepower. It’s a low-watt version of the 1959 Plexi, which basically led the rock revolution and was played by Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Johnny Ramone, and plenty more of the greats. Iconic vintage Plexi tone with the saturated grit and biting leads that enraptured the crowds at Woodstock, now in a compact low-watt package that’s perfect for studios and gigging alike. It also comes with a bunch of features you wouldn’t find on the original Super Lead, like an effects loop to integrate your pedals and external processors, and a power reduction circuit to adjust the wattage down to 5 watts for home practice, and cranked tones on the quiet. There’s also a DI output so you can easily record or route to a PA. Classic sounds, with modern convenience.

Overall Build: This 20W (adjustable to 5W) single-channel tube amp made out of Black Tolex comes equipped with three 12AX7 preamp tubes and 2 EL34 power tubes, two 1/4- inch inputs for high & low treble input, and two more 1/4- inch inputs for high & low normal input. There’s an impressive six outputs in total: one 1/4- inch output (16 ohm), two 1/4- inch outputs (single 8 ohm or two 16 ohm), two more 1/4- inch outputs (single 4 ohm or two 8 ohm), and one 1/4- inch output (DI out).

Control and Built-In Effects: 3-band EQ as well as presence, high treble/loudness I, normal/loudness II and low/high power mode selection switch.

Conclusion: This awesome reissue delivers the beloved tones of an original ’59 Super Lead into a compact but powerful 20 watt head amp that offers up the legendary Plexi sound. With four separate inputs, you can really craft something special, and there are also high and low-sensitivity loudness knobs. There’s also 3-band EQ with presence control, making this perfect for someone looking for a flexible amp that lets you get that sound you’re looking for. With the power reduction circuit, you can go down to 5 watts, making it perfect for bedroom practice without waking the neighbors, and the DI output means you can easily record or route to a PA. I’d say that this is easily one of the best low watt tube amps on the market right now.

4. Fender ’65 Princeton Reverb

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Estimated Price	$1300
Output	15w
Number of Channels	1
Speaker	1×10″ Jensen C-10R
Tubes	Preamp Tubes: 3 x 12AX7, 1 x 12AT7, Power Tubes: 2 x 6V6, 1 x 5AR4 (Rectifier)
Weight	34 lbs.

My Review: Channel the original 60s Princeton Reverb amp in its full legendary Fender glory! It’s great for small gigs, recording, and home practice, and with its compact, tough and durable design, it’s easy to move around.

The amp delivers 15 watts of power and with its specially voiced Jensen 10” speaker, you can produce a range of awesome guitar tones. Whether you’re plugging it right in for that iconic Fender tone or developing your own sound with your preferred pedals array. And as the name suggests, you’ll get seriously world-class reverb (and vibrato, too). The original ’65 Princeton Reverb has been a favorite for generations and is a hard-to-find and expensive collector’s item nowadays, but this vintage reissue offers all the big tube tone of the original, at a much pocket-friendlier price.

Overall Build: This 15W single-channel amp offers 15W of power, with a single Jensen C-10R speaker, three 12AX7 and one 12AT7 preamp tubes, two 6v6, and one 5AR4 (rectifier) power tubes, two instrument inputs, and two speaker outputs.

Control and Built-In Effects: 2-band EQ (bass and treble), reverb, volume, speed, and intensity. 2-button footswitch with a 1/4- inch footswitch I/O (reverb and vibrato).

Conclusion: This vintage reissue tube amp delivers up 60s old-school sounds, with an iconic Fender tone that’s become part of rock history. There’s a 10 inch Jenson Special Design C-10R speaker on board, for great sound whether you’re playing clean or crunch, and the reverb and vibrato effects are awesome for sound crafting. This single-channel amp comes with controls for speed, intensity, reverb, bass, treble, and volume, and is loaded with three 12AX7s, one 12AT7, two 6V6s, and a 5AR4 rectifier tube. There’s also a two-button footswitch that you can use for handsfree reverb and vibrato on/off.

5. Fender ’57 Custom Champ (Best Small Tube Amp Combo)

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Estimated Price	$1200
Output	5w Class A
Number of Channels	1
Speaker	1×8″ 4 ohm Weber Special design Alnico speaker
Tubes	Preamp Tubes: 1 x 12AY7, Power Tubes: 1 x 6V6 Power tube, 1 x 5Y3GT Rectifier
Weight	15 lbs.

My Review: This lightweight, compact 5 watt vintage reissue of the legendary 1957 Fender Champ combo amp brings you that vintage sound and classic appearance that has made 1950s Fender Champ tube amps the stuff of legend for seven decades and counting. It comes with an 8” Weber Special Design speaker that delivers old-school sound thanks to its alnico magnet, while the carefully handwired circuits offer up diverse, responsive sound. It’s also seriously good-looking, with a solid pine cabinet, oxblood grille cloth, real leather strap handle, and iconic tweed look; you can pretty much channel Marty McFly rockin’ out at the school disco scene in the first Back to the Future! The look is a serious point of difference for this amp, with period-correct golden hues and an overall look that’ll be eye-catching at home, in the studio, or on-stage.

The original ’57 Champ was used by many beloved artists like Johnny Cash and Eric Clapton (including on his iconic song “Layla”), and with these striking looks and unique tweed tone, it’s easy to see why. They sound great when cranked up too; warm, fat overdrive with a vintage sound that’s made the 1950s Champs such collectibles. It’s a very recognizable, inimitable sound that you won’t quite find anywhere but with this series, and its latest incarnation does not disappoint. Thanks to the careful hand wiring, it’s also very responsive to your sound and your pickup positions and delivers diverse tonal quality with less fiddling.

Overall Build: This single-channel 5W Class A combo amp comes with an on-board 8 inch 4 ohm Weber Special design Alnico speaker, one 12AY7 preamp tube, one 6V6 power tube, one 5Y3GT rectifier, one two 1/4- inch inputs (high, low instrument).

Control and Built-In Effects: Keeping it simple 50s style, there’s just a volume controller and that’s it; the out-of-the-box sound of this amp is part of its appeal, after all. Yeah, it’s easy to use!

Conclusion: This vintage reissue of an iconic ’57 Fender Champ combo amp is carefully constructed and hand wired to be true-to-form with the original, with authentic coupling capacitors. If you love that vintage Fender sound, you’ll love this amp, with old-school sound delivered from a Special Design Weber alnico speaker. With its super simple 1 knob control panel, you’ll deliver up awesome tones with less effort. I’d say the Fender 57 Custom Champ is the best small tube amp combo available right now. If it’s out of your price range there are some other great options on this list as well.

6. Mesa Boogie Mark Five 25

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Estimated Price	$1700
Output	25W Class AB (10W triode setting)
Number of Channels	2
Speaker	10”
Tubes	Preamp Tubes 6 x 12AX7, Power Tubes 2 x EL84
Weight	24 lbs.

My Review: This 25W two-channel tube amp boasts six style modes, for that legendary Mark Series preamp sound. It’s compact, portable, responsive, and versatile; channel one lets you flip between sweet clean to crunchy gain, while channel two lets you get that iconic Mesa lead tone. The built-in Celestion Custom G10 Creamback speaker gives you that instantly recognizable British warmth and growth, and with the Cabclone speaker-emulated direct output, it’s perfect for gigging and recording alike.

Overall Build: The Mark Five is a two-channel tube amp constructed from Black Taurus Vinyl with Black Jute Grille. It boasts 25W of total power, and a 10W triode setting when you want cranked sound at low power. There’s one 10 inch speaker on board, six 12AX7 preamp tubes, and two EL84 power tubes. There’s also one 1/4- inch (instrument) input, and four outputs in total (one 1/4- inch (internal 8 ohms), 2 1/4- inch (4 ohm parallel), and one XLR (CabClone DI out), as well as effects loop and a 1/4- inch headphone jack.

Control and Built-In Effects: Control and Built-In Effects:5-band Graphic, Treble, Mid, Bass EQ. Two-button footswitch included, with one 1/4- inch footswitch I/O (channel & EQ).

Conclusion: This two-channel tube combo amp comes with six total style modes to explore, for impressive tonal diversity and versatility in a little low-watt package. You’ll be able to enjoy the same preamp tone as Mesa’s iconic Mark V, Mark IV, and Mark IIC+ preamps, and that custom G10 Creamback speaker delivers warm, expressive sounds in a compact 10 inches. The Cabclone speaker simulator and internal load box are great for direct tone, and you can apply the all-tube spring reverb to each channel separately. Lastly, the aluminum chassis makes this a very durable amp that should last you for forever, so it’s great for guitarists on the go. Comes with a two-button footswitch (channel 1, channel 2, and EQ) and a slipcover.

7. EVH 5150III LBXII

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Estimated Price	$700
Output	15w
Number of Channels	2
Speaker	none
Tubes	Preamp Tubes 4 x JJ ECC83S, Power Tubes 2 x JJ EL84
Weight	16 lbs.

My Review: This little amp packs a big punch, with the same powerful clean and crunch channels as the higher-wattage amps in this series. The green channel’s clean tone is great for a variety of genres, and the blue channel gives you that high gain tone that EVH’s known for. A lunchbox amp, with epic tones! At 15 watts, this head amp is perfect for gigging, and you can dial it down all the way to 3.5 watts when you’re playing at home. And with the late, great Eddie Van Halen’s seal of approval, you know it’s gonna be an amp worth considering.

Overall Build: The EVH 5150III LBXII is a tiny, lightweight overachiever with two channels, 15w (adjustable down to 3.5w), with four JJ ECC83S preamp tubes and two JJ EL84 power tubes. One 1/4- inch input and one 1/4- inch output (4/8/16 ohms) and an effects loop. It’s a tube head amp with no inbuilt speaker, but all the better – just hook it up to your best gear for some serious sounds.

Control and Built-In Effects: The amp includes 3-band EQ for bass mids, treble, and presence. The presence control boosts up those upper-mid-range frequencies so that voices and instruments that are similar in tonal range get more of a presence, while resonance boost the bass frequencies. The amp comes with a 1 button 1/4- inch footswitch.

Conclusion: Designed with that unique Van Halen sound in mind, this 15 watt tube amp is great for high-gain. The adjustable power means you can crank it up at different volumes without losing quality, and you can easily switch between clean and crunch using the two foot-switchable channels. There’s also resonance and presence controls and an effects loop, so you can craft unique sounds across genres.

8. Supro Blues King 12

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Estimated Price	$400
Output	1w class A
Number of Channels	1