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6 Lunchbox Amps That Pack a Punch

lunchbox guitar amps

Need big tones in a small setup? Here’s a collection of lunchbox-sized amps that pack a punch.

Not every gig requires a pair of 4x12 cabs and a 100-watt head. (Sadly.) We’ve rounded up a handful of lunchbox-sized heads that can deliver crystal-clean tones, dirty crunch, and ripping lead tones—all in a very portable package.


6 Lunchbox Amps that Pack a Punch | Tools for the Task

PRS MT15

The MT15 is a commanding two-channel amp with balanced aggression and articulation, designed with PRS Signature Artist Mark Tremonti.

prsguitars.com

PRS
$799

Hughes and Kettner GrandMeister Deluxe 40

The GrandMeister Deluxe 40 combines all-tube tones and smart control features in a supremely playable package. Every knob and switch setting can be easily saved, stored, and recalled.

hughes-and-kettner.com

Hughes & Kettner
$1,479

Orange Rocker 15 Terror

Capable of 15, 7, 1, or 0.5 watts of output, the Rocker 15 Terror is a two-channel, bedroom-friendly, all-tube amp that you can legitimately gig with!

orangeamps.com

Orange Amps
$699

Peavey Invective.MH Mini Head

Designed with Periphery's Misha Mansoor and packed with all-tube metal mayhem, the Invective.MH delivers the ultimate metal tone with legendary gain, pristine clean, and the advanced functionality modern players demand.

peavey.com
Peavey
$799

Mesa/Boogie Mark Five: 25 Head

The Mark Five: 25 delivers 2 channels, 6 modes, and a collection of the renowned Mark Series preamp circuits served up with a brash attitude packaged in compact format.

mesaboogie.com

Mesa/Boogie
$1599

Revv G20

Inside this high-gain powerhouse sits embedded Two-Notes technology, Revv’s classic purple channel, three different aggression levels, and tons more.

revvamplification.com

Revv Amplification
$1199

The Spirit Fall trio: drummer Brian Blade (right) and saxophonist Chris Potter (center) joined Patitucci (left) for a single day at The Bunker. “Those guys are scary. It almost puts pressure on me, how good they are, because they get it really fast,” says Patitucci.

Photo by Sachi Sato

Legendary bassist John Patitucci continues to explore the sound of a chord-less trio that balances melodicism with boundless harmonic freedom—and shares lessons he learned from his mentors Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter.

In 1959, Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue and John Coltrane’s Giant Stepstwo of the most influential albums in jazz history—were recorded. It’s somewhat poetic that four-time Grammy-winning jazz bass icon John Patitucci was born that same year. In addition to a storied career as a bandleader, Patitucci cemented his legacy through his lengthy association with two giants of jazz: keyboardist Chick Corea, with whom Patitucci enjoyed a 10-year tenure as an original member of his Elektric and Akoustic bands, and saxophonist Wayne Shorter’s quartet, of which he was a core member for 20 years. Patitucci has also worked with a who’s who of jazz elites like Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Dizzy Gillespie, and Michael Brecker.

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With authentic stage-class Katana amp sounds, wireless music streaming, and advanced spatial technology, the KATANA:GO is designed to offer a premium sound experience without the need for amps or pedals.

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In our third installment with Santa Cruz Guitar Company founder Richard Hoover, the master luthier shows PG's John Bohlinger how his team of builders assemble and construct guitars like a chef preparing food pairings. Hoover explains that the finer details like binding, headstock size and shape, internal bracing, and adhesives are critical players in shaping an instrument's sound. Finally, Richard explains how SCGC uses every inch of wood for making acoustic guitars or outside ventures like surfboards and art.

We know Horsegirl as a band of musicians, but their friendships will always come before the music. From left to right: Nora Cheng, drummer Gigi Reece, and Penelope Lowenstein.

Photo by Ruby Faye

The Chicago-via-New York trio of best friends reinterpret the best bits of college-rock and ’90s indie on their new record, Phonetics On and On.

Horsegirl guitarists Nora Cheng and Penelope Lowenstein are back in their hometown of Chicago during winter break from New York University, where they share an apartment with drummer Gigi Reece. They’re both in the middle of writing papers. Cheng is working on one about Buckminster Fuller for a city planning class, and Lowenstein is untangling Austrian writer Ingeborg Bachmann’s short story, “Three Paths to the Lake.”

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