Choosing the right guitar amp for bedroom practice isn’t that easy, but I might have found the ultimate solution. I recently bought the Yamaha THR10 and to be honest, it quickly became one of my favorite small amps of all time.
Why I love it so much? Well, it’s quite cheap, extremely versatile, it looks cool and it sounds better than most of the other combos at this price level. I’m convinced that the vast majority of guitar players will be happy with that thing.
You have to be aware that there’s a few different versions of this amp – I actually got the older one and I paid less than $150. The newest one has a few more features and it is around two times more expensive, but considering how good it is, it’s still worth the money.
Hopefully this short guide will help you find out whether you should get this amp too or not.
About My Yamaha THR10
I was thinking about getting thhe THR10 for a while now. I remember that I saw that Paul Gilbert was promoting it a couple of years ago, but I never had a chance to try it out. So when I saw that someone was selling it on Facebook Marketplace, I just knew that I had to buy it.
As you can see on the photos – it’s in excellent condition. It looks very cool from the outside (especially when it’s turned on) and it’s very functional. I’d give 10/10 for the overall build quality because it has no parts that feel cheap. It’s also really easy to carry around with this steel handle.
And trust me – I tested A LOT of cheap guitar amps. You can check out my YouTube channel and you can see that I tried Fender Frontman 10G, Marshall MG10, VOX Pathfinder, Harley Benton 20R, Orange Crush 12 and more. And out of all of them, the Yamaha is the coolest one!
Features
Seriously, this is one of the best desktop amps that you can possibly find at this price level. It has so many different features! That includes:
- five different amp modes (Modern, Brit, Lead, Crunch and Clean)
- various built-in effects (such as Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Tremolo, Delay and Reverb)
- a few different types of reverb – including Hall and Spring
- 3-band EQ
- AUX input that allows you use backing tracks
- headphone output for practicing quietly
- built-in tuner
- 20 Watts of power
- a pair of 3″ speakers
- it’s very lightweight!
That’s quite a lot for such a small and affordable combo, right? It also sounds awesome with additional guitar pedals too.
It weighs less than 3kgs and it has a compact size, so I’m sure that it will fit in any bedroom. Even if you don’t have much space!
Sound Samples
I took some time and I recorded a few sound demos for you to check out. The amount of tones that you can get with this thing is insane, but hopefully these couple of audio tracks will help you understand what can you expect from this amp.
Clean + Reverb
Overdrive + Reverb
Power Chords
Chorus
Tremolo
It all sounds pretty awesome, right? As I said before, the tonal possibilities are endless here so honestly you can get way more interesting tones with that amp.
Video Review
I recently recorded a video titled “4 Reasons Why I Love Yamaha THR10”.
It’s not exactly an in-depth product review, but it should help you understand what exactly is so special about this combo.
If you have a minute and you want to check it out, feel free to watch the video below. I also encourage you to subscribe to my channel to stay up to date with all my latest videos.
Old Yamaha THR10 vs New Yamaha THR10II
As I already mentioned, I bought the older version of THR10 – the newest one is called THR10II. It has a slightly different interface and a few more functions. The built-in effects are the same though.
Is it actually better? Well, that’s debatable.
The old THR10 is still extremely functional and it will be more than enough for any bedroom player. However, since it’s no longer manufactured, it may be harder to find.
So my recommendation is simple – if you manage to find the old THR10, grab it and you’ll be satisfied. If you can’t find it, choose the THR10II – it’s a bit more expensive, but it’s definitely worth the money.
For those who want to learn more about the specs and prices of the brand new Yamaha THR10II, here are the links to Amazon and Thomann.
Disadvantages
Generally, I can’t say anything bad about the sound or build quality of this amp – it’s all superb. But there’s a few things that some people may consider as disadvantages.
The main cons include:
- limited power
- problems with accessibility – old THR10 isn’t that easy to find
- no case included
While it’s a fantastic combo for home practice, it’s definitely not loud enough to be used in different environments. So if you’re a gigging musician or if you want to rehearse with your band, this combo will be simply too quiet.
And as I already mentioned, the old THR10 were discontinued, so finding them may be quite tough in some countries. But of course there’s always THR10II which will cost you a bit more.
Lastly, this amp usually comes without a case. It’s totally understandable – cheap amps usually don’t come with cases. But if you’ll ever want to travel with this combo somewhere, you’ll have to figure out a way to keep it safe.
Are these cons problematic? Not really. The problem with limited problem isn’t exactly a problem, because THR10 wasn’t designed to be used on stage. It’s a simple practice amp – and that’s what matters the most.
Who Should Get It?
THR10 is mainly recommend for bedroom players, but it doesn’t really matter whether you’re a complete guitar noob or a bit more advanced guitarist.
I’d say that this combo will work well for:
- absolute beginners who are looking for their first amp
- intermediate players who are looking for a reliable practice amp
- anyone who wants to experiment with various guitar effects
Let’s say that you’re a beginner and you don’t really know what’s the difference between flanger, phaser and chorus. If that’s the case, why would you buy dozens of pedals when you can just experiment with these effects with THR10? I’m sure that you’ll agree with me on that one.
I’d actually risk the statement that this is one of the best desktop modeling amps that you can currently find on the market, so I’m sure that 99% of guitarists will be happy to have it in their bedrooms.
Maintenance
Is the maintenance of that amp difficult? Not really! Since it’s not a tube amp, you don’t have to worry about replacing the tubes.
It’s all very simple – just don’t throw it at walls (even when you’re angry) and you’ll be fine.
I’m sure that cleaning your hands before using this combo will also be a good idea. But generally, it should last you for years to come. It’s made of steel and it doesn’t have any cheap parts so it will be pretty tough to break it.
Alternative Options
As you’re probably aware, the world of affordable amps is very satured so there are a lot of alternative options out there. Some of them are cheaper, some of them are not, but there’s definitely a couple of other amps that also deserve a lot of attention.
For more amp reviews, check out my YouTube channel.
My personal favorites are:
- Marshall MG10 and Fender Frontman 10G – which are extremely cheap
- Fender Champion 20 – which is a bit more expensive, but still quite affordable
- and of course, you can check out Yamaha THR5 which is basically a smaller version of the amp in today’s review
Choosing your next guitar amp should be based on your own preferences and your current budget. It’s better to play with a cheap and decent amp than not playing on guitar at all. So if you’re looking for your first combo, don’t complicate it and grab something that you can currently afford.
Final Thoughts
Let’s be honest – Yamaha THR10 is an AMAZING desktop amp that I definitely recommend to anyone who’s looking for this kind of gear.
In comparison with other combos at this price level, the THR10 really stands out. The amount of tones that you can get with this rectangular box is just awesome. It doesn’t really matter what kind of music you want to play – you will be able to achieve that with this amp.
I’m very happy that I decided to add it to my collection and I have a feeling that it will stay with me for a while. As you probably know, I buy and sell a lot of guitar gear but since this one is quite special, I don’t see a point of getting rid of it right now.
If you end up with getting Yamaha THR10 or THR10II, please leave a comment with your opinion about it under this article. Who knows, maybe it will be helpful to some of my other readers? Thanks!
