Gear of the Year RESULTS: Best Amplifier of 2013 Revealed

The results are in, and we can reveal the top five amps of 2013   03-Dec-13

3. Yamaha THR10-C

This will undoubtedly be a controversial choice, it is the only digital amp on this list, it's far cheaper (from under £200/$300) than the other amps in the top five, and it's solely intended to be used in your bedroom - so it's not even really a gigging amp.

But loads of you voted for it, and we're big fans of the Yamaha THR series here at Sonic Towers.

Why? Because it sounds great, and it's a brilliant concept executed nearly perfectly by those clever chaps at Yamaha, and we do firmly believe the major manufacturers aren't doing enough to push guitar technology forward in a meaningful way right now, it's nice to see Yamaha pushing it on.

So, no, it isn't a giant stack, it isn't a tube combo, but it is a great-sounding amp at an affordable price point, which makes it accessible.

The idea of modelling tube circuitry, rather than tube tone, is interesting, it has been carried out well. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better practice amp than the Yamaha THR10-C. And we think it will be the catalyst for bigger combos from Yamaha to rival Line 6 and Vox Valvetronix.

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