The thing I hate most when playing classical or flamenco guitar through an amp is when the sound coming out sounds nothing like the sound of my guitar unmic’d or unplugged. Yes, I know it’s an amp so it’s not going to be perfect, but when it’s way off it can sound metallic, overprocessed, and just plain bad. 😵💫
The good news is that there are plenty of amazing solutions out there that get our sound really close to what want to hear!
As a professional flamenco and classical guitarist with over 21 years of performance experience, I have tried a LOT of amplifiers in all kinds of settings. To be fair, my search hasn’t been exhaustive but it doesn’t have to be. There are hundreds of amps out there but I have tested only the ones that are recommended and used most often by acoustic instrument musicians, including many of my colleagues.
When you read my recommendations below, it’s important to keep a few things in mind. Firstly, no single amp is perfect on its own. Many require external phantom power supplies (for condenser mics), some don’t support more than one instrument, and in some cases, I’ve needed an external mixing board.
Secondly, know that if you plug in, no matter how good your amp, pickup, or guitar are, the sound of a plugged-in guitar will never sound as natural as it would if you use a good microphone.
Thirdly, classical and flamenco guitars require a more nuanced sound than what many “normal” amps can provide. Yes, everyone wants their amp to capture and enhance the nuances of their sound, but for us Spanish guitar players, there’s a whole other level of sound complexity to consider. For nylon-string guitarists, our amps should be able to delicately balance clarity, warmth, and dynamic range, while preserving the authenticity of our guitar’s sound and the music we play. So….does the perfect classical and flamenco guitar amp exist?
Well….yes, but it depends on what you need and how you intend to use your amp. Are you plugging in or using a microphone? If you’re using a microphone, is it a dynamic mic. or a condenser mic.? Will you be playing solo or with other musicians? Also, what kind of gig do you need it for: background music at a cocktail party or a concert in a recital hall?
There’s a lot to consider which can be overwhelming, but fear not! I’ve listed my favorite amplifiers below with some notes to help you pick the best option for your specific needs! They’re listed in order or price and although price doesn’t necessarily tell you much about a product, in this case, a higher price really does mean a higher quality. Whether you’re a seasoned pro, just starting out, or just playing for fun, you’ll love my picks of the 5 best amplifiers for classical and flamenco guitar for 2024.
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5 Best Amplififers for Classical & Flamenco Guitar for 2024
- Best Premium Amp: AER Compact 60/4
- Best Runner Up: Fishman Loubox Aritst BT 120-Watts
- Best Portable Amp: Bose S1 Pro+
- Best Professional Budget Amp: Fishman Loudbox Mini BT 60-Watt
- Best Practice Amp: Fishman Loudbox Micro 40-Watt
BEST PREMUM AMPLIFIER
AER Compact 60/4 Acoustic Amplifier ($1,399)
REVIEW
This amp is the cleanest and most natural-sounding amp I’ve ever used for classical and flamenco guitar. This is true both when I’ve used my Neumann KM 184 condenser microphone and when plugging in. AER has been the industry leader in acoustic instrument amplification for years and after playing through this amp, there’s no doubt as to why this is true. I’ve used this in all kinds of settings including for background music gigs and small concert venues and it’s always sounded great!
The amp has 2 channels: a 1/4″-XLR combo and a 1/4″ line-in. That means you can only use 1 microphone and the other has to be a 1/4″ input. You can certainly use this amp with 2 musicians — I have many times — but keep your input limits in mind when figuring out your gigging and personell scenario. If you need 2 mics or more than 2 inputs, you’ll need a mixing board too.
If you’re looking for the best sound for classical or flamenco guitar, this is undoubtedly the amplifier to buy.
SPECS
- 60 Watts
- 2 Channels: Channel 1 = 1/4″ & Channel 2 = XLR
- 48V Phantom Power for channel 2 (XLR)
- 4 onboard effects for each channel with PAN control.
- Independent 3/2-band E.Q. for each channel
- Comes with a very nice padded gig bag.
- Weight: 15.43 lbs.
- Dimensions: 10.2″H x 12.8″W x 9.25″D
BEST RUNNER UP
Fishman Loudbox Artist BT 120-Watt ($799.95)
REVIEW
If I close my eyes and just listen to this amp vs. the AER it’s, honestly, hard to tell the difference in terms of quality. The only reason I listed the AER as my top choice is because I think the AER has a slightly more natural sound than the Fishman Artist. But at the end of the day, it’s almost a toss-up between the two quality-wise. Both are top-of-the-line amplifiers that, in my opinion, no other amp even comes close to matching.
As long as I can remember, I’ve been a fan of AER and Fishman for classical and flamenco guitar. But in terms of power, the Fishman Loudbox Artist is the clear winner. It’s quiet enough for small gigs and powerful enough for a 500-seat theater (or crowded gig) without losing a bit of tone or clarity. If you need a bit more power either for a larger room, gig with lots of background chatter, or are playing with more than 2 musicians (total), you’re going to need more power.
One downside to this amp is that it only has 24V of phantom power, so if you want to use a high-power condenser mic (like my Neumann KM 184 condenser mic), you’ll need either an external phantom power supply or an external mixing board. I prefer using a small mixing board that has 48V phantom power built in. That way, I don’t need to plug in another item if I ever need the mixer.
Another downside is that it’s a little on the heavy side (25 lbs.). But if you need the extra power output and still want your guitar to sound amazing and as close as possible to natural, this is my amp of choice.
SPECS
- 120 Watts, bi-amped
- 2 Channels: 1/4” or XLR for each
- 24V Phantom Power
- Onboard 3-bans E.Q. + Anti-feedback for each channel
- Onboard dual effects with independent control
- Bluetooth® 4.0 Connectivity
- Weight: 25 lbs
- Dimensions: 13.5″H x 15.5″D x 11.5″D
BEST PORTABLE AMPLIFIER
Bose S1 Pro+ Portable Bluetooth Speaker ($699)
REVIEW
Every time I have an outdoor gig or concert and there’s no power source, I use my Bose S1-Pro+. To begin with, it’s super light, can be set at several different angles, and is very easy to use. The battery lasts about 11 hours (although I’ve never had to use it for more than 4), and the sound is surprisingly quite good for a small and portable amp. Also, you can plug in two microphones in this one, which, for me is a huge plus when I want to use a microphone for my guitar and another for vocals. (Good microphones always sound better than when you plug in so if you can use a mic. in your gig setting, do it!)
My only critique is that the sound, when plugged in, is a tiny bit processed which makes it sound a bit less natural for classical or flamenco guitar compared to the other two amps above. That said, the sound is much better when I use a mic., although, with this amplifier, you’re limited to a dynamic microphone only — no phantom power unless you use a mixer or phantom power supply. Despite, that, I still love it for its versatility. It’s hard to find a portable amp this powerful that sounds as good as this one.
SPECS
- 2 channels: 1/4” or XLR on each channel. (But no phantom power)
- Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity (up to 30 ft)
- 11-hour battery life
- 5-hour battery charge time
- E.Q. (Treble & Bass) with phone “Bose Music” app
- Onboard Reverb.
- Can pair via Bluetooth with a 2nd Bose amp!
- Watts: Unlisted, but seems to me like it’s more than 60.
- Weight: 14 lbs
- Dimensions: 13.1″D x 9.4″W x 11.0″D
BEST PROFESSIONAL “BUDGET” AMPLIFIER
Fishman Loudbox Mini BT 60-Watt Acoustic Combo ($399.95)
REVIEW
Fishman has done it again with an excellent “budget” amp for professional musicians. As a classical and flamenco guitarist, it’s hard to find a good amp that reproduces the sound of your guitar and despite its small size and very reasonable price, the Fishman Loudbox Mini definitely delivers.
As with all Fishman products, this one has a very natural and clean sound that, with a 60-watt output, makes it perfect for small and medium-sized gigs. If you don’t want to break the bank, but still get a high-quality amp, buy the Loudbox Mini.
Two minor downsides to this amp are that it doesn’t provide Phantom power, so if you use a condenser mic, you’ll either need to buy a separate mixer with Phantom power or an external Phantom power supply — — I recommend getting 48V of phantom power. For this amp, you can only use a dynamic mic which is perfectly fine for most settings if you use a good one!
The other downside is that you can only plug in a 1/4″ input in one channel and an XLR in the other. No problem if you want to use a dynamic mic for yourself and maybe have another musician plug in, but if you want to use a mic. for your guitar on one channel and a mic for vocals on another, you’ll need a mixer.
Again, considering the quality, those two downsides are pretty minor. This amp is still amazing!
SPECS
- 2 Channels: Channel 1 = 1/4″ & Channel 2 = XLR
- Onboard E.Q. for each channel.
- Onboard Reverb & Chorus Effects
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Weight: 21 lbs
- Dimensions: 12.0″H x 13.7″W x 9.7″D
BEST PRACTICE AMP
Fishman Loudbox Micro 40-Watt Acoustic Combo ($299.95)
REVIEW
I know this amp looks huge in the picture, but it’s actually really small and light! And despite it’s size, tone is surprisingly good for such a small amp, but obviously not as good as the more expensive Fishman amps above. In my case, the amp usually stays at home for practice (when plugging in) but there’s no reason you couldn’t use it on a gig (albeit a gig with fairly quiet background noise). I love this amp for practice and rehearsals. It’s small enough to tuck in a corner and when I need it for rehearsals outside of my studio, it’s no hassle at all to throw it (gently) in the back seat.
Yes, it’s $300, but for me, quality of sound is paramount for classical and flamenco guitar — even when plugged in. So I think it’s a good investment to get a good practice amp that at least comes close to the sound you’ll hear when playing live. That said, it doesn’t provide phantom power so you’ll need a dynamic mic. If you want to use a condenser mic, you’ll need an external phantom power supply or an external mixer with 48V or phantom power. This amp also only allows for 1 microphone and 1 1/4″ input, so if you want to use 2 mics., you’ll need the external mixer.
Think of this amp as either a really good practice amp or a great amp for smaller gigs.
PROS
- Channel 1 = XLR (w/ onboard reverb).
- Channel 2 = 1/4″ (w/ onboard reverb and chorus)
- Onboard E.Q. for each channel
- Weight: 9.1 lbs.
- Dimensions: 9.5″H x 10.4″W x 8.1″D
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