Reverb's best selling amps 2023

NelsonP

A victory for modelling?

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/reverb-best-selling-amps-2023

StefB

A victory for home playing I'd say.

If using that list as a benchmark, no-one (or no new amp purchasers at least) plays live any more, with the arguable exception of numbers 6, 14, 16 & 17.

Whistler

Reverb's overall best-selling amps of 2023

1. Positive Grid Spark 40
2. Boss Katana-50 MkII
3. Yamaha THR30II-WL
4. Orange Micro Dark
5. Fender Rumble 40 V3
6. Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb
7. Kemper Amps Profiler Stage
8. Boss KTN-MINI Katana Mini
9. Boss Katana-100 MkII
10. Orange Terror Stamp
11. Yamaha THR10II
12. Orange Super Crush 100
13. Orange MT20 Micro Terror
14. PRS MT 15 Mark Tremonti
15. Fender Rumble 100 V3
16. Fender Blues Junior III
17. Marshall Studio Vintage SV20H MKII
18. Orange Crush CR35RT
19. Fender Rumble 25 V3
20. Fender Mustang LT25

Nerine

It's no surprise that most of that list is populated by products that are a "do it all" type of thing. 

If I was going to analyse it, I'd say there are either:

A. A lot of people just hobbying at home.
B. Players just starting out etc so wanted the best "bang for the buck" or the most versatility and options so they can explore sounds and effects etc. 
C. Players that already have live rigs, but want something smaller for rehearsals or home practice.

There will always be a bigger market for A Boss Katana than there is a Bartel or Victoria for example. A beginner isn't even going to be aware of boutique brands etc. and was likely sold whatever their local Guitar Centre or Sweetwater rep told them to get or what their friends in a similar position bought. 

I have a Two Rock. I have a 2203 too. I also bought a line 6 Catalyst recently. In my case this was for option C (and because it cost less than the price of a half decent overdrive pedal). Realistically it could have been any of the Yamaha, Boss or Positive Grid stuff on that list. It's all very much much of a muchness. It fills a need that most players have in some way, but will likely eventually become e-waste at some point. Almost the same as X-Boxes and PS5's etc. 

I'm surprised the TMDR is that high on the list. Same with the SV20. 

I think that's evidence of both Fender and Marshall both knocking it out of the park with those lines. 

thecolourbox

I suppose though Reverb are mostly only dealing with second hand amps, so it also suggests that the ones sold the most could also be the ones bought, tried and flipped on? 

motorhead

According to statistics (yeah, I know), 10% of the world's population have had a go at playing guitar. So about 700 million people. According to more statistics, 90% gave up within 4 months. Even if the rest stuck with it, that's 70 million of us persisting to some degree. So, for sure, home players are the majority. And at last there is an amplification option that doesn't involve a hissing crackling space heater that wakes the street at anything past 2%.

Personally, I wouldn't be betting on big growth in the vacuum tube market.

Danny1969

There’s a big market in smallish digital amps . Personally I’m not a fan of any off the ones I’ve heard but I get why people buy them. 

The only thing that’s really changing though is the modeling  in the actual DSP part. The basic switch mode power supply, class D amplifier and speaker  is tech that’s been around for nearly 30 years now. 

So I still think, for the home market  a basic amp with a receptacle that lets you plug in a DSP block has a definite future .. and then maybe there would be best selling DSP blocks in as much as there are bestselling pedals now et cetera. 

As the block only really needs a connector for power and  in out, some AD and DA conveyors and a general purpose DSP chip this is something that could easily be fabricated on a pick and place machine for relative peanuts.  

Valve amps  will die out as they  use way too much electric for their rated power output but I will be hanging on and using mine for as long as possible

Gassage

I simply feel sorry for kids growing up with modelling stuff.

It takes so much out of the organic journey of loud hot tubes and the exploration of effect possibility.

It's like choosing vaping over a Marlboro red or drinking 0% beer when there's Bathams on tap.

mo6020

Gassage said:

I simply feel sorry for kids growing up with modelling stuff.

It takes so much out of the organic journey of loud hot tubes and the exploration of effect possibility.

It's like choosing vaping over a Marlboro red or drinking 0% beer when there's Bathams on tap.

I'm always wary of sounding like "old man shouts at cloud" but yeh, I wholeheartedly agree.

Kids today will never know the joys of dragging a 2203 and 4x12 up 2 flights of stairs to play in shitty 200 capacity clubs. I say that only partially tongue in cheek.

theatreanchor

Gassage said:

I simply feel sorry for kids growing up with modelling stuff.

It takes so much out of the organic journey of loud hot tubes and the exploration of effect possibility.

It's like choosing vaping over a Marlboro red or drinking 0% beer when there's Bathams on tap.

Nah. This is bollocks. Who cares who plays what. It’s about the playing. As long as people are playing it doesn’t matter what they’re playing. 

It’s like comparing vinyl and streaming. The music is still the same. 

Winny_Pooh

1. " Kemper Amps Profiler Stage"

This isn't even an amp, it's a floor board modeller. 

That list is not surprising... and TBF alot of those will sound better than most of the crappy budget 1x8" practice amps of yore.
The Roland cube's and Fenders with DSP effects used to be good before full on modelling.

The tonemaster is quite a hit. The profit margin must be massive on those for Fender and they don't even sound that great. 

The Thomann, Guitar centre & sweetwater lists would be of interest too. 

thecolourbox

Gassage said:

I simply feel sorry for kids growing up with modelling stuff.

It takes so much out of the organic journey of loud hot tubes and the exploration of effect possibility.

It's like choosing vaping over a Marlboro red or drinking 0% beer when there's Bathams on tap.

I'm not sure I agree. Modelling has been around the whole time I've been playing and only since I've committed fully to using it has my music (writing and playing) increased to a level I'm largely happy with. I don't enjoy loud noises, and i'm not a big guy so small light and compact units which cover all the sounds I need and let me just get on with playing without killing my ears so I'll still be able to hear when I'm older, are all good in my book. I'd wager they would probably use less power for the same end result as well.

But then I don't smoke or vape or really drink very much at all either, give me a box of Guylian seashells and a glass of Vimto and I'd be much happier than with smelly cigarettes or beer

distressed

mo6020 said:

I'm always wary of sounding like "old man shouts at cloud" but yeh, I wholeheartedly agree.

Kids today will never know the joys of dragging a 2203 and 4x12 up 2 flights of stairs to play in shitty 200 capacity clubs. I say that only partially tongue in cheek.

I'm pretty sure there is (at least) steady number of kids doing it the old fashioned way.

The growing number of sold modellers (and guitars in general, as discussed recently on another topic) is simply due to increasing number of collectors and home players. Decent gear was never more affordable.

JezWynd

Winny_Pooh said:

The tonemaster is quite a hit. The profit margin must be massive on those for Fender and they don't even sound that great. 

Fender are masters of selling the same old stuff in a slightly different guise with increased profit margins.

mo6020

distressed said:

The growing number of sold modellers (and guitars in general, as discussed recently on another topic) is simply due to increasing number of collectors and home players. Decent gear was never more affordable.

This is certainly true. 

ICBM

Danny1969 said:

Valve amps  will die out as they  use way too much electric for their rated power output but I will be hanging on and using mine for as long as possible

I've said this before I know, but... yes and no. If you're comparing *power*, valve amps are inefficient. But if you're comparing *volume*, it's not so clear. If it takes a 100W Class D/SMPS amp which draws 120W to produce the same volume in a band mix as a 15W valve amp which draws 90W, which is the more efficient? (Yes, it depends on the time spent at those levels too - but overall, I suspect it's much closer than you would think.)

Even knowing this, having just bought a 50W valve bass amp, I was surprised that it's louder than a 500W SMPS/Class D through the same cab, and - even more remarkably - almost as loud as a 450W linear/Class AB. OK, the valve amp isn't completely clean at that volume, but even given that I would never have believed that a 50W valve bass amp would be loud enough, before I tried it... but it is.

I think the thing that will kill off valve amps isn't efficiency, but convenience. For most home players, valve amps are too big, too heavy, "too loud" - something I don't agree with, but I understand a lot of people think so, or more importantly often need other gear to get the type of overdriven sounds many players want at home-friendly volumes - too expensive, have maintenance issues etc.