PowerStage 170 Pedal Board Amp - Compact Guitar Amplifier, Perfect for Recording in Studio or Live Performances

I've had this amp for about a week, now, and have used it in as many ways as I can think of. It is not exactly a full range flat response amp. It's not exactly a stand alone clean guitar amp. What it is good at, is amplifying your pedal board or modeler. Your sound will be those sounds. It takes quite a bit of tweaking your pedals or modelers to get the exact tones you want, but worth the time. I had been using a 100 watt Marshall DSL and a Vox NightTrain 15 with my pedals and was used to the sound. With the PowerStage, it is different because the amp doesn't add much of its own sound. You have to tweak the pedals or modelers to do that. After a week of adjusting and listening and recording and listening again; then playing songs, it sounds really good. It gets 95% of the Marshall and Vox sound. That's close enough, given the weight savings. It's 2 # vs. 53# for the Marshall and 17# for the Vox. I'll be able to carry the amp, modeler, a 1x12 cab and a guitar into a gig in one trip. With an 8 ohm cab, it puts out 85 watts, not quite as much as the Marshall, but very loud. I haven't gigged with it yet, but expect it to work for most of my venues; with no back pain. If I use my 8 ohm 1x12 and my 16 ohm 1x12 in parallel, that's 5.3 ohms and the output will be about 128 watts. It's rated at 170 watts into 4 ohms. I'm happy.

I'm using this in combination with a Boss ME-90 and a Mesa Thiele 1X12 cab. It sounds amazing! I play jazz and using the tweed Bassman amp sim, I have the roundest, warmest tone I've ever had. (I've never played through a real tweed Bassman, so I can't attest to the accuracy). The noise floor is very low. There is some noise from the fan, but it wouldn't be noticeable in a band situation. Sound wise, I'm guessing this thing would be equally usable for any genre. I've found a great setup for clean, warm and round, but I think it would be easy enough to make it a lot more in-your-face. I've only used it at home, so the volume really hasn't gone above noon, but I do believe it could easily hang with a band. Even through a 1X12, this thing generates some serious volume. The EQ section is very usable. Set all the knobs to noon, dial in the tone you want on your modeller or other preamp-type-thing and then use the Powerstage's EQ to tune to the room or to suit whatever cabinet you're using. If you're a modeller or profiler player, this is a great thing to have. You can use any cabinet. (4-16 ohms). Even if you're not, this thing makes an ultra portable backup amp. One of these on your pedal board or in your gig bag could save a gig.

As someone who uses mostly pedals to get their desired tone, buying this was a no-brainer. It is very small and powerful. 170 watts is more power than you'll ever need (volume knob rarely ever goes past noon for band practice) and the three band eq opens up more possibilities to get your desired tone. Despite the eq, keep in mind that it is not a preamp and you will either need a preamp pedal or modler to get the best use out of it.

First, this is a fantastic product - when it's working. Also, SD customer support is top-notch, and has been responsive in communicating and assisting with the issues I've encountered. Unfortunately, I have to give this bottom marks, since I've gone through three units (actually, two - one was repaired and, when the fault reoccurred, was replaced). I've run this through a simple 1x12 cabinet (Mesa Lone Star 23) and various pedal setups (Fractal FX8, various other OD/compressor/reverb/etc.), and each time, the unit eventually stops working and starts emitting a clicking sound - on average, this has taken about 4 - 6 months of regular use before faulting. Moreover, this has happened twice during live performances, which is...unfortunate. The third time, which occurred last weekend, is the final straw. SD has reassured me that my cabinet/pedal setup should be no problem, since it's well below the range of what this can technically handle. However, this is an unreliable product that, despite its awesome performance, needs to be recognized. Sorry, SD - I still love you guys!

To anyone curious this is more than enough power with a Helix HX stomp and a cab to keep up and blow away the rest of the band. I was only running g this at 1/4 volume in both practice and live setting with plenty of volume left if needed.

This is perfect for running an axe fx to a 4x12 or 2x12. I throw it in my guitar bag. Such a great little amp

First off, I am writing an initial review after a few hours of use at home. I plan to write up a follow up to this review after use in a band setting. initial reaction is: This little amp is a beast. The volume output is tremendous. I was expecting less, I got more. paired with my Bogner 212 cab, this thing shakes the house without ever getting past noon on the volume dial. I think this will be more than enough power for my rehearsals with the band. The tone is high headroom clean tone. Thats it. It's a great start for any modeling rig or pedal board rig. Make sure you are turning off your cab simulators or IRs when running into this and into a guitar cab. This is mean to be a power amp for a guitar speaker, don't double down with an IR or cab sim, you don't need it.

Just what the dr ordered for my Line 6 Helix paired with my Marshall 1960 cabinet. Great power for studio and live play alike. Super happy!!

Compré uno. Salió defectuoso al primer día de uso. La compra fue de alguno de los revendedores en Amazon. Después de reenviar el paquete, Amazon tardó casi un mes en hacer la devolución, tuve que llamar a servicio al cliente quienes fueron hasta eso muy amables. Volví a comprarlo pero esta vez directamente de Amazon y no he tenido problema alguno. Lo uso con un Quadcortex y solo es cuestión de ecualizar bien el aparato y también el modelador. Sugiero no tener miedo a subir los agudos y medios si suena acartonado. Toco en una banda de metal y hasta hoy no he requerido subir más de la mitad de su output. Experiencia de compra 5/10 Experiencia de uso 9/10

I wanted a smaller-format power amp, as my Matrix GT800FX is rack-mounted. This is fantastic - very clean, tons of headroom, and wonderfully transparent. Used with Helix, AxeFX II, and Quad Cortex rigs... and loving every minute. Plugs directly into a 1x12 cab loaded with a 16-ohm Eminence Cannabis Rex, and it drives it like Tiger Woods in a red shirt (minus the infidelity). Did I mention it's plenty loud? If you have a question: visit their website, and deal with your inquiry like an adult. This is just my two cents, and it's hardly worth a penny. But this amp? Definitely worth all 63500 pennies I paid for it. Thanks Bezos!

Excelente para quem utiliza todos os amps, preamp, IRs e timbres na pedaleira. Só plugar da potência e na cabine que estiver disponivel que seu timbre está garantido em qualquer lugar. Produto de ótima qualidade, não preciso levar amps ou FRFR para garantir o timbre.

I use it with a 2x12 Orange Cab and it works exactly as expected. Plenty of power