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New to this? Read How to Choose a Guitar Amp: Complete Beginner’s Guide first for the basics, then use the picks below.
The best way to practice electric guitar silently is a plug-in headphone amp that connects straight to your guitar’s jack, such as the Fender Mustang Micro Plus. It models amps and effects, includes a tuner and streams backing tracks over Bluetooth. Add closed-back headphones and you can play at any hour without disturbing anyone.
A headphone amp guitar rig is a tiny modeling amp that plugs into your guitar and sends the sound to headphones. It uses the same digital modeling we explain in our guitar amp modeling guide, shrunk down to the size of a cable plug.
I’ve picked the six best headphone amp guitar options for different budgets, from a $40 amPlug to wireless BOSS headphones. Want more control and stomp switching? The best amp modeler pedals also work with headphones. If you’d rather play through a laptop, see our Neural Amp Modeler guide.
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Best Headphone Amps for Guitar: Quick Picks
| Pick | Who it’s for | Skip it if | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fender Mustang Micro Plus | Best headphone amp for guitar overall | You want the cheapest option | Check price on Amazon |
| BOSS Katana:GO | Best for Katana tones and bass players | You want a built-in screen | Check price on Amazon |
| NUX Mighty Plug Pro | Best value with IR support | You want simple on-device controls | Check price on Amazon |
| Vox amPlug 3 AC30 | Best budget plug in headphone amp | You want many amp sounds | Check price on Amazon |
| BOSS Waza-Air | Best wireless headphone amp | You’re on a budget | Check price on Amazon |
| Valeton GP-5 | Best pedal-style option for headphones | You want something that plugs straight into the guitar | Check price on Amazon |
The 6 Best Headphone Amp Guitar Picks Reviewed
1. Fender Mustang Micro Plus – Best headphone amp for guitar overall
The Mustang Micro Plus is the headphone amp I’d recommend to most players. It packs 25 amp models and 25 effects, 100 preset slots, a built-in display and tuner, Bluetooth audio streaming and USB recording into a plug that rotates to fit most guitars.