The Best Amp for Post Rock | 4 Options for All Your Ambient Tones 2024

Are you looking for the perfect amp to create your post rock soundscapes? Are you after a setup that can capture every nuance within your compositions? 

Whether for recording, gigging, or at-home practice, having the right amplifier will help you bring out all of the ambient tones that make post rock dynamic and emotional. 

In this blog post, we’ll explore four different options and discuss why they could be an excellent choice for any post rock guitarist looking to write some fantastic compositions. 

Let’s begin!

The Best Amps for Post Rock at a Glance 2024

1. Fender ’65 Twin Reverb (Editor’s Choice)
2. Roland Jazz Chorus (Runner-Up)
3. Yamaha THR30 (Best for Apartment Recording)
4. Boss Katana (Best Value for Money)

If you’re looking for the quintessential sparkly, dynamic, clean sound found on Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and This Will Destroy You, look no further than a Fender ’65 Twin Reverb.

The Fender Twin is a classic guitar amp that ticks all the boxes for the best amplifier for post rock music.

There is heaps of headroom in this amp which allows you to keep your tone clean and pristine at loud volumes and never get drowned out by your drummer in practice or gigs. The two 12-inch speakers also give you more flexibility and sonic textures for your stereo modulation pedals.

With delay and reverb being a big part of the post rock sound, it’s a huge benefit to have the stereo effect fully realized in this combo amplifier. With some of the other options on this list, you will be limited to a single speaker or purchase a head version with a speaker cab to get the same benefit.

While the Fender ’65 is a great guitar amp for clean tones, you can still use it for more aggressive fuzz and distortion sounds that are often used for the climatic moments in post rock stuff.

There are two channels in the Fender Twin. The first channel is a streamlined channel with two inputs and EQ. This channel is excellent for using guitar pedals to shape the sound or using as the channel you push the 6L6 power tubes into gritty distortion.

The second channel is where all the post rock magic lives on the Twin. This channel features built-in vibrato and reverb, which can be used to dial in the perfect ambient and dreamy tones post rock is known for.

With these two channels, you can use a footswitch to flip between the two and achieve the dynamic push from clean to gritty with the amp itself. However, as mentioned earlier, the predictable high headroom of this guitar amp makes it fantastic for using any pedals you want.

Suppose the natural tube breakup isn’t what you’re after, and you need to get more muscle out of the amp. In that case, you can throw all types of distortion pedals into the signal chain of this amp without it choking out your tone.

The amazing design of this amp will let you get whatever guitar sounds you can think of, and it won’t hold you back from creative exploration.

While there is little to fault the Fender Twin for, it isn’t without its drawbacks for some guitar players. It’s expensive, and with the modeling amps becoming so affordable and great sounding, you can often get a similar tone without paying a premium.

Also, this guitar amp is very loud. If you’re looking for something that will make a great practice or recording amp for your home studio, this amp may get you in trouble with your roommates and neighbors.

Oh yeah, it’s also heavy.

If you’re in a post rock band playing shows and want the best post rock tone that stays dynamic, clean, and takes pedals well, then you owe it to yourself to seriously consider the Fender ’65 Twin Reverb. You will find the tone instantly recognizable and inspiring for all your post rock jams.

Suppose you’re looking for the pristine cleans, stereo speaker setup, built-in effects, and modulation similar to the Fender Twin but want something more affordable and easy to maintain. In that case, you must check out the Roland Jazz Chorus, a legendary solid-state amp.

This amplifier series features a single-channel stereo output. It’s famous for having one of the purest clean tones that make a perfect jazz or indie rock amp, especially post rock amp.

Being a solid-state amp, there are no pre-amp or power tubes. Instead, they use transistors which tend don’t overload and compress/distort the amplified signal as easily. This produces an amplifier that stays loud and clean and allows you to shape your tones with pedals and other external effects.

The Roland Jazz Chorus has some tricks up its sleeve with a built-in stereo bucket brigade chorus, reverb, and distortion (distortion only on the JC-40 & JC-120 models). This will give you easy access to fantastic modulation effects that take your post rock tone to unique and exciting places.

What I like about the Roland JC series is they have an amp for every use case. If you are playing live and need something to project over a drummer, you have the JC-120. If you need an excellent stage amp that will be mic’d or something for the studio, the JC-40 will have less output power but give you the same tone in a smaller package.

Then you have the JC-22, which is affordable, lightweight, and makes for a great practice and at-home recording amplifier.

The Jazz Chorus does have pristine cleans. However, with solid-state amps, some players may find it a little sterile sounding. This becomes more evident with distorted tones as this sound can feel a bit “fizzy” to some.

If you’re looking for a reliable amplifier that gives you the flexibility and pure, clean tones you want for dynamic and emotional post rock tunes, then the Roland Jazz Chorus series is a great option.

There’s something charming about the Yamaha THR30 amp. It looks like an old-time radiator and can be unassumingly placed wherever in the house because it seems un-amp-like.

However, this mini amplifier is a fantastic option for guitar players who don’t want to sacrifice tone but keep a good relationship with their neighbors, roommates, and family members (soundproof panels don’t stop sound from leaving a room).

The THR30 is a battery-operated, wireless guitar amp (you’ll need to purchase a Line 6 Relay G10T Transmitter for wireless capability). It features 15 amp models and built-in effects controlled onboard and with an app.

You can stream music directly into the dual 3.5” speakers so you can practice for your live gig or recording session on the fly.

Yamaha has knocked it out of the park with the realistic tube amp tones you can get out of this amp, and for post rock artists, you will find it easy to get the tones you’re after with the clean tone settings.

Suppose you want to use this as for remote recording sessions or a small home studio amp. In that case, you have stereo outputs that you can plug directly into your audio interface. While you will get a decent sound, you will have to do some post-processing EQing as the recorded signal can be pretty pokey in the higher midrange.

Another challenge of this amp is the very quiet output of the amplifier. You can talk over this thing; it doesn’t push a lot of air. So if you want to feel your tone, this amp may not give you what you’re after.

If you’re a guitar player with an established band, but live in a small apartment (or share thin walls), then the Yamaha THR30 is an excellent amp for you. It has a small footprint, looks good lying around your home, and retains all the tube-like goodness you want from your main performance amp.

The battery-operated and wireless connectivity add to the convenience of this package. The THR30 should be a go-to amp for any tone-discerning player who plays dynamic and emotional music like post rock.

Today, you don’t need to invest in an expensive tube amp and a slew of pedals to craft the perfect post rock tone for your bands. Modeling amps have found a place in many advanced guitarists’ rigs for their portability, flexibility, and built-in effects.

One of the front-runners in modeling amp technology is the Boss Katana.

The Katana is a solid-state amplifier with 4 electric guitar amp models, EQ, built-in Boss Effects, and additional tone controls. You can get an excellent clean tone or post rock no matter your amp model. Also, say goodbye to having to lug around a big pedalboard and a slew of cables.

The 60 built-in effects in the Katana sound tremendous and will allow you to dress your guitar tones to wherever your creativity and inspiration take you. If you want big, lush, ambient delays with some subtle chorus, no problem. Want to have every gain and distortion pedal under the sun for climatic moments and post hardcore flavor…done.

On top of all this, you can take advantage of stereo effects by using the speaker cab expansion (only on the 100 and Artist versions). You could also hook up another Katana and expand your sonic palette by connecting one to the other. There’s also a speaker cab simulation output for silent recording or to plug into a live board and monitor with in-ears and remove stage volume.

Even if you own the perfect live amp for your post rock band, the Boss Katana should still be considered for your rig. Because of the silent headphone jack and the wattage control, you have everything you need for a premium practice amp.

The flexibility and scope of the Boss Katana are immense, and it’s worth reading a dedicated product page to see all this can do.

The bottom line is if you’re looking for the best value-for-money package that will fuel your creativity, the Boss Katana is a no-brainer choice.

The Bottom Line

Many great guitar amps have been left out of this list. However, if you’re looking for an amplifier to help bring your post rock compositions to life, any of the amps mentioned in this article would be a great choice.

Each one captures the nuance and dynamics in its unique yet essential way. They are also relatively easy to find and try at your local music stores.

Thank you for taking the time to spend some time here on Song Production Pros.

Happy music making!