In regards to their sound, guitar amps tend to be categorised into one of two groups - British or American. These represent the trademark voicing of some of the most iconic tube amp manufacturers and their country of origin. It’s important to understand the characteristics of these two groups as even non-tube amps will often refer to their style of sound using one of these terms. “American” mostly refers to a Fender-style amp, often the Fender Twin model. These amps offer the ability to drive the amp without tube distortion, giving you louder, well rounded clean sounds. Fender also built the Tweed, which has a very raw quality as well as the Deluxe and Princeton which breakup nicely but are great for clean sounds too.
The big two British names are Marshall and Vox. Marshall is known for its “High-Powered” British sound. This distinctive, heavily saturated crunch tone was the driving force behind many ‘70s and ‘80s heavy rock bands. Vox amps, on the other hand, are celebrated for their glassy style clean sounds. There are exceptions to the rule, but generally deciding what style of “voice” appeals to you will help you narrow your options when choosing an amp. A lot of modern digital amps will include multiple, switchable voicings, modeled after the classics. So you can have a variety of amp styles in the one unit.