Yamaha is known for quality music gear like guitars, amps, keyboards, and more. And Yamaha THR30 guitar amplifier is one of their most popular products.
It’s a small guitar practice amp that also can be used for recording. Has some cool features such as a Bluetooth connection, built-in effects, and various amp sounds.
Today, I am going to review the second iteration of the famous THR30 model and will tell you my honest opinion.
Design
I always start my amp reviews with design and overall aesthetic. I love when a product has a slick design. And Yamaha THR30 is a beautiful piece of gear.
It has a very modern yet classic design with cool little ornament details. But in general, it’s a minimalistic-looking guitar amp.
The color of the front panel is cream and has Y-shaped ornaments that look awesome.
The back of the THR30 is very minimalistic. Black closed-back design with I/O for USB, power supply, and line in and out.
Every control like effects, amps, etc is on the top of the amplifier. It’s a very good layout that makes it easy to work with the amp.
Also, I like the rectangular shape of the amp. It’s a small and portable amp. In general, I am very satisfied with the overall design and have no complaints.
Amp Models
For me, in modeling amps, the amount of amp sounds is very important. And THR30 by Yamaha offers a very diverse range of amp sounds.
First of all, a great feature is that this amplifier works with electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and bass guitar. That’s already a plus.
Secondly, you have the option to choose between five different amp models:
- Clean
- Crunch
- Lead
- Hi-Gain
- Special
This means that you can play any style of music you want. Yamaha THR30 is a very versatile guitar modeling amplifier in that regard.
But that’s not all. Additionally, you can change the type of amp sounds. It has three modes – modern, boutique, and classic. Each mode adds a different flavor to the guitar tone.
The number of sound features and versatility make Yamaha THR30 a great recording modeling amp.
Effects
Regarding built-in effects, the THR30 amplifier may not be as versatile as other amps, but it offers everything you need.
The number of effects is great, but tweaking the settings is not as convenient as in Boss Katana 50 for example.
Yamaha THR30 has two control knobs for effects – one is for modulation and the second one controls the delay and reverb.
You can choose an effect and control only the amount of effect. So, it has some limitations like you can’t use two modulation effects together and things like that.
In general, if you use it for practice or even recording, it will handle the job. But having more options to tweak effects is always good.
How Does Yamaha THR30 Sound?
Now, let’s talk about the most important thing in modeling or other types of guitar amps. The sound.
That’s where I have some issues. I’m not telling that it sounds bad but I was expecting more. All I’m saying is that I’m not as satisfied as I thought I would be.
The interesting thing is that heavy tones sound better than clean tones. And in general, it’s the opposite in many modeling amps.
I like the dirty and heavy tones. They are rich-sounding, very organic, and can be used for metal music.
But I don’t like clean tones. Maybe it’s just me but for me, the sound of a clean tone is very flat and thin. It almost has no bass in it.
And I don’t love the thin sound. I love when the clean tone is rich and full. And THR30’s clean tones do not sound good to my ears.
In amp modes, I like classic and modern but the boutique is not that good. It has a somewhat digital sound.
I also played bass guitar and acoustic guitar with THR30. The Bass sounds decent and no complaints there.
And the acoustic guitar tones were the best in my opinion. This is a great amplifier for acoustic guitar. You should try it.
So, The amp sounds very decent overall. And can be used as a practice amp or you can use it to record tracks.
But I can say the opposite for effects because they are superb. I liked every effect sound whether it was a modulation, reverb, or delay.
Also, it has a few different delay and reverb types which is a good option to have. And all of them sound awesome.
Features
Featurewise THR30 by Yamaha is a great amplifier. And that’s why I decided to review it.
First of all, this is a 30-watt amplifier with two 3.5″ speakers which is a great feature to have.
In total it offers fifteen different amp tones, three bass amps, and three acoustic guitar amplifiers. Also, quite a few excellent effects.
This is a wireless guitar amplifier with a Bluetooth connection. Comes with a mobile app that allows you to tweak the amp even more.
If you want to use THR30 for recording, there is good news. The amp comes with a free Cubase AI digital audio workstation. It makes it easy to record your riffs or song ideas.
Yamaha THR30 has an option for AUX-in, headphone output, a USB connection, and a built-in tuner. Also, you can control delay time with a tap button.
And one of my favorite features is User Memory. It allows you to save five user-created presets. It’s always a great option to have.
The preamp is standard with EQ, gain, and master. And has two separate output level control – one for instrument and one for audio. This is a unique feature.
The amp works with a 15V DC power supply but also includes a rechargeable battery. So, you can take this amp with you anywhere you go. And because it’s a small amplifier, it’s very convenient to carry.
Final Thoughts
And now about my final opinion. I think that Yamaha THR30 is a great amplifier for practicing. You can play any style of music, use different effects, save presets, and so on. And it can be used for recording too. But, I think that the sound quality is not that great. Perhaps it is not a problem if you just want to practice or have fun. But for recording, I think it will work with just demos.
Also, the price tag is a little high in my opinion. There are other modeling amplifiers that cost less and offer better sound quality and feature too. So, if you are interested in buying THR30, I recommend you first play and test it. Especially if you mostly use clean guitar tones.