Learning to play electric guitar can be overwhelming at first. From learning basic guitar playing techniques to deciding what kind of guitar gear to buy, there’s just so many options to consider.

My advice is to start simple and not focus on buying expensive gear. Start with a small, budget friendly amplifier like the Vox Pathfinder 10 or the Fender Frontman 10G. A lot of people struggle with learning guitar at first, and many people don’t stick with playing, so you really don’t want to spend a lot of money at first on something you may not end up pursuing.

Both amplifiers are rated at 10 Watts RMS. This might not sound like much power, but they can be more than loud enough for bedroom practicing. They are very simple in terms of built in features, which is fine when starting out. They have a clean and overdrive channel, and basic EQ settings. In my opinion the Vox Pathfinder can provide better low end sounds with it’s larger overall cabinet size and footprint.

Let’s take a look at the specs and features of each amplifier in more detail and I’ll share my personal opinions about them at the end.

Vox Pathfinder 10

Let’s first take a look at the specs and features of the Vox Pathfinder 10. This is one of the lowest priced entry level amplifiers from Vox Amplification Ltd.

Official specs from Voxamps.com

OUTPUT POWER

10 Watts RMS
8 Ohms

SPEAKER

1 x 6.5″ Vox Bulldog

INPUTS

1 x Normal Input Jack

OUTPUTS

1 x Headphone/Line Out Jack

CONTROLS

Volume, Gain, Bass, Treble, Clean/Overdrive Switch

CIRCUITRY

Solid State

DIMENSION (W X D X H)

380 x 260 x 170 mm / 14.96 x 10.24 x 6.69 inches
4.8 kg / 10.58 lbs

Like most Vox amplifiers, the controls are located on top of the cabinet. Here is a top down view of the control layout. It has a pretty straight forward control setup and features a master volume as well as a separate gain control. There’s also a headphone/lineout if you were looking to play silently or connect out to an external sound source. There are separate clean and overdrive channels that accessed by pushing a small push/push button. For its size I found the amplifier had a fairly decent low end response. This may be in part due to the larger size and open back cabinet.

You can buy the Vox Pathfinder 10 online at these shops:

Fender Frontman 10G

Another similarly priced and sized amplifier is the Fender Frontman 10G. This is the Fender amplifier that you will typically find packaged with Fender’s Squier line of starter guitar bundle packs. As with most Fender amplifiers, the control panel is located on the top front section. Controls are similar to the Vox Pathfinder. It has two separate channels; clean and overdrive which are controlled by a push/push button located between the Gain and Volume buttons. One additional feature found on this amplifier in the AUX IN input jack. This allows you to connect an external audio source if you wished to play back against some of your own supplied music.

Here are some official Fender specs and features:

• 10 watts

• 6” Fender Special Design speaker

• Gain, volume, treble and bass controls

• Overdrive switch

• 1/8” auxiliary input and headphone output jacks

• Closed-back construction

You can buy the Fender Frontman 10G online at these shops:

My Thoughts

I’ve tried both amplifiers extensively and had time to try and dial in a tone I like on each from each. Overall I preferred the tones I was able to get from the Vox Pathfinder 10. A lot of that had to due with the low end tones that I mentioned a few times. It just has bigger sound when compared to the Fender Frontman 10G. I really didn’t find I was able to dial in a tone that I liked while using the Fender Frontman. I found the drive channel very lacking and fizzy sounding. Now that being said, tone is a personal taste and what sounds good to me may not sound good to you.

That being said, have a look at my comparison video. I run through all the settings and compare the tones of each amplifier. Hopefully this can help you decide which amplifier is a better choice for you.