PowerStage 200 is a compact 200-watt “pedal-sized” guitar amp designed for players looking for a powerful grab-and-go pedal amp for any gig, rehearsal, or studio session. The PS200 was created specifically for players who get their tone from modeling devices, stompboxes, or a combination of the two. It has all the features you need—reliability, clean power, switchable EQ, speaker simulation, Aux In, and headphone connectivity.
Like the PowerStage 170 and 700, the PowerStage 200 retains the hallmark characteristics of the PowerStage family—providing a platform that brings out the best qualities of your tone. Compact, clean, organic, and reliable power sits at the core of PowerStage family—once again, the PS200 delivers on that promise. Loud enough to match your drummer and fill a venue of just about any size, the PowerStage 200 provides clean, reliable amplification, and tons of headroom to let your pedals or modeler shine.
Like the PS170, we wanted to build a powerful pedal amp voiced specifically for guitar that players could mount directly on their pedalboard or toss in their gig bag. The width of the PS200 is about a thumb width larger than two standard pedals. A tube amp of similar power and wattage would require a second trip to your van and its own flight case. Moreover, the size of the PS200 makes fly dates a breeze and saves you money on cartage fees.
A clean (headroom) guitar amp is the best solution if you want to get the most from your pedals and modeling gear. Many tube amps break up too early, making it difficult to dial in a pristine, clean platform for your pedals (especially at higher volumes). Moreover, if you use modelers like a Kemper, Helix, or Axe FX, any unwanted distortion can ruin your carefully crafted patches. The PowerStage 200 addresses these concerns by providing you with 200 watts of crystal-clear power. But don’t get confused—crystal-clear power does not mean sterile or lacking in depth. The PS200 has a beautiful warmth and smoothness that will give you all the dimension and organic feel of a great tube amp.
Another challenge when using a tube amp is that they tend to have a certain “sweet spot” that you can only achieve at higher volumes. The PS200, however, has a rich tone throughout the entire volume range. So, from bedroom shredding to arena rocking, your tone will stay consistent without any loss in depth or warmth. Think of the PS200 as having one large sweet spot.
The PS200 features two ¼” speaker outputs, allowing you to run multiple cabinets. And, since impedance matching is done internally, you never have to worry about speaker impedance—just plug in and play.
The PS200 is slightly more powerful than the PS170 and differs a bit in its feature set. After listening to our customers and consulting with many of the biggest names in the industry, we narrowed down a feature set for the PS200 that is simple but flexible. We noticed that many guitar players perform in a variety of unpredictable venues. To minimize uncertainty, we included a cab sim (4×12 closed-back) with a DI (XLR) output jack. You can send your tone to front of house or to a monitoring system free of mic bleed or unwanted noise typical in traditional mic setups. What you get is your pure tone in any environment.
We included independent bypass switches for both the cab sim and EQ. This feature makes silent recording more flexible. When you bypass the cab sim you can use your own cab sim or IR device, which can expand your pallet of great cab tones to pair with the PS200. Bypassing the EQ section, you can pass the tonal shaping duties off to your modeling device or preferred EQ shaping tool.
To bring out more high-end sparkle we added a presence control giving you a total of 4 bands of EQ on the PS200. The presence knob is also a great tool to tame any harsh digital artifacts found in some modelers.
Aux In allows you to jam along with drum grooves, backing tracks, or your favorite albums while practicing at home or in a hotel room on the road. Just plug in your music player or computer audio and practice silently with full, speaker-emulated tone. Aux In is also a great tool during rehearsals when you need to review a part or practice without disturbing your band mates. The ¼” headphone jack has its own volume control located on the top of the amp.
The PowerStage 200—compact, musical power for pedals, modelers, and much more.
Like our award-winning pedals, the PowerStage 200 is designed and assembled at our Santa Barbara, California, factory by the same team responsible for our legendary pickups.
