The Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head is a Suhr amplifier, currently around $2299. Close alternatives include the Marshall JVM Series JVM205H and the Bad Cat Ocelot. It pairs well with the Suhr Shiba Drive and the Cusack Music Screamer.
Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head
Suhr · amplifier
The Suhr PT15 I.R. is Pete Thorn's compact 15-watt signature head with a built-in reactive load and impulse-response cabinet simulation for silent direct recording. Two channels cover pristine cleans and a tight, modern rock high gain, and the onboard IR loader and DI make it a complete record-ready rig in a small, portable package.
What stands out
“modern rock high gain”
— from the listing
“is Pete Thorn's compact 15-watt signature head with a built-in reactive load and impulse-response cabinet simulation for silent direct recording”
— from the listing
“for combining genuinely good clean and high-gain tube tones with an onboard reactive load and IR-based DI, making it a portable, complete recording solution that also drives a real cab”
— from the community notes
“two channels cover pristine cleans and a tight”
— from the listing
“The silent-recording capability is the standout”
— from the community notes
- high gain
- silent
- di
- clean
- tight
- direct recording
- versatile tones
- silent recording
Good for
- Live
- Silent Recording
- Studio
- Practice
Price updated Oct 24, 2026
Genres the Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head is commonly used in
- Rock
- Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Djent
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head
Suhr Shiba Drive
Suhr
17% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → mid-forward)
Suhr Shiba Drive pushes a high gain tone toward mid-forward
Goes in front of the amp
Cusack Music Screamer
Cusack Music
16% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → mid-forward)
Feed a high gain signal into Cusack Music Screamer and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Goes in front of the amp
Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive
Keeley
16% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → mid-forward)
Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive takes that high gain character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Goes in front of the amp
Keeley Dyno My Roto
Keeley
16% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → modulated)
Run Keeley Dyno My Roto after Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head in the signal chain, clear of Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head's own gain stage
Goes in front of the amp
Fender Marine Layer Reverb
Fender
14% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → ambient)
Put Fender Marine Layer Reverb in Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head's effects loop, clear of Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Horizon Devices Flux Echo
Horizon Devices
14% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → lush)
Run Horizon Devices Flux Echo in Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head's effects loop, clear of Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Wampler Ego Compressor
pedal
10% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
What Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head brings here leans toward high gain — that's worth building a pairing around
Goes in front of the amp
MXR CAE Wah
MXR
tonal matchGoes in front of the amp
MXR CAE Wah belongs in front of Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head, since a wah tracks picking dynamics best on the raw signal
Cheaper alternatives
Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister 18
Hughes & Kettner
58% similarityShared character: recording, standout, high gain settings
Hughes & Kettner Spirit of Vintage Nano
Hughes & Kettner
53% similarityShared character: recording, clean
Revv Generator G25 25W Tube Amp Head
Revv
52% similarityShared character: recording, response, high gain settings
Peavey Invective 120
Peavey
48% similarityShared character: two channels, response, high gain settings
Mesa Boogie Rectifier Badlander EL84/25 Head
Mesa Boogie
48% similarityShared character: two channels, high gain settings, clean
Blackstar HT-1RH MkIII
Blackstar
46% similarityShared character: recording, response, high gain settings
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar character
Marshall JVM Series JVM205H
Marshall
43% similarityShared character: recording, high gain settings, clean
Bad Cat Ocelot
Bad Cat
42% similarityShared character: recording, response, high gain settings
Mesa Boogie Rectifier Badlander EL34/100 Head
Mesa Boogie
41% similarityShared character: two channels, high gain settings, clean
Blackstar 1RH MKII
Blackstar
91% similaritysimilar tone character
Marshall DSL1HR
Marshall
91% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head?+
The closest matches in character are the Marshall JVM Series JVM205H, the Bad Cat Ocelot, the Mesa Boogie Rectifier Badlander EL34/100 Head. Budget picks: Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister 18, Hughes & Kettner Spirit of Vintage Nano, Revv Generator G25 25W Tube Amp Head. Boutique upgrades: Soldano SLO 100R.
What pairs well with the Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Suhr Shiba Drive, Cusack Music Screamer, Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive — Suhr Shiba Drive pushes a high gain tone toward mid-forward.
How much does the Suhr PT15 I.R. Amplifier Head cost?+
Around $2299 (live listing price, updated Oct 24, 2026).