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How Positive Grid's REACTOR is supercharging the amp modeler and opening up more possibilities for tone creation – without leaving the traditional amplifier behind
There’s no shortage of ways to build a guitar tone in 2026. Between digital modeling, plugins, pedals, and increasingly sophisticated amp platforms, guitarists have more sounds at their fingertips than ever. The problem, of course, is that having more options doesn’t always make finding the right sound any easier.
That’s where Positive Grid’s new REACTOR intelligent guitar combo amp takes a different approach.
Available in 50W and 100W versions, REACTOR is a 1x12” combo designed to deliver the immediacy of a traditional guitar amp while adding a new way to create and shape tones via its dedicated app. Rather than simply scrolling through presets and tweaking parameters until you get somewhere close, REACTOR lets you start with an idea and build from there.
At its core is Positive Grid’s Amp Intelligence technology, which the company says has decoded more than 200 amplifier designs at the circuit level, analyzing elements including gain stages, transformers, bias points, and harmonic response. The idea is to retain the dynamic, responsive qualities guitarists expect from a real amp while opening up considerably more possibilities for tone creation.
And crucially, you don’t have to sacrifice hands-on control to get there. The REACTOR’s top panel gives players direct access to the essentials, including Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble and Master controls, alongside dedicated controls for its onboard effects. There are also six amp categories – from Clean and Warm through to Hi-Gain and Extreme – plus eight customizable onboard preset slots.
Two less conventional controls, Push/Smooth and Heat, are designed to take this tactile approach a step further. Push/Smooth can alter the character of a sound without simply adding more gain, while Heat adjusts the amp’s feel and harmonic response. In other words, there are plenty of ways to make quick, musical changes without reaching for a phone or laptop.
The real Swiss Army knife, however, comes into its own when you open the REACTOR app. Its Creator Hub gives guitarists three ways to generate a tone: with text, images, or audio.
Want to describe a sound rather than figure out which combination of amp, cabinet, and effects might produce it? Type it in. Heard a guitar sound on a recording that you want to explore? Feed the audio into REACTOR. Spotted an interesting pedalboard or amp setup? Take a photo and let the system build a tone from the image.
The resulting signal chain can then be edited and refined, either through the app or with the amp's physical controls. You can also go further and create custom amp voices of your own, rather than simply recreating existing gear.
That makes REACTOR’s app more than a conventional preset library. It’s effectively another route into the creative process: instead of beginning with the question, “Which amp should I choose?”, you can begin with, “What do I want this to sound like?”
There’s also Tone Memory, which is designed to remember how you build and refine sounds over time, helping future tone creation move closer to your preferences. And the app offers deeper editing, ToneCloud sharing, and access to 24 factory amp models and a broad selection of effects. Further app customization options are on the way, giving users more control over how they interact with the system.
Additionally, REACTOR is built to function as a proper gigging amplifier. Both models offer selectable 1W, 25W, and full-power operation, allowing players to move between bedroom levels, recording sessions, and louder stages without sacrificing their tone. The amps also feature USB-C recording, an effects loop, MIDI, Bluetooth, headphone output, and a line out with cabinet simulation.
For players who have grown tired of endless tweaking, or for anyone who wants a versatile modern amp without giving up the physical experience of playing through a real 1x12 combo, REACTOR is an intriguing proposition.
It’s not trying to replace the guitar amp as we know it. Instead, it’s asking what happens when the amp becomes part of the tone-creation process itself.
REACTOR 50W is priced at $349, while the 100W version costs $449. The optional REACTOR Control footswitch is available for $149.
For more information or to find a local retailer, visit Positive Grid’s REACTOR page.
