Small Practice Amp Recommendations

[TonyT]

A newbie here to this forum and the guitar world. I am looking for any advice or suggestions on portable "practice" amps. My current gear is a PRS CE24, PRS Archon 50 combo amp and Boss GT-1000. I love all the gear but the Archon 50 is a beast to lug around on vacation, etc.. I do occasionally use some Bose Headphones for practicing on the road but would prefer to pick up a "practice amp" under 10 lbs or less. I don't really need a battery operated amp ... plug in is fine.

Here are my contenders so far but open to other suggestions and any comments on these if you have tried them ...

Orange Crush 12 $109
Orange PPC108 20 watt $109
Fender Frontman 10G $80
Peavey Backstage 10 Watt $100
Blackstar Debut 10E $100
Positive Grid Spark 40 Watt $269

Thanks in advance.

 

[DISTORT6]

This little badass! I still can’t believe how much it does and how much I’m actually using it.



For reference, my real world amps are:
SOLDANO SLO-100
Mesa Single Rectifier
Mesa MkIV
Fryette Sig:X
etc.

I have NO problem getting tones for practicing that work for me out of this munchkin.

 

[bodia]

I like the Yamaha THR10, but it's quite a bit more than the ones you have listed.

 

[WingerRules]

Roland Micro Cube or Fender Mustang Mini.

 

[Tony M.]

Roland Micro Cube.

Yamaha THR-10 if budget allows.

 

[Bogner]

Spark All Day Everyday

 

[alantig]

Something in the Spark line would likely suit you well.

 

[danktat]

I have the ID Core stereo 20 in the shop (pic is just one found on line). Surprisingly good tones to be had. Enough effects to play with without getting overwhelming. Can get a foot switch for the effects. AND they can be had for around a hundred bucks if you find one used.

this is the foot switch that I got. Makes a heck of a difference in east of use

 

[GGJJGG]

Spark. I recently bought the small one and no longer need my 40 watt one. Just get the Hendrix add ons.

 

[WingerRules]

Spark. I recently bought the small one and no longer need my 40 watt one. Just get the Hendrix add ons.

Small one? or tiny one?

 

[DISTORT6]

Small one? or tiny one?

TWSS

 

[GGJJGG]

Small one? or tiny one?

Tiny one. That’s what the wife says anyway.

 

[Maertl513]

It may not be literally a practice amp, because of its 100 watt. But it has four channels (one clean, three overdrive), FX loop, direct-out (aswell for headphone useage), 8 or 16 ohm out, and you can connect a foot controller to it.
Integrated is reverb and booster, noise gate and some custom controls for adjusting the voicing of the channels additionally to the general EQ.
Benefits are - aside its sound - the light weight of approximately 2,5 lbs (1,2 kg) and the size (it could fit into the compartment of an average guitar bag.
With some special button pressing whilst switching-on you can dial in the internal power soak. It could be managed by the original foot controller, too. The foot controller is to purchase additionally.
There are currently two versions available: a silver one (Mercury Edition) and a black one (Iridium Edition).
The Mercury Edition is predominately for Blues, Rock, Classic Metal players.
The Iridium in comparison for Metal.
I had both, but sold the ME and kept the IE, because I prefered its overdrive voicings (even playing with low gain) more.

The brand is BluGuitar, founded by Thomas Blug, in 2004 awarded as Fender's European Strat King, at that time employee of Hughes & Kettner as one of their sound designers (he was employed for more than two decades). Around 2014 he founded his own company.

His recent Academy of Tone episodes depicts the potential of his very versatile amps. He convinced for example Jennifer Batten to trust his inventions.

 

[FatFingerBlues]

The Spark I played was really impressive
Good tone
plenty of volume

 

[TonyT]

It may not be literally a practice amp, because of its 100 watt. But it has four channels (one clean, three overdrive), FX loop, direct-out (aswell for headphone useage), 8 or 16 ohm out, and you can connect a foot controller to it.
Integrated is reverb and booster, noise gate and some custom controls for adjusting the voicing of the channels additionally to the general EQ.
Benefits are - aside its sound - the light weight of approximately 2,5 lbs (1,2 kg) and the size (it could fit into the compartment of an average guitar bag.
With some special button pressing whilst switching-on you can dial in the internal power soak. It could be managed by the original foot controller, too. The foot controller is to purchase additionally.
There are currently two versions available: a silver one (Mercury Edition) and a black one (Iridium Edition).
The Mercury Edition is predominately for Blues, Rock, Classic Metal players.
The Iridium in comparison for Metal.
I had both, but sold the ME and kept the IE, because I prefered its overdrive voicings (even playing with low gain) more.

The brand is BluGuitar, founded by Thomas Blug, in 2004 awarded as Fender's European Strat King, at that time employee of Hughes & Kettner as one of their sound designers (he was employed for more than two decades). Around 2014 he founded his own company.

His recent Academy of Tone episodes depicts the potential of his very versatile amps. He convinced for example Jennifer Batten to trust his inventions.

Thanks for the info. That Blug is an interesting dude. Love the play on his name for the company. Awesome looking PRS you have there.

 

[GuitarJammin]

I'm using a Vox mini go 50.

I love it cuz it has simple drum tracks, looper, aux input that I put a bluetooth adapter on, a line input letting be a bass amp and acoustic amp, and a mic input that lets me take a real head and use IRs with my actual gigging pedal board if I must.

 

[LunarRock]

For travelling the blackstars are rugged enough to travel okay in the original box in a suitcase- I didnt have that one, I had an older fly3 stereo and it was suprisingly good.
I tried a positive grid at home, not for travel, but didnt get on with it, I think because I just wanted something to plug into and not muck around with through an app

 

[Slo-mo]

I can't recommend what to buy, but I'd definitely say avoid the Orange Crush 12. I bought one for my son when he started lessons 18mo or so ago. It doesn't sound overdriven or even distorted, more extreme fuzz. I think the low power and low-end speaker just equals harsh newbie punk garage-band noise.

 

[DISTORT6]

For travelling the blackstars are rugged enough to travel okay in the original box in a suitcase- I didnt have that one, I had an older fly3 stereo and it was suprisingly good.
I tried a positive grid at home, not for travel, but didnt get on with it, I think because I just wanted something to plug into and not muck around with through an app

You don’t need the app for the Sparks once you get tones you like. It can store 4 presets on-board that you can use without any device synced up.

 

[TheCraftsman]

Spark GO arrived yesterday and it’s a great little practice amp, better laid flat on it back, great tone and easy enough to setup 4 preferred signal chains and store them then don’t need to bother with the app.