Nothing super sparkly about their features and physical size, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that guitar players who likes to use them for practice and recordings have far less of a good time. So aside from the usual notion of being beginner guitar amplifiers on a budget, and emphasizing on their lack of power. We will highlight a few uses and examples on how players can get out more from playing with these guitar amplifiers.
For starters, smaller amplifiers are very useful for doodling around. If you’re one of those players who are in need of some kind of separation from large amplifiers for awhile because you’re experiencing a little bit of noise fatigue from always playing loud and hard. These amplifiers offers a great solution in minimizing the volume, yet letting you to continue playing and finish the work that needs to be done.
Another benefit to mention with these amps is that, they also present a different kind of perspective and feel on how a guitar player can sound. This is especially when working on how to play a lot smoother by just doing a run down on the basics of using the EQ, gain, volume control and some kind of reverb or delay to add in dialing tones.
Then finally they are very inexpensive gear to pass on. The uses you’ll be getting out of these amps definitely surpasses the money you paid for. They are practical for everyday use that a beginner can grow into, and a reason for seasoned guitar players to mellow down and just enjoy how the way they sound.
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Blackstar FLY 3
- 3 watts portable mini guitar amplifier
- 3” inch speaker to boost the tones
- 2 channels consisting of clean and an overdrive
- Controls to carve out the sound are volume, gain and EQ called the ISF to go from American to British or someting in between
- Special feature on this amp is a delay effect that can also sound like a reverb, MP3 line-in for audio and headphone out which work as its speaker out as well
Legitimate piece of guitar gear, not a toy that you can run on DC power supply or using it with batteries, the Blackstar FLY 3 version for guitar is a 3 watts amp with 3” inch speaker recommended to those players needing an amp on the go or to use backstage as a warm up amp in gigs.
Controls to function is basic like any other similar amp or bigger than this amp, consisting of 2 channels clean and an overdrive tweaked using the volume, gain and EQ called the ISF. Special feature on this amp is a delay effect that can also sound like a reverb, MP3 line-in for audio and headphone out which work as its speaker out as well.
Pignose 7-100
- 5 watts guitar amplifier brought to life either by batteries or with an optional AC adapter
- 5″ inches speaker to deliver distinctively funky and groovy sound
- Classic housing with handle, metal corners and a latch to open the side of the amp
- Get from clean to overdriven sounds using the coolest single knob
The little Pignose amplifier has a distinctively funky and groovy sound that guitar players will enjoy spending their time with and have a good time. Get tones from clean to pig filthy crunch with just the turn of the coolest volume knob you’ll ever find on any amp.
This amp has 5 watts of power with 5″ inch speaker brought to life either by batteries or with an optional AC adapter. The Pignose gives electric and acoustic electric guitar players mobility with its small size and it only weighs five pounds. The amp is simply amazing on the sound it brings and uses, as well for its affordable price so anyone can buy.
Boss Katana Mini
- 7 watts mini guitar amplifier for practice and bedroom
- 4” inches speaker delivers the clean and overdriven tones
- 3 channel amp to produce clean, crunch and brown sound on a very small package
- Control are 3 channel selector switch for clean-crunch-brown, gain, volume, EQ bass-mid-treble, delay effect with time and level
- Aux input for jamming with music and headphone/recording output with cabinet voicing
This 7 watt amp with 4” inch speaker from Boss probably is the best battery and power supply powered portable mini amp on sale in the market as of today. The Boss Katana Mini is a 3 channel amp that can produce clean, crunch and brown sound on a very small package to use for practice or to get mic’d up.
Control to blend and shape are 3 channel selector switch for clean-crunch-brown, gain, volume, EQ bass-mid-treble, delay effect with time and level. Aux input for jamming with music and headphone/recording output with cabinet voicing.
Ibanez IBZ10G Guitar Combo Amplifier
- 10 watts entry level guitar amplifier
- 6” inches speaker for the clean and overdriven sounds
- Tolex covered amp enclosure with protective plastic sides and handle
- On the front panel is the input for your guitar, a distortion switch to play overdriven, gain knob, 2-band EQ bass-treble and the master volume
- Included to its features is a headphone out to practice silently and aux-in to plug in a media player
The IBZ10G is a 10 watts entry level guitar amplifier offered by Ibanez to newly guitar player to help them take their first steps in guitar amplification. It is an incredibly flexible amp with enough volume for practice and has the basic controls to tweak a clean and overdriven sounds.
On the front panel of the Ibanez IBZ10G is the input for your guitar, a distortion switch to play overdriven, gain knob, 2-band EQ bass-treble and the master volume. It also includes to its features is a headphone out to practice silently and aux-in to plug in a media player.
Peavey Backstage II
- 10 watts of power to start rock’n in your bedroom
- 6” inches custom designed speaker
- Black tolex covered cabinet with handle and speaker cloth cover
- Peavey’s TransTube circuitry with 2 switchable channels
- Controls are overdrive knob, lead On/Off button switch, volume knob, and 2-band EQ high-low
- input jacks for the guitar, headphone output and aux-in to use an audio player to practice along using a backing track
A good starter amp with a clean, 2-band EQ and lead channel for beginners to hone in their skills on playing the guitar is the Peavey Backstage II guitar amp. This amplifier can deliver 10 watts of power to start rock’n in your bedroom and has the Peavey’s TransTube circuitry just like the other and much bigger solid state amplifiers the brands also offers to emulate the sound of a vacuum valve amp.
Other features that comes with the amp are input jacks for the guitar and a headphone. Aux-in to use an audio player to practice along using a backing track.
Marshall MG Gold Series MG10
- 10 watts practice guitar amplifier
- 1×6.5 inches speaker to produce classic marshal tones
- Housed in the familiar black cabinet with gold control panel and has the Marshall log on the cloth speaker cover
- Small amp with a clean and overdrive channel
- Controls are separate volume control for the clean channel, overdrive channel has its own gain and a volume control, and contour knob to fine tune tones
- Includes input jacks for a headphone and aux-in to use an audio player to play along with a backing track
Part of the Marshall MG Gold Series to produce the iconic Marshall tones on a solid state combo amp is Marshall MG10. It is a good 10 watt practice amp consisting of a clean channel, and with a press of a button the amp changes from clean into its overdrive.
The clean channel has its own separate volume control, while the overdrive channel has a gain and a volume control. This 10 watts model doesn’t have the 3-band EQ bass-middle-treble unlike the bigger Marshall MG15 but has a contour knob to fine tune tones. It also don’t carry any modulation effects unlike the Marshall MG15R with a reverb and Marshall MG15FX with digital effects that includes a reverb, chorus, phaser, flanger, delay and octave. Other features that comes with the amp are input jacks for a headphone and aux-in to use an audio player to play along with a backing track.
Fender Frontman 10G
- 10 watts guitar amplifier for practice and jam sessions in low volumes
- 6” inch Fender special designed speaker
- Classic black tolex covered cabinet with handle and silver grill cloth speaker cover and Fender logo
- Controls on the face panel to blend tones are the 2-band EQ bass-treble, gain control, volume and channel select to go from clean to overdrive channel
The Fender Frontman 10G is a 10 watt guitar amplifier with 6” inch speaker for practice and jam session on low volumes. This small portable guitar amp is great when you are just starting to play the guitar and when the budget is tight on amplification.
Controls on the face panel to blend tones are the 2-band EQ bass-treble, gain control, volume and channel select to go from clean to overdrive channel. Also included are headphone and aux-in input jacks to practice with a media player.
Vox Pathfinder 10
- 10 watts guitar amplifier
- 6.5” inch Vox Bulldog speaker
- Housed on the classic vinyl open back cabinet complete with the brown diamond grill cloth and chicken knobs
- Control panel is placed on top that features a power switch, input for the guitar, gain, clean/overdrive button, treble, bass, and volume control
- For quite practices, an output jack for the headphone that works as well as line out for recording by muting the speaker when a jack is inserted
For a very simple solid state two channel combo. Vox offers its budget crowd the old school looking Vox V9106 Pathfinder. It is a 10 watt guitar amplifier with a single 6.5” inch speaker housed on the classic vinyl open back cabinet complete with the brown diamond grill cloth.
Like any other Vox amps, the control panel is placed on top of the amp that features a power switch, input for the guitar, gain, treble, bass, and volume controls with the traditional chicken head knobs. Quick transfer from clean to the overdrive channel is by a push of a button and for quite practices an output jack for the headphone that works as well as line out for recording by muting the speaker when a jack is inserted.
Orange Crush 12
- 12 watts of power on such a small guitar amp
- 6” inches custom voice of the world speaker
- Legendary basket weave speaker grille and signature picture frame cabinet
- Control panel is consisting of a 3-Band EQ bass-middle-treble, dedicated overdrive knobl, gain and master volume for the overall sound output.
- Headphone out is also available
Underneath its legendary basket weave speaker grille and signature picture frame cabinet is a 6” inch speaker with a sunny orange 12 watt power. Making the Orange Crush 12 a perfectly made plug and play single channel amplifier for guitarist in any levels.
The control panel on this amp is straightly basic and easy usable to dial-in tones. Using only its 3-Band EQ bass- mid-treble followed by the dedicated overdrive knob that gives total control over the dirty channel, gain and master volume for the overall sound output. Headphone out is also available.
Hotone Nano Legacy Mojo Diamond
- 5 watts mini guitar amplifier head that is designed to generate tweed like tones
- Small portable amp to carry along in your gig bag
- Simple to blend and shape out tones using the gain, EQ bass-mid-treble and volume controls
- Input/output sockets are place on the back of the amp head consisting of a headphone, aux-in and FX loop
Small and portable with many features to love which are found on bigger head amplifiers is what the Hotone Nano Legacy Mojo Diamond, and the other models that are voiced differently is offering without even digging deep on the pocket.
This particular model, the Mojo Diamond 5 watts mini head is designed to generate tweed like tones. Ranging from warm clean to top notch overdriven crunch using its gain, EQ bass-mid-treble and volume controls. Input/output sockets are place on the back of the head consisting of a headphone, aux-in and FX loop. 4 to 16 ohm impedance and only use proper speaker cable.
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