blog
What Makes A Good Practice Amp?
As a guitar teacher, I have seen many practice amps come through the door. While most of them are functional, I can’t say I was impressed with many of them. Most are 15-watt boxes with one clean channel and one “gain” or “distortion” channel that provide two less-than-stellar (often very noisy) tones. They work fine for lugging to lessons but, unfortunately, these “practice” amps are often the only amp the student owns.
I understand that after spending hundreds of dollars (perhaps more or less) on a guitar, amps are usually an afterthought and the parent often goes for the cheapest model available (often with the promise of getting a better amp “after you’ve played for a while.”) In fact my parents used a similar line of reasoning when they bought me a cheap off-brand bass amp as my first guitar amp (later replaced by a much cooler Pignose “portable” amp — possibly the first mass produced micro amp.) This logic may make financial sense, but it’s like buying a bicycle with flat tires and telling the child “We’ll get you some good tires once you’ve learned to ride.” The child could learn to ride a bike with flat tires, but they certainly won’t enjoy it as much, and will be more likely to give up bike riding altogether.
[Note: Mom and Dad. I love you. And I can’t really complain. You did buy me a Les Paul Custom when I graduated high school, which more than made up for the years of cheap amps!]
I bring this up because my students frequently say to me “I’d like to get a better amp.” Why? The one they have is not enjoyable to use. The tone is uninspiring. They want to sound like a favorite player or band and their gear won’t let them do it. Effects pedals can help in many situations, but good ones can cost as much or more than the amp they own.
Then one day a new student brought in a Roland Micro Cube. I had never given much thought to these amps, figuring they were mainly toys like the “Mini” amps that have been around for years. Then he turned it on and some cool tones came out. We spent the next 10 minutes or so going over the amp as I explained what all the amp models and effects did, and what types of music they work well for. Then it hit me. This may be the ultimate “practice” amp.
The Micro Cube was very small and light making it easy to take to lessons. It even had a shoulder strap so you could throw it over your shoulder and have a hand free to open doors. It was plenty loud for lessons or practicing at home. Obviously, you won’t be gigging with it, but beginners usually don’t do much “gigging” outside the house anyway. The amp models went from clean to high gain and the effects sounded good, making for a very broad palette of tones in a tiny package. The best part was it was fun to play, multiplying the probability that the student will want to practice. Light weight, easy to carry, versatile, good sounding, and here’s the kicker — only $125 street price. This may be a few dollars more than most practice amps, but for what you get, it’s definitely worth the extra money.
Now before this turns into a review of the Micro Cube. I need to mention there are a few other companies turning out similar models. In fact I have decided to start investigating some of them for my own use. I currently lug my 30 lb. Traynor tube amp with me to lessons. It’s not extremely heavy, but it’s not 8 pounds either. Now I know there are practice amps such as the Line 6 Spider that have similar features, but I am interested in a “micro” amp. Something I can throw over my shoulder on a strap or tuck under my arm when opening doors.
What I have found so far is the Vox DA5, which is very similar to the Micro Cube, and the new Crate Profiler Series Model 5, which also has a USB out for recording. I haven’t heard the Vox or Crate amps. Hopefully I will get a chance to try them out soon. If I have missed any other worthy “micro” amps, email me and I’ll post your reply here.
Parents, if your kid is begging for an electric guitar, please spend the extra dollars to get an “inspiring” amp to go with it. It will be worth the extra expense. Kids, if you are talking your parents into buying you a electric guitar, show them this article before you go shopping. Let’s put an end to uninspiring tone.
Available At Guitar Center