When you walk into a guitar shop, you will probably see groups of teenagers trying out every electric guitar in the shop and finally, they arrive at a shopping decision. But, you will hardly see any crowd near the collection of the guitar amplifier, shortly called as a guitar amp. This is actually a thing to feel bad about. The reason is that those shoppers do not know that guitar amp is the heart of the sound made by electric guitars. When this much importance is held by a product, shouldn’t you shop for it? This holds particularly true if you wish to become a professional guitarist.
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Top 10 Best Portable Guitar Amps
Blackstar Fly 3W Limited Edition | (4.8 / 5) | Check Price |
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Roland Micro Cube | (4.7 / 5) | Check Price |
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Line 6 Micro Spider | (4.7 / 5) | Check Price |
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VOX MINI3G2CL | (4.7 / 5) | Check Price |
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Randall RG8 RG Series | (4.6 / 5) | Check Price |
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Marshall MS4 Mini Micro | (4.6 / 5) | Check Price |
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Pignose 7-100 Legendary | (4.6 / 5) | Check Price |
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Orange Amplifiers Micro Crush PiX | (4.6 / 5) | Check Price |
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Marshall MS2 Micro | (4.5 / 5) | Check Price |
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Fender Mini Tonemaster | (4.5 / 5) | Check Price |
Now, let us explore our top picks:
Blackstar Fly 3W Limited Edition
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The Fly 3W was introduced by Blackstar as a limited edition guitar amp. It is actually stated as a gold standard in the mini amplifier category. Even though it looks small, it does a great work as the popular saying reads ‘great things come in small packages’. It is a low-wattage practice amp with very low wattage. You can use it anywhere like your bedroom, on your desk, even you can easily carry it in your backpack. It has a battery-powered operation. This guitar amp features a couple of channels. The first is the built-in digital delay and another one is the patented infinite shape feature for unlimited control between US and UK style tones, which is Blackstar’s own creation.
Roland Micro Cube
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This amp from Ronald brand comes in three different colors for the buyers to choose one. It is battery powered and it can amplify your music continuously for 20 hours. Not just batteries, it can also work on AC power. This feature is the first of its kind under the cube amplifier category. When you use 6 ‘AA’ Alkaline batteries, you can continuously use the amplifier for 20 hours without searching for a power source. The added advantage to its portability feature is the carrying strap. Being a cube amplifier, it really sounds great. The Ronald has employed the COSM Technology. It is this technology that helps this amp to capture each and every tone from the original amps from the pre-amp and circuits to the speaker.
Line 6 Micro Spider
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The great thing about this micro spider from Line 6 is that it comes with 6 smart control FX. Its modest size can fool anybody seeing it at the first instance. The reason is that they will think this is a toy. This micro spider amplifier holds the pride of being the most portable spider amp to date in the market. This amp will make you studio-ready with its Pod 2.0 style direct out, a tuner, and multiple built-in effects. It weighs just 7 pounds and is capable of being completely battery-driven. Otherwise, you have the option to use the AC adapter coming with this unit. It also offers plenty of sonic opportunities. If you need an ultra-portable amp, this is the best option to choose.
VOX MINI3G2CL
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This unit from Vox comes with Vox’s proprietary modeling technology apart from compact construction. The sophisticated sense of design from Vox makes this unit the best portable amplifier. The battery-powered operation makes this amp the ideal next-gen amp. This unit features the original bassilator circuit. This circuit delivers tone with powerfully solid lows and this unit can amplify even at low volumes. Vox has greatly improved the quality of effects as compared to the predecessor of this model known as MINI3 G2. As it is incredibly portable, you can stay ready to play your favorite music either indoors or outdoors. The Aux input jack permits you to connect your MP3 player or other audio sources with ease.
Randall RG8 RG Series
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This guitar amp is from Randall, who entered into a partnership with Mike for reinventing the Randall Amplifiers. The aim of their association is to reproduce an undisputed master of high gain for the guitarists. This series of amplifiers come with a distinct sonic signature from Randall. The amps in this series are known for the high performance to the astute metal player. The company is taking high gain to the highest level with its lineup of guitar amps under the Randal RG8 RG Series. This mini cabinet comes with 35 Watt capacity, 1×8 speaker and it is a minicab with steel grill that is perfect for RG13. At the weight of just 11.8 pounds, it will help with easy carrying.
Marshall MS4 Mini Micro
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If you are a guitar player considering the importance of full-stack amp, this amp can turn out to be your best friend. This full-stack miniature amp standing at the height of 25 cm tall, 6 cm deep, and 11 cm wide will look awesome in any place. This amplifier comes with a headphone output. This means that if you wish to rock in private, this can be the excellent amp for you. Even, you can include an external power amp through this output. The MS-4 has a traditional Marshall Black finish with a gold panel and white logo of Marshall. All these designs add attraction to any place. The tone and volume controls on this amp are placed in such a way that the users can get functional gain.
Pignose 7-100 Legendary
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This is a 5-watt, 5” speaker from Piagnose. This amp runs on 6 AA batteries and there is also an optional AC adapter for those looking for AC operation. This should be bought separately and it does not come with the amplifier. It can be stated as a complete unit with pig-snout on and off switches and volume control units. The case opens in this unit for easy access to the speakers of the amplifier and other things inside. The unit also comes with a preamp out jack. This will help with plugging those classic distortion sounds into an external power amplifier. It is not just a power amplifier, but it is also a recording console. In addition, it has an excellent build quality.
Orange Amplifiers Micro Crush PiX
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This model from Orange comes with a built-in tuner, overdrive function, and headphone out. In addition, it is impressive just at the very first look. The size is awesome as it is really smaller than a bag full of real orange fruits. You are good to go once you pop in a 9V. This 4” speaker just comes with three watts, but its sound is still purely the sound produced by Orange amplifiers. The full set of controls, which is hardly found in many mini amplifiers is an added advantage. On the top of all these features, this unit comes with the same wood and the same surfacing found in other Orange amplifiers. So, those who love products from Orange will truly love this.
Marshall MS2 Micro
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At the weight of just 0.34 lbs, this amplifier from Marshall comes with easy volume and tone control. There is a headphone jack in this single watt amplifier. This unit not just looks cool and portable, but it packs a punch and no guitarist should miss this amp during his practice sessions. Those looking for practice on-the-go will find this unit highly helpful. This amp can turn out to be a fun gift for anyone practicing to become a professional guitarist. Not just battery, this unit can be operated through mains as well. It packs the full Marshall Tone into a tiny case that measures just 14x11x6 cms. It comes with switchable overdrive and clean channels. In addition, the single tone control lets you dial it in.
Fender Mini Tonemaster
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This petite-sized amp will meet your requirement of buying the best portable guitar amp. It packs in a single watt punch and you can take it along with you as an excellent travel companion due to its small size. Without any electrical output needed, it is exclusively recommended for electric guitars. The headphone output jack will help to enjoy utmost silence in practice sessions. You can explore many tones with the help of the volume, tone, and gain controls in this amplifier. In short, this is the smaller version of the unforgettable tone-master Glorious tone that comes in a small pack. Guitarists will find this unit highly helpful for their practice sessions and due to its portability, they can take it along.
What is guitar amp anyway?
It is actually an electronic amplifier. As you know, an amplifier is nothing, but loudspeaker or speaker. Besides acting as a speaker to increase the sound of your guitar, it will also strengthen the weak electrical signal. This will happen not just in an electric guitar, but also in an acoustic and a bass guitar as well. The reason is that these guitars are capable enough to produce sound through more than a single loudspeaker. Nowadays, you can go for the best portable guitar amp, such that you can easily carry it wherever you go to amplify the sound produced by your guitar.
Before getting into some top picks, you are recommended to consider certain points when shopping for a portable guitar amp, let us explore some points here:
Construction matters
When shopping for any speculative gear, you should carefully look for the specifications related to construction. Before you shop for one, just sit down, and shortlist some models. To help you with saving time, we have provided some best models here. Remember that the thickness of wood used in the cabinet construction will decide the sound quality. If the wood used is thin, there are greater chances for the amplifier to vibrate. So, it is better to look for the unit with at least ½” body not just to keep the speaker in place, but also to get better sound quality. Also, as compared to open back amplifiers, closed-back ones create better bass response from speakers.
Features and specifications are crucial
At least, you should have a headphone jack, onboard guitar tuner, and a multi-band HQ. But, these are some basic things. Nowadays, the dashboards of portable amplifiers are turning out to be more exotic. You can consider an amplifier with CD/MP3 playback as it will be useful in a number of instances. Yes, it will help you right from rehearsals to performance. Even, there are some amps that can be connected to your smartphone to use with apps. You might need all these features or none of these or even you might need something in the middle. There are surely options for you on the market. Do not think that portable amps are useless and boring. Right source of power, matching the rig and also front-man or Axe-man are the other decisions you will have to make before shopping for a portable guitar amp.