Small Guitar Amps

A small guitar amp is a combo with the amplifier and speaker in one cabinet and an output typically of up to 20 W, which is all you need for practice at home, in a flat or at a holiday cottage. Here you will find small combos from Revoltage, Orange, Positive Grid, Marshall, Boss, Blackstar, Fender and Nux: solid-state amps, modelling amps with effects, small valve amps and battery-powered mini guitar amps. Almost all of them have a headphone output, so you can play late in the evening without disturbing the neighbours. Many of them let you play along to backing tracks from your phone through the AUX input, and dozens of models also have Bluetooth.

How many watts do you need to practise at home?

For playing in your room, 1 to 10 W is enough. A 10 W solid-state combo with a 6" to 6.5" speaker, such as the Revoltage RV-10G or Fender Frontman 10G, is already loud in a flat at half volume. A combo with 15 to 20 W, like the Marshall MG15G or Orange Crush 20, is worth it when you play with a second guitarist or along to a recording and want some volume in reserve. Small valve combos such as the Marshall DSL1CR or Blackstar HT-1R have an output of 1 W, so the valve distorts even when you play quietly.

Should your small combo be solid-state, modelling or valve?

• Solid-state (Revoltage RV-10G, Fender Frontman 10G, Orange Crush 12, Marshall MG10G): simple controls, clean sound as well as distortion, suitable for beginners.
• Modelling (Positive Grid Spark Mini, Joyo DC-15, Nux Mighty Lite BT, Yamaha THR10II): they recreate the sound of several amplifiers, have built-in effects, and many also offer a phone app or USB for recording.
• Valve (Marshall DSL1CR and DSL5CR, Blackstar HT-1R and HT-5R, Vox AC4): warm valve tone at low power, although they are heavier and larger.

Battery-powered or mains-powered combo?

Mini amps that run on batteries or have a built-in rechargeable battery, such as the Boss Katana Mini, Blackstar Fly 3, Positive Grid Spark GO or Marshall MS-2, can go with you to the cottage and on your travels. Mains-powered combos with an 8" speaker have a fuller sound and more volume for playing with other musicians. If you only play through headphones, also have a look at headphone amps for guitar, which plug straight into your guitar. You will also find the smallest models among the mini combos, and for bass guitar there are small bass combos.