May 2009 \ Features \ Measuring Up Micro Amps

Measuring Up Micro Amps

Rebecca Dirks and Chris Burgess

A look at micro-amps from Marshall, Fender, Danelectro, Orange and Smokey
Premier Guitar May 2009
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You’ve seen ‘em before, the pint-size Marshall stacks and Fender combos. They’re like mini monuments to your favorite tones, but taken to the next level—you can actually play them. And while they’re probably the last stop you’d make on your journey for tone, micro amps might just surprise you. We’re not suggesting that you budget $50 for your next touring rig and set yourself up with one of these little guys; we are suggesting that you might have a little fun in places your full stack just can’t go.

Have a desk job? They’re discrete enough to stand in as desk décor or a paperweight, proclaiming to your co-workers, “Hey! I play guitar,” all the while waiting for everyone else to go home so you can wail away in 1W, 9V-powered heaven. They’re also a good option if you want to rock out in the wilderness. Of course, their portability is useful for some gigs, like an electric version of the Naked Cowboy, or providing live elevator music. Kidding aside, we’ve really enjoyed spending some time with these little guys. Here’s our rundown.

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Comments

 (19 comments) display by
UsernameComment
Geoff
on 08/05/2011 		Just got a Djtech micro amp (£15). Perfect for clipping on belt and pushing out extra volume in street festivals.
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My little mandolin/Banjo likes it a lot...!!!
Nate
on 07/13/2011 		Hey, I was wondering if they make any of these for bass, or if any of these could handle a bass without blowing out too easily. Thanks for any suggestions!
Will R.
on 05/21/2009 		Awesome! I've been waiting for someone to give some pointers on which of these are worth toying around with. I need something for my office and don't want to blow forty bucks on junk. After reading this I'm leaning toward the Orange.........
Firebrand
on 05/18/2009 		Years ago I ended up with one of the Marshall MS2s from a trade. I would play acoustic guitar "in the round" at an intimate setting of about 25 people at a time. I put that little Marshall on my belt so when I faced one part of the audience the other could still hear me. Worked great!
Pete
on 05/15/2009 		I love my Smokey - I throw it into a ton of weird acoustic spaces for crazy effects - chuck it into a tin can with a 57, etc. Want to check out the Orange now too.
Rick P.
on 05/14/2009 		I have one of the Fender mini deluxe amps got it on e bay on a whim since I have a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. It looks great on the shelf with my mini Strats and such,but it has suprised me how many times I have used it.Cheesy but cool!Maybe I need to feed it with the POD,----hummmmmm.cheap fun
Bob
on 05/14/2009 		Yikes! I can only speak from the experience of buying the little Marshall many years ago. I did it as a joke and out of curiosity. I got just what I expected, that quote from P.T. Barnum echoing around in my head. There's a sucker born every minute. But they were maybe $10 or $15 back then. Paying $40 to $50 for trinkets like these seems silly to me ~
I woulld not be surprised to see these for sale in the supermarket checkout 'impulse purchase' section to placate unruly kids. But beyond that, again, Yikes!
I'm surprised you would publish a 'review' of these and like Pat, I am disappointed that it seems your review team seems to give high ratings to everything ~
2kool4skool. com
on 04/24/2009 		the grandaddy of all the micro amps. the original Pignose 7/100 used by Jimmy Page, Zappa, and countless others. still the best. the Smokeys are cool too. i would put them in the "pico" amp category though. these tiny amps are only good for 2 things, practicing and recording. a must-have for the latter. there are so many cool sounds you can get with them that you just cant get with regular sized amps. placing them in weird places and sticking a mic at the other end. that's what bands like Led Zeppelin did with them. it's tried and true.
Tom Hirschmann
on 04/23/2009 		I think micro amps are cool! I record with them all the time. The last thing I cut was song for a National Geographic show. I used my trusty Danelectro Honeytone. When the natives start banging their drums and I come screaming in with my tapping and hammer-ons it's almost too much to take. Chicks dig me too cause I opened for Foghat.
Jhdvrsky
on 04/23/2009 		I've got the Honeytone and it is great for banging around the house. I often plug my cigar box slide into and dream of the days of blues before I was born... before my parents where born. <br> But here's something that makes these amp a little more useful... headphones.



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