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The Best Mini Amplifiers for Guitar
By Jodie Chiffey | Amps
If you’re a guitarist who is not playing on stage, a mini amplifier can be a good choice. Even if you already have the main amplifier, the best mini amplifiers for guitar can work as your additional amplification support for performances that require lower volume or mere doodling around with the guitar. They’re especially a great choice for practice sessions that require ample hard work and clear sound on low volumes.
In our guide to best mini amplifiers for guitar, we’ll cover a variety of topics related to guitar mini amplifiers such as their importance, how to pick the right product, and so on. We’ll also list the best mini amplifiers for guitar on the market currently and review each product in detail. By the end of this guide, you’ll know which mini amplifier would suit your requirement the best.
A mini amplifier for guitar, also known as a practice amp, comes with several useful features that make it perfect for guitar practice session or performances that demand low volume. These include:
The most striking feature of a mini amplifier is excellent sound quality at low volume. While you can use an amp of any wattage during your practice sessions, if you ask any guitar expert, they’ll recommend mini amps will lower wattage. The reason for this is that lower watt mini amps sound much better at lower volumes. Yes, that’s true. You can buy an expensive 100-watt amp, and even use it for your practice sessions, but what’s the use? It will distort the sound quality at low volume, and you’ll have to struggle for sound clarity.
Mini amplifiers, as the name suggests, are smaller in size. They typically come in two size variants:
These mini amps often resemble children’s toys. Some are so small that they can even fit in your palm. They’re portable and are usually below 10-watts. The minimum wattage a micro mini amp can have is 1-watt.
Macro mini amps are louder than micro mini amps and comparatively bigger in size. They fall in the 10-20 watts range and provide guitarists with great sound quality at lower volumes.
Since mini amps are smaller in size, they’re lightweight. So, if you’re looking for a guitar amp that’s lightweight and easy to carry around, get a practice amp. Mini amps can be found in a myriad of weights and sizes.
While mini amps are highly suitable for guitar practice sessions, they also come with some additional benefits that you may not see with bigger amps. They often comprise different amp modeling options which come in handy if you don’t like to use pedals. Many mini amps also come with headphone outputs and other connectivity options.
Apart from providing excellent sound quality at low volumes during practice sessions, there are 3 additional benefits of using mini amplifiers. These include:
Almost all guitar experts use mini amps for studio recordings. If you think Jeff Beck used a huge guitar amp for recording Frankie’s House; you’re absolutely wrong. Guitar gurus such as Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Joe Walsh, etc., prefer mini amps for high-quality studio recordings. The great guitarist Eric Clapton recorded Layla using the 10-watt 57 Super Champ.
Mini amps work brilliantly for pre-show backstage warm-up sessions. Whether you’re practicing in your dressing room or the loo, you can make the most of practice amps to warm-up before the actual performance. A mini amp can provide you with sufficient volume to practice some solos, chord progressions, etc.
Micro mini amps (less than 10-watts) come with a huge advantage that’s missing in the case of the bigger amps – they’re battery powered. Therefore, they can help you a great deal during impromptu jamming sessions while you’re traveling or camping with your loved ones.
Before we move on to the list of the best mini amplifiers for guitar on the market, let’s look at some important things to consider when purchasing a mini amp.
The first and one of the most important things to consider is portability of the mini amp. If you want to jam quickly during a bonfire with friends, a mini amp is all you need. Most mini amps are battery-operated and do not come with any wires. You can easily carry them from one room to another.
If you’re someone who loves digitally-generated tones, don’t forget to check the built-in effects (reverb, chorus, etc.) and amp modeling (present that allow you to pick a predefined amp at the mere turn of a dial). However, if you’re not too fond of digitalized stuff, you can buy an amp devoid of built-in effects and amp modeling.
If you like playing a mix of tunes driven by high-gain and clear tones, you’ll certainly love a mini amp with built-in effects.
Are you planning to use pedals? If you have a collection of pedals or plan to buy pedals, you’ll certainly need an amp that supports pedals. Bigger amps work well with pedals since there’s a lot of headroom. Mini amps hardly have any headroom so, it becomes really difficult to use pedals with them. Therefore, if you’re planning to add pedals to your amp, go for bigger amps (50-100 watts).
So, you’ve gone through the list of factors you need to consider before purchasing a mini amp for your guitar. The guitar experts on our panel used the same factors and hundreds of reviews and ratings from existing customers to put together the list of the 5 best mini amplifiers for guitar on the market. Let’s look at them one by one.
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Product dimensions |
17 x 8 x 12 inches (43.18 x 20.32 x 30.48 cm) |
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Product weight |
11.9 lbs. (5397 g) |
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Model no. |
V9106 |
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Amp type |
Solid State |
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Output |
10-watts |
|
Headphone Jack |
Yes |
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Battery Powered |
No |
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Suitable for |
Guitarists looking for vintage Vox tones for occasional practice |
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Rating |
4.4 out of 5 stars |
|
Price |
$89.99 |
Vox V9106 Pathfinder Combo Mini Amp is a perfect blend of style and great tones. You’ll be surprised to see the amount of punch and kick provided by the twin-channel Vox microamp. By toggling the Clean/Overdrive button, you can switch from crystal clear sound to a deep distortion tone or from crispy blues to a high-gain tone.
The distinctive Vox look is very appealing, and the classic diamond grille design provides the mini amp with a unique aspect. You can use the headphone jack for late night private practice and the filtered line output for individual recording.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Mini amp with a vintage look |
Not battery powered |
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Twin channels for clean and crunchy tones |
No built-in effects |
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Value for money |
|
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Perfect for private practice sessions and personal recording |
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Small and lightweight |
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Provides great sound clarity |
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Overdrive is enough for jamming |
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Excellent mini amp for beginners |
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Product dimensions |
12 x 9.1 x 12.5 inches (30.48 x 23.11 x 31.75 cm) |
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Product weight |
7.7 lbs. (3492 g) |
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Model no. |
M-CUBE-GX |
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Amp type |
Solid State |
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Output |
3-watt |
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Headphone Jack |
Yes |
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Battery Powered |
Yes |
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Suitable for |
Those who’re looking for a lightweight and portable mini amp with amp modeling and great built-in effects |
|
Rating |
4.5 out of 5 stars |
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Price |
$149.52 |
Roland Micro Cube GX is one of the most sought-after micro amps for guitar on the market. It’s a complete package with a lot of punch. Unlike the Vox Mini Amp listed above, Roland Micro Cube GX is an amp modeler. It comes with 8 COSM amp tones and 8 DSP effects such as reverb, delay, etc.
The mini amp’s build is sturdy, and it’s made of a rugged plastic material that cannot be destroyed or damaged. You’ll also get extra gadgets such as an onboard tuner i-Cube link which allows you to connect the mini amp with your iPad, iPhone, etc.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Battery powered |
A bit expensive |
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Sturdy build |
Some customers have mentioned that the input jack is made of low-quality plastic |
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Comes with amp modeling and built-in effects |
|
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Perfect for private practice sessions |
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Great sound clarity |
|
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Portable and easy to use |
|
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Versatile |
|
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Can be connected to Apple devices using i-Cube link |
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Product dimensions |
5.8 x 10.2 x 11 inches (14.7 x 25.9 x 27.94 cm) |
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Product weight |
8.5 lbs. (3855 g) |
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Model no. |
2311000000 |
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Amp type |
Solid State |
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Output |
10-watts |
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Headphone Jack |
Yes |
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Battery Powered |
No |
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Suitable for |
Best for beginner electric guitarists |
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Rating |
4.4 out of 5 stars |
|
Price |
$59.99 |
The Frontman 10G is a 10-watt mini amp from Fender. It’s somewhat heavier than Vox and comes with only one channel. So, if you’re looking for a simple and easy-to-use amplifier, the Frontman 10G can be an ideal pick. From explosive tones to intuitive controls, you’ll find everything in Frontman 10G.
The Clean/Overdrive Switch on the front panel allows you to control the thick overdriven distortion. Thanks to the 1/8-inch headphone jack, you can practice whenever you want without disturbing anyone around you.
The vintage look comprising a silver grille cloth, Fender amplifier logo, and skirted amp knobs is something that makes Fender Frontman 10G visually appealing. The only thing lacking in this mini amp is that it is not battery-powered.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Value for money |
Not battery powered |
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Robust construction |
Single channel only |
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Better bass response |
Some customers have mentioned that there is a constant buzzing sound that creates a disturbance while practicing or recording |
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Selectable gain control |
|
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Full-strength distortion with ultra-saturation |
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Better for silent practicing and individual recording |
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Product dimensions |
14.9 x 9.5 x 13.9 inches (37.8 x 24.13 x 35.3 cm) |
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Product weight |
13.85 lbs. (6282 g) |
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Model no. |
HT1R |
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Amp type |
Tube |
|
Output |
1-watt |
|
Headphone Jack |
Yes |
|
Battery Powered |
No |
|
Suitable for |
Those who’re looking for a compact mini amp with valve amp tones, metal enthusiasts |
|
Rating |
4.4 out of 5 stars |
|
Price |
$260 |
If you’re a metal enthusiast, Blackstar HT-1R can be a perfect pick for you. It is a micro tube amp. At 1 watt, it’s indeed an amp with the lowest power on our list. Nevertheless, don’t get fooled by the power; even at 1-watt, it’s pretty powerful for elaborate practice sessions.
Since it is a tube amp, it works well at low volumes. While reading the reviews of existing customers, we came across one review which mentions that you’ll get the breakup and crunch of a 100-watt amp at hardly any volume. Sounds interesting, right?
Some additional features that make it one of the best mini amplifiers for guitar are onboard effects, an aux-in for playing your supporting tracks, an emulated headphone socket, and patented ISF controls.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Compact tube amp |
A little expensive |
|
Provides excellent sound quality at low volume |
Not battery powered |
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Innovative amp combo |
|
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Great for recording and practice |
|
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Lightweight |
|
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Easy to use |
|
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Provide nice and warm tones |
|
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Overdrive button allows you to explore a variety of distorted tones |
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Good build quality |
|
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Strap on the top to carry the amp |
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Product dimensions |
13.9 x 8.6 x 14 inches (35.3 x 21.8 x 35.5 cm) |
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Product weight |
22.1 lbs. (10024 g) |
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Model no. |
V5INFINIUM |
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Amp type |
Tube |
|
Output |
5-watt |
|
Headphone Jack |
Yes |
|
No |
|
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Suitable for |
Beginners and expert guitarists |
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Rating |
4.6 out of 5 stars |
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Price |
$199 |
If you’re looking for a mini amp at a reasonable price for short jamming sessions, private practices, and recordings, the Bugera V5 Infinium Mini Amp can be an ideal pick. It comes with a plethora of useful features that you’ll not find with high-end mini amps. The headphone output allows you to practice while your family is asleep or jam in silence.
The built-in power attenuator allows you to reduce the output from 5-watts to 1-watt so you can achieve an overdriven sound at a fairly low volume. What’s even better, you can detach the built-in speaker and connect an external cabinet speaker to convert the mini amp into a head unit.
Overall, the Bugera tube amp is value for money.
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Pros |
Cons |
|
Comes with built-in attenuator |
Not versatile enough |
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Value for money |
Loose bass |
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Digital reverb, master volume, and independent gain |
Not battery powered |
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Great for impromptu jam sessions |
Speaker sounds like an open-back 8-inch speaker |
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Jack to unhook the built-in speaker and add an external speaker cabinet |
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Favors dark bluesy sounds |
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The tone knob is a useful feature |
|
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Ideal for private practice sessions |
So, we’ve covered a lot of ground in our guide to the best mini amplifiers for guitar, and your head is probably crowded with options. However, your choice would completely depend on your requirement.
If you’re looking for cool sound, the Vox Pathfinder Combo would be a good option. More of a Fender fan? You can buy Fender Frontman 10G since it’s a budget-friendly mini amp with great performance and ratings. If you’re looking for a super-quiet mini amp, you can try Blackstar HT-1R at just 1-watt. And, if nothing else but value for money is the concern, you can go for Bugera V5 Infinium. All the mini amps listed in this guide are top-rated products.
Nevertheless, if you still insist on one winner out of the lot, we would say that Roland Micro Cube GX is a good all-round option. It’s a compact package with excellent kick and punch. The product can be a good choice for beginners, expert guitarists, metal-lovers, and Apple geeks.
If you’re looking for a surefire way to add enjoyment to your exhausting practice sessions and studio recordings, the best way to add more fun is to buy a mini amp for your guitar. A portable mini amp makes practicing at low volumes a wonderful experience. Mini amp models with at least 5 and 10-watts are best for generating a presentable and realistic guitar tone.
We hope you found the guide helpful. If you are still confused about the best mini amplifier for guitar, give yourself some more time and explore other options too. If there are any other guitar-related products that you would like us to review, please let us know. Our experts are forever ready to help you. Stay tuned for more informative and engaging posts on guitars and guitar-related products.
Jodie is a trained classical guitarist. She is also a full-time blogger and loves to write about different types of guitars. Just give her 60 seconds of your time, and she’ll tell you all that you need to know about any guitar of your choice.
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