The Positive Grid Spark Amp is one of the best guitar practice amps out there, with rich sound and an incredible array of digital guitar sounds to download.
Such has been the success, the company has now launched the Spark Amp Mini, which, as the name would suggest, is a smaller version of the universally acclaimed sibling.
The Spark Amp mini offers access to all of the same digital tools, including more than 10,000 guitar tones, 33 digital amp models, 43 effects pedals, the ability to transpose chords from real songs, and the (now improved) Smart Jam feature that will complete the band for bedroom guitarists.
The smaller amp carries 10W of power (compared to the 40W Spark Amp) and that lower power need enables the Mini to be battery-powered for guitar practice on the move, without the need to plug in. The company says you’ll get 8 hours of play from the USB rechargeable battery. It also doubles up as a Bluetooth speaker, but you can hook your guitar app via a standard jack.
While the number of on-device EQ knobs has been scaled back to three, most of the customisation takes place within the Spark app anyway. From a design perspective it also gains user swappable speaker grills and retains the attractive black and white options.
It’s going to go up for pre-order in March, with the price yet to be announced, but it’s sure to be a little less than the £265 you can grab the existing amp for right now.
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My review of the original Spark Amp was published last week. The practice amp earned the full five stars, winning praise for great sound at high and low volumes, the remarkable variety of tones, excellent features for beginners and the attractive, compact design.
In conclusion, I wrote: “The Spark Amp is the ultimate connected practice amp for guitarists. It gets the most out of your current set-up with endless customisable tones, while it’s packed with handy features for beginners. It sounds and looks ace, and offers great value for money.”
Whether the Mini version can hit the same high notes remains to be seen.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
