Best Guitar Mini Amplifier?

Question

I am learning guitar and I am a traveling ESL teacher, so my whole life must fit in 2 suitcases. I'm looking for a good mini amp, but don't know which one to choose. I'm a beginner, but there might not be enough money to upgrade later on. I'm looking at Mini Orange, Fender Mini Twin 57, Fender Mini Tone Master and some others. I like all kinds of music, but mostly alternative, classic and experimental rock, I guess. What do you guys suggest?

Answer 1

The best little portable amp ever made was by a company called Pignose.

It still exists and the sound of that little baby amp is awesome.

You can even use is as a pre-amp like the guitarist of chicago Terri Kath did. He had an awesome sustaining sound and on stage, he used to have the pignose hooked up and used it as an overdrive.

Answer 2

If you have a laptop, my suggestion would be getting some guitar amp/effect emulating software such as Guitar Rig or Amplitube. They're very good, and range from simple software only packages to ones with sophisticated foot controllers. The initial outlay will be more than a mini-amp, but you're getting pretty much limitless amp models, effects, a metronome, a tuner and a means of recording yourself too.

Apple laptops come with GarageBand recording software included, and this software has decent amp simulators and a whole range of other features including customisable songs that you can jam to and record.

All you need is a 1/4 to 3.5mm mini jack converter, and you can plug your guitar right in to the laptop and listen on headphones or even output the sound through a stereo or PA system.

Answer 3

Ok, this is an awesome little amp that I saw some guy use from this band at the camp I went to, It's a little amp that looks like a cigarette case. It sounds good and it's cool to show off, I was impressed, and I wanted one. It's also a cool novelty thing to have. I was very impressed by the sound it put out.

and it's just plain out cool.

http://www.smokeyamps.com/Smokey_Pages/s...

http://www.anthillmusic.com/storefrontpr...

Answer 4

I like my mini Danelectro Honeytone.  It has a warmer tone than other mini amps I've tried, runs on a 9v battery, has an earphone input (I think), and can be clean or distorted.

http://www.amazon.com/Danelectro-HoneyTo...

Another super convenient mini amp is the Amp Plug And Play.  While I don't think the sound is as good as the honeytone, it also runs on a 9v battery and it has the added benefit of plugging straight into your guitar, eliminating the need for a cable.  Also the mini amps are so small that the weight of cables always knocks them over.  For convenience, simplicity and pretty good sound this is the one.

http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Electric-...

I guess it's smart to keep in mind that no matter what a mini amp is called- a Marshall stack or Super Reverb- it's still a mini amp running on very small amount of power.  None of them are going to sound like a 30W Tube amp with a 12" Eminence speaker.