Need a small practise Amp?

[Muso]

Hi guys

Basically I'm just looking to buy a very small easily portable practise amp I like the look of the Fender GDEC so far, maybe I will check out something Line 6 as well. This is just for taking around peoples houses for jamming with. Any experience/reccomendations would be fantastic.

Cheers!

[Chris1974]

eh up ............

I have a Fender Frontman 25 watt practise amp, it has a great clean and drive channel + a decent reverb (considering the price), it can get pretty darn loud but obviously doesn't have the meatyness of a grown up amp but I use it for moderate playing volumes at band practises in my mates garage where I can't use my 60w valve amp.

Most importantly I can get pretty good sounding distortion tones with the amp still set at low neighbor-friendly volume leves which is what practise amps should do best.

I've had mine for about 5 or 6 years and its never let me down yet its a nice compact robust piece of kit and now they've been around for a few years you can pick them up for peanuts on ebay, i've seen them go for around £25 !

I'd definatley recommend one, especially if you want top sounds for little pennies !!

[Dakine]

I have a Roland micro cube right now, and although it is VERY small it is plenty loud enough for around the house etc. It is so portable and uses batteries too so the possibilities are endless.
It definately is a good "bang for the buck".

[sambo]

i love my crate gt65.... i think you can get smaller ones if its a little too big for your needs...

but for some strange reason i absolutely love it at the moment.... it doesnt just beat my laney lc30, it batters it completely- (at low volumes of course.)

[Ratrod]

If you can find one: an old Fender Princeton with tubes.

[b0ng0]

I have a Marshall MG15 DFX 15W amp. I can say that out of a lot of "small" amps I have heard, this one really is a beast for its size. It has awesome distortion, bass mid treb, etc.

It also has 4 effects that you can apply to varying degrees (reverb, flange, chorus and delay). Has a CD in and emulated line out as well. Plus it only costs about £85 online.

[sambo]

just to try and sell the crate to you some more lol-

http://www.instrumentpro.co.uk/P-CRAGT65?source=froogle

£159 i think it was on there- 3 channels- clean channel- 2 distortion channels, footswitch for channel selection and reverb- cd-in and everything...

quality amp imo.

[jcmdude]

get a Laney aor protube 30 watter .. incredible sound from a little package .. insane sustain and gain form this all valve combo..

[PhilKing]

If you can find one: an old Fender Princeton with tubes.

A tube Princeton is pretty loud!  I've played clubs with one.  I have 3, an original blackface, a hotrodded silverface (with 5881's and a vintage 30), and finally a Princeton II (the Rivera design) with a Tone Tubby Hempcone.  

If you are going with a valve amp, one of the later Champs is good, or the blues junior for a current amp.  Don't pass up the Epiphone 5 watt either.

For a modelling amp, the line 6 Spiders sound good, but they need a lot of power to use live.

[indysmith]

Don't pass up the Epiphone 5 watt either.

Thats the way i'd swing - gotta be pretty good bang for the buck - havent heard anything bad about em

[Searcher]

Well, since everyone has a different suggestion I'll give you my new one, too: get a Vox Pathfinder.  I have one and it's the best little non-tube amp ever.  The tones on it kill the Line 6 stuff and the Fender practice amps i've heard.  But it is best for clean or overdriven tones; you won't get a modern distortion out of it without a pedal.

[_tom_]

If you have the money, get a Matamp Minimat and a 1x12 cab  :D

[WITH FULL DISTORTION]

i suggest a CRATE GX 30
its very good.
good distortion
i´m not sure about the reverb, cause i hate a lot of the amps that has built in reverbs

[sambo]

^ yer, see! crate is the way to go!

[Tinus]

My Laney LC15R has been running for 5y+ now and it's nice enough. However mine had the original HH invader speaker that wasn't too great, replacing that with a Jensen P10R really opened up the sound.