High Quality Guitar Practice Amp?

**Tom Karol** · 03-12-2013, 02:30 PM

I have both a Henriksen JazzAmp 112 and a BluesAmp 110. They're great and cover all my performance needs. But I was thinking about getting a small low volume amp to leave always plugged in hopefully sitting under or next to a coffee table to use strictly at home by myself mostly with my archtop. Volume is not an issue; great tone is.

Here are some possibilites:

Fishman Loud Box Mini;
ZT Lunchbox Acoustic;
Phil Jones Cub 100;
Small tube amp ...

Any thoughts?

**Rhoderick** · 03-12-2013, 03:48 PM

Hello.
At home, I use a Vox DA5 Mains/Battery Digital Amp or a VoxAD15VT VALVTRONIX.

I have used both at small/medium venue gigs and have not had a problem with either.

VOX | DA5 Mains/Battery Digital Guitar Amplifier
The VOX Showroom - Vox AD15VT

I hope this may be of some use.
Rhoderick

Music is the key that can open strange rooms in the house of memory.

Llewelyn Wyn Griffith

**docbop** · 03-12-2013, 03:52 PM

Funny that is why I got my JazzAmp 110 because I didn't like size and burning up tubes with my Deluxe Reverb.

**Eddie Lang** · 03-12-2013, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by Tom Karol

Volume is not an issue; great tone is.

Here are some possibilites:

Fishman Loud Box Mini;
ZT Lunchbox Acoustic;
Phil Jones Cub 100;
Small tube amp ...

Any thoughts?

I am looking forward to read the replies.

I've been toying with the idea of getting a custom made practice amp. Something like a tweed Champ, 5W and about 15 pounds, with an 8" speaker that can stay clean (Eminence 820H or Weber 8A150? - anyone has experience with these two? or other suggestions?). I wonder if it could work?

I have a Champion 600 reissue but I am not satisfied with the way it sounds. The lows are too farty IMHO and the mid and highs could be smoother. I also wish it would break up later. I love the size and weight though...

I know that it may be going overboard to have a custom practice amp... Still, I'd love a good practice amp, something smaller and lighter to take with me when I go play duets for instance (living room practice, not a gig). Last year, I had this custom amp builder here in town (TKM Classic Ampworks - excellent work, almost half the price of an equivalent Victoria Amp) build me something like a Deluxe voiced for jazz and I really love it. It'd be pure indulgence, but I think that the pair could be cool...

EDIT TO ADD: is this a crazy idea?

**papaj77** · 03-12-2013, 03:58 PM

Try Yamaha THR 5 or THR10. great practice amps, they can be mains or battery powered take very little space and sound great.

**Spook410** · 03-12-2013, 04:57 PM

I need something for this as well. There are some great small amps (AE, Schertler, AI, Henriksen) that are pricey but sound good and inexpensive very small amps (ZT, Fishman) that sound a bit boxy. So, putting that not very useful observation aside, what about an Ultrasound AG15? Cheap and has an 8" in it.

**DRS** · 03-12-2013, 05:27 PM

Roland Cube 15 or 30. They are great practice amps.

**Tom Karol** · 03-12-2013, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by docbop

Funny that is why I got my JazzAmp 110 because I didn't like size and burning up tubes with my Deluxe Reverb.

Yes, but (not my stuff; I just found the picture on the Web):
High Quality Guitar Practice Amp?-ee025c9c8a0cebf777abbc6fa0c52c7247a920a-jpg

**3625** · 03-12-2013, 05:46 PM

Right now my practice amp is a Fender Frontman 15r - at low volume I'm really happy with it. Currently I use the gain channel with the gain on zero, then bring up the volume - it's still real clean that way, the tone is just voiced differently.

I'm guessing it's an 8 inch speaker.

What I like is it's all analog solid-state - it's basically a mini-fender and sounds really good. A friend of mine bought one for students to use in his teaching studio. This guy is a real amp snob (in a good way), he's gigs with a modified Fender Princeton or an old Twin - has owned Boogie's, Music Man, etc. A couple of years ago, he wanted to get one of those cool 5watt tube amps that hit the market all of a sudden, he tried a bunch out and settled on the Frontman 15r, which suprised him but there you go.

And they're very cheap. Basically a decent, all analog low volume practice amp in a traditional design.

**Eddie Lang** · 03-12-2013, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by Tom Karol

Yes, but (not my stuff; I just found the picture on the Web):
High Quality Guitar Practice Amp?-ee025c9c8a0cebf777abbc6fa0c52c7247a920a-jpg

That Henriksen is the JazzAmp 12 though.

EDIT TO ADD: BTW, these are mine.

**coolvinny** · 03-12-2013, 07:32 PM

Don't forget about the regular ZT Lunchbox...it can be had for cheap these days (so as a practice amp, it might be just fine).Reg Schwager tours all across Canada playing through this thing. Since he visited Vancouver a few months ago, at least one local pro started has started using it for his jazz gigs. I think you cna get them for $200 if you shop around.

Tom as you know I have both the Phil Jones Cub and the ZT. With my archtop I prefer the ZT; with my jazztele I prefer the Cub.

The ZT has the advantage of looking like a space heater, so it blends into the background very easily.

**3625** · 03-12-2013, 08:04 PM

I've seen Reg Schwager use one on youtube and it sounded great - I'm interested in one for small gigs etc.

Because it's design is based on a very efficient speaker is there any harshness or pressure in the sound (I don't mean tone) to the ear?

The reason I ask is I had an acoustic image combo and it used to hurt my ears, my guess was due to the pressure coming out of the small efficient speaker, but I don't know for sure. Now, this amp was my bass player's and I bought it off him - weird thing was when it had double bass, no problem but put an archtop in it and my ears would hurt. I've got a friend who is a recording engineer (pro - worked with big acts. etc.) and he found the same thing, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't psychosomatic.

I could be sensitive to this stuff maybe, I never liked those little Bose cube shaped hifi speakers either...

**jorgemg1984** · 03-12-2013, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by 3625

I've seen Reg Schwager use one on youtube and it sounded great - I'm interested in one for small gigs etc.

Because it's design is based on a very efficient speaker is there any harshness or pressure in the sound (I don't mean tone) to the ear?

The reason I ask is I had an acoustic image combo and it used to hurt my ears, my guess was due to the pressure coming out of the small efficient speaker, but I don't know for sure. Now, this amp was my bass player's and I bought it off him - weird thing was when it had double bass, no problem but put an archtop in it and my ears would hurt. I've got a friend who is a recording engineer (pro - worked with big acts. etc.) and he found the same thing, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't psychosomatic.

I could be sensitive to this stuff maybe, I never liked those little Bose cube shaped hifi speakers either...

Those type of amps / speakers tend to have an high mid emphasis thar produces that sound. The Henriksen has it too - a good mid or treble control takes care of that!

**3625** · 03-12-2013, 08:12 PM

Tks Jorge, it was a mid range sound that caused my earache. Though I once tried out a Henriksen JazzAmp for a week and used it on a gig and had no problem. I think it could be those little punchy speakers I unfortunately have an allergy to.

**Doctor Jeff** · 03-12-2013, 09:57 PM

Epiphone Valve Jr.

**StevieB** · 03-12-2013, 10:24 PM

If you can afford It, the AER Compact 60 is a great option.

**Clamps** · 03-13-2013, 01:46 AM

I built a tweed champ clone, it is a super practice amp!

**Eddie Lang** · 03-13-2013, 01:55 AM

Originally Posted by Clamps

I built a tweed champ clone, it is a super practice amp!

Hi Clamps. Would you please share more details? Components and specs? Which speaker? Could you describe the sound? Thanks!

**Frank67** · 03-13-2013, 02:31 AM

Fender superchamp is great. Mustang is also decent

**Tom Karol** · 03-13-2013, 10:35 AM

Thanks for all the answers, guys! How about this one (Roland Cube Lite)? It's only $169. Has anyone tried one?
CUBE Lite: Guitar Amplifier | Roland U.S.
or maybe this one?
http://www.roland.com/products/en/CUBE_Lite_MONITOR/.

**eddy b.** · 03-13-2013, 01:41 PM

2nd on the Fender Frontman, I had a 60 watter for exactly this purpose very nice low volume amp.

**henry b** · 03-13-2013, 02:19 PM

Got a Fender 15 g yesterday ,will give it a blow tonight .

**alanh** · 03-13-2013, 02:29 PM

I have a Roland mico cube which is small enough for my wife not to notice and it sounds OK (to me) for practice.

Alan

**Kenneth** · 03-13-2013, 03:52 PM

That Roland Cube Light looks really cool. I'd like to get one as a compo PC speaker - for playing music in my office, Guitar amp always on my desk.

I was looking at the IK iLoud too:
iLoud

**Tom Karol** · 03-13-2013, 05:06 PM

Perhaps more background info is in order - my omission - sorry.

I've previously owned (these are just the really small ones):

Micro Cube, DA5, DA10, and I had a ZT Lunchbox to test for a few days a while back. All of these were loud enough, but none of them sounded good enough to me. I had a little Yamaha powered monitor (MS101 II) that doubled the acoustic volume of my archtop beautifully, but I gave it to my son and he won't give it back. He also has a little Peavey bass amp (30w, 8" speaker) that he got for $25 at a yard sale that actually sounds pretty good, but he's using it as a drum machine amp.

Seems silly to spend more than a couple hundred dollars when I've already got and love the Henriksens. But I want something I can leave out instantly ready for use at very low volumes but that still sounds great, not just OK. And I really want it to fit under or on the coffee table!

The new Roland Cube Lite is intriguing, isn't it? (Edit: The Yamaha THR5 is probably worth further investigation, too.)

Then again, I'd make accommodations for a silver-face Champ with a good speaker ... !