Mini guitar amps are often designed with the home practice environment in mind, though some are used in professional studio situations where the reduced power output can mean a cleaner sound with less electrical noise. And, given their portable size and tonal versatility, these cheap guitar amps are finding their way into more popular spotlight situations placed in front of a PA microphone and a live audience. Here Guitar Amps Today takes a look at some “practice amp” heavyweights.
Fender Frontman 10G 10-Watt 1×6 Guitar Combo Amp
Leo Fender is a true pioneer of the electric guitar, and the amplifiers that bear his namesake most certainly share that tradition. And although you might find it hard to believe, you can indeed score one of these name-brand top-of-the-A-list amplifiers for just as much or less than the other cheap guitar amps listed on this page.
The Fender Frontman 10G is the company’s smallest guitar amp yet it still offers all the hallmarks of its greatest machines: distinct and legendary tones, dynamic range controls, simple honest-to-goodness American functionality, and the trademark beautiful class tweed looks. This solid-state slice of apple pie cranks 10 watts at 4 ohms through a 6″ Special Design speaker and boasts chrome hardware on its Volume, Gain, Treble and Bass knobs, an Overdrive Select switch, 1/8″ auxiliary input, and 1/8″ headphone jack on its trademarked Blackface™ control panel. The closed-back box is wrapped in black textured vinyl and the face sports the modern classic Fender silver grille cloth. MSRP: $79.99!
Rocktron Velocity Series V10 10-Watt 1×6 Guitar Combo Amp
Perhaps a lesser-known household name than some of its contemporaries, Bob Waller’s Rocktron has been an innovative sound technology developer since the early 1980s, and is certainly well-known and well-employed amongst the music industry’s most popular performers. The Rocktron Velocity Series V10 practice amp is no exception to the audial creativity of this well-respected manufacturer. This so-called cheap guitar amp serves up a beautifully smooth tone and when over-driven she dragon-fire screams a distinct distortion we don’t want to put down, especially when our older brother is telling us to.
The Rocktron Velocity V10 burns 10 watts of power into a 6″ Rocktron Velocity VSG6 Custom Voiced speaker. Separate Gain, Volume, Treble and Bass EQ control knobs allow us to shape our desired high-low frequency contour and shape that uber-duber distortion, even at low volume (as if we would ever bother with that). Headphone jack is (unnecessarily, lol) included and retails at $85.00.
Marshall MG4 Series MG10 10-Watt 1×6.5 Guitar Combo Amp
Marshall, Marshall, Marshall. This British invasion has made quite a name for its wall-of-sound Half-Stack self over the years, hasn’t it? And, well, wouldn’t you know, it offers a little cheap guitar practice amp for us to blast away the airwaves as well!
The MG4 Series MG10 packs 10 watts into a 6 and 1/2″ speaker housed in a closed-back cabinet and simply bleeds not one but two distinctive Marshall tones thanks to its sparkly clean and viciously overdriven aggressive channels. Versatility is easily dialed at our fingertips thanks to the digitally programmed tonal presets, plus a Contour control knob for manually achieving precise perfection. With a headphone jack and a line input, we have got everything we need to jam along with our MP3 library quietly and without notice or embarrassment as we imagine slayin’ ‘em all at Wembley and the groupie girls awaitin’ in the limousine! Manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $125.00.
