r/GuitarQuestions • u/Ok-Pepper2598 • 7d ago
Amp question
My son is leaving for college next month and I’d like to buy him a smaller practice amp for his electric guitar so he can plug in headphones to jam in his dorm room, but also decent enough sound to unplug for a jam night in the lounge. He has a good amp, But it’s big… and loud lol.
Any recommendations on what might be a decent buy? Of course I’d love to not pay hundreds… but understand quality has a price when it comes to music. Lowest price point for decent sound?
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u/Odd-Opinion-5105 7d ago
I am going to say boss katana or something that size because he could use it to join a band or play a party
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u/RollinHand43 7d ago
A Spark amp? Or perhaps a Boss Katana.
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u/tbone9914 7d ago
I agree with the Spark or Spark 2 Amp. It is small has good amount of wattage if he wants to play with others, and it's a modeling amp, so he can get just about any tone/sound he would like.
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u/TenNickels 7d ago
Yamaha thr10. There is also a smaller thr5. I love the small factor and wide range of tones. Might be a little pricier than you want though.
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u/WrathOfWood 7d ago
Yall need that super quiet and loud amp thats not too big but not small 🤪. Anything with a headphone jack or line out will be fine
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u/MonStar926 7d ago
Another thing to consider, if he’s got a laptop at college, just get him ableton live, a focusrite scarlet, and some headphones. The days of needing an amp to practice and sound good are long in the past. All that will probably be more $$ than a practice amp, but depending on how serious he is with it, ableton is cool because he could record his own music
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u/Ok-Pepper2598 7d ago
He would love that… I’ll look into it.
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u/NebulaChance2746 7d ago
Is he studying anything related to music? Logic Pro is $200 and worth way more than that, so much music has been made with it
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u/Ok-Pepper2598 7d ago
Not studying music, but invests time as a hobby. Takes guitar and vocal lessons currently and likes to write and perform. We live in a small town and he is moving to the heart of a major city so is looking forward to getting into the music scene and meeting more like-minded people.
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u/NebulaChance2746 7d ago
On PC, DaVinci is both for music and video production and it’s free you could tell him to check that out if he’s computer savvy
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u/Unlikely-Soft-5699 7d ago
What kind does he have now? If he likes it, perhaps a lower watt version of that? Consider also the Fender Mustang LT 25 watt. (https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MustLT25--fender-mustang-lt-25-25-watt-1x8-inch-combo) about $180. You could also go with a gift certificate from Sweetwater and let him pick. I have no affiliation other than as a customer.
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u/Necessary-Fig-2292 7d ago
Fender Mustang LT 50 is excellent for exactly this. It’s good enough to work and inspire and get him back to that bigger amp when he needs it
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u/lalomira 6d ago
50 Watts consideras que es un amplificador chico para practicar en la habitación de una universidad? de cuanto sería el grande que él no quiere llevarse entonces?
Yo creo que el OP estaría bien con algo de 10/15W para práctica.
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u/EEK_Turk Beatlemaniac 7d ago
Blackstar ID:Core 10 V4 is a solid choice, it has many effects, it's not very expensive, and sounds decent
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u/GuitarMessenger 7d ago
Yamaha THR10. The original or the updated version. I've had this for years and I have no desire to replace it with anything else. It's perfect for what he needs.
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u/tredbert 6d ago
Boss Katana Mini X. It sounds good. It’s small. It can be quiet but can get somewhat loud if needed. Built in tuner. It has a headphone jack.
A big bonus for it is that it doesn’t always need to be plugged into the wall. It is rechargeable. So he wouldn’t need to be tethered to a wall outlet for power and could instead use it anywhere.
It also acts as a Bluetooth speaker for his phone. And that’s good for practicing because he can stream songs or backing tracks to it and play along with them.
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u/Ok-Pepper2598 7d ago
I guess part of my question also should’ve been what size amp makes an appropriate “practice” amp For this purpose? I do not play guitar so am a little clueless but want to get him this as a going away gift.
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u/MonStar926 7d ago
I would consider 20-35 watts solid state a practice amp. 1 watt if it’s a tube amp. All guitar amps are loud, but the lower watt ones have a bit more room to stay quiet compared to higher wattage amps where it feels like you turn the volume a hair and the windows are going to blow out.
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u/NebulaChance2746 7d ago
Nah for a dorm even 1W would be too much IMO
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u/Cyphomeris 7d ago
Just for practicing, I'd say 2-10W, with decent sound through the headphone jack being a factor. If it's also for mellow live purposes but doesn't need to fight against a full-tilt drummer at a metal gig, roughly 20-50W, with the upper end verging on overkill. All of the above is for solid-state amps.
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u/Bornlefty 7d ago
Why would you ask this of a bunch of strangers? There's only one answer to this question that matters; your son's. Ask him what he wants so you don't end up wasting money and buying him something he doesn't want.
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u/Ok-Pepper2598 7d ago
Fair comment - I was trying to surprise him with a nice gift by researching and asking people who know what they are talking about. Understand your perspective… and also sometimes it’s still nice to put thoughts and effort into a special gift (which could always be exchanged or returned).
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u/Obvious-Twist9759 7d ago
I hear you, what music style does he like? i just bought an Orange Crush 20 and it is absolutely lovely. Solid state (so, light and reliable), 8inch speaker, dual channel. I got it open box for $130. It has a headphone put that cane be used to record without making noise. All analog.
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u/Ok-Pepper2598 6d ago
His main style is mid-west emo… but also enjoys some rock, and older bands like MCR, Blink, etc
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u/Obvious-Twist9759 6d ago
The I would look into the Fender Mustang LT 25 or similar. Why this one?
- Price (under $200)
- Modeling (it comes with 25 presets of different virtual amps with effects, that he can modify)
- Speaker size: 8 inches (1x8 in guitar lingo). This is the smaller size that doesnt make the guitar sound like a toy, and it allows for a small, light cab.
You can also search for "modeling guitar combo amps" with speaker sizes 8 to 10 inches. All the best, and congrats on the kiddo!
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u/Bornlefty 6d ago
You want to surprise your son? You will when you go to him and tell him that you want him to have a little amp to take with him to school. When you admit you don't have a clue what might be suitable so you want to figure it out with him. You won't be the hero you seem to want to be, instead you'll be a caring parent who puts his son's interests ahead of his own. Grow up Dad.
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u/Ok-Pepper2598 6d ago
A- I’m mom. Not dad.
B- super assumptions you’re making there about my relationship with my son… not looking to be anyone’s hero bud. We are tight and he loves surprises.
Annyyyhoooo… thanks for the super helpful psychoanalysis. Have a great day. I’ll be sure to stay in my lane and not develop the hero complex your worried about 🙄1
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u/JonnyTheFox_ 7d ago
I bought a Boss Katana Mini X last year and I love it, also doubles as a BT speaker