OffsetGuitars.com

As per the title really. My partner now, since the pandemic became a thing, now works from home. We live in an average-sized single level house/apartment/maisonette so sound travels easily.

My old 80s Peavey Rage () that I had been using just gave up the ghost so I'm the market for something small. Really small. And quiet...But doesn't sound like utter garbage. I'm home 1 or 2 days mid-week so our schedules clash and I'm bound by volume restrictions.

Since I was last in the market for a small SS practice amp - which was a LONG time ago - there seems to be a myriad of new options and types that have popped up. Some that I'm gravitating towards are...

Fender Champion 20?
Boss Katana Mini?
Orange Crush 15?

If this was a tube amp I'd know exactly what I want. But I need to be able to have this at very low volume but still actually sound acceptable and not like a wasp in a jar. Anyone using something small for these kinds of situations? No budget restrictions on this either, it doesn't need to be cheap.

I use a Yamaha THR10C for similar purposes. Sounds great even at the kind of volume you can’t hear in the next room. Relatively inexpensive too.

I'm following this post with interest, also need low volume. Currently have a Vox Mini 5. I don't have enough experience to be able to say if it is better than others. I prefer to play just louder than the acoustic volume of the electric guitar, so the amp not at its best. I've read consistent good reviews of the Fender Champion 20 & the Yamaha THR10C.

Don't really have experience in this area, but I understand the Yamaha is the go to small amp.

I have been really, really pleased with my Neunaber Iconoclast.

I mainly use it for direct recording, but it has a good onboard headphone amp. I spent about an hour tweaking a preset to my liking in the app.

I use a Tech 21 Blonde as the preamp a lot of the time, but It’s also great fun with a Rat or a gnarly fuzz plugged straight in.

It’s been a game changer for me in pandemic times and has enabled me to play and record way more “loud” electric guitar than I would be able to otherwise.

I use a Weber Mini Mass with my Princeton Reverb. The Weber has dedicated headphone jack and line output, so I can listen to the PR directly or from the headphone out on my modular synth after applying various filters and effects. If you already like the amp you have, it's worth considering this or another attenuator. I have also used Strymon Iridium, which has a pretty nice room reverb and stereo amp/cab modeling, but I sold it because it wasn't as good as the PR and I didn't want both.

tequila_in_teacups wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 14, 2021 1:37 pm

I use a Yamaha THR10C for similar purposes. Sounds great even at the kind of volume you can’t hear in the next room. Relatively inexpensive too.

ahhh, I totally forgot about these little gems. I'll track one down and give it a go I think. It's the perfect little format for the living room

Singlebladepickup wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:34 pm

I use a Weber Mini Mass with my Princeton Reverb. The Weber has dedicated headphone jack and line output, so I can listen to the PR directly or from the headphone out on my modular synth after applying various filters and effects. If you already like the amp you have, it's worth considering this or another attenuator. I have also used Strymon Iridium, which has a pretty nice room reverb and stereo amp/cab modeling, but I sold it because it wasn't as good as the PR and I didn't want both.

I had a Weber attenuator before (a massive one) for my old OR120 and it was fantastic. But for impromptu noodling in the front room it's a whole extra bunch of cables, and the process of moving stuff out of one room to another each time is too much faffing about for me every time. I like to have something just small and simple and 'there' when I need it.

johnnysomersett wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:12 pm

ahhh, I totally forgot about these little gems. I'll track one down and give it a go I think. It's the perfect little format for the living room

They're really very good. The newer ones have an iOS rather than desktop app for tweaking presets and stuff if that's your bag. Little more expensive, though maybe you can find a used one for a good price. That said, the laptop app is easy to use, and if you're after a no fuss, plug-in-and-go kind of solution you'll probably forget about the app once you've set up the sounds you want. I hooked it up to the software the other week for the first time in about 18 months to edit a few presets, but otherwise I haven't felt the need to tinker. Happy to share a few tips I think make it sound best if you need. I'm mostly into Fender clean + reverb sounds and a little bit of Vox, so those are the models I've messed with most. I'm impressed that, as well as obviously sounding different, each amp model genuinely feelsl quite different to play. The Vox/Matchless model, for example, feels convincingly Vox-ish to me.

tequila_in_teacups wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 14, 2021 10:22 pm

johnnysomersett wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:12 pm

ahhh, I totally forgot about these little gems. I'll track one down and give it a go I think. It's the perfect little format for the living room

They're really very good. The newer ones have an iOS rather than desktop app for tweaking presets and stuff if that's your bag. Little more expensive, though maybe you can find a used one for a good price. That said, the laptop app is easy to use, and if you're after a no fuss, plug-in-and-go kind of solution you'll probably forget about the app once you've set up the sounds you want. I hooked it up to the software the other week for the first time in about 18 months to edit a few presets, but otherwise I haven't felt the need to tinker. Happy to share a few tips I think make it sound best if you need. I'm mostly into Fender clean + reverb sounds and a little bit of Vox, so those are the models I've messed with most. I'm impressed that, as well as obviously sounding different, each amp model genuinely feelsl quite different to play. The Vox/Matchless model, for example, feels convincingly Vox-ish to me.

Yeah, it looks like a clever bit of kit. Likely too clever for me as I'm a 'more than six, sucks d*cks' kinda guy when it comes to amps and the amount of knobs they have

I've just snagged one of the 'C' model ones (the black 'combo' one) on 'verb for £160 used. Will report back when it lands

Pathfinder 15R - if you can find one

MatthewK wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 15, 2021 4:34 am

Pathfinder 15R - if you can find one

came here to say my pathfinder 10 is a great amp for that.

MatthewK wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 15, 2021 4:34 am

Pathfinder 15R - if you can find one

Do these sound good if playing really quiet?

Well I sure like mine! My daughter has a Pathfinder 10 and I will give it a try to see. No reverb but the same nice chimey warmth.

Those little Vox MV50 amps, whilst sold and marketed as a tiny, proper high-powered amp, sound really good at low volume. They're also a pretty good headphone/direct/recording solution. I've got the Boutique one, and I'm very happy with it.

Not the sexiest thing in the world but the Boss Katana MKII is outstanding (have the 100w 1x12).
So many effects and quality amp sounds in one small (cheap) package.