Hi there Guitar players, and welcome to my review of the best mini guitar amps!
Over the last few weeks, I’ve examined many mini amps to bring you a review of the best ones on the market at the moment.
Please, don’t rush and buy the first you see on the web, you better pick one from my list, and you will be delighted with your choice.
Let’s go quickly to my review of the 15 best mini amps to carry your sound with you!
Click here to skip the quick overview and jump right to the in-depth reviews.
Quick Overview
Our Top 5 Choices For Mini Guitar Amps
Vox Mini 3 G2
Vox MINI 3 G2 is the ideal mini guitar combo amp for people always on the move. It brings a lightweight design and incredible sound quality that make it the perfect grab-and-go mini amp.
Blackstar Fly 3 Mini Amp
The Blackstar Fly 3 is one of the best and most innovative guitar mini amps right now. You get a handy and practical cutting-edge 3-watt mini combo with two channels (Clean and Overdrive) and a 3-inch speaker that delivers true Blackstar tones.
Orange Crush Mini 3
The Orange Crush is the mini amp that brings you classic Orange tones in a compact and lightweight package. It is one of the best mini amps in the market to jam in your bedroom or warming up backstage.
Line 6 Micro Spider
With the Line 6 Micro Spider, you get one of the most portable mini amps on the market at the moment. You also get multiple onboard effects, a tuner, four great Line 6 Spider III amp models, and a POD 2.0-style direct output.
15 Best Mini Guitar Amp Review
Click here to jump to our Top Picks.
#1. Vox Mini 3 G2 Review – Best Overall Mini Guitar Amp
Vox MINI 3 G2 is the ideal mini guitar combo amp for people always on the move. It brings a lightweight design and incredible sound quality that make it the perfect grab-and-go mini amp.
With the MINI 3, you can explore any genre of music you want. You also can accompany yourself on the mic or jam along to your favorite tracks thanks to the microphone and auxiliary inputs.
Enjoy this remarkably versatile tool that brings you 3-watt of power, a 5-inch speaker, 11 authentic amp models, Bassilator Circuit, tuner, mic, aux inputs, and the 8 onboard effects.
You get a battery-powered companion for long road trips or for taking your music to the city streets.
You’ll love this:
- With the MINI 3, you get a 3-watt portable practice amp with 11 authentic built-in amp models based on Vox Valvetronix technology.
- Enjoy this modeling combo at home, in a rehearsal space, or on the street.
- The proprietary VOX “Bassilator” circuit delivers a heavy sound with a rich low end that’s totally comparable to most high-gain models.
- Mini 3 is easy to use, has great portability, and has a huge range of amps and effects.
You might not like this:
- The MINI 3 can be a little noisy.
Conclusion
With The MINI 3, you can experience how small can sound huge. This pint-sized 3-watt combo packed with eleven great amp models brings you the next generation of Vox’s popular portable modeling amps.
The MINI3 is surely easy to carry thanks to its removable carry strap. You’re ready to go with the amp in one hand and your guitar in the other.
#2. Boss Katana-Mini Review – Best Value for Money Mini Guitar Amp
When you purchase the Two Notes Le Lead 2, you get much more than only a guitar preamp pedal. This amazing stompbox was designed to take 2 tube preamps, compress them, and put them under your foot.
Katana’s selectable voicings deliver you three options. The Brown setting offers a high-gain tone perfect for metal leads, the Crunch setting gives overdriven rhythm tones, and the Clean setting produces a bright, clean tone with a wide dynamic range.
With the Katana, you get a combo amp with a comfortable handle ideal for practicing at home or playing on the move.
The Katana is ready for silent practice. You only need to plug your headphones in the stereo headphone jack and jam without disturbing anybody near you.
It also brings direct recording. You can connect directly to a recording device to capture your tone thanks to its speaker-emulated output.
You’ll love this:
- Despite its small size, the Katana-Mini will surely impress you with its big sound while you get impressive control over your tone.
- You can shape your sound with the 3-band EQ that gives you great control, thanks to the bass, middle, and treble knobs.
- You get a built-in delay effects section that adds an amazing sense of space to lead tones.
- The Katana-Mini has shown to be really portable. It weighs less than three pounds, and you obtain up to seven hours of operation with only six AA batteries.
You might not like this:
- The Katana-Mini doesn’t come with a power adapter, and you have to buy it separately, which is a real shame.
Conclusion
The Katana-Mini is really one of the best mini amps you can get. They have an amazing sound that exceeds other guitar amps in its class.
It is a compact size and robust mini amp that weighs less than three pounds. You can take it wherever you want. You get great Katana tone in a highly portable amp.
#3. Blackstar Fly 3 Mini Amp Review – Best Budget Mini Guitar Amp
The Blackstar Fly 3 is one of the best and most innovative guitar mini amps right now. You get a handy and practical cutting-edge 3-watt mini combo with two channels (Clean and Overdrive) and a 3-inch speaker that delivers true Blackstar tones.
The Blackstar patented Infinite Shape Feature (ISF) gives you endless possibilities on the tone of your amp, allowing you to adjust the sound of your Fly 3.
It is an excellent compact and portable mini amp that delivers tape delay effects to enhance your output while playing. It also gives you great tones even at the lowest volumes.
You can connect your headphones to the Emulated Output jack. You also obtain a complete pack of valuable features such as an MP3 / LINE IN jack built to connect to your mobile device to jam along to your favorite tracks.
You’ll love this:
- The Fly 3 is portable, has a great sound, and you can take it wherever you need while you power it with AA batteries.
- This amazing mini amp allows you to change and get a distinctive sound, thanks to their patented Infinite Shape Feature and its onboard tape delay effect.
- Thanks to its battery-powered capacity, you can take the Fly 3 where you go as a set of portable speakers.
- The Fly 3 can give you the best tones at low volume for home use and practice, despite being such a tiny amp.
You might not like this:
- You can find the Fly 3’s tone to be a bit soft and flat-sounding.
Conclusion
You only need to plug in your guitar to the Fly 3 and begin practicing. It is a very effective two-channel and compact guitar amp that delivers a revolutionary sonic performance due to its small size.
The Fly will give you many features, such as the Blackstar’s patented ISF (Infinite Shape Feature), emulated headphone output, digital ‘tape’ delay effect, and mp3/line input.
#4. Orange Crush Mini 3 Review
The Orange Crush is the mini amp that brings you classic Orange tones in a compact and lightweight package. It is one of the best mini amps in the market to jam in your bedroom or warming up backstage.
The Crush Mini is among the best home practice amps that you can catch, and it is the perfect companion for beginners who want to practice at home and for professionals who want to warm up backstage.
The Crush simple controls layout gives you access to a wide range of classic Orange tones. You can dial in clean tones by backing off the Gain and turning the volume control up or get a Metal kind of distortion by cranking up the Gain.
The Crush will let you connect your headphones to the output and mute the speaker for silent practice. You also can tune your guitar with the Crush Mini’s built-in tuner or play your favorite tracks using the Aux-In.
You’ll love this:
- You can practice wherever you go with The Crush Mini. The 1/8″ aux input and the onboard tuner make the Crush Mini a marvelous portable mini amp for practicing.
- You only need to bring your guitar and a 9-volt battery when you want to jam with friends.
- The Crush Mini makes it easy to get shades of those iconic Orange sounds. It will give you exceptional performance thanks to its simple Gain, EQ, and Volume controls.
- It switches on automatically when you plug in your guitar, and you can power it with the included 9V battery or an external 9V DC adapter.
You might not like this:
- The battery door can be a little fragile.
Conclusion
With the Crush Mini, you obtain a minimalistic layout of controls that include Gain (drive), Shape (EQ), and Volume in addition to the iconic orange vinyl and woven grille. It is a powerful 3-watt mini amp powered by a standard 9-volt battery or a 9-volt pedal power supply.
You also can turn your Crush Mini into a mini amp head to play on stage by connecting a cabinet to the 8-ohm speaker output.
#5. Line 6 Micro Spider Review
With the Line 6 Micro Spider, you get one of the most portable mini amps on the market at the moment. You also get multiple onboard effects, a tuner, four great Line 6 Spider III amp models, and a POD 2.0-style direct output.
The Micro Spider weighs just seven pounds, is battery-powered, and can open a wide range of sonic possibilities.
You can always get an excellent sound with its powerful 6-watt and 6.5″ speaker. You can also play via its headphone jack.
When you take the Line 6 Micro Spider home, you have the security of getting ultra-portability and great tone no matter where you are.
The Line 6 Micro Spider is a modern modeling mini amp with CD input and POD direct out for recording.
You’ll love this:
- With the Line 6 Micro Spider, you get a complete set of four Spider III amp models, including clean, crunch, metal, insane, and an acoustic mode too.
- Line 6 brings you the revolutionary Smart Control FX that includes six effect types: phaser, chorus/flanger, tremolo, sweep echo, tape echo, and reverb.
- It features a 1/4″ microphone input, a CD/MP3 input jack, and a built-in tuner. You can also utilize the award-winning POD cab modeling headphone/direct out.
- The Line 6 Micro Spider is a powerful and ultra-portable mini amp that you can take anywhere. Besides, it can be battery-powered with six C batteries.
You might not like this:
- The quality of the Micro Spider may not be the best.
Conclusion
With the Line 6 Micro Spider, you can rock completely untethered wherever you want thanks to its 4 amp models, 1 acoustic amp model, 6 Smart Control FX, and POD 2.0-style direct output.
You can always get magnificent sound with the Micro Spider’s 6-watt and 6.5″ speaker. Besides that, it is lightweight, ultra-portable, and comes loaded with high-quality models and effects.
#6. Marshall MS-2 Micro Amp Review
The Marshall MS-2 is really an amazing tinny piece of art that is perfect when you need to carry your amp in your backpack.
It is a battery-powered 1-watt mini amp that brings you clean settings, overdrive settings, tone control, and a belt clip.
The Marshall’s MS-2 Micro Stack is a real Marshall tone that fits in your pocket.
#7. Fender Mini 57 Twin-Amp Review
If you get the wonderful Fender Mini ’57 Twin-Amp, you will catch the classic look and tone of a vintage Fender Twin Amp at a fair price. This amp has really captured the vibe of the ’50s.
Twin has volume, tone, gain controls, a built-in distortion, and pushes a whole watt of power through its twin 2-inch speakers.
You get the whole Fender package: tweed covering, real leather handle, and it can be battery-powered with a single 9-volt battery.
#8. Laney Mini Lion Amp Review
The Mini Lion Amp may be the cutest amp you have ever seen, and it is Laney’s entry into what in the last years become a trendy market of mini amps.
It has 3 watts of power that really roars through a 3-inch speaker. You can take your Lion on three different versions: mono, stereo, and Bluetooth.
You can access three chickenhead knobs for controlling gain, tone, and volume in the top panel. Not only that, but you’ll also see there the guitar input, aux in, headphone jack, and LSI input.
#9. Blackstar ID Core 10 V3 Review
Enjoy the third generation of Blackstar’s ID Core 10 combo with a powerful new cab simulator and immersive stereo FX.
The Core 10 V3 is an excellent practice amp that brings you 10 watts of power, two 3-inch speakers, 6 Voices, Onboard Effects, USB Output, and 1/8″ Cab-emulated Line Output.
With the Core 10 V3, you can produce the ideal blend of American and British character with Blackstar’s patented ISF control. It really is the ultimate practice amp and an excellent session tool.
#10. Vox Mini Superbeetle Review
The Vox MSB25 Mini Superbeetle is the perfect weapon for those guitar players that want a small guitar stack with an outstanding British punch.
You get an authentic 25-watt mini-stack that exudes authentic Vox tones. It brings you NuTube technology that supplies true tube-amp performance.
You will really enjoy the matching open-back cabinet, the custom 10″ Celestion speaker, and the distinctive Vox styling with the Superbeetle’s classic appearance.
#11. Orange Micro Terror MT20 Amp Head Review
If you need an amp with a tiny footprint that can explode in big sounds, so the Orange Micro Terror 20-watt Head can be the ideal small amp for you.
This beautiful 20 watts amp head brings you tone control, headphone output, aux input, speaker output, and a genuine tube preamp.
The Orange’s Micro Terror head is tiny but still packs a sonic punch. This amp’s hybrid design features a 20-watt solid-state power amp and a 12AX7 preamp tube.
#12. Marshall MS-4 Mini Micro Full Stack Review
Let the micro full-stack madness invade your bedroom or living room with the Marshall MS-4. It is a battery-powered 1-watt micro amp equipped with a belt clip, gain and tone controls, and clean/overdrive settings.
The MS-4 is ideal for weekend jams and for having tons of fun. You will feel how awesome one single watt can sound. This tinny and beautiful micro full-stack amp pumps pure Marshall tone despite its tiny size.
#13. Roland Micro Cube GX Review
When you want a tinny amp that brings you a ton of features, then the Roland Micro Cube GX is the perfect tool for your rig. This 3-watt battery-powered marvel provides you 8 COSM Amplifier Models, 8 DSP Effects, Chromatic Tuner, and you get the amazing iOS i-Cube Link.
The Micro Cube GX comes with a wide range of characteristics such as onboard effects, eight amazing-sounding COSM guitar amp models from classic to modern, plus a special microphone preamplifier model.
#14. Boss Katana-Air Review
The Boss Katana-Air is a totally wireless guitar amp that delivers primal tones from the Katana amp series. With it, you can enjoy more than 50 Boss effects and five distinct amp characters.
This fully wireless amp brings you two power options of 20 and 30 watts, a stereo speaker system, Bluetooth, stereo headphone jack, and recording out with speaker cabinet emulation.
You get up to 12 hours of wireless operation, and you can power the Boss Katana-Air via 8 AA batteries when playing with the 20 watts option, and you need the power adapter while playing with the 30 watts one.
#15. Roland Cube Street Review
The Roland CUBE Street is a great option if you want a great-sounding modeling amp that is also a little PA. This battery-powered combo amp is ideal for performers who need portability, a lightweight amp, and great sound.
This compact CUBE brings you 5 watts of power, 2 high-performance 6.5″ Neodymium speakers, a slanted cabinet design, and 6 AA batteries that provide up to 15 hours of use. Besides that, an AC adapter is included.
What To Consider When Buying A Mini Guitar Amp
If you are going to purchase a guitar mini amp, you need to consider some important characteristics such as size, power output, input options, effects, and power input options.
When Is a Guitar Amp a Mini Amp?
Talking about sizes, a guitar amplifier can be called a Mini Amp when it is small and compact enough to be portable. Still, it needs to allow enough amplification to be useful in certain settings.
These amps are particularly useful for guitarists looking for a portable sound option for practicing, and they can be used to amplify MP3 players and other music sources.
How Much Power Do You Need to Play at Home?
Although there are Mini Amps that have between 1 and 20 watts, you can be perfectly capable of playing alone at home with 1 to 5 watts of power. 5 watts can be loud enough in a room without a band, but it would not be enough when you need to play over the sound of the drums.
What Effects Do Mini Amps Have?
Although most mini amps have clean and overdriven channels, most of them don’t have any onboard effects. But there are exceptions, such as the Vox Mini 3 G2. It has 8 onboard effects that makes this amp a versatile tool.
What Input Options Have Mini Amps?
When you want to play along with your favorite music, you need a mini amp with an input jack for your mobile phone or MP3 player. A headphone line would be beneficial when you need to carry out silent practices.
Are All Mini Amps Battery Operated?
Most mini amps will be battery operated, but the top ones also have the ability to use an AC power adaptor, which is an excellent option when you’re at home and worried about battery life. Battery-powered amps can be very handy for traveling or busking.
Top Picks
Welcome to my top picks. Below you will know which amp is the best overall, the best value for money, and the best budget options, so you can choose the best one for you.
#1 Vox Mini 3 G2 – Best Overall Mini Guitar Amp
Vox Mini 3 G2
Vox MINI 3 G2 is the ideal mini guitar combo amp for people always on the move. It brings a lightweight design and incredible sound quality that make it the perfect grab-and-go mini amp.
#2 Boss Katana Mini – Best Value for Money Guitar Amp
Boss Katana Mini
The Katana is the ideal mini amp for guitarists that want an excellent rock combo that sounds exceptional and was made to be carried anywhere.
#3 Blackstar Fly 3 Mini Amp – Best Budget Guitar Amp
Blackstar Fly 3 Mini Amp
With the Fly 3, you get a lightweight and practical 3-watt mini amp that delivers true Blackstar tones and give you endless possibilities on your sound.
Conclusion
We have just arrived at the end of my review of the 15 best mini guitar amps. I did these reviews to show you the amazing kingdom of the mini amps.
Now you can select and purchase the one with the sets of features that best suit your needs. I hope you get satisfied with your choice and enjoy your new mini guitar amp.
