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Topic: Your favorite small battery-powered amp? |
Rose Sinclair
From: Austin, TX, USA
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Posted 29 Mar 2024 9:56 pm
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Hi Formites-
What is your favorite small battery-powered amp?
Thanks in advance!
![Very Happy](images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif) |
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Lee Rider
From: Fort Bragg, California, USA
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Posted 29 Mar 2024 10:25 pm
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Vox DA5, great little amp. I've used it as a preamp too:
http://www.voxshowroom.com/uk/amp/da5.html
They have been discontinued but I got one off eBay a couple of years ago for $50 _________________ Bowman SD10 push pull 3x5, Modified Hudson PedalBro, Sarno Tonic preamp, Evans SE200 with Altec 418B, Standel Custom 15, '67 Showman with D-130F in cabinet. |
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Dave Grafe
From: Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 30 Mar 2024 2:35 am
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I like the Roland Street Cube, rarely use the battery power but it is a superb recording preamp/effects unit. I have two, one at home for headphone practice with tracks, another lives at my friend Jon Lindahl's Fresh Tracks recording studio.
It has several modeling options but I put the steel through the "MIC" sans modeling input. The excellent onboard Roland stereo reverb is all I need for my purposes, so I use it to do most of my recording work now.
Sample tracks from last year's Sons of Hudson EP release. The guitar is our late brother Stu Schulman's Desert Rose Vintage Pro with a Telonics 206 pickup, run directly from the VP to the Roland to the audio interface.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5yz4m_IiZy_eOtQ5U0fpoCavfGsi_bwd&si=PdM_4x3wM2XoPEmB
Last edited by Dave Grafe on 11 Apr 2024 7:25 am; edited 2 times in total |
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John Larson
From: Pennsyltucky, USA
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Posted 30 Mar 2024 3:18 am
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Yamaha THR-10X I've been using it for all my gain needs on electric guitar nearly since it came out. _________________ Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright. Give praise to the Lord with the harp, chant unto Him with the ten-stringed psaltery. Sing unto Him a new song, chant well unto Him with jubilation. For the word of the Lord is true, and all His works are in faithfulness. The Lord loveth mercy and judgement; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
- Psalm 33:1-5 |
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Bob Shilling
From: Berkeley, CA, USA
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Posted 30 Mar 2024 10:50 am
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I only have one, so it's my favorite.
Blackstar, Fly, 3W, runs on six AA batteries, or on AC. It has a headphone jack, and a line-in jack (they make a Bluetooth version, but mine isn't.) It has overdrive and delay, and a single knob EQ.
The sound is impressive for such a small amp. _________________ Bob Shilling, Berkeley, CA--MSA S10, "Classic" |
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Jack Hanson
From: San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 30 Mar 2024 11:34 am
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Roland Mobile Cube
![](https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/userpix2203/12244_Roland_Mobile_Cube_6.jpg) |
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Tom Wolverton
From: Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 30 Mar 2024 11:41 am
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I use a Bose S1 Pro. It works very well. Especially when I put a Combo Deluxe ‘65 pedal in front of it. The pedal I run off of a Joyo pedal battery pack. _________________ To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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Rose Sinclair
From: Austin, TX, USA
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Posted 8 Apr 2024 9:14 pm
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Thanks for all the fantastic input!! ![Very Happy](images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif) |
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Brooks Montgomery
From: Idaho, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2024 6:32 am
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The Fishman Loudbox Mini Charge 60-watt sounds surprisingly good with no effects pedals at all.
The reverb knob and chorus can thicken it up nicely. _________________ A banjo, like a pet monkey, seems like a good idea at first. |
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Samuel Phillippe
From: Douglas Michigan, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2024 12:49 pm
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Dave Grafe wrote: |
I like the Roland Street Cube, rarely use the battery power but it is a superb recording preamp/effects unit.
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I agree with Dave. My Roland Street Cube is also my favorite. I do use the battery power because of using it outdoors, small venues.
Sam |
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Tom Jordan
From: Wichita, KS
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Posted 9 Apr 2024 1:24 pm
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Me too, Roland Street Cube EX. 50-60 watts of stero power with two 8" speakers, mic input, instrument input and aux input. The battery will last for a full 4-5 sets a "normal" power selected.
Great for the outside farmers market type gigs.
Tom |
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Steve Lipsey
From: Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2024 6:04 pm
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I went a different way...I have a 100 watt ZT Lunchbox, so it is a real amp, with real power, but in a small form factor, and power it with a Jackery 150 power supply, very light, the whole combined rig fits in a small backpack...and the Jackery runs all day and can be used to power lots of other stuff for the beach or emergencies or whatever...
https://www.jackery.com/products/explorer-240-portable-power-station
This also would work with any other amp you have and like...no compromise just to have the battery power... _________________ https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Bruce Derr
From: Lee, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 11 Apr 2024 6:59 am
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I'm another Cube Street fan. I have 3 of them, all bought used for pretty cheap. I have them mainly for a duo/trio gig on a boat that I play occasionally. It's the one gig I play where I am the guy who "brings the PA." The amps sound good, they are just loud enough, and the separate microphone channel is a big plus. I can fit all of them in a large rolling duffle bag. I run them on rechargeable AA batteries.
I haven't tried the newer "EX" version but if I saw a good deal on a used one I'd probably grab it. They are a little pricey new. I have also considered getting one of those battery power sources like the Jackary Steve mentioned. Then I could bring a "regular" amp, as long as it was lightweight and efficient, like my Quilter Cub. But I already have the Cube Streets and they do the job.
I had the little Vox DA5 that Lee mentioned and I liked that quite a bit as well. The Cube Street has more features but it's bigger than the Vox. |
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Don Couchie
From: Ontario, Canada
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Posted 12 Apr 2024 6:03 pm
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Yamaha THR30II. Nice and loud and it sounds good with my PSG and guitars. _________________ Emmons D10 PP, Emmons GS10, Sho-Bud Super Pro, Justice S10 Jr., National D8, Fender Twin, Fender Steel King, Peavey Nashville 1000, 400, Session 500. |
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Allan Revich
From: Victoria, BC
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Posted 13 Apr 2024 8:20 am Spark Mini
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The Spark Mini is a game changer. Only the “clean” setting is useful for steel guitar without connecting to the phone/iPad app, but using it in conjunction with the app is mind blowing. _________________ Current Tunings:
6 String | G – G B D G B D
7 String | G6 – G B D E G B D
https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database |
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Stephen Cowell
From: Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 13 Apr 2024 7:42 pm
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I'm with Jack... +1 on the Mobile Cube. Rose, you've heard mine before... not loud, but nice, with stereo reverb, runs on 8AA's or a OneSpot. Didn't Bobby Ingano use one for a while? Here it is!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-d5Qh5yXYw
Kevin Brown is another user. It has a mic/camera tripod adapter on the bottom, real handy. Rose, if you want to borrow mine just let me know. _________________ New FB Page: Lap Steel Licks And Stuff: https://www.facebook.com/groups/195394851800329 |
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Cartwright Thompson
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Posted 14 Apr 2024 4:35 am
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You might take a look at a Behringer MPA40 BT portable PA speaker
It may not fit the definition of portable but it really sounds great for a battery powered unit. Not light but definitely manageable. Enough power to be heard over a moderately loud drummer. No reverb but there anre plenty of good battery powered pedals for that. I also use it for a Bluetooth music blaster.
I don’t usually recommend Behringer stuff as most of it is junk but I like this a lot. They’re about $220 new. |
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Bob Shilling
From: Berkeley, CA, USA
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Posted 14 Apr 2024 9:06 am Re: Spark Mini
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Allan Revich wrote: |
The Spark Mini is a game changer. Only the “clean” setting is useful for steel guitar without connecting to the phone/iPad app, but using it in conjunction with the app is mind blowing. |
This looks interesting, but it has a built-in, rechargeable battery. Is it easily replaceable when it dies - and it will? It doesn't seem to have a jack for AC power. These could be show-stoppers for me. _________________ Bob Shilling, Berkeley, CA--MSA S10, "Classic" |
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D Schubert
From: Columbia, MO, USA
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Posted 15 Apr 2024 5:15 am
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I'm still using an old Roland Cube amp. Not fixing what's not broke. _________________ GFI Expo S-10PE, Sho-Bud 6139, Fender 2x8 Stringmaster, Supro consoles, Dobro. And more. |
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