The Best Mini Guitar Amp Of 2024

Last updated on September 3rd, 2021

As a guitarist, there are going to be plenty of times when you’re on the move and in need of a portable and practical mini guitar amp. If you’re beginning your journey as a musician, you want to make sure that you’ve done your research and purchased the best mini guitar amp for your needs. Of course, choosing the best guitar amp can be quite a task, but don’t worry! We’re here to help you. 

After searching for, trying, and testing various mini guitar amps, we’ve concluded that the best mini guitar amp is the Vox Mini3 G2  Battery Powered Modeling Amp. The Vox amp weighs around 3kgs and is the perfect mini guitar amp. 

We’re recommending this portable amp because of how lightweight it is; it weighs 3kgs.  It comes with several modeling effects and options and comes with an AC adaptor. This Vox mini amp also has a wonderful range of tones with a control panel that is incredibly easy to read. If you’re not convinced yet, this mini amp comes with a tap button and a remarkable number of effects, such as reverb, tremolo, chorus, flanger, compressor, and four delays. 

Just like many other amps in the market, this one also comes with inputs for headphones, an auxiliary cord, and a guitar. Most importantly, there is a 6.4mm microphone input as well. It’s important to note that this is a 4-watt mini amp that requires six AA batteries, which means that you can play non-stop for over ten hours! 

Another one of the features that we loved about this Vox mini amp is the clean tones that it produces, especially when projecting. We were surprised about this, primarily because of the amp’s size. 

If you’re searching for a mini guitar amp, you’re probably searching for an amp that can project clean tones while also being affordable and easily portable. In that case, we’d recommend the Danelectro Honeytone N-10 Guitar Amp or the Fender Mustang Micro Headphone Amp.  The price of both these amps is priced between $20 and $100, which means that they are both affordable and high quality.

You’ve been searching for the best mini guitar amps, and you’ve come to the right place for that. In this article, we’ll be taking you through the best mini guitar amps that produce excellent sound and clean tones.  

First, we’ll give you a list of the top ten mini amps. We’ll follow that with a detailed description of each amp while breaking down its pros and cons, features, and whether or not that amp is suitable for you. 

Keep reading for a list of the best mini guitar amps! 

The top 10 best mini guitar amps: 

1. Vox Mini3 G2  Battery Powered Modeling Amp
2. Roland MICRO CUBE GX Portable 3-Watt Guitar Amplifier
3. Boss Katana Mini 7-watt Amp
4. Marshall MS4 Mini Micro Full Stack Guitar Amp
5. Yamaha THR5 
6. Vox Pathfinder Combo
7. Blackstar Fly 3
8. Orange Crush Mini 3-watt Micro Amp
9. Fender Mini Deluxe Electric Guitar Amp
10. VOX AP2AC Guitar/Bass Headphone Amplifier
11. Orange MT20 Micro Terror 20-watt Guitar Amplifier

1. Vox Mini3 G2  Battery Powered Modeling Amp

The best mini guitar amp is this Vox Mini3 G2 battery-powered modeling amp! As we mentioned earlier, the reason we’re recommending this portable amp is because of how lightweight it is, and how many modeling effects and options it comes with! It has a fantastic range of tones and effects! 

Let’s have a closer look at its features: 

Product specifications: 

• It has dual power options. You can choose to use an included AC adaptor or 6 AA batteries for up to ten hours of practice. 
• Each amp comes with effects such as compressor, chorus, tremolo, delay, reverb, and flanger. 
• It weighs 3kgs. 
• It comes with inputs for headphones, an auxiliary cord, and a guitar. 
• It comes with a 6.4mm microphone input as well

Pros: 

• Lightweight design. 
• Easy to transport.
• It can achieve a wide range of tones. 
• It is surprisingly loud for something so small. 

Cons: 

• Not good for acoustic guitar. 

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2. Roland Micro Cube GX Portable 3-Watt Guitar Amplifier

We’ve listed this amp at number two because the Roland Micro Cube is one of the best mini guitar amps available in the market. This model is a newer and updated version of the original micro cube but still includes the same good quality levels of big, clean sounds and build quality while also being just as portable as ever. Most importantly, for those of you concerned about the aesthetics of the amp, you needn’t worry. Roland has continued to maintain its classic looks. 

After testing the Roland Cube out multiple times, we have nothing but good things to say about it, so let’s take a closer look at the specifications of this amp. 

Product Specifications: 

• The Roland Micro cube GX is battery powered, using 6 AA batteries. We’d recommend using Polaroid AA batteries.  
• It is a 3-watt amp.
• It comes with custom-designed speakers. 
• This amp can run off an AC adaptor through the mains.
• You can save your favorite effects and amp settings thanks to its memory function settings that allow you to keep the perfect sounds.
• It comes with eight COSM amp tones. This includes the ultra-heavy extreme amp.
• It also comes with eight DSP effects, such as delay or reverb with a spring emulation or heavy octave. 
• The amp comes with an interface cable and an i-cube link jack. This allows audio interfacing with either an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. 
• If you want to use the amp with headphones, there is a standard-sized audio jack for headphone output.  

Pros: 

• The Roland Micro Cube GX has exceptionally high sound quality.
• Good for gigs, busking, and solo practice
• Easy to transport
• This amp is very affordable
• Allows versatile sound 
• Allows you to project

Cons: 

• The cord is too short 
• The i-CUBE interface works only with Apple products, leaving Android users to struggle. 

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3. Boss Katana Mini 7-watt Amp

The second item on our list is another lightweight and portable amp that has received critical acclaim from musicians and critics alike. The Boss Katana Mini is a portable mini amp with a 7-watt amp section and a 4-inch speaker. If you’ve been looking for a mini guitar amplifier for a metal guitarist, then we’ve got just the amp for you. 

The Boss Katana Mini fantastic amp for metal guitarists with a speaker that’s a bit bigger than the average mini guitar amp speaker! We’d highly recommend this Boss Katana Mini to electric guitar players and musicians who are big fans of British-sounding tones. We’d also recommend this amp to musicians in search of a good practice amp for their homes.

After testing this battery-powered guitar amp several times, we were pleasantly surprised with what we discovered, so let’s have a closer look at the amp’s specifications: 

Product Specifications:

• As we mentioned earlier, this is a 7-watt amp. 
• It comes with a 4-inch speaker. 
• It has a multi-stage analog gain circuit. 
• This amp has three voicings, which are Clean, Brown, and Crunch. 
• This battery-powered amp must be powered by 6 x AA batteries to last you for 7 hours of practice.
• You can power it through an AC adaptor through the mains. (Please note that the adaptor is not included.)
• The Boss Katana Mini amp comes with a built-in 3-band EQ and delay effect. 
• It also comes with an AUX input. 
• It includes a speaker-emulated headphone or recording output feature as well. 

Pros: 

• It has high gain sound 
• Extremely portable 
• This amp’s price is very affordable
• Excellent delay and reverb
• Clean sound and incredible tone 

Cons: 

• Not as loud as some other mini guitar amplifiers
• The amp’s power supply needs to be bought separately.
• It does not include a built-in reverb. 

4. Marshall MS4 Mini Micro Full Stack Guitar Amp

At first glance, you might not think that this Marshall MS mini amp can do much, but for something so small, it definitely packs a mean punch! If you’ve been searching for a more lightweight portable guitar amp that works well for practice and impromptu jamming sessions, then you need not look any further.  

This practice amp takes everything that Marshall is well known for and condenses it into a mini amplifier. It gives you all of the pure tones that only Marshall can provide! We’d highly recommend this amp to guitarists searching for an amp with a good amount of power that you can take with you wherever you go. Additionally, if you play electric guitar, then you would most definitely love this amp. 

We’ve talked about how much we love this battery-powered guitar amp, so let’s look at the specifics. 

Product Specifications: 

• This amp weighs only 1.3lbs, making it one of the smaller and more compact amps available out there. 
• It is a 1-watt amp. 
• It comes with clean and overdrive settings. 
• It comes with 3 controls: volume, gain, and tone. 
• You can use the headphone jack also to drive an external power amp. 
• It is battery-powered. 
• It can also be powered by an AC with an optional power adaptor. 

Pros: 

• Excellent sound and clean tones 
• Loud sound 
• This amp’s price is much more affordable than other amps available in the market.

Cons: 

•  The kickstand bar isn’t stable. 

5. Yamaha THR5

There are hundreds of guitarists in search of a guitar amp that was designed solely for home practice. If you’ve been hunting for the perfect practice amp to use at home, you don’t have to search any longer! The Yamaha THR5 is the ideal combo amp for practicing, and it also has several useful tools that you can use for recording and songwriting! 

Thanks to this amp’s excellent battery power and portability, you can take this amp anywhere you want without having to worry about its weight and size. Since the Yamaha THR5 amp is a modeling amp, we’d recommend that guitarists interested in an amp for both the studio and practice sessions purchase this one. 

Since the amp comes with a USB jack, you can connect directly to your digital audio workstation (DAW) or use the amp for audio playback without needing your phone! 

We’ve talked enough about how much we like this amp, so let’s look at the product specifications. 

Product Specifications: 

• These guitar amplifiers come with five guitar amplifier emulation settings. This means that you gain access to all of the popular tube amp styles. 
• There are four modulation effects. 
• There are also four independent reverb and delay effects, which allow you to dial in many tones. 
• This amp requires ten watts of power.
• It is also battery-powered, so you can transport it where you’d like. 
• It comes with USB connectivity that you can use for preset editing, recording, and playback.
• You get a complimentary copy of Cubase AI, which is helpful if you don’t have any recording software already. 
• You get access to Yamaha’s THR editor software. This allows you to create your own presets by using your computer to access THR5’s amp models and effects, which means that you can also access THR5’s compressor and noise gate. As a result, you can tweak your tones to suit your preferences as much as you want. 
• The amp requires 8 AA batteries, which means that you can play continuously for up to 6 hours. 
• It runs on a supplied AC adaptor as well. 
• It comes with an auxiliary ⅛” input. 
• It comes with dual 3.15” speakers that give you stereo-quality audio for both internal effects and auxiliary or computer audio playback. 

Pros:

• Ideal for practicing 
• Free software 
• You can connect the amp to your computer
• Ideal for traveling 
• Suitable for young children and beginner-level guitar players
• Good sound quality 

Cons: 

• Not ideal for gigs. 

6. Vox Pathfinder 10

Next up on our list is the Vox Pathfinder 10! This mini, portable guitar amp is fantastic for guitar players searching for an amp that gives them warm-sounding British tones! 

If you’ve been searching for one of the best mini amps with a clean sound, then here you go! This is one of the most good-quality solid-state guitar amplifiers available in the market. The Vox Pathfinder 10 is manufactured by one of the best amplifier manufacturers in the industry. As a 10-watt amp, it doesn’t take up much power, and it has a simple layout that most users find easy to navigate. With two channels and a switch, you can shift from crunchy, gravelly sounds to the easy-sounding blues. Thanks to the fact that this is a solid-state amp, you need not worry about extensive maintenance. 

We’d recommend this amp to guitar players on a budget and beginners just getting started in the world of amplifiers. 

Let’s take a look at the specifics of this mini amp.

Product Specifications: 

• This amp weighs 10lbs. 
• It is a solid-state amp. 
• It has two channels, Clean and Overdrive. 
• You can switch between clean sounds and chimney sounds.
• It has one 6.5” speaker. 
• It comes with a two-band EQ, a gain knob, and a volume knob. 
• You can use the effect pedal to plug distortion, fuzz, delay, overdrive, reverb, or chorus. 

Pros: 

• Extremely user-friendly.
• Clean tone and sound
• Ideal for guitar players on a budget, thanks to the affordable price.
• Suitable for practice sessions and smaller gigs. 
• Affordable for guitar players on a budget
• The headphone jack automatically mutes the speaker.

Cons: 

• The drive channel’s quality is lower than the clean channel’s quality. 
• Does not have a USB recording output. 

7. Blackstar Fly 3

The next item on our list is another combo amp. The Blackstar Fly 3 is small, lightweight, and makes you sound much better than you ever thought possible. We’d like to recommend this amp to musicians searching for an affordably priced practice amp. 

The Blackstar Fly 3 is perfect for beginners and experienced guitar players who have been searching for an amp specifically designed for their practice sessions. Thanks to its lightweight body and compact design, you can easily transport this amp to and from jamming sessions or gigs! This mini amp is a wonderful travel buddy, so let’s get right into the specifics of the Blackstar Fly 3. 

Product Specifications: 

• The Blackstar Fly 3  weighs 1.98lbs. 
• This guitar amp comes with two channels, Clean and Overdrive. 
• It has one 3 inch speaker. 
• It comes with an Infinite Shape Feature to give you a wide range of tones to choose from as a mini amp.
• It also comes with a tape delay effect to add resonance to your playing and music.
• These Blackstar mini amps produce powerful sounds
• These guitar amplifiers also have a line-in for MP3 players, laptops, smartphones, or tablets. 
• The amp is battery-powered and requires 6 AA batteries to work. 
• It comes with an emulated line-out for guitarists who want to practice quietly. 

Pros: 

• Ideal for practicing indoors
• The gain gives you thickness and crunch 
• Suitable for acoustic guitar and electric guitar
• Good volume and tone 
• One of the best mini amps for beginners 

Cons: 

• This amp is not very loud, and so it cannot project. 

8. Orange Crush Mini 3-watt Micro Amp

You might feel as though we’ve only been recommending practice amps and not much else at this point in our list. Thankfully, that’s about to change because the Orange Crush Mini is here to save the day.  This mighty mini guitar amp is perfect for all kinds of guitar playing, be it when you’re warming up, jamming with friends, or spending long hours inside the studio. 

This Orange Crush Mini has everything you’d ever want from a mini amp! It’s portable, lightweight, loud, and affordable. Most importantly, it is the kind of amp that makes you want to have fun when you play. 

Enough of our rambling. Let’s have a look at the specifics of one of the best mini amps! 

Product Specifications: 

• This is a solid-state amp. 
• The amp requires a 9v battery to power it. 
• You could also use a standard center-negative 9-volt pedal as the amp’s power supply.
• It comes with an onboarding tuner. 
• It also comes with a ⅛” aux input. 
• The amp weighs 1.99lbs. 
• The headphone output allows you to practice quietly on your own. 
• Allows you to produce clean, dirt and semi-clean guitar sounds.
• It comes with a built-in tuner. 

Pros: 

• You can turn your amp into a giggable head using the speaker output.
• Excellent speaker output.
• Extremely affordable due to the amp’s price. 
• It fits nicely in the accessories pocket in equipment bags. 
• It works well for blues and metal guitarists. 

Cons: 

• Battery life doesn’t last very long. 

9. Fender Mini Deluxe Electric Guitar Amp

Next up, we’ve got a compact mini guitar amp that delivers an impressive sound and tone for something of its stature! The Fender Mini Deluxe is excellent for more than just practice sessions. If you’re a beginner guitarist searching for an amp that delivers great volume while also working well with various genres of music, then you’re on the right track if you’re considering this amp. One of the best parts of this amp is how wonderful it makes you sound, which is why they are one of the best mini amps available in the market!

Let’s have a closer look at the specifics of the Fender Mini Deluxe. 

Product Specifications:

• These Fender mini amps are solid-state amps. 
• It requires 2 watts of power. 
• It comes with a single 8-ohm 2″ speaker.
• The amp comes with a single-band EQ. 
• It needs to be powered by a single 9V battery.  

Pros: 

• These mini amps have a wide variety of tones and distortion levels.
• It is incredibly versatile. 
• It is also highly affordable at the given price. 
• It has strong overdrive. 

Cons: 

• It lacks deep bass and high treble. 
• Not suitable for gigs or studio recording. 

10. VOX AP2AC Guitar/Bass Headphone Amplifier

We’re nearing the end of our list of the best guitar amplifiers. 

This next item on our list is slightly different from the other guitar amps that we’ve been recommending so far. The Vox amPlug headphones guitar amplifier takes the word mini to an entirely new level! This amp takes up almost no space at all while still providing you with a brilliantly clear sound and tone that is guaranteed to take your jamming sessions to the next level. All you have to do is plug right into the Vox amPlug guitar amplifier and enjoy the crisp tones and clear sound that it produces. 

Let’s look more closely at the specifics of this mini amp. 

Product Specifications: 

• These mini amps come with three amplifier modes that allow tonal variety.
• The analog circuit is improved to provide users with a more precise tone. 
• The updated amp has a new folding plug. The mechanism can rotate 180 degrees to fit on any guitar. 
• The amp comes with an auto power-off function to conserve battery power.
• There are nine selectable effects: 3 chorus, three reverb, and three relay. 
• The battery lasts for over 17 hours at a time. 
• The amp requires 2 AAA batteries. 
• It comes with a ¼” plug. 
• It also comes with a ⅛” auxiliary input. 
• The amp weighs 0.09lbs. 

Pros: 

• Extremely portable
• Ideal for travel
• Excellent for at-home practice
• Can be connected to computer and guitar at the same time
• The price is affordable and worth it
• Suitable for musicians with injuries who cannot transport heavier amps
• Wonderful sound quality 

Cons:

• Controls can be hard to adjust to 
• It is not mounted on the guitar strap 
• It is made from plastic, so it can get damaged if handled incorrectly.

11. Orange MT20 Micro Terror 20-watt Guitar Amplifier

 The last item on our list is the beautiful Orange Micro Terror amp. We’d like to think that we saved the best guitar amp that gives you the best sound for last! The final mini amp is yet another small but mighty guy that works exceptionally well for practicing. If you’ve been searching for an amplifier that gives you classic-sounding British tones, then this is the amp for you. It gives you the tones that Orange is best known for, but the only difference is that this amp packs everything into one tiny and easily transportable package. 

Let’s have a look at the product specifications. 

Product Specifications: 

• It is a hybrid model amp.
• The amp sounds that this produces are clean British tones. 
• It requires 20-watts of power. 
• It has a single-band EQ. 
• It requires 15V of DC power supply.
• The amp weighs 1.87lbs. 
• It includes one ¼” speaker. 
• It also comes with a ⅛” and one ¼” input. 
• The amp includes one ¼” headphone line as well. 

Pros: 

• This amp’s price is highly affordable. 
• Ideal for gigs at smaller venues. 
• It is louder than other mini amps and can easily project. 
• It does not require much cranking. 
• It provides users with an excellent tone. 

Cons: 

• This amp’s power supply is not as powerful as some other amps available out there. 
• This amp does not work well for gigs at loud and large venues. 

Buying Guide

Here’s a list of everything you need to look for when buying mini guitar amps: 

1. The size of the Amp

Since we’ve recommended a series of mini guitar amps in this article, the first factor we’d definitely recommend prioritizing is the size of your guitar amp. 

Size is definitely one of the most important things that you need to take into consideration when shopping for a guitar amp. It might sound like the most obvious thing to say, but it is crucial to remember. For instance, when traveling from one place to another after a jam session or from one gig to the next when you’re on the road, the last thing you want to do is carry around a heavy amp in addition to your other equipment and luggage. 

We’re sure that the last thing you’d want to do is risk damaging your expensive equipment because you have too many items to transport. 

When you set out to buy your first amp, we would highly recommend purchasing a smaller amp that works well for both practice sessions and gigs. Make sure you choose an amp that you can use at home or in a quiet environment, but one that also works well for an average-sized gig. 

Smaller amps are great for beginners. They are portable and easier to transport, and they’re ideal for when you’re on the road and need to travel light. They also work well for musicians on a budget! 

2. What the amp’s tone is like

When you’re taking tone into consideration, remember that the answer to what the amp’s tone is like depends on what kind of tone you’re hoping to achieve. There are some guitar amps that give you a brighter and more sparkling type of sound, while others cater to musicians searching for a sound that is darker, gritty, and more complex sounding. Having said this, please note that some amps can produce both kinds of sounds and various others! If this is what you’re in the market for, remember to be on the lookout for amps that do everything you’re searching for properly.

It is also crucial to remember that whatever amp you purchase reflects the music that you like or want to play. 

All of the amps come with equalization built into them and three mid, treble, and bass settings. As a result, they help you achieve the sound that you want. When you’re in the market for a mini guitar amp, remember that not all of them give you the tone and sound you most desire due to their size. You must also not forget that you need to make sure that your EQ controls help you get the best tones and sounds out of your guitar. 

Every guitar amp also comes with a gain knob. This helps you control the amount of distortion that appears in the sounds you produce. Additionally, remember that you must also consider the reverb features. If you’re not sure about what reverb is, it’s simple. Reverb helps musicians achieve the echo effect. 

To get the best possible result from your amp, try and figure out the differences between digital reverb and spring reverb, and identify which sounds you prefer. 

3. Amp quality

While tone, reverb, and the amp size are some of the most essential features to consider when scouring the market for a mini guitar amp, a crucial element to consider is the amp’s overall quality. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or seasoned player. You’ll be able to tell the difference between a high or low-quality amp. 

While we understand that not everyone has the budget for a top-quality amp, we’d recommend investing your money in a good-quality amp from a brand like Orange, Marshall, Vox, or Fender.

4. The wattage of the amp and speakers

We’re here to eliminate any notions that suggest that the higher the amp’s wattage is, the louder the sound you get. Please note that this is simply not true. Your guitar’s loudness or volume does not increase when the number of watts increases. When purchasing an amp, please don’t buy one just because a higher wattage means that your volume gets higher. 

Instead, try and decide what level of sound you want! For example, if you’re a traveling musician who is constantly on the road, you’ll want to buy an amp that can project at gigs while also working well inside a quiet space for practice. On the other hand, you might be a beginner at guitar searching for a mini amp that works well for practicing only. 

Try and keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need an amp that is more than 25 watts because, as we want to reiterate, higher wattage doesn’t necessarily mean that your sound improves or that you play better. We’d recommend getting a bigger amp with a higher wattage for performing on stage and a smaller 20-watt amp for practicing at home. 

5. Should I buy a combo amp or a head + cabinet?

The answer to this question lies in what you need! A combination amp will work best if you travel quite often because it means that you have one less piece of equipment to worry about. On the other hand, separate amps and speakers make you sound a lot better! 

6. Should I buy tube amps, solid-state amps, or hybrid tubes?

If you’re in search of a plug-and-play amp, and you’re just getting started as a beginner player, then we’d recommend choosing a solid-state amp. We’re recommending the solid-state amp because it doesn’t require the same amount of maintenance as tube amps and because they are much more reliable.

On the other hand, a hybrid amp combines the best parts of the tube and solid-state amps. Older hybrid amps contain tube power parts and solid-state preamps. Additionally, the more modern practice amps contain separate solid-state power amp sections and tube preamp sections. 

You might be interested in purchasing a hybrid guitar amp. In that case, you could consider purchasing an amp with 12AX7 preamp tubes. This works out to be cheaper if you’re on a budget! 

FAQs

Conclusion

When it comes to choosing the perfect mini guitar amp, every musician wants to make sure that they’re getting the best possible sound of the amp that they purchase! In this article, we took you through a list of the top ten best mini guitar amps available in the market today! 

We’d highly recommend that you purchase the Orange MT20 Micro Terror 20-watt Guitar Amplifier because it is perfect for practicing and gigs! If you couldn’t find the ideal mini guitar amp in this list, we’d also recommend that you have a look at a list of amps that are good for metal guitar and good for jazz guitar!