Better Than the Spark Amp for under $100? 3 Mini Desktop Amps Co
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ต.ค. 2024
- #spark amp #minilion #donnerminiguitaramp. #miniguitaramp
Is there ANYTHING out there comparable with the Positive Grid Spark Amp for under $100? Here are three of the best selling mini guitar amps compared: the Fender Mini Tonemaster, Laney Mini Lion, and the Donner Mini Guitar Amp compared.
In this video I briefly cover the specs along with a quick play through of each amp's clean and lead tones. Each amp is rated from 1 to 10 on VOLUME, CLEAN TONE, LEAD TONE, VALUE, AND OVERALL. Spoiler alert: The answer to the question is NO. None of these compare to the Positive Grid Spark 40 or the Spark mini.
Affiliate links (if you follow the link and buy any of these, I get about $2 but it doesn't cost you anything extra)
Positive Grid Spark: amzn.to/3Dzkbyn
Fender Mini Tonemaster: $36. 1 Watt. Powered by 1 9-volt battery. amzn.to/3wFf2AZ
Laney Mini Lion: $76. 3 Watt. Powered by 6 AA batteries. amzn.to/3XPF9B8
Donner Mini Guitar Amp: $89. 5 Watt. Powered by 6 AA batteries. amzn.to/3WPMfED
If you're thinking of buying any of these amps, I highly encourage you to watch this video.
I hope you enjoyed the video. If you have any additional questions or comments please shoot me an email at markaranalli@gmail.com. Take care and be well.
Affiliate links to some of my favorite gear:
ERNIE BALL Silk and Steel 12-string strings
ERNIE BALL Battery powered string winder: amzn.to/3yvjinh
Guitar Footstool: amzn.to/3bXwQ3g
"Silent" Guitar Cable: D'Addario: amzn.to/3RxnCv0
Planet Waves: amzn.to/3nR1VZ8
Kmise:amzn.to/3AyLFDH
New Month and new Vangoa 6 AND 12-String Guitar Giveaway (Jan. 16 -Feb 28)
6-String Guitar Contest: Watch this video 3 times, like, comment, and respond to two other comments. LOL. I'm running out of ideas!
12 String Guitar Contest: Watch any 10 videos in their entirety and then put whatever number it is in the comment section (so if you're watching your third video, you put a #3 in the comments). I promise I'll come up with something better for the next one!
Links to the New Upgraded Vangoa 12-String Models:
(the US models are Amazon Affiliate links meaning I make a couple of dollars if you purchase a guitar using this link. I made sure all the links are to the least expensive price listed on Amazon)
US:
Sunburst:amzn.to/3C8JnIv
Black Matte: amzn.to/3qtEN5v
Natural: amzn.to/321ba1n
Sapele Brown: amzn.to/3HrmHqW
Black Left Handed: amzn.to/3HjFRyC
Canada:
Black: www.amazon.ca/...
Natural: www.amazon.ca/...
I like the change of pace. Great review. Quick and to the point.
Thanks Stan. This one is definitely gonna take time to get views.
Yea I also liked the change!
I bought a battery powered amp in 1965 for about $30. No idea of wattage or brand. Ran on four or six D cells. Very nice tone. Louder than any of your three. One channel; only tone and volume control.
When the batteries got low, which they quickly did, it developed a nice tremolo and fuzz tone, before going silent.
I pawned it to get my wife a gift for our first Christmas together in 1969.
Other than the battery drain and lack of distortion, the equal of these three from fifty eight years ago.
Based on the sound coming out of my speakers, I agree with your ratings. As always, your time and expertise are appreciated.
For sure. Thanks Clem
I loved the review Mark. Super helpful for anybody considering one of these amps.
And, I loved the Easter egg 😂
I was going to include a picture of the Sierra Nevadas but I was in a hurry to get this one done.
The sound of the Laney really impressed me! For so little money so much sound - awesome!
Nice video! I snorted at "let's have a little "party" with the Donner."
Hey man. Thanks so much for checking it out. I try to put a little Easter egg in each video. Not many caught this one. Have a great day. Mark
I always watch your videos in their entirety Mark #1
Nice and concise review! Thanks Mark!
Thanks Charles. The original cut was 22 minutes. Ouch. :). Mark
Thanks for the reviews. I am an acoustic dude, but if I ever start doing much with electric this information may come in handy.
Thank you Bob, for taking the time to support! Mark
Maybe a Tonewood for you?
Your enthusiasm says a lot. I was hoping you'd want to demo more effects of the Donner. You didn't. And that's fine - I think that's a sign of your enthusiasm for that unit.
Thx, Mark, great, succinct review!
Well Dave, unfortunately there wasn't a whole lot to talk about. My mother taught me, if you don't have anything nice to say, keep it to yourself. :). Mark
@8 Minute Axe I think it was as much as anyone needed!
The universe strikes again! I was looking at the NU X Mighty Lite 3 watt online on the weekend. Will see if the Laney is available in NZ. Cheers Mark ☮❤
Good job Mark … I wouldn’t have use for any of them.. Actually any decent noise starts just over a buck .. here’s mine …Fender Champion 20 Guitar Amplifier.. $130 on Amazon and has several bells and whistles ..incl. a dozen amp models & a dozen effects-combinations that are tempo adjustable … I fear that to get more than a toy you gotta go over the One Buck Hump…Since medical issues kept me from playing out I traded my entire Back line for Little amps .. And pro Muso’s that stop by get quite a kick out of what they can do on my set up ..
Thanks for the good straight stuff …
that laney was the clear winner! nice reviews, mark! 😊
Thanks, Mark!
Cool video. Good info, unbiased. Thanks.
Had that one in the kitty for a while.
That is a very nice review on the mini guitar amps. Enjoyable video. Thanks.
Thanks brother. 3 years!
Definitely the Laney out of all 3 of them Mark 🎸🙂
Laney by far. :)
A guy could do some street giggin with one of those. 👍
Not sure if you saw my review of the spark mini but I took it to the streets. :) thanks so much for checking out the video and making time for the premiere. I sincerely appreciate it. Mark
The drum machine effect is cool
Hey Mal!. Not as good as the spark rhythm section. Thanks for checking it out. I hope you have a great week. Mark
#3. Thanks for the review. I appreciate your time , effort and expertize in evaluating guitar gear. I was curious if they would compare to a Spark and you answered that question for me.
I have a Laney Supergroup ST, it's worth the extra $$ for the stereo speakers & digital delay. The Laney mini stack is a killer desktop amp too.
Laney has really raised the stakes with quality speakers in their mini amps. Fender & Marshall aren't even trying to compete in the mini amp market, their mini amps are great for decoration but lack luster for tone.
I agree with your assessment Mark. The Laney sounded much better than the other two. And I listened to this on my iPhone!
Great video Mark, that was awesome man 😀🤘🎵🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Def the Laney!!
And you should know my love.
Great Video.
Thanks so much for taking the time to check it out. I sincerely appreciate it. Mark
Laney was definitely the most impressive. I was amazed at first when all that the Donner offers was mentioned at the beginning of the video, but I wasn't nearly as impressed with the results. Great video! I think I'll stick with my Vox Amplug though.
I was wondering if any of those mini amps were worth buying. Now I'd like to hear a 12-string through the Laney!
Hey Mark as always great stuff. I really liked the Laney sounds.
#3 Well I know what I won't buying. Very helpful review-like the change of pace, could use a little 12 string.
The NU-X Mighty Light is pretty good, however these have been around before the Spark (the Spark was just the coolest). I have a desktop, or at least small, Roland Cube amp that is pretty sweet.
I almost pulled the trigger on the NUX two days ago. At the last minute I decided to write to them and see if they would send me one. I rarely do that as the first 20 times I tried it, I got two responses. You're the third person to tell me that the Roland Cube is excellent. I may get one. I just looked them up. They're as much as the Spark. Hmm. I may give it a shot. Thanks for the tip. Mark
The Donner has an external speaker output, by the way.
Hey brother. Do you like the Donner. If you do, comment and let people know. The more people that have used it and can weigh in, the better. Thanks so much for checking out the video. Take care and have a great day. Mark
@@8MinuteAxe I have only seen reviews but most of these amps are challenged by the size of the cabinets and I think an external speaker out is a feature which should be mentioned. I prefer the Spark Mini for a portable solution.
I also have the Monoprice 5w all-tube going into a 1x12 and it's very nice.
We need to compare these amps against the original battery amps. The pignose! I have two pignose amps and it's all I use, I don't have a big amp anymore. But I'm curious about amps that run off lithium
Wow, from where I was sitting, you'd think Fender would be embarrassed to have its name on that little wonder. I know I would. Based on the sounds coming out my speakers, there's no argument with your assessments, Mark. Of course, you had the ringside seat, so thank you for lending your ear.
I literally put that in the original cut of the video and then I thought, don't burn bridges, you never know. Thanks so much. Mark
@@8MinuteAxe Lets hope they don't read down all the comments 😉
Seems like the Laney ran away with this contest!
Even before you went into the ratings, I was leaning toward the Laney, just because it's the only one of the three that has wall power as an option (if I heard you right).
Have never gone electric (yet!), but I might, so this review was definitely of interest. Thanks!
Fred
Donner has AC and USB power as well.
I totally agree Mark ! Even from this end of the sound chamber if you will. The Laney was much better over all than the rest. To me the Donner sounded almost like it was muffled. And well the Fender, especially for a name brand, to hear it was just really disappointing, when they are known for making some good amps. May be it's the mass production that takes away that personal care in making them sound good or just cheap components to keep the price down. Any way loved the review Mark !!
Thanks so much for the kind works. The Donner would be fun to play around with if I was 14 and just starting out. Now it's just junk. LOL. Mark
@@8MinuteAxe LOL I know right !
Hey Charles I totally agree I thought the Laney handled the situation the best. Granted Mark gets and guitar or Amp to sound great. Keep Rockin
Gotta agree, my initial thought was the Donner sounded Tinny.
@8 Minute Axe seemed like it had potential from the description...oh well
When you started playing Sweet Home Alabama I wanted to say "turn it up" just like Ronnie buuut...
Laney sounds great.
Rockin the rok lok
The spark mini is way better than these amplifiers
Thanks for the honest review. I’ve been addicted with mini amps for quite some time and have found that basically every 9VDC “Transistor” Battery mini is a Toy. Most of the units with 6 AA’s or C cells can be pretty nice 👍🏼
You know that a AA battery is 1.5v, right? Multiply that by 6 and you have 9v. How is that any different?
The Laney is a cool Amp. Sounds good. 👍🙂
The Laney for sure! But how does it sound with a 12?
Hey Pete, none of them held up with the acoustic very well. Thanks again for always supporting. Take care, Mark
Great job all around, Mark. That Laney really surprised me! Well... so did the Fender, but not in a good way! I have a Pignose battery amp that I've had forever. I still use it occasionally. Sounds pretty good with just a guitar. But it's "hum city" if you try to use a pedal with it.
The Donner has no treble and not even much midrange, but hey, EFX! The Fender sounds fizzy and really cheap. The Laney, I gotta say, sounds pretty great mic'd up. I'm curious how that one would sound from a room mic.
Great work, as per usual.
Hey Scott. Thanks so much for the kind words. The Laney really does sound like an amp. Still, nothing like the Spark or its little brother. :). Mark
Hey Scott I am always impressed with what Mark can do with the gear. I really like the Laney as an overall great sounding mini. Have a great week.
I mentioned in a previous comment that the Roland Cube is awesome for a smaller amp. Runs of batteries with great tone.
Donner had the most potential....
I’m looking for a new practice amp with more clean crunch and I have a Roland Micro Cube GX and I’m curious if these little amps are better? I was thinking of getting a Yamaha THR10ii
I have a blackmagic, sounds great !
nice little amps. #4
It was painful to play that Fender.
Great review! . . . UNTIL you got to the Donner. Clearly - the Laney the Fender Mini were outmatched here. And with that - your ratings on the Donner were quite "lacking." The Cyclops kicks the butts of both of these other amps. Not just in the number of features for the price, though that is remarkable. But tone; volume; and value are WAY better than your ratings ( IMHO). The Laney is a solid piece, but you can't beat the Donner for quality features . . . and PRICE! I would have put the Donner right there with the Lsney for overall "8." AND bluetooth!!! Come on man!! :) Enjoyed your playing PS. The Donner's drums are not meant to be anything but an elaborate metronome.
Funny, Donner just sent me an acoustic that I really like. It's kinda their no frills version of an inexpensive carbon fiber guitar. It plays great and I've been working on my rudimentary Mike Dawes riffs so it's perfect for that. They have some quality pedals too. I also have Donner stands and a Donner power supply. Donner is even my favorite of Santa's reindeer. I apologize for the delay in hitting you back Kevin. Its been a rough couple of weeks but I'm getting back into the swing of things. I hope you're having a great week so far. Please take care and be well. -Mark
Video No.11) I already watched 1-10 a week ago lol
#4.
What are the best budget pedals?
#1
Very well done vid..no xs bs
The spark mini and go kill these!
Spark beats them all , i have all of em and i dont think anything can beat the spark right now specially considering the high gain sounds. Clean tones mostly good in all.
Is the app with all the tones worth it??? 😎🤘🎸
Literally none of these seem anywhere near as cool and versatile as the spark. I think I'm going spark.
#4
So are they better than the Spark Go?
Hey Norman. Not in my opinion. I have several videos on how much I love the entire Spark line. I paid full price for everything too. I'm not a paid endorser of anything. Thanks so much for checking out the video. I appreciate your time and comment. Take care. Mark
Donner sounded best, but the spark go would still be my choice.
Laney definitely better.
Yes. By far.
Laney was best I agree 👍
Better than the Spark?
No way….
Not even better than the Spark mini…
In fact, Id be willing to bet the Spark GO sounds much much better…
These have a sound thats really dated…
But, at least you don’t need an app….🙄
It's misleading to compare amps that have no app. You're missing half of the features. I would compare to other amps that have apps like vox vt20x or similar.
Save your money! Get the Spark mini. Dont waste your time on these lame amps. You're just gonna end up replacing it with the Spark amp. Spark was the best investment ive ever made.
Seriously? have you used a spark amp? 40 watts and a top rate app with unbelievable range of free tones and MUCH more! I rate your review at 1 out of 100! Actually research and compare before you make such a review as it is VERY misleading and poor, to say the least, as a comparison to the Spark amp!
Hey Dave. There must be some miscommunication. I absolutely love the Spark. I do very few review videos (15 or so out of 200 videos) and I've done six videos on the Spark: SPARK REVIEW th-cam.com/video/HBaWpUHMN5k/w-d-xo.html, SPARK REVIEW: GOOD BUY FOR THE ACOUSTIC GUITARIST? 12 CLASSIC ACOUSTIC RIFFS
th-cam.com/video/uJlA490hrCo/w-d-xo.html, SPARK AMP “THE FIX” th-cam.com/video/HnHUerYr4Qo/w-d-xo.html. Positive Grid asked me if I'm interested in becoming a product endorser. I said no only because by paying for everything I am prone to be less biased and I want to give viewers the best I can. These amps are a joke. You can't touch the spark or the mini with these. As a teacher, the spark in indispensable. I have three. One for me, one for my students (the handful that still come to the house), and a mini. I'm sorry you got a different takeaway than I intended. You're the first person to take it as such. It doesn't make your opinion any less valid but I would have taken it down if many were saying this video is misleading. Anyway, I do appreciate your time. Have a great weekend and take care. Mark
Thank you for the quality review!
Thank you Brad. Have a great week. Mark