Mini guitar amps are compact amplifiers that come in a small size. They are excellent choices for practicing or for frequent travelers. You can easily practice or compose guitar riffs no matter where you are.
These amplifiers have low wattage, small speakers, and are very lightweight. You can use it in your bedroom or put it in your backpack and take it on a trip.
Almost every amplifier brand has mini combos and all of them share similar features.
What’s The Best Mini Guitar Amp?
There are numerous great-sounding mini guitar amps and I made a list of amps I think are the best among others.
1. Boss Katana Mini
Boss Katana-Mini is the smallest member of the Katana amp series. It’s a compact-sized guitar amplifier for practicing and warm-ups. It offers 7 watts of power and is equipped with a single 4” speaker. Has headphone output and can work up to seven hours on battery power.
With Katana-Mini you get to choose between three amp voicings and control gain, volume, and 3-band EQ. A great feature is a built-in delay. It gives you more tone options. You can practice and play clean crunch, or heavy riffs. Read my Boss Katana Mini review to learn more about it.
2. Blackstar Debut 15E
Blackstar Debut 15E is one of the best mini guitar amps for practicing. It’s a stereo amp with two 3” speakers and produces 15 watts of power. Has headphones out and also you can connect to it on any device and listen to music.
This Blackstar mini amp is straightforward to use. Has a clean and dirty channel with standard controls, a built-in delay, and the best thing is the stereo capabilities. Two speakers give the sound more depth and make it richer.
3. Orange Crush 12
Orange Crush 12 is a fantastic small amplifier that produces amazing sound and comes with impressive features. It has a 12-watt power output, a single 6” speaker, and a straightforward design. Whether you’re practicing or warming up, this Orange mini amp will make it an enjoyable experience.
It’s a single-channel amp, but it has a dedicated overdrive knob you can use to control the amount of overdrive. In addition to that, you have gain, volume, and 3-band EQ knobs. It’s simple but sounds awesome like other Orange Crush amplifiers.
4. Vox Pathfinder 10
Vox Pathfinder 10 is a small guitar amplifier that produces 10 watts of power and features a single 6.5″ speaker. It delivers the iconic Vox sound in a portable design. It is user-friendly and perfect for practicing in your bedroom. Additionally, it is lightweight and can be easily carried in a backpack for on-the-go use.
With Pathfinder 10 you get a headphone out and a very simple control layout. A button for the dirty channel, single volume, and gain knobs. And you can control only treble and bass. Although it has no mid control, sounds and works perfectly.
5. Marshall MG10G
Marshall MG10G offers cool sound in a small box and is one of the best mini guitar amps with a classic Marshall design. It produces 10 watts of power and is equipped with a single 6.5” speaker. A great and simple Marshall mini amp.
Perhaps it’s the simplest amp from this list. Has a volume knob for the clean channel, gain, and volume for the dirty channel, and a contour knob to shape the sound. Also, it has an I/O for headphones and aux.
6. Peavey Backstage
Peavey Backstage is a great mini guitar amp with awesome features. The amp can produce 10 watts of power with a 6.5” speaker. Has a very minimalistic layout with headphones out and a few control knobs.
It’s a two-channel amp with dedicated volume and overdrive knobs. the EQ section consists of high and low knobs. The best thing is the Transtube technology which emulates real tube amp sounds. So, you get a great sound in a small package which is a great thing.
7. Fender Frontman 10G
Fender Frontman 10G is equipped with a single 6” speaker and produces 10 watts of power. It has everything you need in a small guitar amp like headphones out, aux in, etc. It’s a very straightforward and useful Fender mini amp.
You can switch between clean and dirty sounds with a button. You control gain and volume, and it has a 2-band EQ. The dirty channel has a decent sound like in other mini amps. But clean is good and reminds me of Fender’s famous clean sound.
8. Danelectro N10
Mini guitar amps from Danelectro HoneyTone are perfect for traveling and come in various colors. They are compact enough to fit in a backpack and have a classic retro design that I find appealing.
The amp has a guitar input, volume, tone, and overdrive knobs. the tone knobs work like a balance between bass and treble and overdrive adds a cool blues tone. It also has a headphone out and works on a 9-volt battery.
Summary
Any mini guitar amp from this list will work perfectly. You can use them in your bedroom to practice. Or take them out in parks, and backyards, or travel with them. You will be able to warm up or capture new riff ideas wherever you go. They are small and can fit in your backpack easily. Also, these best small amps are very affordable and can be a great gift.