space savers
If size really does matter, then here are six miniaturised marvels that provide big tone from tiny dimensions…
1 Fender BassBreaker 007 £325
Fender’s Bassbreaker 007 is a good-looking head, finished in grey tweed. This is a proper small amp, producing seven watts of real valve power from a single EL84 pentode, with a single 12AX7 in the preamp. Traditional controls for gain, volume, bass, mid and treble are augmented with a built-in treble booster that can be foot-switched. It’s tonally versatile with a great clean sound, as well as a lot of gain for creating big, crushing overdrive effects. www.fender.com
2 Peavey 6505 Piranha £185
Peavey’s 6505 is one of the go-to amp names for metallists, and the 20-watt Piranha’s reduced size doesn’t get in the way of great tone. A tough steel chassis encloses a typically robust Peavey circuit, with controls for gain, EQ and volume as well as a choice of two modes: crunch and lead. The Piranha also boasts a series effects loop as well as an aux-in and a speaker-emulated headphones socket. For metal compositions, the Piranha’s toothsome tones are right on the money. www.peavey.com
3 roland Micro cuBe GX £115
The current version of Roland’s long-running Micro Cube design has more power, more tone and more toys to play with. Three watts may not sound like much, but it’s 50 per cent more than the old version and makes a difference. There’s a new amp model called Extreme, together with a pre-set memory that enables you to store a patch, making the GX effectively a two-channel amp. There’s also a new octave effect and Roland’s I-Cube link portal. www.roland.com
4 orange Micro Terror £99
Orange’s Micro Terror is the Terror family’s smallest choice, but it’s not short on tone, with a real 12AX7 valve preamp and a useful 20-watt solid-state output section that’s powerful enough for rehearsals and small gigs. The Micro Terror features controls for volume, gain and tone, and there’s a speaker-emulated headphones output with an aux-in for a CD or MP3 player, making the Micro a great practice tool. Orange’s typical build quality means this little amp will last you years. www.orangeamps.com
5 yamaha Thr5 sTereo coMBo £259
Yamaha’s THR series is based on its ‘third amp’ concept: one for stage, one for studios/rehearsals and this one, for everything else. Its smart looks sit comfortably on any desktop, while Yamaha’s Virtual Circuit Modelling technology provides highly realistic amp sounds and effects. The THR5’s stereo output stage uses clever processing to widen the stereo image. Together with USB recording, bundled Cubase and the option of battery power, too, the THR5 is a good-looking, compact and highly versatile practice partner. www.uk.yamaha.com
6 Blackstar Fly 3 coMBo £59
Blackstar has carved out a reputation for compact practice combos and the Fly 3 is the company’s smallest offering. Despite its minuscule dimensions, the Fly 3 finds room for gain, volume and ISF EQ controls, together with switchable overdrive and a built-in digital delay. You’ve got a built-in speaker or headphones, and it can be powered by batteries, making it an ideal holiday practice amp. There’s also an extension cab that doubles output from three to six watts. www.blackstaramps.com