We’re big fans of Positive Grid’s line of Spark practice amps, with its rich library of tones and effects, along with a number of unique smart features that make guitar practice a more engaging affair. They’re incredibly portable, too, making for a genuinely convenient option for musicians on the go. The Positive Grid Spark Go takes that portability to the next level by coming in a size that’s just barely bigger than a modern smartphone.
The smallest practice guitar amp yet in the Spark line, the device measures just 4.9 x 3.3 x 1.8 inches (width x height x thickness), making for a nearly pocket-size rig. No, you don’t really want to put this in your pocket because of how thick the darn thing is, but it’s definitely one of the most portable setups we’ve seen for practice amplifiers.
The Positive Grid Spark Go is a practice amplifier that uses computational audio to create the full, detailed tones of a much larger system, allowing it to play tube-quality room-filling sound despite coming in a diminutive frame. Like any standard tube amp, it comes with a standard ¼-inch instrument input, so you can plug in your trusty guitar or bass any time you’re up to play some riffs. It has 33 amp models and 43 tone effects, including noise gate, compressor, distortion and more, preloaded in the device, so you get over 1,400 combinations available right off the bat. You can save up to four preset amp and effect combinations, too, allowing you to bring up your favorite settings with just a single push of a button.
When paired with the companion app, it gets access to the outfit’s ToneCloud library, which houses an even larger collection of amp models and effects that you can load for even more custom tones. According to the outfit, it has over 50,000 different combinations available at the moment, both from studio professionals and the outfit’s community of musicians, so you get a wide range of musical choices at your disposal.
The Positive Grid Spark Go gets full access to the smart features available on the app. These include Auto-Chords, which allow you to choose songs from the app’s library of music tracks whose chords then display on the screen as it plays, allowing you to play along. There’s also Smart Jam, a feature that can learn your playing style and feel, then create a backing accompaniment using bass and drum tones on the fly, allowing you to turn solo practice into a makeshift jam session with an AI backing band.
Other details include a 5-watt class D amplifier, a two-inch custom speaker driver, a passive radiator with anti-vibration technology, a rugged housing with a hardshell grille to make it viable for taking on the go, and a headphone output, so you can plug in your favorite cans to keep from disturbing people in the next room. It comes with a 2,500 mAh battery, rated at up to eight hours of playing time on medium volume.
The Positive Grid Spark Go will go up for preorder end of the month, priced at $109.