rsm
Well-known member
My kid started college this fall, and wanted a small amp he could use in the dorm. Now I have several big tube amps, and 1x12 combos, which all have a sound, and are loud.
Years ago I gave him my Line 6 AMPLIFi 150, which actually sounds good, doubles as a bluetooth speaker, and has lots of presets and different sounds, amps, cabs, effects, etc.. Still too big.
I use my guitar plugin software more than any of my gear, except my SY-1000 and ISP Theta Pro / MSX Michael Sweet into a pair small powered pa cabs. Still too big (monitors, audio interface, etc.) for a small dorm room, and using headphones is welcome but he wants a speaker too.
So, with Christmas coming, I started looking around, and found the Positive Grid Spark GO; on sale. Gave it to him for Christmas, and he absolutely loves it. The app is easier to use than the AMPLIFi app. He said you can program your own patches like the AMPLIFi, but it also has AI, you tell it a band or guitarist name, and name of a song, and it gives you presets to get that guitar sound - which he said works great.
Why this matters to me.
He learned piano as a kid, and around 14 years old he asked if I'd teach him guitar, and of course my answer was yes. I had crap guitars when I started learning which negatively impacted my interest and practice time, and my improvement, until I finally got a good guitar at 14 (new Gibson Les Paul Custom, 1978, and I played my first paying gig at 14 with it). So, we talked about music, bands, guitarists he liked: Clapton, Gilmore, Blackmore,...so I got him a good, new Fender Strat, American Professional, black with maple board. That lasted about a year or two as he got into high school activities...
Now that he's interested in playing again, on his own volition, anything that inspires him to play at all, or play more, is worth it to. me. I plan a real gear purge in a few years, maybe I won't purge as much as I planned?
I haven't heard this Positive Grid Spark Go myself, in-person, yet, but he says it sounds good, loud enough, even with 5-watts and a 2" speaker, and claimed 82 dB SPL. SMH. He likes the small size too, so it doesn't add even more clutter to his dorm room.
TL;DR; if your kid or grandkid had, but lost, interest in guitar, one of these Positive Grid Spark Go may rekindle their interest; still on sale for $119. Sounding like guitarists you like with minimal effort when you're busy with more important priorities like school and girlfriend may be all they need?
https://www.positivegrid.com/products/spark-go?variant=47523399467168
Years ago I gave him my Line 6 AMPLIFi 150, which actually sounds good, doubles as a bluetooth speaker, and has lots of presets and different sounds, amps, cabs, effects, etc.. Still too big.
I use my guitar plugin software more than any of my gear, except my SY-1000 and ISP Theta Pro / MSX Michael Sweet into a pair small powered pa cabs. Still too big (monitors, audio interface, etc.) for a small dorm room, and using headphones is welcome but he wants a speaker too.
So, with Christmas coming, I started looking around, and found the Positive Grid Spark GO; on sale. Gave it to him for Christmas, and he absolutely loves it. The app is easier to use than the AMPLIFi app. He said you can program your own patches like the AMPLIFi, but it also has AI, you tell it a band or guitarist name, and name of a song, and it gives you presets to get that guitar sound - which he said works great.
Why this matters to me.
He learned piano as a kid, and around 14 years old he asked if I'd teach him guitar, and of course my answer was yes. I had crap guitars when I started learning which negatively impacted my interest and practice time, and my improvement, until I finally got a good guitar at 14 (new Gibson Les Paul Custom, 1978, and I played my first paying gig at 14 with it). So, we talked about music, bands, guitarists he liked: Clapton, Gilmore, Blackmore,...so I got him a good, new Fender Strat, American Professional, black with maple board. That lasted about a year or two as he got into high school activities...
Now that he's interested in playing again, on his own volition, anything that inspires him to play at all, or play more, is worth it to. me. I plan a real gear purge in a few years, maybe I won't purge as much as I planned?
I haven't heard this Positive Grid Spark Go myself, in-person, yet, but he says it sounds good, loud enough, even with 5-watts and a 2" speaker, and claimed 82 dB SPL. SMH. He likes the small size too, so it doesn't add even more clutter to his dorm room.
TL;DR; if your kid or grandkid had, but lost, interest in guitar, one of these Positive Grid Spark Go may rekindle their interest; still on sale for $119. Sounding like guitarists you like with minimal effort when you're busy with more important priorities like school and girlfriend may be all they need?
https://www.positivegrid.com/products/spark-go?variant=47523399467168
