This article was taken from the February 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
How we tested
Dave Okumu (guitarist with The Invisible) tried each amp, as did guitarist Paul Davis (viennacircle.co.uk). To measure the dB, we used the UE SPL app; an iPhone was placed 1m from each amp's speaker, which was played at full volume.
Yamaha THR10C The Yamaha aims to emulate vintage tube-amps, and is more suited to clean, bluesy tones than heavy distortion. Favourite sounds can be saved to one of five memory patches for quick access. The blunt, rectangular design might also suit your living room, where it can double as a capable iPod speaker via an auxiliary input.
Wired: Premium tone
Tired: Fake valve glow
Score: 8/10
Price: £242
Boss eBand JS-10 It might look like a budget hi-fi, but don't let appearances deceive you. Boss has been making effects pedals since the late 70s, and the eBand includes many of its best amp simulations and effects. Each patch includes a looping demo song to jam along with. You can also adjust the track's tempo or key, and record on to a built-in memory card or USB stick. The eBand beats the other amps on features, but its real power could be lost on beginners.
Wired: Guitar karaoke; effects
Tired: Budget appearance
Score: 6/10
Price: £319
Randall KH-15 Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett endorses this loud, affordable practice amp, but it won't buy you his signature sound.
The overdrive channel is powerful but thin-sounding, even with the "boost" setting engaged. The EQ proved ineffective, with the bass dial on our test unit quite unresponsive. There are better options available at this price.
Wired: Simple, loud and affordable
Tired: Flimsy overdrive setting
Score: 5/10
Price: £75
Roland Micro Cube The Micro Cube includes a strap and is battery powered, but it's no Vox. We liked the "Black Panel" setting, but found it hard to get a solid range of distortion modes due to weak tone controls. Effects are capable, and a built-in gate cuts off any amp hiss, but the tuner only pings one note, forcing you to tune by ear.
Wired: Rugged design; noise gate
Tired: Tuning by ear
Score: 6/10
Price: £99
Vox Mini3 Vox sticks to its traditional amp design, and packs in a variety of amp simulations, from vintage to UK and US styles.
With no bass, treble or mid controls, a lone tone-dial suffices instead. Distortion settings are good, and it excels on clean tones, with a body-boosting compression effect. A shoulder strap, battery power and additional mic input makes this the perfect choice for modern troubadours.
Wired: Great amp modelling and modes
Tired: Limited EQ
Score: 8/10
Price: £79
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
