Master the Home Practice - Recommended Guitar Amps for Home Use

It's been a while! I’m Saq. I've been working part-time and haven't been able to write the OTOYA newsletter at all.
I've got lots of material saved up! All that's left is to pound away at the keyboard until I get tendonitis!
So, this time, I'd like to show you the best amps for practicing guitar at home. I'm also introducing some other than “guitar amps”, so please read to the end if you like.
Let's get started!

Marshall / MG10

This is an introduction from Marshall, a famous guitar amp manufacturer.
It has a really small body! It's 31 cm x 29cm, and 17cm deep, so it's a size that won't take up too much space. Even so, the Marshall logo stands out, and the gold color must gets you excited!
Even so, the sound is amazing even though it is so small! It's a 10W design, but you can get a loud enough volume just by turning the clean volume control to 9 o'clock. It has a typical Marshall-style snappy clean sound.

And of course, it also has the distortion that represents Marshall. You can get a wide range of sounds from a snappy crunch to a blazing high gain by adjusting the GAIN!
The contour knob on the drive side allows you to adjust the mid-range contour, so you can easily create distortion that suits your guitar.
I use it at home, and it's such a great amp that it's a shame to use it only for light performances!
You can play audio from an aux in, and there's even a phone terminal, so it's perfect for practicing!
And the price is just 12,200 yen (including tax)!

FENDER / FRONTMAN 10G

Next up is the Fender. It's one of the most famous brand for electric guitars! This one is also a 10w design, and is a little smaller than the MG10 at 26x28cm!
Even though it's small, it still has the classic black face exterior, and the sound is definitely Fender.
The Marshall is recommended for those who like to get their sound really distorted, but the Fender is recommended for those who want a clean sound.
You can enjoy the long-established bell-like clean tone in this size, and if you flick the channel switch, you can get a pleasant crunch sound!
There are also two-band EQs for Treble and Bass, so you can also create your sound by pushing the controls a little further.
Of course, this amp also has an AUX IN and PHONE terminal, so it's perfect for practicing!
And the price is just 10,800 yen (including tax)!

YAMAHA / THR10II

Here we have an unusual amp from Yamaha.
The design is quite different from the previous ones, with a horizontal shape, but it comes with two small speakers.
Not just that. It also has amp simulation, so you can choose from 15 different electric guitar amp models, 3 each of acoustic and bass amp models, and 22 different Flat voicing options!
What's more, you can even apply effects with this one unit! From modulation pedals like chorus and flanger, to a wide range of reverbs, echoes and compressors!
Despite its size, you can create the sound you want to hear with this one unit.

There are also lots of other features that guitarists will love. For example, you can use it as a Bluetooth speaker to listen to music, and record your sound clearly by using USB port and so on. There's a lot of features that any guitarists will love.
The official website also has settings created by artists, so even beginners who are struggling with sound creation can get a good sound quickly!
(It's also got a built-in tuner. This is just too good!)

Now, I'll show something that's a little outside the framework of amplifiers.

VOX / amPlug3 series

This is an incredibly small amp!
This is a so-called headphone amp, so you can plug your headphones or earphones into it after plugging it into your guitar.
This is a great product for people who can only practice at night, so even if they buy an amp, they can't make a loud noise, and end up practicing with headphones or earphones...
It's also recommended for practicing in the waiting room at a live house. If you have this when you're checking your phrases before you go on stage, you'll definitely make more progress. When you practice with the sound of the live sound, you can't help but feel anxious…

Despite its size, you can listen to the sound of the amp through headphones or earphones! This one lets you listen to the sound of the famous VOX AC30 amp, and you can also apply light effects and play back sound sources from the Aux jack. There are other types available too, so why not try and find your favorite sound?
It's perfect for serious practice or for light practice in your spare time! And it's cheap!

IK MULTIMEDIA / iRig 2

Finally, we have a product that has zero amp feel. In fact, this is not an amp!
So what is it? It's an interface for connecting your guitar to your smartphone or tablet.
You're right to wonder what happens when you connect them. What you can do by connecting them is recording.
Of course, you can record using the microphone on your smartphone, but this device allows you to do so-called 'line recording' with just one device. And if you have an amp simulator on the device you're connecting to, you can listen to the sound through your earphones or the device's speakers.

I think the best way to practice is to be able to view your own performance objectively. Even if you think you're playing well subjectively, when you record or film yourself and watch it back, you'll find lots of things like rough muting and weak pressing of the strings. It's almost too interesting.
However, when you record the sound from the amp with a microphone, unless you have a good environment for amplifying the sound, you will also pick up a lot of the guitar's natural sound.
This is where audio interfaces such as iRig come into their own, allowing you to record the guitar line through the interface!

I hope you will all give it a try and record your practice. Even if you only master one phrase, you will be one step closer to improving.
And if you have a line recording environment with equipment like this, you can also create videos of yourself playing, so if you are interested, please give it a try.

Well then, this article was an introduction to amplifiers that are recommended for home practice. Nowadays, with multi-effectors having headphone terminals and so on, I feel that the opportunity to listen to the sound of an actual amp is decreasing, but there is nothing that can beat the sound of a guitar coming from an amp.
If you can't play at home, please try playing at a studio with a guitar amp, even if it's just once in a while. You'll definitely find that playing the guitar becomes even more fun!

＼ Also recommended! ／

Playtech / Jammer Jr. Guitar Amp

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