As it’s that holly, jolly festive time of year, I figured it’d be nice to zone in on a few gift ideas for the guitarist in your life. Now, while the electric guitar itself is invariably the star of the show and gets all the media attention and photo ops, the amp it’s ultimately plugged into is equally, if not more, important! Let’s face the cold, hard, brutal truth, my friend: without an amp, even a priceless ’59 Les Paul is merely a few pieces of wood with frets, pickups, a bridge, tuning pegs, six strings, and some electronics added. Granted, it’s a stunning looking and playing piece of beautiful craftsmanship, but without its friend and partner — the amp — its magnificently beguiling voice can’t be heard. It’s silent; it’s mute! So, let’s focus on the oft-overlooked, unsung hero of the electric guitar: the all-important amp!
Now, while nothing beats the magical tone of, say, a Les Paul plugged into a 100-watt Marshall stack (cranked to “11,” of course!), that’s simply not practical as a practice/play-at-home amp setup and certainly wouldn’t fit in Santa’s gift bag! Fortunately, there are wonderful-sounding little amps out there that will fit into a stocking and make any guitarist happy.
Marshall MS-2 Micro Amp
First up is the Marshall MS-2. This mighty, 1-watt mini looks like a Marshall half stack but runs off a 9-volt battery and can be clipped on your belt! It sounds pretty darned good too and has even appeared in such movies as School of Rock. In addition to coming in black, the MS-2 is also available in red or white (a Sweetwater exclusive), and there’s even a vintage option!
BOSS Katana Mini
The BOSS Katana series of amps has deservedly proven extremely popular with guitarists of all styles over the past few years, and the BOSS Katana Mini is definitely a Santa-approved stocking stuffer! Armed with three amp voicings (Clean, Crunch, and Brown), a 3-band EQ, built-in delay, and more, this sturdy, little 7-watt, 1×4-inch combo packs a surprisingly loud punch. You might need a slightly bigger stocking though!
Fender Mini Combos
If the vintage-style sound and vibe of classic Fender amps is more your cup of tea, the company offers a brace of wonderful 1-watters: the Fender Mini Deluxe and Mini Tonemaster. Both look like “Honey, I shrunk the amps” versions of their famous forefathers, and as an added bonus, the tiny Tonemaster houses a pair of 2″ speakers in its cabinet.
Blackstar Fly Guitar & Bass Amps
The British company Blackstar offers up the Fly 3 mini-combo that, at three watts, is a little bigger as well as a little louder too. This battery-powered beast boasts a built-in tape delay effect, an emulated headphone output, and an MP3/line input. There’s also a bass version with built-in compression, so four (five, and now even six!) stringers don’t feel left out. Nice.
Hopefully this brief overview will give you an idea or three to add to your letter to Santa. All are great gifts, so make sure you stay off jolly Saint Nick’s “naughty list”! Happy holidays — ho, ho, ho!
