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up-to-date best TINY amp?
- Thread starter William K
- Start date
It doesn't HAVE a battery but the Double Four Plus can be powered by a computer battery or a power bank via a usb-c port (it's not the case of the first model, the Double Four).
I hear the Jill Phones Fubble Door is worth checking out…
I’m thinking of picking up some kind of small PJB like the Nano or the one with 7” + tweeter.
Regarding the Yamaha THRs - I have a THR10 that sounds really good up to a certain point where the 3” speakers just totally crap out.
IMO amps for this purpose can’t have a fan, or if they do it has to be really quiet which rules out the TE Elf from what I know about it. I recommend the Quilter Interbass, a pedal that puts about 30 watts into 8 ohms and 44 into 4. Many situations I’ve used “almost no amp” I’m the only amplified player and the singers/acoustic musicians were really picky about extraneous fan noises from Ampeg and Eden heads I used, especially when recording with condenser mics.
I’m thinking of picking up some kind of small PJB like the Nano or the one with 7” + tweeter.
Regarding the Yamaha THRs - I have a THR10 that sounds really good up to a certain point where the 3” speakers just totally crap out.
IMO amps for this purpose can’t have a fan, or if they do it has to be really quiet which rules out the TE Elf from what I know about it. I recommend the Quilter Interbass, a pedal that puts about 30 watts into 8 ohms and 44 into 4. Many situations I’ve used “almost no amp” I’m the only amplified player and the singers/acoustic musicians were really picky about extraneous fan noises from Ampeg and Eden heads I used, especially when recording with condenser mics.
or find an old Polytone Teeny Brute.
it used to be that if you didn't have a Polytone, were you even playing in a coffee shop?
it used to be that if you didn't have a Polytone, were you even playing in a coffee shop?
Depending on how loud the entire ensemble will get, many of those small amps will NOT get loud enough to keep up without distortion…especially if you are expecting strong low end. The speakers are the limitation in most cases. The PJB amps are expensive, but the Double 4 should do the job.
Does it need to be battery powered? How “mini” does it need to be? A Bose S1 battery powered speaker is worth a listen.
Does it need to be battery powered? How “mini” does it need to be? A Bose S1 battery powered speaker is worth a listen.
The Quilter is just an amp, you need a speaker cabinet as well. It’s also not battery powered if that’s important. The power supply is almost as big as the pedal!
True.
I have both the Quilter Interbass and the Phil Jones Double Four.
Most of the time I prefer the Quilter paired with a good cab, rather than the D4, because it sounds warmer.
I was able to play an outdoor gig in a bandstand and still keep up with the drummer and guitarist.
The Interbass is easy to transport in the gigbag, but you need a good cab, so the full rig is not what I call "tiny".
the bg-75 (old version or current us version) has a 20V/3A DC in. it can be powered through a compatible power bank or other sort of DC battery. there's a whole thread on different solutions for that.
the bg-80 has a USB-C power in, so you can power it with a compatible power bank (again, aim for 20V/3A).
No percussion and no other amplified instruments? I'd just go to a Guitar Center or Music-Go-Round and try out a couple of small used off-brand bass amps. The small SX bass amp that I got for $90 in a close-out package deal with a short-scale SX Pbass copy sounds fine and would work perfectly with your ensemble.
For portability and sound this 30w Yamaha is $550: battery powered, rechargeable, Bluetooth, 15 amp models included.
Yamaha THR30II Wireless review
Range-topping Yamaha desktop amp is a wireless wonderwww.guitarworld.com
hadn't though this would also work for bass..!
they have a dedicated bass mode since the first or second THR revision.
this said, I owned a THR10c back in the day and it was unusably quiet with a bass. it was more quiet than a 5W Roland or a 6W Fly, leave alone a 70W Double Four.
I've tried a THR30II with a guitar and for me it was a quiet amp, my 35W Orange combo is like much louder.
and yeah, it's not cheaper than a D4.
The difference is just the plug type. The original Double 4 can be powered by a Laptop battery pack but you have to make sure the power output is sufficient for the task.
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One of my options for gigs is exactly that. BAM200. I use one, or two BC208 cabs, depending on how loud I want to be. I ALWAYS use only one cab for rehearsals. What I like about these is that they are inexpensive, and can actually be gigged. I stack the little '208 cabs vertically, and they are good for an outdoor winery gig for sure. Never max'd out the amp with these. The BAM200 doesn't run on battery power though.
Is that a Super Compact? Would love to hear how the Interbass sounds with that.
I'd hate to say "yes" and be wrong. It might be enough but remember that it gives up ~6 dB to the double four (+3 dB for doubling power, +3 dB for doubling speaker area).
Yep, always though the concept of having a power supply that big (and additional cable) is defeating the point of such small amps. A big NO for me.
I've had a PJB D4 only for a few months, but it's real impressive for its size. I've only used it for busking outdoors, usually with guitar, vocals, and a drum machine thru a small powered 1x12 PA speaker. I did once play on the street with a guitar using his own amp and a modest-volume small drum kit. The D4 was up to the job - just barely, but it kept up. I'm not sure the nano would work for the OP's use case, but pretty sure the D4 would.
Mine is a little less than 10 lbs and it's a little larger than a shoe box. And the tone is excellent. I'm curious if any of the other suggestions here are "smaller/lighter/more discrete" and still capable of performing for the OP's use case?
Mine is a little less than 10 lbs and it's a little larger than a shoe box. And the tone is excellent. I'm curious if any of the other suggestions here are "smaller/lighter/more discrete" and still capable of performing for the OP's use case?
TBF, with that instrumentation the violinist probably isn't Jean-Luc Ponty, and you don't need much power for presence in the low end.
