A guitarist's needs when choosing amplification vary widely depending on several factors: the musician's stage of learning, their tastes and styles, the place or context in which they'll use the chosen amp and, of course, their budget.
The idea that a good guitar amp is necessarily just one of the many types out there is mistaken. For every level, situation and budget, there's a more suitable option. As the well-known saying goes: “variety is the spice of life”.
Today we test three options at different levels: the “battery-powered baby” concept for under €50, the 15 W “mini” amp for under €80, and a tube amp at around €450. They share one feature: all of them pack a really feisty punch in terms of volume.
AmpliDrive on test: LA-5 model
We start with the smallest of the three. It had been a while since an amp like this passed through my hands. A little one that weighs barely more than a book and runs on batteries. The “baby” concept. Portable, lightweight amplification that works anywhere and in any circumstances thanks to its 9 V battery power.
Portable, lightweight, self-contained amp
You often see this type of amp both for learning and with musicians who play on the street. Its extreme lightness and portability make it an ideal companion to take anywhere. Add to that its independence, since it doesn't need to be plugged in, and we can even take it camping along with some burger patties and a good Spanish omelet.
Finishes
One of the things that caught my eye most about this feisty little guy was its cute finish. A rocking red that suits the mini amp's capabilities well, since it screams like crazy when you crank it. The unit is well finished and I find it especially attractive. A little treat.
Front panel and sound
Naturally, I won't dwell on these explanations for long. A simple front panel consisting of volume and gain knobs, a gain/clean switch, tone control, a power input (for an adapter if we want to plug it into the mains) and a headphone output.
It's practical and simple. As for the sound, what's most surprising is how much oomph it can deliver. When you turn it all the way up, it really rocks. At least more than you'd expect from something so small. The controls are basic, somewhat rough, but they do their job well when it comes to shaping the thickness, brightness and body of the sound. Despite being so cheap and tiny, it covers both clean and overdriven sounds.
Conclusions
The main advantages are clear: price, battery autonomy and portability. It's an amp with obvious limitations that can't be used in certain contexts, because we'd blow it up. Even so, it's ideal for many other situations where we want to practice, or let anyone passing by hear our guitar, anywhere.
Because its speaker is so small, the mids are somewhat artificial and sound a bit “nasal” (this happens with all amps this size). Even so, I confess I was amazed by the performance of this tiny unit. Relative to its price and competition, it's well finished, cute, has good volume, can be shaped and even lets you play around with overdrive. The clean sounds are more realistic, but together with a good distortion pedal (not essential since, as I say, it has its own overdrive), you can take your first steps on electric guitar for less than 50 euros. Amazing!
On test, AmpliDrive CD100
This is a step up in size, power and possibilities from the previous one: 15 W, ten more than the version we discussed just above. With the same finishes and the same cute red look as its little brother, we now find a slightly more elaborate front panel: volume and gain knobs, a gain/clean switch, gain volume, a full EQ with treble, mid and bass controls, plus reverb and a headphone output.
I spent a while trying out combinations of the volume, gain and gain volume knobs. It caught my attention that there were three, and I wondered what effect adjusting them would have on the sound. After testing, I got my answers. With these three controls, we can broaden the possibilities for our guitar's “color” between clean, crunch and high-gain sounds (with the help of the switch).
So what's surprising about it? Well, let me tell you: considering it's an amp under €80, its interplay between clean and crunch is honestly satisfying. Despite its size, it has quite a lot of low end, so we get a sound with body. By playing with the gain and gain volume, we get a pretty nice range of overdrive sounds.
Since it includes three EQ controls and reverb, we get more versatility and control over the sound compared with the LA-5.
Conclusions
It's roughly €27 more than the previous model. We're talking about little money. However, the rainbow of sounds is significantly wider, thanks to its fuller EQ and the addition of reverb. Less notable, but also worth considering: a bit more power, while it's still a very manageable unit in terms of weight and size.
For what it costs, its clean and even medium-gain sounds are striking. You can always combine the feisty overdrive with your pedals to get as close as possible to whatever you're after in the overdrive/distortion field, although the AmpliDrive CD100 has its own portfolio of high-gain sounds.
In short, if you're strapped for cash, just starting out, or want a really, really cheap amp that still lets you do things that sound respectable, this is a competitive option that will let you explore every possible path of the electric guitar. Granted, it's not a top-notch tube amp, but when you hear it, it's hard to believe what it costs. Try it.
On test, the AmpliDrive VA15 tube amp
Now for a product a few steps up from the previous ones. I should mention that I unboxed all three amps at the same time, put them together and decided on the order of the tests before starting. Even at first glance you could tell this was the most powerful of the three.
Look and finishes
A heavier, bigger amp. With a larger speaker, it was bound to have a punchier sound than the previous ones. It has a serious, vintage-style black finish, with the latest boutique look. Its knobs, located on top, follow the same design line.
As for the back, you can see the electronics because it's open-backed. The tubes are covered by metal shields. I didn't find any component brand names in view.
The control panel
We find it on a chrome front panel. From there we can control volume, tone, the tremolo via intensity and speed knobs, the reverb knob, and there are two TRS ¼ (jack) guitar inputs.
Power and sound
These 15 W certainly go a long way. As with the other models on test, we find that this “critter” has great volume and punch. Only now it's of higher quality: thicker and punchier, warmer and more authentic, especially in overdrive.
I was now looking at a somewhat higher-end amp. You need to spend about €450 to get one. So, to really understand how the system amplifies the instrument's signal, I used three very different guitars in the tests: a Fernandes Ravelle Elite (with a rather dark, aggressive tone), an Encore Strat®-style with single-coil pickups that's quite bright, and a Les Paul.
The amp has a fairly dense sound, with clean tones at low volumes and moderate overdrive at high volumes. In general it's rather “thick”, quite round. Its vintage vibe, plus that compact, bass-heavy sound, blended very well, to my taste, with the sounds of the single-coil guitar.
In any case, I found the sweet spot of this AmpliDrive with all the guitars. It's clearly superior to the previous ones for the reasons mentioned, and its sound perfectly justifies the jump in price compared with the LA 5 and the CD100.
Conclusions
An amp you can get pretty serious results with. Very acceptable quality, even at an affordable price. Its strong points are the good performance of its power section, its genuine approximation of a vintage sound, an acceptable signal-to-noise ratio and a reverb + tremolo that suit the overall sound it gives us very well. What might explain its low cost for a genuine tube amp is, for example, the “roughness” of its controls. They're not especially sensitive.
Overall, the amp pleasantly surprised me with its cleans and medium gain. If your budget is around €400, you'd like to own a real tube amp, and you love that classic tube sound with touches of crunch, this is a fantastic alternative. By adding good overdrive and distortion pedals we can also get appealingly feisty results. Lots of power and an attractive price.
All of the above are my conclusions; to reach your own, head to your nearest trusted store and ask about AmpliDrive.
Until next time.
