Though guitar amp and effects modeling has been around for a while, Positive Grid shook things up in 2019 with the launch of the Spark – an impressively flexible and affordable tone master. The company downsized the format for the Mini last year, and has now done it again for the ultra-portable Spark Go.
The portable practice amp for guitar or bass rocks pocket-friendly dimensions of 4.92 x 3.34 x 1.77 in (125 x 85 x 45 mm), and tips the scales at just over 12 oz (346 g). It comes pre-loaded with 33 amp models and 43 effects, so you're sure to find the tones you're looking for out of the box, and there are four preset slots available to store and recall favorite combinations so you don't have to dive in and tweak afresh every time you hear the muse calling.
An instrument cable running from a guitar or bass is plugged into the jack at the center of the brass-colored volume control up top, where there's also a headphone output for private listening, a preset selection button and music volume control. You'll also find a Bluetooth 5.0 pairing button to the side to allow for streaming tunes from a music source, with the option to jam along while listening. And there's a cooked-in tuner with LED guide lights as well.
It will work just fine flying solo with you and your instrument, but as with its siblings, much of the device's impressive power comes courtesy of the companion mobile app, which includes vast sound/gear libraries together with access to the company's ToneCloud online community, allows students to play along with popular songs broken down into chords by the power of AI or move to your own groove with a feature that learns a player's tone and style and provides drum and bass backing tracks to jam along with, and users can even create performance videos for sharing to socials.
The Spark Go sports a 5-watt Class D amplifier driving a single 2-inch custom speaker that produces a "surprisingly big sound" and Positive Grid has added computational audio, a passive radiator and anti-vibration technology to the recipe as well for the promise of detailed output and a punchy low end.
The portable amp can serve as a 16-bit/44.1-kHz bridge between an instrument and a computer too, its built-in 2,500-mAh battery is reckoned good for up to 8 hours of per-charge play time at mid (or lower) volume, there's a reversible strap for an easy carry, and two swappable grille options are included in the box.
"Stream your favorite music, learn a new guitar song, warm up for your gig," said Positive Grid's Laura B. Whitmore. "The portable Spark Go is a powerhouse in every sense of the word and a great all around amp and companion. You’ll be shocked at its solid build and big sound. Use it anywhere to enjoy more guitar moments; it’ll inspire you to play every day!"
The Spark Go will go up for pre-order later this month for a special introductory price of US$109, which is 40 bucks off the suggested retail price. The video below has more.
Product page: Spark Go
