The Steel Guitar Forum

this kind of goes against my religion (I'm a tube guy all the way) but, I was wondering if anyone out there uses one of those little battery amps for practicing like the danelectro honeytone.. the idea here being I need to be able to play the lap steel while sitting on the bank of a river and am curious which if any sounds better.

I like the Roland Micro Cube and the Roland Street Cube. I have taken both out on the boat with friends to jam.

The little Micro Cube make a decent travel amp for practice while on the road too. Batteries last a long time. Both come with AC adapters so you can plug-in in a hotel room etc.

I'm currently on my fourth Pignose 7-100, having given the last three away as gifts, which takes six AA batteries and lasts quite a long time. I use it for everything including live. It's pretty loud, too. I owned a couple of those Roland Micro Cubes but, to my ears, they sounded a bit sterile and the little speaker distorted in a bad way when driven hard.

I use my VOX DA-5 for home practice with lap steel and PSG. I also use it for band rehearsals and small gigs without drums.

I have a Roland microcube, nice tone and good effects, "AA" batterys last a very long time.
I also have a VOX DA5 it is much louder, and has a mic/aux input with a volume control, "C" batterys last many days... I also have a little Fender mini-deluxe, no effects except "drive" and uses a "9V" battery that only lasts maybe 3 hours at a good volume. The little Fender is fun and small enough to keep in a gigbag pocket.

The VOX is the most practical for outside gigs, I have busked with it, and it plays above the street noise very well.
Dom

How about this 9 volt wonder, with a tuner and speaker output!

The GFS Electronics Mini Amp/Chromatic Tuner combines a great sounding 2 watt travel amp with a really good bright chromatic guitar tuner- all wrapped up in a vintage tinged package.This little powerhouse can drive ANY speaker with a load greater than 2 ohms.

It comes with a 3 inch speaker and is 6x7.5 inches.

If anyone has one, let us know how it sounds!
Sells for $38!

I like the Vox DA5 too, though mine stopped working with batteries, just ac power now. Took it on this flying tour I'm on with Emma Hill because it fits in my backpack!

Another vote for the DA-5.

New Vox amp that runs on AA Batteries
Vox MINI 3 3W, 1 x 5" Combo Guitar Amplifier Features at a Glance:
Color: Black
Power amp output: 3W
Speaker: 5"
Amp models: 11 (Btq Clean, Black 2x12, Tweed 4x10, AC15, AC30tb, UK '70s, UK '80s, UK '90s, Cali Metal, US Higain, Line)
Effect types: 4
Delay/reverb types: 4
I/O: 1 channel (1/4"), 1 x Mic input, 1 x Auxiliary input, headphone output
Signal processing: 24-bit/44.1kHz
Tuner detection range: A0--A6 (27.5Hz-1.76kHz)
Power supply: AC adaptor (included) or 6 x AA batteries (up to 30 hours)
Power consumption: 390 mA
Dimensions: 10.51" x 7.05" x 10.51"
Weight: 7.72 lbs.
Included: AC adaptor and carrying strap

I own an Orange Micro Crush amp which bears a striking resemblance to the GFS mini amp. I've seen my amp on ebay with black tolex with no brand name for around the same $38, or so.

My Micro Crush is quite loud in both clean and distorted modes. The speaker's kind of puny, though, which renders this mild overdrive in the clean mode when cranked. The tone pot is very nice and seems to be active. I like the tuner, which is just as good as any other LED tuner I've used. Doesn't have a speaker out, which would be really swank.

Hope this helps.

Peavey Solo (no longer made).
10 watts using 8 "D" cell batteries or 15 watts AC powered.
Line input and an XLR/line input.

Clete

Thanks for all the suggestions! I had no idea there were so many battery amps. but at least that means there are several decent options. I'll have to see what I can find.

I too like this little guy, even packs in a suit case with ease!