And for those who don’t know, it sounds great live. I used it live at my first ever gig just playing, singing, and using backing tracks. The audience loved my tones and playing.
Another effective way to physically reduce basetones is to remove the grill cloth, which is held on with Velcro, and stuff soft cloth into the base port sound hole.🎸
Hey Nathan. Thank you for tuning in. People are usually surprised when I tell them that reviews take me the longest. I realize that some people may make a decision based on my thoughts so I always try to give an objective view from the everyman perspective. That being said, what's not to like about the Spark. I sincerely appreciate your time and comment. I hope you have a great evening. Please take care and be well. Mark
What a great review video - impressed with your knowledge, passion, and reasoning. I've been on the fence about getting a Spark, this video sealed the deal. Thanks.
Hey Mark and everyone else watching. You can run a spark through a PA system to get more volume. Use a 1/8 cable into the headphone jack with a double 1/4 on the other end and you can plug into a PA system or mixer board . I have this setup in my living /Music Room and its works great. Its a Fender Passport with dual 50 watt speakers. I have used this out and I can be heard in the mix. You idea of presetting your own channels is great as Mark you stated then you can bypass having to use the App. You can actually preset 4 settings on every different Guitar/Bass setting on the Spark. So you actually could have preset settings for Acoustic/Soft Pop / Hard Rock etc for over 20 variations.
Hey Al. Great advice. You can also close mic it. I know a couple of guys that gig with it. Anybody who's ever carried a 60 lb amp down Bleecker knows how great a small, light amp is. Especially one that's solid state!
Nice review and THANK YOU for keeping it brief and to the point. I will be ordering a Spark 40 shortly and am really looking forward to getting back into playing electric again (like you, I have a PRS, mine is a PRS Singlecut).
I love my Spark. Your comment about increasing your electric guitar practice hit home. Same thing happened to me. I really enjoy jamming over Bluetooth tunes. Tons of fun! Great video!
That's great to hear Brian. I think about all the time I wasted when I was younger messing around with gear. For what? I used a very straightforward rig onstage. It was time I could have spent practicing. Thankfully, I learned my lesson. Thanks for checking out the video. Mark
I have a pretty nice Fender Strat American Deluxe and I hardly ever play it. Mark's comment (and yours) about this increasing electric guitar practice is what has me considering picking one up. When you said you jam over bluetooth tunes, does that mean you can play backing tracks on the amp at the same time you play?
Really enjoying your video's Mark. The Spark sounds great, and gives you a lot of very useful features. Thanks for all the great content on your channel. Have watched and marked #1 through #10 of your videos for the contest since I found your channel at the beginning of the month. Still have a lot more to view in the coming months. Cheers!! John Russell (76 year young Rocker now in a rocker ;) in the U.S.A.
I just wrote you a long reply and it disappeared. If this is redundant, I apologize. I'd rather answer twice than have it go unanswered. If you're looking for a small versatile practice amp that's pretty darn loud, you can't go wrong with the Spark. If you want something totally portable, check out the mini. It does everything the 40 does but it's only about a 1/3 as loud (still loud enough to busk with or piss your wife off). Thanks so much for the kind words about the video. I sincerely appreciate your time and support. Take care. Mark
Thanks so much Steve. My advice on Never Going Back Again is slow and steady. Especially the part where he the bass is playing two and the fingers are playing three. That takes some time.
I received my Spark Mini a couple of weeks ago and really love it! I"m sort of a re-learning intermediate - not having played for several years, I"m learning my way around the fretboard again. Mostly I've played acoustic, but the past few nights I've been plugging my Harley Benton Strat copy into the Spark Mini and rocking out (with headphones) on Neil Young's Ohio. I've wanted to learn that song and be able to sound like Neil for about 40 years - and with the Spark and a downloaded Neil Young tone, I'm finally able to do it! This was a great video, Mark - very inspiring and stirring of the creative juices! I'm up to about #40 on your videos now - please keep me in the hat for this month's Vangoa drawing! :)
Mark, I'll have to admit that I am (was?) one of those who didn't like the idea of using an app to control my guitar amp. But your video and logical reasoning have given me a better perspective on it. I don't know if I'll get one or not, but at least now I know more about it. Thanks, Mark. Great video as always.
Let's face it James. The app gets in the way of practice. But a few well chosen minutes in advance and you're all set. Thanks again for ALWAYS supporting. Mark
Enjoyed rhe vid, thanks for sharing it! Gotta give you serious props for tackling "Never Going Back Again"...NICE playing! Thats a tough one to master, but you nailed it.
Good video. One point that is 99 percent overlooked about the small practice amps is that if you’re on your learning journey with the guitar to start with, you want something that will keep those fingers on those strings! And with amps like the Spark, it’s largely the closest you will come to plugging into a Rock star’s stage setup. And if you’re receiving a lot of that through your unit, you’ll keep practicing and playing and HAVING FUN, which if you’re just not achieving THAT above all else, people quit and throw the guitar in the attic. Too many “tube purists” completely forget this.
I just picked up the Spark second hand and was initially "on the fence" regarding some of the tones I was getting. Some sounded absolutely phenomenal, but some sounded a little bass heavy or boxy. Your suggestion on the EQ pedal seemed to change all that...thank you for taking the time to show how a basic EQ pedal can change all that. Thanks!
Hey Dave. After using this bark almost exclusively for teaching I finally cleaned up a couple of my 2 bands again. They sound great but you just can't beat the convenience of the spark. It's not like it sounds bad and the technology keeps getting better and better. I remember twenty years ago when photographers were saying they'll never replace film. I'm glad the Video was helpful and I appreciate the support have a great weekend mark
Very impressive Never Going Back Again cover! One of the hardest finger picking songs there are! My favorite to play and always impresses my other guitar friends😀
Man it's so cool to be an old guy in the new tech era! I didn't even know this existed. They should hook you up! Because I'm buying one right now from Amazon, like I said old guy new tech and it'll be here by tomorrow, all I can say is wow! And did you hear? Marijuana is legal? Don't make me say it again... Old guy.... New tech era baby😂
I've been an on and off again guitar player for like 10 yrs.. I took like a 2-year break and just recently I started playing again. I used to mess around on a spider jam because I don't have anybody to play with and I like playing to the drum tracks. Well since I started playing again I got really bored with that amp so I went and got the spark 40 and it is so cool! It has made me want to play more and makes it fun with so many different options
For sure the mini is awesome too. I need to do another video on it. I didn't do it justice the first time. Thanks so much for taking the time to watch and comment. I really appreciate it. Mark
Hi Mark. Thank you so much for a great demo. After years of, should I buy one or not, I finally have one. I watched too many demos that put me off buying, from perfectionists. Looking forWard to watching more of your excellent demos.
Lovin my Spark 40. Great review! Great all around amp. Also enjoy my Fender Deluxe with it and the Fender Mustang Micro and a few others. If you had to have just 1 amp, I'd probably opt for the Spark for covering all the bases at reasonable cost and it sounds great.
I love this amp , been using it for a few years , keep it by my couch for practice , the only problems I’ve had is connecting the blue tooth presets on my phone app , sometimes it doesn’t connect with the presets I’ve downloaded , which can be frustrating ,could be a problem with my iPhone , but all in all I love this amp , looks good , built like a tank and and sounds great , the perfect practice tool to guitar backing tracks , thank you for this video , subscribed
Speaking as someone who's not interested in amplification at the moment; GREAT video, Mark. You make a persuasive argument for an amp that sounds ideal for its intended uses while avoiding the posturing that sometimes creeps into these sort of discussions.
Thanks and thanks again for playing some of my fave songs JB Goode and the Fleetwood Mac one, it sounds decent for Beatles too. I am thinking of getting the small spark for small gigs and possibly busking if I can find another small one for the mic lol, its a pity they don't have two channel one for guitar and one mic input.
Incredable vidio, Im an acoutic player that just bought my first electric guitar. Im gonna sell my fishman loudbox and use the spark for both acoustic and electric. Pumped !!!
Good overall review I have a 2009 Genz Benz 60 LT. It is a bit clunky and not convenient for an impromptu practice or jam session. The next time I am near a music store that sells them I will check it out.
Boy, that PRS is a true work of art. Currently, my only PRS is a Custom 24 SE in Faded Blue Burst... It's an import, but I love that guitar. Plays better than any MIM Fender or Epiphone in my experience. I'd even go as far to say I enjoy the SE more than I do my American Strats or Les Paul's! I am working on saving up enough to get my dream guitar, the PRS Custom 24 Core in Fire Red Burst. Such a beautiful piece of art. Watched your videos trying to decide if I wanted to get a Spark. I play a large variety of music, and sometimes, it's really annoying having to swap pedals and adjust the tone 1000 times a day. For me, the Spark is perfect. I can literally type in "John Mayer" and boom, I have John Mayer's tone. It doesn't get any better than that. Picking one up at my local Guitar Center tomorrow!
Hey Sandra. There are certainly many good ones out there. Line 6 is the company that really changed the game. I bought the $1700 Johnson in 1997 and then the POD came out a few months later and sounded better. It was also 1/10 the cost. The Johnson was the worst.
Great Video! I just bought one with some bonus cash I had from Musician's Friend. I was hoping it would make me want to just get back to practicing and learning my guitar parts while relaxing in the living room.
I bought mine 2 years ago. It is all the things you mentioned. But when i get in the mood to hear my guitar through a true tube amp i use my small 5 watt 12” blackstar with 2 channels and 4 voices. But i am more of a purist and minimalist so i never used much effects anyway.
I do the same thing. I think most of us are looking for validation more times than not. I appreciate your time, honesty and kind words. I wish you and your family a Happy New Year. Take care. Mark
Hey Todd. Yes! I'm looking forward to it. I do mostly acoustic solo gigs and I get hired on to sing maybe 6 times a year and sub in for other guitarists 15 times a year so I don't really need anything. I've been doing an annual reunion gig with my old band up in CT. It started three years ago as a one off show that we sold out so now it's a reunion week. I was hoping to use the Spark at one of the gigs and document it. This is before the cabinet. Now it's moot. The GS Mini was purchased used. It has many upgrades. A very expensive travel case that I don't need, lol, gold hardware with Koa tuner caps, koa bridge pins, specially designed artwork using koa wood inlay for the truss rod cover, and an upgraded pickup. It's my fourth Taylor and it's like the others. Reliable, sounds very good, plays very good. They are like the ultimate 7-8 guaranteed brand. Never wowed even with the 900s and never disappointed even with the 100s. They were very non nice at NAMM last year. I was so disappointed. They were jerks the first day, blew me off the second day, and were rude the third day. I'm a die hard brand user with 40k fans and I went in there very humble and...ah whatever. They still make good guitars. Thanks for checking out the video. I sincerely appreciate your time. Please take care and be well. Mark
So good! I want one now 😁 My friend found one at guitar center knowing almost nothing about amps & now I’m gonna tell him he has to get it! Thank you!! Is there only 1 version of this amp? As in a used one would not be an old model?
The versatility is amazing. I like the Yamaha too. I’ve been waffling back and forth between them and I just can’t pull the trigger. Mark your playing is awesome. The finger style is seriously good. As always the production is top notch. I really look forward to these. Great job. It might be time for a mini-concert 😊.
Hey Randy. I really appreciate you making time to check it out. The Fleetwood Mac song was a last minute addition done live when RU-vid kept kicking out other songs. LOL. Take care and be well. Mark
Yamaha if you want the best sound in a physical unit IMO. Waza Airs if you want headphones. Amplitube 5max (get on sale) if you want a load of options. Spark if you want the very good but not great version of all. That is actually a great credit to the spark that it can do so much.
@@RogerThat902 Thanks for the info Roger. There’s just so many options now it makes it difficult for me to decide. I prefer the Yamaha but like the Spark at the lower cost. I will talk myself into something and then out of it before I finally make a decision. I really appreciate the info. It’s really valuable to have.
Thank you Mark for another great video ! Hey I know I'm stepping out here a little bit, but what do you think of PRS's amp's ? I know Paul hits them out of the ball park, which makes them pricey. However, I think you are getting what you paid for much like his Guitars.
If you happen to already own an EQ pedal, could you put that in front of the Spark and accomplish something similar while preserving the modulation bank for other effects? As always, great video!
Great video! I just got this amp myself and love it. However, with regards to your comments on 'fixing the bass', I thought if you were using the downloaded tones from the bank, or one of your own created tones, that it was overriding the analog dials on the amp? In other words, I thought the analog dials were only coming into effect if you weren't using the app?
I'am one off the.older thinkers here but on the argument you had placed here you are correct I already have the legendary amps I want including all the legends mentioned and a few unmentioned so once I could get my mind around it I'd probably buy one on sale and give it a go still won't be selling my dinosaur 🦖 collection anytime soon I'am afraid I still get chills from my 64 jmi ac30 or if I'm in a smaller mood an early peavey studio pro is a hidden lil gem with no pedals and cranked an no apps required for that but yeah your essentially right an awesome practice tool in my opionion
Hey brother. The bottom line is this: anybody that complains about it didn't grow up in the late 70s and early 80s playing a crate or a peavey. I had the reknown. what a piece of crap. You got a great deal. Thanks so much for checking out the video. I sincerely appreciate your time and comment. Please take care and be well. Mark
I am very happy with my Spark. The reason I bought was because every amp I have was way too loud when playing late at night. I needed micrometric precision to set up the volume knob(s) to play so I wouldn’t disturb my wife. I don't like playing headphones either. In that respect, the Spark is like magic: all the tone is there, but the volume is as loud as my acoustic guitar, or even less loud. As far as the tones, sure, it's not as flexible as a pedal board and I am not crazy about the app being the only interface (a windows app would have been nice), but I can live with that. For $245 (what I paid for it) it was a great deal and it's basically the only amp I use for playing around the house. Plus it makes a fantastic Bluetooth amp. People are allowed not to like it, but I'd like to know why and what they suggest someone in my shoes should do instead.
Another effective way to physically reduce basetones is to remove the grill cloth, which is held on with Velcro, and stuff soft cloth into the base port sound hole...
I really like mine , I’m amazed at the sound it puts out and features , I my only complaint is that I have trouble uploading the firmware, I gave up and use it like it came, I’m a BASS player anyway, but when I want to jam on my Les Paul, it’s enough for me. F
I had the spark and sold it. I didn't sell it because it was bad, I just sold it because it was the B version of everything else I had. For the price and if you want just want just one main thing that does a lot it's amazing. For me though, I can play my tube amps, have a pedalboard, prefer the Waza Air's for practice and silent player and if I want to dabble with a lot of options I use amplitube. That's not me crapping on the spark, it's just that I have all those things so the spark didn't get played. I'm sure it made the guy who bought it happy though.
I have the Mini. Still new to it. First off, I was one of those purists that turned up their noses at digital modeling in the past. Tubes or nothing. But my first experiences with modeling were in the late 90s... and it did suck then, honestly. That was a long time ago, and the tech has improved. I think the Spark's emulations actually sound damned good. If I need more volume, I can put it through a PA. I have a near infinite array of good tones on tap, easy to get to, easy to load, easy to store on unit. I have more jam tracks than I know what to do with. I have AI drummers and bassists. I can jam with ANYTHING on youtube using it's chord cheat. And it's easy to record all of it. It's primary feature isn't actually about the amp specifically, but how the whole concept changes your 'workflow' (for lack of a better term). Watching a good live vid on youtube and feel like jamming along? Before, pause the video, get my amp, which may not be in same room. Set up my rig, my pedals, get my guitar plugged in, look up the chords online, realize it's different for the live version, find the right chord sheet... now ready to jam along.... 30-60 minutes later... With Spark. Pause vid, reload on their app, search sound cloud for a tone that works, including the title of this very song, someone probably has good patch for it... load... hit play.... jamming along in 30-60 seconds. Have a riff idea I want to jam too? I have an AI backing band that will play around with it. What this means is more time playing, more time exploring, more time practicing, more time creating.... less time fiddling with cables, replacing batteries, building pedal boards. Get a an idea? plug in and chase your whim. No barriers. THAT'S what makes this so cool. It's the sum of all features and how it transforms your time playing to bemore productive and creative. Also, shockingly good portable bluetooth speaker for it's size. Compares nicely with my Klipsch Heritage Groove.... which make most others sound like crap in comparison. But the Spark mini actually is right there. if this were _JUST_ a bluetooth speaker, they could almost get away with charging $200 for it. Forget the software, forget it being a guitar amp.... it would be a high end bluetooth speaker to consider for $200. Not saying you should buy it just for this... just saying, hot damn, and almost forgotten feature of this amp, is actually outstanding... this is a wicked portable bluetooth speaker. In addition to everything else, fills an outdoor patio nicely with music, rich clean bass.... don't be shocked if it follows you outside withOUT a guitar, just to play music while you barbeque out back. It beats the snot out of most other portable speakers you might use for that. I point this out to illustrate, it's not good at some things and ok at others... holy crap, it's good at EVERYTHING it tries to do. Even the battery life is outstanding. Calling it the best amp ever, might be hyperbole. But, it has had a more immediate and positive impact on my playing than any Fender, Marshall, or 5150 I've owned (I LOVED my 5150). It's good at everything, and it's fun. It's a transformative tool. I would recommend it to literally every guitarist. All skill levels. You can benefit from this day one starting to learn... And Joe Satriani and David Gilmour would probably enjoy playing with these as practice amps. I honestly put it in the 'useful for everyone' category. As in, if you play guitar, I think you want one of these.
For an entry in the 12 string contest - this will be video #30 for me [including this one], going back 3 years to the 5 positions of the Pentatonic scale. I think I'm finally ready to make that leap and plan to put that in my practice routine.
I sincerely appreciate all of the support. I typically pick the winner of each month's drawing during the live chat of the second video the following month. You don't have to be present to win. Everything is done fairly and randomly. I also do my best to double check to make sure those with multiple entries get their chance of winning weighted accordingly. I wish you luck. Take care and enjoy the rest of the week. Mark
I just want to let you know that I do an additional drawing at the end of the year for those who really went above and beyond to support the channel but didn't win yet. I put those 25 or so names in the hat and give away an extra 12 string. I really do appreciate all of the time you've given to support the channel. Have a great weekend. Mark
I love the Spark amp, I literally use it everyday and have been for a couple of years. My major gripe with it is that is sounds amazing through headphones and not as good through the speaker. I mostly play through headphones, because I need to play quietly, so it works for me. I wish it had a looper. But, otherwise I love the amp. It makes me want to play, because everything I need is all in one place. It's so easier to dial in a tone from a specific guitarist, or album. It blends so well within a song, it sounds like I'm part of the band. I love the smart jam and the ability to loop songs and slow it down, so I can learn a part. Ironically, the Spark mini (which I also have) sounds great through the speaker, and through the headphones, too. Although, you don't get a lot of volume through headphones. I'm hoping that has been remedied with the latest update. Overall, it's the best value for your money. It is the perfect practice amp and saves you a bundle on effects pedals.
Wow, that is weird that they don't have a looper feature! Seems like an easy thing to code. And the Spark has a footswitch they are trying to sell. If you had to get the footswitch in order to run their looper pedal in the app, I'll bet they'd get a lot of knock-on footswitch sales!
@@freesk8 Initially, I bought the airstep footswitch which worked with the Spark. Then they came out with theirs, so I bought it. I figure when they do eventually add a looper ( which many people have been asking for), I will need the foot switch.
Great video Mark. I have one with the foot pedal. I would love to hear how I can use more sounds than the 4 presets (typically 4 basic sounds and toggle chorus, wah or delay on and off) in a full practice session. I see no other way than to overwrite my presets every now and then. Is there an easier way?
Nice video. I have a question, when I play my spark 40 and spark go through headphones and it sounds awesome while playing along with Chordify and RU-vid. When I play out loud it sounds terrible! How do I replicate the headphone sound? Will the new cabinet fix this? Btw still a beginner but I have been playing for 30 years and can play along with 400+ songs and sounds good for me with heaphones. My brother has a 40 but we flop when trying to play out loud
Bought one at the ripe old age of 75. Since I'm a Tech Dinosaur, I couldn't figure out how to work it after watching several Spark 40 specific videos. I still have it, since no one bought it on my local Craigslist. I need a step by step by step video if I'm ever going to be able to use it. Alas ,I was hoping this vid was going to be the one.
I have both a.Yamaha thr as well as the Spark 40 and enjoy them both. Without the app the Yamaha I think sounds a little better. But add the app to the Spark and it is superior, I also have a Fender that rarely gets used because getting the tone I want requires.a lot of volume and I play at home in my den.
Hey David. I just picked up the Mooer which is a dead ringer for the Spark 40...except, the app sucks. PG really knocked it out of the part. The Yamaha's sound amazing. Just as good as my Dr. Z. Thanks so much for checking out the video and for the feedback. I sincerely appreciate your time. Mark
the only thing that is on the edge for me is the Bluetooth speaker function. How does it sound to listen to music? Maybe you can do a quick demo of how it sounds with songs in different genres. I have looked all over RU-vid and haven't found a video about this feature. maybe one of you in the comments has found a vid or maybe one of you has one and can tell me what it sounds like?
Really informative video, Mark. I've been thinking of getting a Spark, but then you said something that caught my attention. You breifly mentioned that Spark is 'ok' for an acoustic amp. What is your choice for the best acoustic amp? #14
Hey Richard. I'm not qualified to answer that. Every time I hear a good one it always brings the guitar alive but I've never owned one or spent a lot of time with any.
@@8MinuteAxe Ok, that's what I really like about your channel, Mark. You give high quality concise information (and superior playing skill), well thoughtout opinions backed by facts, no BS and honesty. High integrity, my friend, attracts and keeps viewers. I appreciate you.
@@TheVitalEdge The Fishman Loudbox amps are good. Get the Fishman Loudbox mini if it is just you at home and you don't sing. Or just get a Spark as in the above video. The bigger loudbox has phantom power for condenser mics, so this is a great feature if you sing and play in coffee houses.
I bought two when they first came out. But I could never find good instructions for usìng it. Also, there isn't an option for a line out. Any suggestions? Thanks!
It’s a great practice amp, but there are some sonic limitations such as use of the volume knob on your guitar. It doesn’t react the way a non-digital amp does when the guitar’s volume knob is not all the way up. Volume swells suck. It doesn’t sound like a real amp at times and makes some strange digital noises, but you can still get some good tones out of it. The app isn’t very user friendly and gets frustrating. I generally use it without the app. The fact that you can play a bass through it is awesome and I’m interested in hearing what it sounds like through the spark cab with a foot switch.
My Spark 40 has been cutting out intermittently.- either with the guitar or computer USB connection. Each dead period lasts for a minute or 2. Firmware update did not resolve the issue. So right now its useful only to hold the door open or as step to reach high places. I'm waiting to hear from PG.
Hey Don. How long has it been since you contacted PG? I've heard different stories regarding their customer service. One would think with the incredible amount of success they've had that they would care first and foremost about their service. If you don't get satisfaction please email at markaranalli@gmail.com andI will try my best to see if I can get their attention. I'm not a paid endorser for them nor do I have a contact but its worth a try if they dont help you out. Please take care and be well. Mark
