SPARK unboxing - Will I like it? - BUY BUY BUY or bye bye bye? - Viewer reviews at the end. 

Let me say this. I bought a Spark. Once you use it and get totally familiar with it and the app and the capabilities, it is hard to criticise. It's an amazing practice amp. Incredible value for money.

Thank you so much for your integrity - I recommend you and only a few other of these channels to friends of mine who are just starting to get into guitar gear, and I appreciate it every time something like this comes up because you *didn't* just trash it. You put real time and effort into trying to unlock great and fun sounds, and you didn't resort to any kind of hyperbole or anything in evaluating it. Appreciate you greatly!

The Spark is geared toward being a beginners tool that you use in your garage, or bedroom to discover pedals effects, and amp types. I've owned my for less than a year, and it hasn't moved from where I put it when I unboxed it, but I do use it almost daily and I'm still learning as I go. I think it was a good purchase.

I bought one... and sold it again within the month. It's basically a box of mud, why? because it has a built in cab sim WHICH YOU CANNOT TURN OFF and GUESS WHAT ? you're listening to it though a cab! you may as well chain cab sims. The only sounds possible from it are muddy indistinct sounds. I have no idea what they were thinking, but MY they're good at marketing.

I always appreciate your honesty transparency and willingness to make your thoughts known about the whole youtube gear review world, the responsibilities, and your place in it. I trust your opinions because of your years of honesty. Thanks Ryan.

If the bass knob had numbers they would read from 10 to 10

Glad and impressed to see Ryan's honesty with this review. I was having the same reactions as he was throughout the video, especially with the low-end, muddled sound that apparently couldn't be tweaked out.

I agree regarding the low end, and I appreciate your candor on the product, Ryan. I think it's got way too much bass, which I suspect might be because it also functions as a bass amp. I think you're also right about them trying to fatten it up at low volumes for practice. I think it's in the speakers, because the huge booming bass disappears when I use headphones. That said, I really like the amp for my use purposes. I've got in my living room, and use it for practicing and I mostly wear headphones. I practice bass on it as well, and it works well for that. I think it's really flexible and delivers on what it promises, but it would be great if Positive Grid could dial back the bass when not using headphones (I usually turn it all the way down, or almost all the way down). Stylistically, I play a lot of blues and like a fatter sound, so with the bass dialed back, the tone is right in my wheelhouse. However, I wish it had more usable range when not using one of the bass amps, and I'm hoping they fix that with a firmware update.

I LOVE mine, best $239 I've ever spent on a piece of gear. I find it hard to put my guitar down when I start playing because it's so much fun.

Ryan's experience with the Spark is shockingly different from mine. I got mine last year and it's not muddy at all. Hearing his playback of the Joe Bonamassa cloud preset shocked me. For me, that preset soars. Yes, it's natively bassy, but roll that off to 9 o'clock and it's fine. I just wonder if there's something wrong with his unit. Maybe Ryan should collab with Phil McKnight and share some impressions on this amp. He's said he loves it for practice.

i’ve always appreciated your candid opinions on this channel. even when you love on the afford a board pedals! i think it’s important to take you in context, and know that even when you’re having a bit of fun, you’re really trying to give an honest take of the gear you play. thanks for holding the line on integrity. you’re the 4th video i’ve watched on the spark, and you’re the only one to remotely say anything negative. i won’t be buying this and for that i really thank you.

Respect your honesty Ryan. This is what it's like for me. Have had one almost a year now, and bought a second one for my daughter. I've had a break from frequent guitar playing for some 30 years, but with this little thing I'm back on track, practicing almost every day. I would be intimidated by a big regular amp, I was never that good, and the family would throw me out. But this one fits everywhere. Wife think it's beautiful in our livning room and appreciate the BT speaker function. Oh, and the bass issue I solved with putting it above the floor on a stand. It's OK by me, for the price and the ease of the app it's perfect. Think that's quite common when reading posts on FB, lots of old farts like me who got their enthusiasm back. And that's not a small thing. That said being well aware of the imperfections of the Spark, but there are also so many ridiculous expectations on it.

I was stoked to get one until now, I’m glad you present the way you do, gives us all a clear picture of products that still need the bugs worked out… thanks

I really appreciate your honesty with this video. As you mentioned, this thing was kind of shoved in everyone's face for a long time. I'm still inundated with ads about it on social media. While intriguing to me, something was telling me not to buy it. This video confirmed my gut feeling.

Thank you so much for your honesty. I am old, and have zero desire to connect to an iPad or a phone or a computer to run a guitar amp. The kids are into it, but it is too late for me. I considered buying this, and I even owned a Yamaha THR, but I got rid of it and avoided the Spark in favour of having two Boss Katana 50 running wet/dry on a Radial BigShot ABY pedal. I know they can be connected to computer as well, but I never do it. I am happy with the sounds on the control panel. Fair play to those who enjoy their Spark, have fun.

I have the Spark pearl version. Indeed a lot if low end. But with altering the patches and save them as preferred patch it works good for me. Very happy with it.

Thanks for your honest evaluation. I just (December 2022) bought a Spark and was anxiously awaiting delivery until I saw this video and the worry began. Fortunately, after research, I discovered Spark added an update (mid 2022) that includes 3 more amps plus guitar and bass EQ pedals that alleviate many of the heavy bass 🔊 issues. Thank goodness. You're doing great work Ryan! Keep that sh#t up!

I was tempted to buy one as the pre owned prices are low. But as I already use the software on iOS which is very good and integrated to DAWs, I decided to buy a good Bluetooth speaker and it does the trick w/o the flaws you described. Thanks for your detailed review.

Ryan, your honesty is like a breath of fresh air. Also watched your Eart v Indio video today and you are right about RU-vid channels over hyping stuff. I think your assessment of the spark is probably the most realistic I've seen. This product is being over hyped by RU-vid influences for sponsorship, and users who are generally too inexperienced to know its not what it's built up to be.

For what it is advertised, that thing is off the charts. And the pricetag is more than fair. Also I'm watching this video with my spark as a BT speaker.

I accidentally purchased one of these, gently used, BEFORE I watched this video. I was a little nervous to hear what it sounded like in person, but I guess I lucked out and got one that wasn't so murky. I am a little disappointed about the missing spring tank too, but I see they released a few more virtual pedals (at a $19.99 cost) a couple weeks ago for the JH Experience.....perhaps with some persistent nudging, they will add a few more of the basic pedals we all love. Thanks Ryan for all your reviews. I always enjoy your format, and value your input.

Best Vid Thumbnail! ....for reals thanks for the review. I've been curious about the Spark amp for a while.

Just saw a review that described how new "pedals" in their app allowed users to tame the over-the-top bass. That goes to demonstrate the accuracy of Ryan's impressions. I think that will make it a lot more useful. It's a big trend - profiling amps with apps to make them into whatever the app allows

Everyday person/guitarist review, excellent job. I've been wanting someone to say it does not sound like an amp in a room. You also said a lot of other things I've been wanting reviewers to say it does or doesn't do. I use these reviews form the RU-vid guitar community to come up with a collective opinion on products. I keep you, Ryan, a part of my RU-vid subscriptions because of your reviews. You make the hard call and have a decided philosophy to what your channel is about, and what it will and will not be a part of. Thanks! Doesn't mean I wouldn't buy it. These gear companies need to listen to reviews and make changes for users wants and needs. Thus, they should not be using RU-vid channels to promote and sell. They should use guitar RU-vidrs only to improve a product leading them to be able to meet the consumers on common ground. This is where they will be able to make more sales. Happy consumers, return for better products. My other thought is that gear companies should use RU-vidrs as a part of product development. So, put the product out to gear reviewers, get feedback from reviewers and read the comments of consumers. Then next the RU-vidr does a live and the viewers could ask questions. These Companies could get a lot of valuable info. Let Research and Development make important decisions not the "Bean Counters," In final comment, a year ago, when I was thinking about buying this amp, I checked to see if 60 Cycle Hum/Ryan reviewed it.......

I've had one from day one. The noise gate kills everything. There are so many fantastic saved user cloud creations that you never need to use the amp the way Ryan used it. I purely use it with saved presets. So much easier. It sounds so much better than Ryan's vid. Great practice amp. That's all.

I’ve had my Spark for a year. It’s my nightly noodle toy…that’s it…it’s not a live music or band practice amp imo. It was designed to get players to experiment and learn. For those reasons I love it! It is bassy though as mentioned. Simple solution is to get it off the floor.

I feel like a global hi-pass filter could easily be added via a firmware update. If they see this, maybe they’ll implement it. Good review, Ryan.

Kudos for giving a frank opinion. Most people seem to agree about the bass. I had a similar reaction to yours about the four presets when I got mine. The online patches helped quite a bit however. I do like the bluetooth connectivity. I wouldn't recommend this without the app, but with it, you have a functional practice amp with tons of tonal options at an affordable price point. Roll off the bass on the tone controls and on the individual effects and you can shape the tone a lot to get what you're looking for. At this price point, it's a great place to start. You'll learn a lot about the kind of gear you may want to invest in down the road as you progress and have plenty of tonal options to explore.

Took 8 months to get mine last year, I’ve absolutely loved it so far.

Thank you. After everyone's reviews I got one and I was quite disappointed. I kept it because I thought maybe I was doing something wrong but I still don't like it to this day. I've had it for about 6 months now but I always play on my Yamaha THR 30 II. I'm glad that now I have someone else who agrees with me on the spark. Yamaha is still the king of desktop amps for me.

Thank you for giving a good critical analysis of this product. I think you said a lot of things that needed to be said and for me one of the new pandemic players I need to build up my gear and this could have just been a waste of money for me.

Nice Ryan, it's cool that you say what you think even if its bad business for you . When it first came out I was a little curious but then something about de app and having to navigate menus plus the small speakers held me back. After watching your video in totally sure that I rather just keep playing on the 1989 peavy Backstage 110 I've been using

you may've lost some money, but you just saved me a good couple hundred of bucks. Thank you so much for your honesty and transparency, you have a new fan here

All that low end… that would be a pain. Sounds like it’s nearly impossible to take it out as well. Glad I watched this!

Ryan, I’ve been watching the channel and listening to the podcast pretty consistently since last year and I really appreciate these honest reviews. I still feel that the PodGO and a FRFR speaker is probably the most versatile set up for the money.

I’m pleased I watched this after I bought it. I’m I beginner who has no idea what a good amp should sound like or what each pedal does. So I’m learning a lot from the amp. I love it! And I love using it as a powerful Bluetooth speaker.

Great and honest review. I thought you were going to be in somebody’s pocket like some of the other RU-vidrs. But you were honest and very insightful to the product. Thank you.

My wife got me a Spark amp for Christmas last year. My findings: When you're very close to it or it is on the floor, it is SOOOOO bassy that you have to rebuild each preset with the bass rolled off. The Twin Reverb amp sounds decent, largely because this sounds like an amp with much larger speakers. None of the stock presets are worth anything. But the Twin Reverb for clean, the Matchless and Vox amps for light to medium crunch, and the Ampeg bass amps are not bad. This amp actually sounds decent as a small bass amp. The Bluetooth speaker functionality is terrible, way too bassy. But I do play through my Spark every day in my home office, because it's small, and I can dial in a bunch of sounds using the app for messing around. It'll never replace a dedicated amp, though. It's okay as a practice tool.

Nice video! I have the amp and I agree it's bass heavy. That seems to be a pretty common complaint. The community has figured out that plugging up the bass reverb hole behind the screen with a sock or some foam or something helps a lot, and other folks have swapped out the speakers to something that isn't so bass heavy. The bass hole is no big deal but having to swap out the speakers is kind of a big mod. I think the consensus was that the amp was also marketed and designed as a bluetooth speaker for listening to music and that ultimately is what leads to the bass-heavy output. I think generally speaking most of the community finds that to be a mistake. I know I *never* use it as a bluetooth speaker. I've also heard that BiasFX, which is honestly probably what is running inside the amp, uses the master for how hard you push your simulated tubes, not volume and that it's extremely touchy with gain vs master settings. At any rate, if you couldn't figure it out the average schmoe just starting won't figure it out. I'm keeping mine for a bedroom impulse practice amp but I find I don't play it nearly as often as I did when I first got it.

I use the Spark as a practice amp and a bluetooth speaker for my deck. In that application, I find it to be a huge value. It performs well as a bluetooth speaker when I have guests. Then as a little outdoor practice amp, it's great because of its versatility and all-in-one amp rig nature. That said, I agree it sounds like digital recordings played through a reproduction speaker. I think in the right application with the right expectations, the Spark is fantastic. However, if you want something that functions as your primary guitar rig, you can probably do better. Also, the guitar EQ effect can really help tame the low end.

Thanks for this video. Since I bought this amp last year I have had issues with it. First, it has a hum on high gain settings which Positive Grid address with a new grounded power supply. The unbalanced eq, ie the crazy amount of low end, I try and balance out with an eq pedal. Now I feel like I have a decent practice amp and audio interface. However, I don’t think it was worth it in the end.

I’m glad you received a grounded power supply (3 prongs)… the amp I received came with a non grounded power supply and I had a HUGE hum issues… when I contacted customer support … they actually had me make a video to verify the hum issue before they would send a grounded power supply

I watched loads of videos when looking for a modeling amp with interface capabilities. It's why I settled on a used Yamaha THR 10C. No low end problems and a ton of presets you can make on your computer or mac. On its own, it just plain sounds good. recording, it sounds good. Can't ask for more.

I find it serviceable for silent practice and recording, the sound tends to be better when its run direct from the the usb on the back into a daw, as the speakers tend to sound really box-y in the room.

Thank you for the most honest review of the Positive Grid Spark I have seen to date. I'm an aged beginner (in my 50s) Learning to play guitar is a 'bucket list" thing for me. I have been considering buying one. I've watched quite a few videos on this product. The same points seem to come up over & over; The app is easy & fun to explore & play around with. Which I think would enhance the learning experience for beginners like myself. As just a plain guitar amp, they seem to be mediocre at best. Every video I have seen, points out the overwhelming bass. With a few tweaks, they could make these a really great product. I really hope the engineers at Positive Grid are paying attention to all these reviews.

That’s what I like about this channel: it’s soooo cutting edge...

I have one of these, plus I might well have watched all the reviews on RU-vid And the low on yours does seem excessive, Mine is nothing like it! I reckon you should contact positive grid and tell them you think its faulty.

I’m not looking to have my purchase validated by a RU-vidr’s review. The fact is it was a purchase I made based on reality. I don’t have the space or the money for a pedal board or to stock it with pedals. It’s in my desk space so I already have no more patience with cable management. I want to experiment with different sounds and I want to learn. That’s basically it. The sound is decent enough to serve its purpose, that being a practice modeler. I didn’t have the money for my dream Fender Deluxe Reverb and all the rest. I don’t really jam with many people. I’m just learning. That said, it’s far better than the Line 6 Spiders and the Marshall Code. It’s a neat, decent sounding and feature-packed practice amp. Perfect for all my needs. MY needs. Sure I’ll upgrade later. But only when I l’m good enough. Not before. This will help me get to where I want to go.

You are not wrong on any of the criticisms. It is dark and muddy, which works for me with my style. For the money it gives me a ton of options and fun for a small portable bedroom jam box. I wouldn’t suggest it for anything other then that at all.

Thank you for saving me money with this review. I've used Positive Grid BIAS and FX2, and it's fine sent to an acoustic guitar amp set flat. It's heavier than the Spark, but seems to do the job.

I ordered one in the first pre-order rush. It eventually came, and I'm satisfied with it. I use it mostly as a bluetooth speaker for my laptop, watching this video with the sound coming from across the room. It works well for that. As a guitar amp, it's fairly powerful for a practice amp. Half volume at most. The amp does tend toward bass-heavy. I have the presets set up for Fender-ish, Vox-ish, Marshall-ish, Orange-ish. Yes, the onboard knobs are digital, so they revert to saved when you switch. Use the app for best results. I haven't yet made any use of the jam along features, but that may be my failing. I also couldn't relate to a Trio, or a looper. It would be better with a pad than with a phone, which is what I have. I haven't used it to connect to my computer for recording, because the amp emulations I have in GarageBand are fine with me - even more options than the Spark. I usually go for Fender blackface or tweed, or Vox. They were pushing the new pearl-coloured one recently, but it was no different, and I like the brown.

Watched a ton of videos on this and you have the most honest review. That being said, just pre-order a pearl colored on today.

It’s pretty easy to fix that perceived bass problem. Simply remove the front screen (it’s just held on with Velcro) and fill the bass port with a cloth. Problem solved.

I like mine, but I definitely agree it was too muddy on all the defaults. Had to roll the bass all the way off and the treble up at 3 o'clock for most sounds. I bought it as a practice / travel amp and it's very good for that - not that I've done much travelling recently - and it does take my real pedals in the front pretty well. Even my "if it doesn't have tubes it doesn't count" friend was impressed with the sound. But I enjoyed the video and it's REALLY refreshing to hear someone giving a genuine and honest opinion, instead of the usual gushing praise!

Thank you Ryan for your honest review. The thing I like most about the Spark amp is I didn't buy one!

I love my Spark use it everyday!

I was about to get one, but I would end up having just another bluetooth speaker so thank you for this demo and review! ;]

You have integrity and that's why so many love and trust your videos. 🖖

I love mine! I I filled the bass port with foam. And put foam inside the cabinet.

I got myself a spark when they first came out, and I like it. It works fine for me but I don't play out or any of that stuff.

When Ryan mentions the low end, the cover of my heater was rattling just from playing that video over my speaker.

I have one and it sits unused. I've been using my iphone lately playing through the Mustang GT100 and jamming with RU-vid tracks and having a ball. The Bluetooth works quite well. Also, the Mustang Micro is perfect for jamming along using Bluetooth. The bluetooth drops from the Spark too. Maybe I'll just use it as a BT speaker for listening. Turn the bass WAY down.

It's a great value for the money as a small footprint practice amp. I don't even use the speakers and take the USB out into a small Berenger mixer out to my studio monitors. It has some great tones and some meh tones, but you can find good ones. My criticisms are it could really use an EQ pedal or two of some sort and a better drum loops. You can get around the EQ problem by using pedals to make up for the lack of adjustability in some amps, however I just use an EQ pedal now. Still for $250 or whatever it is now, it's a good value for what I use it for which is strictly practice.

Back in at 1 hour in, still not good to me, way to boxey and bass heavey to me. Sounds like plugins via a speaker system to me! You are right, appreciate your honesty!

Bravo! Best Spark demo on RU-vid. The most honest one for sure.

I like your reviews Ryan. It's good to hear all the cheap pedals. As to the Spark review, it seems to be the polar opposite of mine. Yes there's a lot of low end, but it is 20hz to 20khz with a bass port in the front. Mine hasn't once sounded that bad or muddy. And that's from out of the box. As you rightly said though, It takes a bit of experimenting to dial it in. The most annoying thing is when you change amps it put the eq to where PG think it sounds best. But isn't! Keep making fun and interesting content. I'd love to here your thoughts on the Twinote Boogie Ditortion pedal. I got it for £14 and as long as you keep the bass control low, it sound really good to my ears.

The most honest review, I've seen so far. Got mine yesterday, totally agree with the reviewer. It can get better by tweaking the knobs. But, I thought it'd be as good as using BIASfx with my daw.

Very honest review. The Spark is a different animal to be sure. You have to get used to tooling out your sound which includes dropping the 100k in the PG EQ and saving presets. Also, I noted your mic position is over the port. You might want to mic it further from the amp to naturally sum it better, or mic it with 2 mics and record in stereo. I think you could use this for more than practice. JMO. Great video thank you.

I tried one out but it did not click for me but I did not think it was bad. I really liked the idea though of a super small but quality amp. I ended up with the Yamaha THR10II, a lot less features but I found really good sounds very easily. One regret is i wish I'd bought the THR30II then I would not need the app at all. I do think the future of bedroom play is either these small style advanced multi speaker amps or audio interfaces > DAW > monitor speakers. Respect for the honest take, you may of lost a sponsor but you gained at least one messily little sub!

For a bedroom guitarist who wants the guitar to sound good by itself, the bass level is appropriate IMO. Many amps don't have enough bass to sound good at low volumes.

I’ve read popping off the grill (it’s velcro) and stuffing the bass port and back of the cab with poly fill helps smooth out that low end. I haven’t tried it myself, but I definitely feel your vibe on the bassiness.

So I can play along with James Bond films... John Travolta & Uma Thurman dance parties, pre-needle... if I lived on Mission Beach, I could play outside and draw a crowd... hmmm... I like the review because you've shown and then told me why you draw these conclusions: fills the room with low-end. Excellent review, thanks.

I got mine to be a PRACTICE modeling amp and teaching tool. It’s been more than great for that. A lot of fun to use. That said I would love to have a Fender Princeton Reverb.

Seemed a very balanced review to me. It came out just after I'd bought a Vox vt20 and the wall-to-wall raves left me wondering if I'd made the wrong choice. In the end, though, I realised that I didn't need the gimmicks it offered, just something that was reasonably -priced, decent build quality and good sound that could be dialled in easily. The Vox has a digital app too, but after playing around with it for a while I concluded there was more than enough flexibility on its control panel and I can plug in direct, select a particular amp sound, tap a few effects and get a decent sound. I can still plug in a pedal board if I want something more tailored, but if I just want to learn a song or practice, without fuss, it's up to the job. As it stands, I suspect that in a year or so time, there'll be a fair few of these second hand on Reverb. I think it's a great concept, but first and foremost, any amp needs to have a great sound that makes you want to pick up your guitar and play.

I threw a sock in the sound hole of mine and it was WAY better. There are some things I love about it. Fun for practicing, fun to virtually try out a lot of amps, great first amp for someone with no pedals (but I can’t compare it to a katana). With the right config I think it could be great for direct recording into a DAW

I'm kind of in agreement with the reviewer, here. I kept mine for about three months, and then sold it for what I paid for it. I found dialing in the desired tones to be very tedious, even frustrating, and many of the mid and bass tones sounded very "muddy." Yes, I do agree that it can be fun, and it's a terrific value. But it's fun from a novelty perspective, not from a tonal definition perspective. I'm back to the Yamaha THR-II... which is reliably simple to use and delivers a decent range of quite satisfying sounds.

I bought the mini first. I have played around with it a bit. Only a couch player. I thought it had potential so I bought the Spark. I have only had mine 24 hours. Haven't figured out much. I mainly watched this to see how you dealt with the features. Thanks for honest appraisal. I suspect that I will like it more than you did, just because I don't have your high expectations. Thanks again for review/demo.

Thank you for the honest review. I had the same experience: there is defintely an issue with the predominance of lower frequencies above all the others. I think this has to do with the engineering: here Positive Grid has brought the bass reflex technology to the extreme. Probably it's their choice: they wanted a practice amp that could play bass frequencies even at low volume (the equivalent of the "loudness" switch in hi fi equipment), and I think they succeded in this particular goal. This amp for sure has a presence that no other practice amp has, but at the cost of not fair equalization. In the search of the "perfect practice amp" I bought also a yamaha thr ii 30, which in many ways is the opposite: a bright, cristalline and very responsive amp but it lacks lower frequencies especially at low volume, and high gain / distorted sounds are frankly worse than the spark. In the end, I dediced to keep both for different purpouse: I use the thr for clean tones and the spark for high gain ones.

I'm just happy Ryan used the same facial expression in the thumbnail that he says everybody uses when demoing the SPARK.

Really respect the disclaimer at the beginning. Should be a guitar RU-vid standard that everyone includes in their own way

It sounds like you never took it out of the box. So dark and muddy sounding.

I just started guitar and this is on my short list for a practice amp. I appreciate your review, but I'm not spending my time chasing tones yet. I need to learn how to play first. 🙂 As a learning tool and it can double as a bluetooth speaker with its low end, makes it appealing to me. Despite its flaws as noted by you, it's not a show stopper and it's just $300 and looks like a lot of fun to noodle around with.

Thank you for confirming I made the right choice with my THR10ii

You sir have credibility with this honest video!

Had one for 6 months, not very impressed until I di these thing- Found the sound awful at first. Mids were all over the place, noise gate kills the sound when you want to play soft. Turn off the noise gate and you get a lot of noise. I also get a lot of earth hum. How an digital amp achieves this is illogical to me. Anyway they were cheap not providing an earthed power supply. Read you can write an get one that is. Did that, Spark sent a new PS (free) . made a mountain of difference. Still really muddy lows and was going to get rid of it and go back to my THR Yamaha amp. I then found a Spark Amp hack page. They suggested getting 4 inch 3-way car speakers 30 to 40 watt rated. I got a pair of Sony 3 ways for $60 au. I had to trim 3 mm from the 4 screw tabs on the speakers and they screw straight in, wiring connector the same so simple swap. The Pioneer equivalents just screw straight tin. This has made the amp very useable and great sound across the frequencies. Why they put cheap one way speakers in was a silly mistake that holds the amp back.

Its definitly an honest review. For me it still sounds more then good enough for me as a total noob to get one. Although i kinda want a headamp version.

It is bass heavy but this may be because the designers were trying to satisfy the needs of a guitar amp and a bass amp (and a streaming box!) which are usually different amps. There's a sound port under the speaker grill you can fill in and this fixes quite a bit of it. Other people change out the speakers ($40) for something more mid focused (which I'm going to do). The firmware update gives you an EQ pedal which you can shape your sound with, I've done this and it works. I really like the AC and Matchless amps and the effects pedals are great. Yes HX Stomp is probably better but its 4 x time the price. I got mine for $150, its brilliant. I've already requested a Fender 63 reverb tank pedal sim from Positive Grid, they need it! :)

I've had mine since July of last year and it makes a good BT speaker. ATM it resides in my closet in the carry bag that came with it. My mustang micro sounds better through head phones or my Darkglass Element cab sim headphone amp those two rock.

I went through all of this last year(looking for a little home amp), and the spark was on the list. So glad I ended up snagging a dsl 5cr.

I think the issue with the EQ is they tried to make it a guitar, bass and music amp all at once instead of focus mainly on it being a guitar amp.

I just subscribed because I believe you were genuine. That's a rarity. Keep up the good work. :)

Thanks for the video. Which humbucker guitar do you use play on this video?

I just bought a POSITIVE Grid SPARK Amps, I Love it better than my Yamaha. If you turn one knob, it takes the preset sound out and you can reset the presets to your liking. You probably don't need me telling you anything by now you know. 🙄🤣🤪🎸👍👏🪝ed on your Channel and Content 👍❤ I'm going to drill a round hole with a big hole saw blade in my back panel or bottom to get rid of the Bassy Sound. I only paid $200 for mine, you got yours Free

Thanks for the honest review. I like mine cos I primarily play bass, but all the cool stuff and myriad of features gets overlooked when there’s no footswitch available from PG. Waiting on one of the third-party switches and going from there. Have you seen the Spark mods people are doing? More than a few people have popped out and clipped in new 3 1/2” speakers with tweeters to help with the heavy low-end. Will prolly do that with mine, as well as adding a speaker out at some point. It’d be fun to get this pushing a real amp speaker!

Thank you so much for this review! Been researching videos for the spark 40 and wanted to get it. Ppl said customer support is not great and such. Also recent firmware upgrade run some issues such as the tones and user interface. Guess I’ll wait for Headrush version if they ever come out with one.

Thanks man, you saved me a lot of money, time & frustration.. My sincere hopes they listen to some of your points and work on them to make a better product. It just sounded too bassy to me.👍

I was thinking about getting this as my first own amp, glad I saved up to get the JC 22 instead

I love my Spark 40 for home use. It sounds big for such a small amp. Better at a distance of 6 feet or so. I don't like the presets - way too much bass - I only use custom tones with the bass rolled off. It works well with bass guitars.

I have used one for about a year now. The software can be buggy, although it has gotten better. My biggest issues is not being able to adjust things on the fly easily.