When Practice Amps Sound Better Than Real Ones 

I just started playing electric again for the first time in 20 years. I got a Fender Mustang LT40 desktop practice amp, and it is exactly what I needed. It has an insane number of preset effects and amp models. It also can connect to the Fender Tone app. The big time benefit is the ability to experiment with sounds and tones to see what I would want to have in the form of pedals. The Fender Tone app gives you total control of each effect. This amp has saved me a ton of money by keeping me from blindly buying pedals.

Great video. Especially for those of us who only plan at home and never gig.🏆

I had the older model THR10. Really loved it, but then I got the tube amp bug. Tried multiple small tube amps for home, built a whole pedalboard etc…well, recently sold everything and went for the THR30ii wireless. The tones, the simplicity, recording direct to my iPhone. I absolutely love this thing! I use it with a looper pedal and that’s it. Perfect home setup.

I got myself one a while back. I've actually returned 4 of them for the same exact issue, settled on the 5th, the issue showed up a few weeks later. At that point I was just too lazy to keep returning them, so I decided it's not such a big deal. The issue is there's a crackling sound when moving the reverb dial between 80-100% (the upper ranged of the default "hall" preset). After a while I also noticed the amp (still default settings) would start to "crackle", "pop" and "hiss" when using the "4" or "5" presets or their equivalents on the dial (Hi Gain/Special). This can be fixed by doing a factory reset on the device, but it happens a little too often for comfort in my case. I also cannot get a good clean tone out of it, no matter what I do and hearing your clean on the exact same model just made my jaw drop. I use a '93 mexican fender strat, so I doubt it's the guitar, but my clean sound is pretty much always distorted anyway, except on very low volume and when reducing gain to compensate becomes flat like the girlfriend you guys wish you had. I still use it, I still like it for some things, but I never had a chance to compare to a Katana, so do that before you decide to grab one of these. Hopefully at least some of these things were fixed in recent years, if this even gets made anymore.

Been watching and enjoying your videos, Mike, for some time now. I think your personality your style are just great, and I even learn a thing or two along the way. Keep up the great work!

My first amp was a Yamaha THR30II. I sold it to get a Mashall DSL40CR and I've since sold it and I'm now navigating different tube amps (AC30, SV20H, etc) and different speakers... I used to be happier with that Yamaha.

I have the Newer THR 30 and I bought it because I needed a small practice amp for upstairs. I think it is amazing! Tons of built in sounds and presets. It is loud and sounds great! I love how it has a built in battery and I can grab it and go out on the porch without having to fuss w wires. My favorite function is that I can connect my phone via Bluetooth and stream backing tracks or songs and play along with them through the amp!

Back in September I moved from a house into an apartment and knew that my 40 watt fender hot rod wasn’t going to cut it. I bought a THR30ii and it’s perfect. It sounds great no matter how you slice it, the volume is great for playing alone or playing with friends, and the portability, battery life and app is super convenient as well. I will say the effects aren’t the best, but it does take pedals very well. Looking at the big picture, it’s a very impressive amp for the price and will do more than needed for a practice/home amp

I have the Positive Grid. For me, it's about the convenience of it all and less about the overall tone. I am using it so I can be mobile and not so that I can sound good. The added features are nice as well i.e. the app connections. Great content Mike.

I have owned the THR for a few years. Love it. Sounds great and easy to use anywhere.

I have a Spark and recently picked up the THR10 Wireless. Despite having a battery, it’s actually lighter feeling that the Spark. I like the ability to make adjustments without an app, and do use it with the Line6 wireless connector. Love it for its size and versatility.

I had a THR10 v1 since they came out. It's the best, most heavily used "amp" I've ever owned. I only got rid of mine to give it to my niece to learn guitar on, I've still got a valve amp of my own to use. For the price that people pay for pedals it's an absolute no-brainer to have one around the house, they can be used as speakers for PC/Laptops/iPads.

The greatest thing about the THR is that I can choose an amp model and doesn’t have to tweak it a lot - so I spent more time playing, which is great and inspiring. Nearly every time I use my Helix Stomp, I start playing around with the sounds, tweaking etc. instead of just playing

I got my thr like 2 or 3 years ago and it's so dope. My band usually practices in my school's practice rooms, and I play at my church semi-regularly, and like for an amp I can just carry with me from home it's really sweet. Especially cause I hate lugging around pedals and stuff, it's made like being organised for sessions way easier. Also I've gotten compliments from girls on it so that's an added bonus.

I still use my THR10 v1, which I've had for many years now. It's great for low volume sounds in an apartment. It also really like how it looks and perfect size to keep out on a shelf. I dont record using it, or use any of the effects or presets. Just plug my pedalboard into it and ready to go. Perfect practice amp for me.

Ever since getting the Yamaha THR30II, I've never played guitar more. It makes being able to pick up the guitar, plug in, and play super easy. Especially being able to just bring it upstairs to the bedroom or around the house.

Practice amps are great. I have the Spark GO which is a tiny portable amp that I love using, especially while traveling. The app is also quite intuitive And the Boss Kitana 100. It has a .5 watt setting which is ideal if you're living in an apartment

THR 30 and a Plethora X5 have been my favorite bits of gear for a while now. Everything fits in my suitcase for spending weeks on the road. Hotel room friendly and they sound good too. Yes the THR has effects but the Plethora allows me more options and to stack them as well.

When the Spark was a thing and everyone was waiting for it to finally arrive, I also waited ... and couldn't anymore, so I bought a THRII10 for the same price just to have something to play with until the "great" Spark arrived and I could sell the THR off again. The Spark arrived a month later. I was happy I could sell it for a good price just a week later, before the used prices for it went south. The THR is it's own league.

I got a THR 30 about a year ago, and it’s incredible.

Got a THR10X after watching a bunch of Cameron Cooper's videos. Got it around the time the 30 came out. Really weighed the options and came to the personal, tinfoil hat, answer in that 'once the internal battery on the new yamahas starts to sag and charge less, it's worthless.' So 8 rechargeable AA batteries was the better option for me. Great mobile practice platform for sure. Plus, with a few extra cords from amazon you get the same app tethered functionality of the newer models.

I have a THR 30 and I still have some tube amps, one is a five watt that can be also be set a 1 watt. The only time I use anything other than the THR is at band practice. It is practical and and convenient, and it sounds good at low volumes. Because it's so easy it just makes you play more than you would if you had to use some complicated set up. actually the Yamaha is not the only good practice. I'm out there. There is the katana air, which is also really good and the NuX which I haven't tried but is supposedly also very nice and has an inbuilt looper. If the THR would be updated to include the looper. I think I would go for it.

total beginner here and bought THR30 and a electric guitar. I think it's great.. USB out to my Mac means I can get sound directly into GarageBand/Logic Pro where I can shape the sound a lot more.

The classic lead tone is so buttery and versatile between high and low gain

Gotta say great video...I love the format and the way you have everything structured. Keep up the good work!

I bought a Blackstar ID Core v3 on a whim a couple years, it was only around $140. Best practice amp I've ever owned, to me. Recording direct or even with a USB condenser mic on it, it sound great.

I don’t have much experience with the THR series, but staying in the “desktop practice amp” category I have a Positive Grid Spark 40 that I’m actually using miked with an SM57 to play in a pit orchestra gig and it definitely holds it’s own. I’ve got the volume at about 6-7 to hear for myself and the FOH takes care of the audience end. These type of amps do a ton for their size and price range.

Hello Mike, Thank you for bring back the Yamaha THR and it's purpose. I still own my THR for that reason, we use it in lounge room jamming, perfect for acoustic, electric or bass big thumbs up. Sound Quality as you know is impressive compared to other similar products. But the problem here in Australia the price! Why too much nearly $1000? Please Yamaha drop your retail price by half by subsidising the sell price of boat engines and motorcycles, Muso's can't afford the asking price.

I really like the Blackstar Id Core practice amp. used to use a big 2x12 tube blackstar and the tones are very similar and its really great sounding for clean and high gain.

I have Boss Katana 50 MkI and 50 MkII. I used to own Yamaha THR5 and THR30 (wireless). I liked the Yamahas but I always went back to the Katanas, so I sold the Yamahas. Now I connect the two 50s via Radial Big Shot and I have an attenuated wet/dry rig for home play that I love. Your mileage may vary.

I even had the thought of mic'ing this amp to a gig, the clean tones are nice

I think Positive Grid is killing it in the practice amp sector. They've got "the one to beat" at every desktop/ portable size category.

As a virtual newbie, during lockdown I ordered a THR10 II for a new Acoustasonic Stratocaster and couldn’t feel the love. Whatever that means. Sent it back, and have been quite happy with the Mustang GTX50 that replaced it. My preference as a new player is to learn about the world of options. All the models are based on real life gear so it is a great learning platform. Say I want to know what a Deluxe Reverb or JC Chorus sounds like, there are models for them, or to experiment with what a Tube Screamer does, there is a model called Greenbox that looks, sounds and has knobs like one. Or a RAT, which is called. Blackbox. (These cute names probably have to do with trademark issues, but the manual is more explicit.) As a bonus, the Fender Tone app has become a place to learn to navigate the Tone Master Pro which is based on the same interface.

I have a 60 watt Fender Hot Rod Deville that I was finally able to use at home with the tube overdrive after my friend showed me a pedal I can put between the preamp and the power amp to attenuate the sound. Prior to that I was thinking of selling it for years, just never getting around to it. It is my main amp now but I don't always want to plug in 60 watts of power and attenuate it as it still generates a lot of heat and isn't very practical in terms of energy. I was learning a Tool song this weekend from a RU-vid video and I decided to plug in my pedal rig into my Blackstart Fly 3 watt amp and just practice through that. And I was surprised how well it worked for an amp that is as big as a large pedal might be. I dunno, it's possible I just don't care much about getting the perfect sound and just want an easy setup to play with.

The big revelation for me has been these little desk top amps in the past few months. I never quite got them. I've had a Katana (kind of regret selling it) - and my main rig is an Iridium + Headphones (probably the best gear decision I've made). I had in my mind the old Marshall MS-2 type battery powered amps. But I grabbed an accoustic Blackstar Fly a few months ago, and was blown away by how full it sounded. Had to be a fluke right. Then all of a sudden I had a need for a mobile rig, something that could have some kind of amp, but also headphone option. I opted with the nux mighty lite - and again, I am wondering how this tiny little battery powered amp sounds that good. The funny thing, its all kind of got me questioning my pedal board rig. Maybe better off getting a Katana back, keeping my tuner and looper (and maybe a tubescreamer) and enjoy not only the flexiblity and practicality - but also that functionality in 1 spot. Need something mobile - the little 3" amps cover that. I love my pedal board (and just recently discovered the joys of a stereo amp rig using my board & 2x 8" amps in a home use situation, sounds absolutely immesnse). But these at home "practice" (lets face it, you can, and people do, gig with a Katana, so its really a 1 stop shop) are just so good. Gear is just so good now, you really can find a piece of gear that will do pretty much anything you can think of.

I recently traded my Boss Katana 50 for a Positive grid spark amp and am really enjoying how user friendly it is, especially the software compared to the aged Boss katana software. I hated having to connect my laptop via a cable and having the bluetooth app connection with the spark just makes it so much easier.

I traded amps with a friend for about a month, my Vox Valvetronix vs his THR. I didn’t like the sound. It felt like a recording of a guitar, that’s the best way I can describe it. Not bad, just not for me.

I got a 45 watt and 65 watt solid state fender amps, and I've been really enjoying using the vox pathfinder 10b, with no reverb it's really nice tone and takes pedals superb, I never use the drive though and I keep the tone knobs ofd to reduce hum

I had an earlier THR and did not find it enjoyable. I always thought it sounded small. And I know, it’s a small lamp. But that dynamic range that I get from my Spark 40 is dramatic. I added a 19 V 30 mill amp battery to myspark, it’ll play for 12 hours without a recharge, and now that spark has the amplified cabinet, I can actually dig with it.

I’ve been a big fan of the Yamaha thr amps, I personally use the THR10C. It is a great little amp that I use in my living room instead of my music room and is great for little bits of inspiration or practicing. The thr10c sounds a lot better to me than the other amps they’ve made, personally. I love turning on my multiple fender twins in stereo with tons of pedals on and having a massive wall of sound, but other times I just want to play guitar qnd not care about settings or pedals. It brings more of a focus to me playing well compared to having my mistakes fixed by gear, personally.

Wait till you find the app and discover the cab options and speaker tuning (closed / open). You can get some unreal sounds out of this.

I accidentally bought a Fender “mini 57 Twin” off Sweetwater - 3 in the cart, not 2. I thought it was an ornament for a tree. It’s actually a 9v powered little baby 1” amp. Now, for 1” and how I play with just a little cream in my jazz, it’s absolutely stunning - as a practice amp that cost less than I’ve spent on picks 😂

I have a THR10C which I love, but the THR30 is even better. I use the wireless facility all the time. I do have an original Fender Blues Deluxe and a Roland Bluescube Artist, but the THR 30 is the one that gets most use.

I do have a THR30 and I love it. However I still have a soft sport for the Vox Adio Air GT which I regret selling.

dang when did your channel get so big I have been watching sense before I made a RU-vid account and you only had like 10k subs congrats on all your success

Yeah great amp. I mostly use the Positive Grid spark now, but the Yamaha THR gets played a bit for old times sake. The main difference is the app quality and that really hurts the THR compared to more modern amps.

this amp is also great for those who live in places that dont have a lot of music stores or none even buying this amp online wouldn't cost a fortune because it doesn't weigh that much

I’m enjoying your channel, Mike. Very have a approachable and engaging style. I was curious about the Yamaha THR and this concise to the point review was perfect. Your playing was enjoyable and the amp sounded surprisingly good on the clean tone. The fuzz tone wasn’t good though, lol.

I love you vids they are awesome

I was a Marshall guy for decades. These days, solid state/modeling amps will get you 95% of the way there. Much lighter to carry around, and solid state isn't as tempermental as tube amps.

you got dank chops and ultra pretty playing, pls do more palm muting when you play metal

It's insane that technology has gone up to a point that an amplifier in any form factor can sound really good. I own a Spark 40 and holy my guitar routines have been too fun!

What does it mean to be a "real" amp? I have heard people speak of this or that being a good "practice" amp, but not being a "real" amp. I have no idea what that means. Could you explain that for me? I'm serious about this question.

i have the thr10x and its amazing

Liked the video! Thanks for amp content.

Good job

Always love your videos dude!

What was your first “big Marshall”? Do you still have it?

Amen 🙏

Check out a Joyo amp :)

The boss katana mini and the full sized katana are probably my favorite Amps ever, they can do so much with how much you spend on them I really don’t have a reason to get anything else

I have 3 practice amps: Yamaha THR10X, Positive Grid Spark, Nux Mighty Space... better sound: the THR10X. better features: the Nux. in the midle: the Spark.

As a young person, I am not trying to sound like SRV or Jimmy Page simply because I don’t listen to them. Don’t let these boomers on yes man forums tell you what’s right or wrong. I personally play through amp plugins when practicing simply due to the fact that it’s practical. THR series is a godsend for those who want the same practicality.

nice video

nah. your just squeamish. LOUD! is important. you play differently, if make something wrong the bucking amp punishes you for it. errors hurt. you become a better player. Nothing against practice amps. my favourite is an old 60s lorenz and schaub Schaub Lorenz Tube Kitchen radio, with one of those weird eliptical speakers. It sounds glorious. found it on the road. some good soul had already installed a guitar jack. takes pedals good too. but every amp i played does. my favourite pedalplattform is solidstate AER amp one Bass amplifier. in combination with a cranked laney cub15 Stack owners turn pale.

he said butts

Okay, now lift the 10 lbs. again as many times with your RIGHT arm and you might have yourself what might be called a workout. Feel the burn.

I will never buy myself one of these Yamaha THR "amps" again.

While the clean tones sounded really good, the lead tones sounded like crap. I own a katana 50 and 100 and love them. They sound great and are very versatile. Of course they are bigger than those practice amps but I personally have not found one „practice amp“ that sounded convincing to me. I don’t see the point in those.

Mike, I don’t know what sort of day job you might have, but you are a talented storyteller. That opening vignette was great.

Pick a Yamaha musical product, be it an instrument or amp, and you will find that it punches far above its weight.

In addition to the portability, i love how responsive the THR30 is. It behaves so much more like a tube amp. I never touch my hot rod deluxe any more, and thats largely true for my pedals too. This amp has really simplified things for me and let me focus more on the craft of playing guitar. I no longer fall into the trap of playing with my gear more than my guitar. You all know what I'm talking about.

I don’t gig anymore so I sold off my Marshalls, Orange Rocker and assorted tube amps and decided to downsize. Then I bought both the Yamaha THR 10ii and a Positive Grid Spark and I couldn’t be happier! Amazing flexibility and tones, but more importantly still loud enough to annoy the neighbors. Thanks for the great content!

The THR series is nothing short of magical

I think it’s a stretch to say that a practice amp sounds ‘better’ than a tube amp, but it’s definitely more convenient and portable, and like cameras, the best amp is the one you have with you. My personal favorite practice amp is the Katana head, because it has a built in practice speaker and is small and light, but it’s also a 100w head so you can plug it into a cab and play a live show anywhere.

Love my THR30II! My home recording setup is a Boss GT1000core and support pedals, but I have dropped the THR into some of those sessions with great success too. And you nailed the concept of portability/utility - it's wonderful to grab the THR and one guitar - head out to backyard with my iPhone to practice/jam and still have most of what I get from my gear in the guitar room - at the picnic table in the yard on a nice Saturday afternoon. It's some great kit.

Long ago I had a big amp for practicing at home and I sold it in the end. Right now I have this Yamaha amp and is amazing. Solid, with great sound, built in battery, wireless capability, you can use it as speaker or to hear backing tracks while playing on a secondary channel and is soooo pretty to btw ❤

I've had my THR30II for years and I love it. It's incredibly versatile and sounds great for practice and recording. I've used it in live jam sessions with line out to the PA, and it worked great. I could see someone using it that way in a live performance where the venue has a good PA system. It also does well as a practice Bass amp (although better through headphones - the little 3" speakers just can't push the low end that much) and I use it as a recording input all the time. For my needs, it's hands-down the best amp I've every owned!

I love taking my thr30ii to random places around the city or hiking trails, and jamming out in nature. Something special about hiking to the top of a local hill , sitting on the bench with a Vista view of my neighborhood and playing music. Most people welcome the free concert lol

Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s there weren't really 'bass amps'. Rock bass players were plugging into generic instrument amps that weren't big enough to produce good low end, so they ended up sounding thin and overdriven. Smart engineers started saying "this won't do at all" and started mixing in some direct bass sound, which was clean and EQ'd for more low end. The combination was magical. So even with a small amp, if you know what you're doing, you can make a good sound.

Katana is okay. But I have just bought a Marshall DSL 1, with a one 12 inch Marshall cabinet with one Greenback in it. It's some of the best I have heard, since I sold my 5 watt Tube amp. It can even be attenuated down to o.2 watt. I think what I try to say, is get a little tube amp. Vox or Marshall, and you will get the best tones. Katana is okay, but a tube amp simply sound better. Thanks for the video. I have a THR Yamaha too, and it's one of the best small practice amps.But tubes rule.

Your Channel is so underated

My THR is up there on the list for good purchases that I’ve made over the years. Great all in one practice or small jam session amp. Crazy how much sound comes out of those little speakers.

Hey Mike, just wanted to say I really enjoy your style of content where your discussions on gear are very narrative-driven and it all feels very personal. It really helps distinguish your content from all the other guitar/gear related channels, and look forward to seeing more of your stuff!

I have a THR 10ii and it’s been great. I used it every single day for 2 years since lockdowns. It still works flawlessly. It has a great sound and the speakers replicate a better room tone than the Spark, which I tried but returned because it sounded either too boxy or too bass heavy even when removing bass from the EQ. Later I got a Headrush modeler and a Tonex and the THR has been a great FRFR speaker for those. Even then, I still use some of the presets and custom made amps in the THR app despite having access to more sophisticated modeled and captured tones.

I have a THR10 and a ToneKing Imperial. I have to say I much prefer the THR.

I have the THR 5A. Fantastic amp, plenty power for practice with my Acoustasonic. I have a Spark 40 if I really want to crank the volume

In a state of reconfiguration as a 70 year old musician, I am interested long before your video. Excellent content. I mean, you are excellent and your style is stand alone and pleasant. Thank you! After playing 66 yrs, and 50 for pay, yeah, I am being taught professionally to know what I am doing. Your vid helped immensely. My instructor used a similar bluetooth Fishman product last week in studio. We, Sir,... are in the best age ever for Guitars and Gear! Shameless prayer for your continued success!!!

Tried one of these at my local music shop- was fortunate enough to see how it can shine with both acoustics & electrics as well as a bass. I’m sold on the quality of this being a great practice amp- hopefully going to get mine soon!

Look into a Spark 40 with my Spark "Friedman Roids XX" upload Patch.

I have one and love it! It’s upstairs in the office with my strat. My imperial MKII is in the basement with my pedalboard and Les Paul. I tend to to play my thr30ii a lot

Looks cool! God bless you brother. Thanks for your honesty n’ application* SOLI DEO GLORIA (To The Glory Of God Alone) Father, Son & Holy Spirit -Ronnie

I’ve got a newer thr10ii and I think it’s pretty great for what it is. Imo the overdriven channels are unusable but that’s pretty much a given for the specific way that I like to use it, which is basically always slightly dirty and can be cleaned up or pushed further by playing dynamics and volume pots. I think the way you get the most out of an amp like this if you are really committed to low-volume neighbor friendly approach is that you experiment with amp-in-a-box pedals (or whatever IR modeler you like) into the clean channel, so that essentially whatever AIAB you are using becomes like the simulated tube front end you are hitting with your gain-staging sequence. I won’t go so far as to say it’s a replacement for anything else, but I really like the way my setup sounds and feels at entirely pedestrian volumes, as most of my playing time is between 11pm and 2am. It’s really a cost-benefit thing for your specific situation: would you rather spend money on one really nice tube amp that might only do one thing very excellently (way too loud for your living situation), or have a flexible rig that can sound about 90 percent as good as what you are emulating at a conversational level?

Great video! I have a 12 watt Orange Crush that’s nice for practice and also the Fender Micro for some different tones when I need to be on the quiet side. I’m a big fan of Yamaha in general but I think I’m gonna get the GTX100 for my next amp. Just an insane amount of amp models and versatility. Only a bit more expensive than the high end Yamaha modeling amps and you get the foot pedal with it.

I still have my original THR5 sitting right next to my Mesa Express 1x12. I use them both everyday. And yes, I've recorded the THR5 via USB out for pro projects. The only downside of the older original THRs is they're limited to 44.1 kHz sample rate when 48 kHz is the current standard ,which can cause issues in DAWs if you're not careful. One of the newer models is definitely in my future. Great video, Mike, as always. Thanks so much for all your work.

Great Channel, Great Video! As a 65 year old beginner who will never Gig.. I just purchased my 1st electric guitar, a Epiphone Studio. I currently use the Spark Go. My THR is currently on a Fedex Truck somewhere. I think I may be set . What do think?

I LOVE my THR30ii… best amp I ever owned… the Line6 wireless relay is a must, and you can dial in a ton of tones using the iOS app. Truly a fantastic piece of gear

I know I'm late with this comment but this is a really well put together story .I realise you like to get existential and live in your own head sometimes (that is sarcasm BTW) but the front story was very important to this tale. I'm very much a beginner (Hey...I can play most chords...LOL) and a senior to boot, but I'm a huge fan of Yamaha audio equipment so I would expect the pro stuff to be built just as well. I have Yamaha stuff dating back to 1980 ( a CR-2040 receiver dating back to the tail end of the "Receiver Wars") that hasn't missed a step so I would expect that particular amp to outlive me. Again...just a really enjoyable video. Kudos' to you Mike.

Just started guitar under 2 years ago, so I have a LOT of practicing to do before I start busking or gigging. Love the THR30II for practice and I'll likely use it for busking as well. I connected an Xionic Airstep Lite BT foot pedal which controls the THR30II or my Spark mini or my Boss WAZA-AIR headphones. Easy to toggle between the amps. It is a great setup.

Solid state amps are pretty good, but I don’t think they will ever fully replace tube amps. I use both for different things, but I prefer my tube amp because it feels much more expressive and dynamic.