Spark Pearl Guitar Amplifier Electric, Bass and Acoustic Guitar 40-Watt Combo Practice Amp with Spark Mobile App (Pearl)

I really 100% wish this had been available back when I started playing -- it would be a great way for beginners (young or old) to get started playing guitar -- perfect for that! The apps make it easy to choose a custom amp/rig sound, or to search for other players' recommendations on which rigs can help you get certain sounds (i.e. like how to make your rig sound like certain songs from bands like Deftones vs the tones/sounds from various songs by Alice in Chains, or Foo Fighters, etc. ) Here's what I love about it: The amp is also great because of the onboard controls and ability to shape sound -- even if you didn't use the app at all! It has great sound (at 40 watts not LOUD loud but absolutely fine for beginners and/or as a spare practice amp for others (how I plan to use it myself.) It has a switch with 7 different core amp modeling sounds (Acoustic, Bass, Clean, Glassy, Crunch, Hi-Gain, Metal.) This is awesome because you can simply plug in your guitar and start playing with that huge range of tones and sounds -- so you don't need to go buying effects pedals out right out of the gate (TONS of sound shaping options here for the price, and being built right into the amp.) In addition - you also have built in Delay, Reverb and Modulation --- that's three more effects you get to experiment with but not have to buy separate pedals as you get started! They have some cool ideas going with the way it can bring in a 'virtual drummer' or bassist to accompany what you're playing - how cool is that!? (It's not perfect, but what in life is? In this case -- it's all software (in the app) so they can upgrade/enhance it over time -- which is the absolute miracle about living in this age of tech. So like with other gear out there - this product and experience could get better and better, it all depends on how the company supports it over time --- but their website and customer forums/support section seem very solid and active -- my gut says this product will keep getting better...) For me, since I've been playing for years (too many to admit) and have accumulated lots of amps and effects -- I mainly bought this amp for the amp modeling functionality through the app, and to see what the 'virtual drummer' and bassist would be like... if I remember back to my 'beginner' days this amp with the app functionality would have been PERFECT... (and I'm looking forward to seeing how this company supports/enhances the functionality of the app - I've been impressed so far so I'm optimistic!) If all that wasn't enough -- it can also be used as a bluetooth device or powered speaker also! For this price -- it does a whole lot in such a small package -- perfect for beginners, but also useful and well worth the small price for 'veterans' like myself who always have a way to use an extra little practice amp!

UPDATE (May 28, 2021): Finally got my Galaxy Tab A7 and had no problem pairing it with the Spark 40 (see photo). The amp itself sounds fine for practice, though it would never be loud enough to gig with (you're probably not considering using it for gigging anyway). The built-in preset models are a lot of fun to play with, and reasonably authentic. Dedicated tweakers will no doubt be able to get even more out of the models by fiddling with the pedal settings. I can't imagine anyone not being able to dial in the sound(s) they want for practicing. I have only played around a little with the backing tracks feature, but in my opinion it justifies the purchase all by itself. Nothing helps make practice less tedious than actually *making music,* and the backing tracks facilitate that nicely. There is still much left to explore, especially the feature where the Spark 40 will provide you the chords for songs you give it to analyze, and its ability to slow songs down to help you master them. I will say that under certain conditions there is an awful hum produced by the Spark 40. I plan to upgrade the power supply, but in the meantime I was able to tame the hum by switching cables (went from a coiled Vox to a regular DiMarzio). I will update this again if the hum problem returns. * * * * * * * * * * I got a pleasant surprise today when my Spark 40 arrived ahead of schedule! Amazon said to expect it on May 20-25, but it's May 19 and the amp is safely here. I will supplement this review after I have had more time to play with the device, but my initial reactions are that it is a handsome and solidly-built product. The ergonomics are excellent, and the knobs turn easily and smoothly. The sounds I've gotten out of it so far are fine for a practice amp, and I look forward to digging deeper into its capabilities. I'm planning on using it in combination with a Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 tablet. The Positive Grid app works on my phone but it isn't a large enough display to be useful to me. The tablet should be here in a day or so, and once I have got things set up properly I will post an updated version of this review.

This amp sounds pretty good, and it's visually beautiful in pearl white, and has a lot of bonuses -- you get an app where you can create a virtual FX chain, you can use it as a Bluetooth speaker (I haven't tried this but it sounds interesting), and it has a volume control for the Aux input. These are unique features! It comes with some cool presets and it's awesome that it lets you record the sound over USB (this was a key factor in my decision to buy it). I use it for playing in my bedroom and recording in Reaper over USB. My only complaint is that the live audio from this device in Reaper comes out a little spotty... Idk why, and I haven't played with settings a ton to see if I can get rid of it, but it doesn't seem to affect the recorded quality. It's just for when you're listening to it through your DAW (that one old version of Reaper at least), it would seem a little low-fi and occasionally stutter. Again, recorded fine without the glitches. I know they released a version 2.0 since I bought this, so this review is a little deprecated.

This product worked right out of the box; I had no problem connecting the app to the amp, which is what it's all about. From the app (on tablet or phone) you adjust the sound of the amp and various effects boxes; it is a virtual pedal board. Basic adjustments to gain, volume, modulation, delay and reverb effects can also be made via hardware knobs on the amp. There is a main output level control for playing with full effects at a lower listening level. The other set of features pertains to the ability of the app/amp to play its own music, either over Bluetooth, or from a built-in bass and drum machine. If you play a song from YouTube, Apple Music or Spotify it will listen to the music and analyze the song for chord structure and rhythm. It will then tell you what chords to play as the song progresses. A feature called Smart Jam listens to you play your own music, then composes a selection of bass and drum tracks to play along with you. Overall, it's a versatile and fun practice amp. The 4 inch stereo speakers make a large sound image; it fills the room with sound. It isn't really made for playing live with other instruments though, as the 40 Watt power output might not really be loud enough. Also, while it's very lightweight it does not run on batteries. That's going to limit where you want to take it. Best just to set it up in your studio and have a blast practicing and jamming along. Edited to add: I finally connected the amp to my computer via USB, and was disappointed. Even after downloading and installing drivers I had terribly long latency when transferring digital audio from amp to PC. The driver said it was ASIO compatible, but it only showed up as MMC in Cakewalk. Instead I'm now using the amp's headphone output jack to transfer audio to PC via a separate analog-to-digital interface which does run ASIO, with almost no lag. Sound quality recorded on the PC is not bad this way.

I was not prepared to like this amp as much as I do. Having used it for about a week or so, I am very impressed with the quality and performance. I don't care for the "brick" power supply, but it is not enough of an issue to lose any stars. It also offers some options if the power supply goes out, so pros and cons there. It is loud. Louder than it has a right to be. I cannot believe how much sound it puts out in such a small package, and I have been using amps and speakers for nearly 60 years, including more than 24 years in the professional audiovisual field. I am quite impressed, and I don't say that lightly. I know some people complain about it being "too bass heavy," but I find that kind of a silly complaint. Of course, I don't like bright, twangy, banjo like-guitars sounds (read Fender), so there you go. I prefer a more balanced sound with a good strong low end (most of the time, anyway). Using the various EQs available, I can get more high end than I like, so I am fine with how it sounds. Since it is also usable for bass, you need the lower end. Perhaps a bass cut switch would help here. I would like to see the graphic EQ moved to a different set of effects, maybe have a dedicated set of EQs like they do other effects. I think they have way too many distortion effects, but then I like to hear more actual guitar sounds than a load of grating noise. A lot of over the top metal sounds are just pure noise to me, and I think people sometimes use the noise to cover up poor technique. (I know I have . . . .) If you want grating square wave noisey signals, get a synth. They do it better and in a more musical way. My two cents . . . . The amp has very nice clean sounds, and very usable tube crunch sounds. One can spend a great deal of time just exploring all the sounds available with the various effects, which I intend to do. I was surprised how easy the app was to use. I am not a fan of using apps to control everything, but I can see the advantage in this case. I was not surprised to find out that a lot of the marketed "features" of the amp are actually cloud/network functions you need to be connected to the internet to use. Again, not a bad compromise in this price range, although they should clarify that in their advertising. It does still function quite well as just a hardware amp with knob controls, and is still a bargain just using it that way. As many people suggest, you can use the app to set up the four presets, and just use it that way. I would like to see more presets, maybe six or eight, but even with just two it would still be a great amp. I have not signed into their website, which you have to do to access all the cloud based functions, but will probably do that eventually. They have also come out with an expansion cabinet with 140 watts of power, making it a real gigging amp for a lot of venues. I debated giving the fifth star or not, as I would like to see a real line out (balanced, even) and not just a headphone out, although it can sort of function as a line out. I think not having a dedicated line out whch does not cut the speakers would be far more functional and make this amp more like 6 or 7 stars, especially if they move the EQ in the effect chain. I find it to be a great little amp and I very much recommend giving it serious thought. Paired with an Eart headless guitar, it makes a very compact setup with some serious growth potential (and parents take note, it does have a headphone jack!). It is also great for players with very little space for gear (nomads and such). Well worth a look if you are in the market for an amp.

Definitely recommend for people that don't want to spend thousands of dollars on guitar pedals. You literally have all you need to create hundreds if not thousands of tones. You can even use tones from legends like Jimi Hendrix and Van Halen! The amp also sounds amazing and is plenty loud. I can't even turn it up too much in my home without all the neighbors hearing me and I live in a big house! The amp comes with recording software as well so you can record your own music. And it connects to your pc/mac. The only things I'd change are the tiny volume nob and switches. The amp nobs are fine, but there is a tiny nob for volume of music you might play through the amp to jam along with or when using it as a Bluetooth speaker. The app is also giltchy at times when using the YouTube feature. If you have your tone selected and then change some things, such as you turn off the wah pedal, and go to the YouTube section of the app, the tone will revert to the saved setting. Meaning if you saved the tone with wah on, it will turn back on as soon as the music starts playing. You will have to go back to the tone and turn it off again. YouTube through the app will also stop playing randomly sometimes leaving you jamming with no background music. This mostly occurs when you leave the YouTube tab to modify or pick a different tone. You'll have to go back and hit play again to resume. This doesn't happen all the time but its frequent enough that it needs fixed. The smart jam in the app is better than it was thanks to updates, but still not great. If you want to spend time customizing the chords, it would be OK, but that defeats the purpose of smart jam. Overall this amp is great though. Its just the app that needs tweaks. I hook this amp up to my larger bass amp to play even louder (like for events) and I have everything at my finger tips instead of my feet... but there is a pedal you can get for this amp if you really want it.

I'll preface this review by saying that this amp, while definitely overall the best one I have ever owned (I'll get into that), does not fully compete tone-wise with my Peavey XXX (wasn't expecting this amp to compete with it) but it comes shockingly close to those warm tube tones you get from a "real" amp. The reason this amp is the best I have owned is because it is very easy to take with you to places, or even move around in your own home to find a nice comfy quiet place to jam and practice, which has naturally made me play quite a bit more than I have been lately. On top of that, it has amazing sound quality, I was expecting the sound to be too thin since it's such a small amp, but this little thing BOOMS and has a very full sound to it. Within a day or two, I had gotten the feel for the app that works in conjunction with the amp, and have dialed in a rich semi-clean lead tone which rivals the tonal quality I would expect from tubes. Very easy app to work with and build your own tones. Within the app there's other features, such as being able to stream music through the Spark and you can play along with it or just use it as a Bluetooth speaker, as well as a jam along feature that listens to what you play and generates a drum and bass track (albeit a pretty basic one) to play along to, which is extremely useful for songwriting. I can definitely see why this amp is called the Spark; I have been playing guitar coming up on 21 years and it's been a very very long time since I have been this passionate about playing. The convenience of how portable this amp is, coupled with the awesome tonal quality that it provides, has seen me make some great strides in my playing in just a few short days.

Very musical product and enjoyable