Playing The CHEAPEST Amp Money Can Buy!! - Waste of Time or Good Deal?
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- Опубліковано 22 лип 2024
- This is the smallest amp I have EVER Played! Can I get good tones out of it?
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Having a little "budget" fun this week!
Expectations were low to say the least, but it actually sounded pretty good!
Enjoy :)
Thaila Capo review please
Hi Darrell
How can i contact you.
Thanks
Darrell, just for laughs, I would have loved to see +1000$ ($1244 CAD hahaha) in front of it. Add a Wah, some delay and push the speakers out of that thing. Of course, you play so well, you make it sound awesome for what it is. 😎
You should try the boss katana mini, it's a proper little beefy amp with reverb clean, crunch and brown.
Very cool little "go-anywhere" battery amp for working on guitar mods
I've had one of those for a couple of years. I was blown away by the way it sounds, and the rechargeable battery life. Sounds good clean, and has good overdrive. I like to use it sitting around outside playing my electrics instead of an acoustic. It comes in handy anywhere you would normally take an acoustic to just play. It also puts out about the same volume as an acoustic, so it's cool to play electric along with somebody on acoustic. It also puts out plenty enough volume to sing along while you're playing. Good for bonfires and front porches. Mine being older is labeled different on top, so I never even noticed that the tone knob does nothing on clean. On distortion, it only adjusts the high end. Mine doesn't hiss. Turn it up all the way on clean or distorted, and it still sounds clear.
should look into roland micro cube. actually sounds good, multiple presets and fx, portable and can last 30 hours on battery.
@@kennethchou4384 I’m pretty sure he’s saying he was happy with the way this one sounded. Did it sound bad?? I don’t think it did, especially for the price and size..
What is the battery life in hours. And how long to charge it up
I did it’s slightly bigger brother last week- the DA-10. $5 more but significantly better! I’m glad to also be working with Donner. They make cool stuff!
How does it compare to the Blackstar Fly 3?
@@BuckFlicks katana is the way to go dude.
Got a original Fender Champ tube small amp that does the trick
@@mitchconnerandsometimesjlotoo battery life on the katana is far worse though. Depends on your needs.
I have the Katana Mini. I want to know how it compares to the Blackstar.
Love the review...so went out and got it. I got it on Mar 2, 2022 and they are shipping an updated version. It now has 5 knobs for control and works great. The guitar input is now on top and chromed. On/off switch and input/output are in the same location on the back and they claim 5watts dual channel operate and it really sounds good. All cables are included and charged the battery in about 90 mins the first time.
Sounds great!! I want one!
Thanks for taking the time👍
This thing is so much better than the crappy little amps that used to get bundled in with guitar packs when I started playing. You actually got some decent tones, especially once the delay and reverb were added.
No doubt. These young folks don't know what crappy sounds like. Ha Ha
The tone is surprisingly good! Perfect for bedroom practice, camping trips, and the like. Would be nice to have delay and chorus, but considering the price point, I wouldn't complain
Great vid Darrell! That mini sounds surprisingly decent for the size and usb charging is a pretty cool feature. Surprisingly enough Amazon occasionally has a full size amp on sale for even less than that one. I am uploading a video on it soon 😁
very entertaining, very amusing and a very kind review. love this channel.
New intro 👍 . The clean sounded like a Fender and the distortion sounded like a Marshall.
Surprising little box. Good that they've filled that $40 slot that Blackstar vacated when the Fly 3 prices went up.
The mini amps team up pretty well for acoustic/electric ukuleles. Honeytone and Joyo both have fun little amps.
I love the Honeytone, it sounds sweet.
Darrell, they make pedals. It’s basically just a distortion pedal with a speaker connected to it
They don’t just make crappy pedals they make all kinds of crappy instruments. They are basically musics wallmart
@@TJjjjjjjjjjj
Says the egotistic rich guy who has all the expensive stuff and can't accept cheap things being better than expensive crap.
@@Broccoli75 Better may be a bit of a stretch ... but it's probably safe to say the quality of what you get is pretty good for what you're paying, if you want to compare dollar for dollar with boutique gear.
@@TJjjjjjjjjjj actually, their guitars are kinda nice.. I have one I got for cheap and it came with this amp ironically, the guitar is nice to play has good feel and was decently set up out of the book... Will probably upgrade the hardware and electronics someday... The amp though is nice for practicing quitely but it's nothing to write home about, I love that it has a built in battery and I can take it anywhere (usually to the couch when I'm feeling lazy 🤣)
Thanks, Darrell. This one sounded good in comparison to the old Mini-Marshall I bought back in the early 90's for about the same price then. I kept hearing how the MM sounded just like a real Marshall - it doesn't, no surprise - but I used it in clean mode for practicing when I went camping or we did campfires in our backyards on Fridays.
I like Donner. I have one of their power blocks for pedals and it performs terrifically. No hiss nor noises and way cheaper than Voodoo Labs. This Donner amp sounds great for the $$ and I could see giving it as a gift.
Thanks for the video! You can make anything sound good. :)
wait this actually sounds good, especially when you added the effects..
Though I would've liked to hear more of how it sounds when there's not a mic right next to the amp, more so what you might hear if you're playing (you dont have the amp right next to your ear when you play)
I recently bought a Donner and it looks like they started packaging updated versions of this amp. Has 5 knobs and they all actually do things.
A little strange in operation, but for $40, it's hard to complain too loudly. I have a Danelectro "Honeytone" that I got some years ago for about $20 (clips on your belt, fits in your hand) that has similar quirky characteristics. El cheapo amps leave a lot to be desired, but I think they meet the bare minimum for someone on a limited budget just looking for an amp to practice with.
Just bought a Honeytone as a practice amp while traveling. Not bad, small, does the job.
@@kristopherkrahl1597 I have 2 theyre cool. But now I have a Crate Taxi 30 and its sweet.
@@wrathsinful6389 I had to travel for work and wanted something small and lightweight to throw in a suitcase. I have a couple of those VOX amplugs, but hard to practice with my buddy when he can't hear me...lol
It’s a cute little design tho, too bad it’s not a Bluetooth speaker
For $40, I'd have gone with the Monoprice 10-watter and called it a day. Though to be honest, for another $50 more, you might as well get their strat starter kit when it's on sale.
I got a donner as my first guitar and 3 years later i have yet to have a problem or any complaints in general. Really good company
I purchased the Boss Katana Mini as an amp I can take with me on business trips. It's a little more than double the cost of the Donner but has many more features. It's small enough to fit in a suitcase, has a three channel EQ, three voice settings (clean, crunch, and brown), delay function, and a gain knob that really works. It also has the Aux Input and Headphones out to add to versatility. All-in-all, a pretty good little amp for the money.
I'm very curious to try one. I have the BlackStar Fly 3 and it's really awesome but I'm very curious about the Boss Katana mini.
Nice small amp sound. I purchased an Amoonn (likely bad spelling) with drum rithms, different effects and so on for 40 euro, around 45 USD and it is easy to use, affordable and you can practice while others are watching TV around, I believe this is a 5 Watts amp. Not for gigs for sure, but nice enough for quiet practice. Thanks for this kind of low cost gig videos Darrell!
Another good vid. Been Subscribed for a while and one of the few that I am. Straight to the point and honest review. Oh and I've only been playing since 1969. See you soon. CW
Sounds great with effects !
What a weird coincidence I get a mini amp video from you when I just got a gift of a Danelectro honeytone today
I’ve got a Danelectro Honeytone actually 2. I bought one for my wife after she heard mine. I got them for $26 each about a year ago and for the money I’m not complaining. It works for a practice amp just fine. Especially if you’re busy doing a bunch of running and you let the wife go in the store so you can stay outside and jam!!! 🤘🏻🎸😎
Not to change the subject here but I noticed you have a Yamaha silent guitar hanging on your top rack back there. Have you done a review on that? If so I can’t find it but if not I’d really be interested to see one!
Fun is the operative word! I have a similar amp, 'Flatson's", which is the Blackstar, I think. Same volume thing. Good sound for cheap and fun. I've taken it on trips. They will scratch your itch.... Thanks!
I bought that amp for playing while camping where battery was important. My Spark is a little to large to take camping plus not really battery powered, yes I know you can add a PC battery for Spark. But that is still even more weight to take camping. The battery life is great on this little amp. It sounds decent! I think you summed it up very well.
Darrell.... great vid. I just might see about buying one of those maps looks cool to have one. Thanks lol TroyFrost/Troyster 😎 cool riffs cool 🎸🤘🤘🤘
You should check out the Blackstar Fly, a 3" speaker, battery or AC power, ISF knob, delay, 2 channel. Less then twice the price of the Donner, but is way better. There's even an extension cab available. Everything about it is way better than that Donner seems. At home I use my Marshall or my Stomp, but the Blackstar is my go to for travel, or sometimes even for late night quiet practice. Still sounds like a small speaker, but gets loud if desired. The delay time and level can be set low, to almost sounds like a reverb.
Uhmm, remember the clean/distortion switch on the back? Did you try the clean volume with the switch in the clean position?
bought a blackstar fly as a little portable playing on my back porch amp and it works great.
great video, i was wondering if the headphone jacks are 3.5 mm?
Ooooooh the when you were playing with overdrive or distorted right sounded almost like the open song for trigun love it also... how to play thunderstruck without playing thunderstruck lol
A mini Amp is great to take along on the go, to practice with, especially while traveling.
Blackstar Fly 3 is absolutely fantastic as a mini practice amp. Loud enough and great echoey reverb for soloing.
It's terrific, I have one.
I have two of these. Great stereo living room option!
Nice demo friend
Wow!!!... I'm actually surprised at how good this sounded for $40.00. Thanks for sharing. Hope you have a great evening love.
it sounds great!! I do think mini amps are great, you dont have to plug it in, and is very useful to practice with a little volume and to test guitars , etc. I even made a couple of amps using basic amp designs and use them all the time. I dont plug my regular amps at home because they re too loud. I do see the use of something like that specially the weight and price. Good job Donner
I have the Blackstar Fly 3 and it is surprisingly awesome. I am also curious to try the Boss Katana mini.
I have the blackstar fly3 and I love it for practicing or campfires
The Canadian dropping a little RUSH into the demo.
Canada!!
Bought a Fender Mini-Twin in early 2000's from a friend. Mainly a desk ornament now, good in similar ways. Maybe I'll throw it in somewhere on a future recording.
Darrel, you should try nux mighty air .. wanna hear your thoughts about it. I have the mighty bt lite the older version it
Mini amps are a blast
Between ibanez GSA60 and fender strat affinity , which one is better overall for beginner?
I wonder if that Volume knob affects the AUX input so you could for example adjust the backing track volume separately to the guitar.
I got a amp about this size (looks like a ‘57 tweed) to have on my workbench. I only use it after restrings or set up changes with a 3’ cord. A lot easier than using a big amp or even the spark for that type of work. Plus it looks cool!
I was wondering what are your recommendation for solidstate amps for guitar. Nope modeling amp that require chip like the Fender Tone Masters or AxeFx, i really mean what are the good ( and or budget ) solidstate guitar amps out there? :)
For a cheap battery operated amp IMO it didn't sound all that bad! I have several what I can shelf amps. Marshall MS4 micro full stack, Marshall MS2 half stack, Orange Crush mini amp, Honeytone N-10, Fender Mini Twin, Fender Mini Tonemaster etc. They all pretty much suck. LOL I got them because they make great shelf candy. I have them displayed with mini guitars by Axe Heaven it makes a great display. I tweaked my mini amps. The Marshall was the first one I got and it sounded pretty bad I popped it open and put some foam rubber in it so it deadened the cheap plastic sound it had. I did it with some of the others as well. They sound better than stock but still not great. I grab one and toss it in a case when I go someplace where I can't haul around a larger amp. I also take my Danelectro EStudio 15 for those times I need to be real quiet. Always on the look out for mini versions of the real amps but nothing more than 5" or 6" wide.
Darrell you can do a review of Donner 3AMP Wooden? i cant find none review from that amp
Like the new opening.
Reminds me of a tiny radio I had when I was maybe 7y/o (1997) 😄
Hey Darrell off subject. Have ever tried a Michael Kelly guitar? I have a MK Mod Shop 67 Duncan and it's pretty good especially for $800-$900 bucks depending where you pick it up. Roasted maple neck,, 500k pots, Seymour Duncan pickups, swamp ash, quilted maple top, grover locking tuners etc etc. I think it would fit your program. Just a thought. They make nice T style ones too.
Darrell, you make all gear sound great, man! 😁 (~ 6:00)
I have this amp. On it own it's ok. I use it with my Pockrock and that's where it shines! I'd use it for busking but probably get paid not to play lol.
Paid £10 for this in the UK last week, for what I paid it's great
It sounds much better than the "standard" size practice amp that came with the Glarry Strat that I was gifted.
Thanks! I've wondered if those were any good.
Take it apart, put it in a cigar box with a speaker from a boom box, and you will love it. Also, usb recharging is a sweet feature, but I would add a power supply, from a wall wart.
Can't remember what I paid for the BOSS mini amp, but it is perfect for sitting on my desk learning to play songs while watching UA-cam vids! The 3 channels are like a modeling amp style and the delay/reverb is pretty good. The EQ is also usable. The overall sound is "Small" but fierce! The layout is well thought out too!
The amp looks like a little bit of a clone of the Blackstar Fly amp, the behaviour of the volume dials is exactly the same, only on the Blackstar the left most dial is labelled "gain" and the right one is "volume", which makes more sense for how they behave.
Thanks for taking the time to create and share the video. :)
I'm actually wondering if turning on both volumes isn't to help prevent it from being accidently turned on during travel so you don't wear the battery down. That would be the only possible reason I could see for having people do that.
A great amp for home use is either the Yamaha THR 5 or 10 One of the best practice amps made and runs on batteries or mains via an included adapter! About the same price as the Spark
I Love My Orange ..
Chromatic tuner and It also Has the Speaker Cabinet..
Its a Blast !! 😁
Got 2 mini amps. Joyo Amp MA10E & NUX Mighty Lite. Super cool & compact.
Please do a review of the Yamaha Pacifica 611hfm, it's an amazing guitar, has a Humbucker in the bridge and a P90 in the neck
A key point you kind of overlooked is that it has portable power. The Spark does not, so the ability to take it camping, poolside, dorm room, friends house or anywhere you don't have a power supply or a plug isn't convenient could be key. When it comes down to it, I just love hearing the sound of a guitar wherever it comes from. LOL!
Wow, it sounds amazingly good. I’ve messed with the Fender and Marshal mini amps in that price range was was significantly disappointed. Good on Donner.
Yep. I had a marshall mini once and it was atrociously bad. I sold it and was very happy to be rid of it.
@@mr.d.572 the part I don’t understand is they don’t have to be that way.
My kids and I all three have JBL Go2 bluetooth speakers. They are rechargeable, with 5 hours of run time, and they sound amazing. Seriously. Their MSRPis $39.95, but I just bought another one, new on eBay for $22.50!!
I have a few of those VOX AMPlugs and they sound really good plugged into one of those little JBL speakers. So much better than the VOX mini cab or any of those mini practice amps. I would think companies like Fender and Marshall would be embarrassed to put that crap out there….
@@bldallas
Interesting about the JBL's. I've never been impressed by the ones I've heard but maybe they've gotten better...
I actually have a Blackstar Fly 3 mini amp, and I can tell you honestly that it's really incredible. I didn't expect much when I bought it but it's surpassed my expectations.
For $20 more, the Blackstar mini FLY3 is awesome.
Yea that’s best mini amp, sometimes you can get it on sale for less than 60 too.
Yep I love those. And then if you aren't trying to save money at all and just want an amazing battery powered amp the Vox Adio Air GT sounds amazing.
I have a Blackstar Fly 3. It's surprisingly incredible. Mini amps used to really stink, they have come a long way.
I have 2 fly 3s in stereo freaking loud but cooler than cool.
The Blackstar I had took a bunch of AA batteries, this one (which I also picked up) can be charged like a phone. That gives it an advantage, in my opinion.
I just love this channel for guitar nerds.. it’s a cheap, little lame amp but I’m interested in what it can do 🤓
It’s be fantastic if you could do a video series on your top 5 amps ever, under a thousand, and under five hundred.
My Fender Mini Blackface Twin I bought several years ago for $29.99 is much more flexible as far as tone, gain, etc. and I really like the sound of it. I use it a lot when I don't want something too loud. Definitely better on overdrive/distortion than on clean though.
i still dont hear the difference between this £40 amp or a £2000 Tube amp! whats the point in tubes? i really dont get it!
I’ve got one of these. It’s a good sound. Unfortunately I dropped it and the charging bit came loose. Tried fixing and it came off completely, I’m sad I broke it, will try and fix by sorderling
do an Epiphone Entry Level Les Paul like an epiphone les paul special ve which is a very common guitar, affordable and I would love to see a high quality review such as yours
Why haven't you done a review on the Boss Katana mini?
Way coolio!!! I'm forever getting yelled at by my entire family for sitting upstairs and playing Darrel Braun Guitar videos too loud, too late at night, so practicing, maybe I could use this and not get yelled at quite as much! In the consolation (for Darrell), my family never, ever confuses my practicing with your one minute solos!!!
I bought a donner guitar and I got one of those amps with it im not a fan but i need a good practice amp can anyone recommend a good amp for me to practice with
It sounded pretty good. They should have a "Tone Control" that can work with both the Clean and Distortion channels, and fix up that strange setup of having to turn on two volume knobs to get sound - That's just weird. Thanks
Or ... you can go mad scientist and try to turn it into a donor as you scavenge your old stereo with EQ... guitar amp + crystal radio, Frankenweenie lives!
I got a Blackstar Fly3 a few years back for £60, definitely worth the money.
At the bottom of the directions it said the second volume know is coin activated, you slide the quarters in the grate at the back of the amp. It only takes U.S. garters, sounds like a road trip for our Canadian buds.
Have you tried the katana mini?
In the UK the amPlug is around the same price or slightly cheaper than this. It has different effects (the AC30 version has chorus, delay and reverb on a sort of loop) but I don't think there's any adjustment for them. The amPlug is much smaller as well and plugs directly into the guitar without the need for a cable. I bought one for playing an electric guitar through headphones so I don't upset anyone who's trying to sleep but these things have the benefit of reducing the impedance from an electric guitar and I used mine at an open mic night to do just that before I got hold of a DI box. No doubt the Donner would do that as well if you needed to use it for that.
I have a Joyo Top GT mini amp and it sounds really good !
I recommend spending 30 bucks more and get the Blackstar Fly 3. I like it so much I even bought the Bass Fly 3 as well and they both sound great. Both Channels on the Fly 3 sound very good. And the incorporated delay is also very nice.
It's terrific, I have one.
The Orange Crush 12 is my favorite practice amp
The Danelectro Honeytone Mini Amp is $33 on Amazon. So this isn’t the cheapest amp on Amazon. Will you take the challenge?
I scoffed at these little plastic amp until a couple months I had to borrow a guitar on a trip from my son in NYC and all he had portable was the Honeytone and I had a blast with it. Plenty of juice to practice in a hotel room and put a bit of design and flash on the plastic.
Amazon prices vary every day,depends which retailer is selling it the cheapest
I bought a honeytone to use as a portable practice amp. It has become a toy for my kids to play with. Even at $33 it isn't worth the cost.
@@bkmeahan That may be true, but the one I used cost me $0.
A got one of those Marshall micro amps with a 3 inch speaker. It doesn’t sound nearly as good as this does. I can see being in the backseat on a road trip and having something like this to help pass the miles.
Love to see a demo of a “pig nose” amp
Can you please do a Thailia Capo review. Thanks!
ok guys i need help i saw a guitar in canada and i've not been able to find it till then. its a light blue guitar with golden flower motifs i think and flower inlay it might be an ibanez RG or JEM but i didnt see the brand, golden hardware simply beautiful if someone knows this guitar please give me the model !!!!!!
It's really not that bad. Sounded better than I expected.
Surprisingly good tone out of a tiny amp like that. That sounds better than the boss katana mini crunch channel And it’s less than half the price, i’d be interested in seeing what it sounds like through the headphone output into an Actually good speaker system
i have the amoon pockect amp with built in tunner and effects it is ok for what it is maybe touch on that one. maybe a shoot out between the 2. cheers
I sure wish you would have used your guitar pickup switch for this demo 👍😎🎸
It's not a great amp, but it's better than no amp. I have purchased one and received one like you in a package. I recently gave a guitar away that I built on the channel (a Canadian fellow won it) and I included it with the guitar along with a hard case strap and lead. It's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, but just by a little bit.
Plug this into a celestion 12" cab or even a 4x12 or a Jensen 12" to show how much come from the speaker and cab.