A quick story: I’ve been playing guitar for most of my life, and I own just about every prized guitar amp that I have ever lusted after. While I really love these Amps they have their drawbacks; they are very loud, and I don’t really have a main rig setup. What this means is in order to sit down and play I have to make a number of decisions. What guitar am I going to play? What pedals should I use? Where are my guitar cables? What guitar cabinet do I want to use? By this time I’m pretty much exhausted. it’s pretty much the musician version of sitting down in front of Netflix and an hour later you still haven’t found a show to watch. Frustrating? Yes, productive? Not in the least. I have a small practice amp- the Roland cube- which was actually very good in its time. It’s a simple amp and if I’m being honest-its a bit uninspiring. So I impulse bought (ironic pun intended) the positive grid spark over the holidays just to give it a shot and I gotta say, holy sh*t! the technology has definitely advanced since the Roland cube. The Positive Grid Spark is feature rich and the perfect companion for the option paralyzed 2023 guitarists. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been using the Spark in my home and it is an absolute pleasure to play. Designed to cater to both beginner and advanced players, the Spark offers a plethora of features that are pushing the boundaries of traditional guitar amps.
One of the most exciting aspects of the Spark for me is the deep control over tone it provides through onboard bass, mid, and treble tone stack controls, offering many different tones and big sound in a little package. Additionally, it features modulation, delay, and reverb effect knobs, allowing me to experiment with different sounds and truly customize my playing experience. With the help of the Spark app, I can access tone starter preset programs, a built-in tuner, tap tempo, and much more, making the Spark a versatile and inspiring creative tool.
Apart from the extensive control over my guitar tone, what really sets the Spark apart for me is its smart learning capabilities. The app allows me to learn any song with chords, as well as master new skills through hundreds of lessons and games. As a musician always looking to improve, the Positive Grid Spark has become an essential part of my guitar journey, revolutionizing the way I practice and create music.
Positive Grid Spark Overview
Spark App
The Spark App is an integral part of the Positive Grid Spark experience, offering a versatile and user-friendly interface. The app provides access to a massive library of amp models and effects, giving me the ability to tweak and shape my tone exactly how I want. Additionally, the Spark App also has a built-in tuner, tap tempo, and pre-defined tone starter presets.
Smart Amp
As a guitarist, I find the Positive Grid Spark to be a powerful 40-watt combo amp. It comes with built-in bass, mid, and treble tone stack controls, as well as mod, delay, and reverb effects knobs. This smart amp not only delivers impressive sound quality and versatility but also feels authentic in its rendering of various tones. Whether I’m playing acoustic, bass, clean, glassy, crunch, hi-gain, or metal sounds, the Spark meets my needs.
Smart Jam Feature
One unique aspect of the Positive Grid Spark is its Smart Jam feature. This functionality allows the amp to “jam” along with me by generating a backing track based on the chords and rhythm patterns I’m playing. It gives me the opportunity to practice improvisation, learn new styles, and have fun while playing my instrument.
Android App
The Spark App is compatible not only with iOS devices but also with Android smartphones and tablets. The interface remains user-friendly across platforms, ensuring a seamless experience whether I’m using Apple or Android devices. It’s nice to know that I can access the same features and functions irrespective of my choice of mobile device.
Apple Music
The Positive Grid Spark also integrates well with Apple Music, offering the ability to play along with my favorite songs and learn their chords in real-time. This feature is great for honing my skills, learning new pieces, and improving my overall musicality. It’s also incredibly convenient and beginner-friendly, allowing me to immerse myself in my practice sessions.
Features and Specifications
Amp Models
The Positive Grid Spark offers a versatile selection of 30 amp models, ensuring that I can find the perfect tone for my playing style. With a range of classic to modern sounds, I have no trouble exploring various genres and techniques.
Built-in Tuner
One feature I appreciate is the built-in tuner, which makes it easier for me to tune my guitar without needing an additional device. The tuner is accurate and easy to use, allowing me to quickly get my guitar in tune and spend more time playing.
Voice Commands
The Spark supports voice commands, making it convenient for me to adjust settings, navigate through tones and effects, and even get quick access to specific sounds without having to use my hands.
Control Panel
The control panel on the Spark is intuitive and allows me to tweak my tone with precision. It consists of knobs for Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble, Master, and Output, giving me full control over my sound. Additionally, the panel includes buttons for modulation, delay, and reverb, letting me further customize my tones.
Preset Programs
The Spark comes with numerous preset programs that offer a range of iconic sounds, making it simple for me to dial in my desired tone quickly. With access to thousands of presets, I can easily find inspiration and experiment with different sounds to find what suits my playing best.
Pedal Models
Alongside amp models, the Spark also offers 40 onboard effects, including various pedal models. This allows me to create a wide range of tones and experiment with different effects, such as distortion, chorus, and delay, to develop my unique sound as a guitarist.
Auto Chords Feature
One interesting feature is the Auto Chords mode, which helps me learn new songs quickly by automatically detecting chords in any song and displaying them onscreen. This makes it much easier for me to play along with my favorite tracks and build my repertoire.
Overall, the Positive Grid Spark is an impressive practice amp that offers an extensive range of amp models, effects, and features to help me develop my skills as a musician. The built-in tuner, voice commands, and Auto Chords function make it a convenient and powerful tool for any guitarist.
Sound and Performance
Authentic Bass
When I first played my bass guitar through the Positive Grid Spark, I was truly impressed by the authentic bass tones it delivered. The amp provided a warm and deep sound that allowed the low end to shine. The bass-specific presets also offered a wide range of tones, making it suitable for various genres and styles.
Pristine Melodies
The Spark amp ensures that my guitar melodies are presented with clarity and precision. Thanks to the high-quality amp modeling, my melodic lines sound pristine and full of expression. I found that the clean and glassy presets were perfect for this, giving me a wide variety of options to shape my sound for different musical pieces.
Crystal-Clear Highs
One aspect that stood out while using the Spark amp was the crystal-clear highs that it produced. Whether I was playing lead lines or intricate fingerstyle patterns, the amp captured all the nuances and delivered a beautifully detailed sound. This can be particularly appreciated in the Sound on Sound review, where they note its excellent tonal range and effects.
Crunchy Chords
As a fan of rock music, having a guitar amp that delivers crunchy chords with attitude is essential. Thankfully, the Spark does not disappoint in this area. As I explored the crunch, hi-gain, and metal presets, I found that the amp provided a rich harmonic content, making power chords and riffs sound full, energetic, and punchy.
Sound Quality
Overall, the sound quality of the Positive Grid Spark is nothing short of excellent. I noticed that even at higher volume levels, the amp retained its clarity and definition, without any unwanted noise or distortion. The quality of effects that the Spark offers, as mentioned in the Guitar World review, contributes to the incredible sounding experience.
In summary, I find that the Positive Grid Spark delivers a top-notch sound and performance with authentic bass, pristine melodies, crystal-clear highs, and crunchy chords. The sound quality, impressively, remains consistently outstanding across the various settings and presets, making it an ideal choice for any guitarist.
Models and Variants
Spark Mini
The Spark Mini is a smaller version of the Positive Grid Spark amp, perfect for those who need a more compact and portable solution. It still packs plenty of features, making it a great choice for practice and jamming. The Mini retains the impressive sound quality and versatility found in its larger counterpart, ensuring a great playing experience.
Some of the key features of the Spark Mini include various amp models and onboard effects. These enable me to experiment with a wide range of tones and styles. Additionally, the Mini comes with built-in Smart Jam and Auto Chord functions, which allow me to play along with backing tracks and easily learn new songs.
Spark Go
Another fantastic option in the Positive Grid Spark lineup is the Spark Go. This model focuses on portability and simplicity, making it a great option for those who want a hassle-free amp for travel or home practice. The Go offers excellent sound quality and a streamlined set of features that cater to players of all levels and musical genres.
The Spark Go maintains a selection of amp models and onboard effects, giving me the flexibility to create my desired tones. Like the Mini, the Go also incorporates Smart Jam and Auto Chord functions, adding versatility and fun to my practice sessions.
In conclusion, both the Spark Mini and Spark Go are excellent choices from the Positive Grid Spark lineup, offering a combination of portability and a wide range of features. Whether I’m looking for a compact practice amp or a travel-friendly option, these models provide a great solution.
Compatibility
As a guitarist, I’ve found the Positive Grid Spark to be highly compatible with a variety of instruments. Let me share some details about its compatibility with electric, acoustic, and bass guitars.
Electric Guitar
I’ve been able to connect my electric guitar to the Spark amp without any issues. With the dedicated amp types available within the Spark app, I can experiment with various tones and settings. For example, the glassy, crunch, hi-gain, and metal options give me a limitless range of sonic possibilities for my electric guitar playing.
Acoustic Guitar
The Spark amp works well with my acoustic guitar, too. The acoustic amp preset gives me the rich and warm tones I seek when playing my acoustic. Furthermore, the app allows me to further tweak these tones using the onboard bass, mid, and treble tone stack controls, as well as mod, delay, and reverb effects knobs. It’s brilliant how Spark’s versatility provides an authentic and satisfying sound for my acoustic guitar sessions.
Bass Guitar
I must say that the Spark is not limited to just six-string instruments; it turns out to be quite a companion for my bass guitar as well. With the dedicated bass amp preset, the Spark delivers powerful and punchy bass tones. Moreover, the built-in tuner, tap tempo, and other essential features make it easier for me to play my bass guitar with great tone and ease.
In conclusion, the Positive Grid Spark is a fantastic amp that I find compatible with my electric, acoustic, and bass guitars, delivering great sound across the board. It’s no wonder why it has become a favorite part of my guitar setup.
Portability and Design
Little Amp
I was genuinely impressed by the compact design and lightweight build of the Positive Grid Spark. This 40-watt amp measures just 7.4 by 13.7 by 7.0 inches and weighs only 11.4 pounds, making it remarkably easy to carry around and set up in various locations. Its small form factor doesn’t compromise the sound quality, which is quite impressive for an amp of its size.
Headphone Jack
The Spark includes a headphone jack that allows for silent practice sessions without disturbing others around me. This feature is particularly useful for late-night practice or when I share living spaces with others who may require some quiet time. The quality of the sound through the headphones remains consistent with the amp’s output, ensuring an enjoyable and immersive experience when using this feature.
Portable Practice Amp
As a portable practice amp, the Positive Grid Spark fits the bill quite well with its compact size, easy-to-use app, and well-designed user interface. It also doubles as a Bluetooth speaker, enabling me to jam along to my favorite tracks or backing tracks wirelessly. The Spark GO, a more recent addition to the Spark lineup, offers even more portability with its ultra-portable five-watt guitar and bass modeling amp. The convenience and versatility of these Spark models make them great companions for on-the-go practice sessions or even small performances.
User Experience
Mobile App
I found the Positive Grid Spark mobile app to be intuitive and easy to use. With a wide variety of amp models and effect settings, I was able to create unique tones and explore new sound possibilities. The app allows me to tweak the settings in real time, providing a seamless experience between playing and adjusting my desired sound.
The app’s interface is user-friendly; I could easily navigate through the various options and features available. I found the Smart Jam feature to be particularly helpful, as it allowed me to practice playing along to custom jam tracks based on my preferred chords and tempo.
Favorite Songs
One of my favorite features of the Positive Grid Spark is the option to play along with my favorite songs. I can easily select tracks from my music library or access them through streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music. With the Auto Chord function, I was able to see chord progressions appear on screen as the music played, which made it simple for me to follow along and practice playing the songs I love.
Online Community
The online community surrounding the Positive Grid Spark offers a wealth of resources for users. From tips and tricks to tone presets shared by other users, I found the community to be a valuable resource in my journey with the amplifier. There are numerous forums, social media groups, and YouTube channels dedicated to the Spark, which have helped me learn more about its features and improve my skills.
In summary, my experience with the Positive Grid Spark has been positive, thanks to the user-friendly mobile app, the ability to play along with my favorite songs, and the supportive online community.
Conclusion
After spending some time with the Positive Grid Spark Amp, I can confidently say that it is an exceptional all-in-one desktop solution for learning, jamming, and practicing guitar. The combination of tech specs, feel, and sound quality makes it an impressive and valuable tool for guitar players like myself.
One of my favorite features of the Spark Amp is its powerful modeling software. As Sound on Sound highlights, the stylish Spark 40 packs an affordable and convenient, portable practice amp that is hard not to love. Additionally, I appreciate its smart capabilities, which PCMag points out allows it to jam along with me and even show me what chords to play.
In my experience, the Spark Amp has proven itself to be a game changer for guitar practice and learning. I find it to be more engaging and enjoyable than traditional practice routines, as its smart features encourage more interactive and personalized sessions. The positive reviews and feedback from reliable sources such as Guitar Space and New Atlas further solidify the amp’s value and effectiveness in enhancing my guitar playing journey.
To summarize, I am quite pleased with my time spent using the Positive Grid Spark Amp, and it definitely earns a spot on my list of recommended guitar gear. Its powerful modeling, smart features, and intuitive design make it a potent practice and learning tool that would benefit guitarists of all levels. I give it a 9/10, and if Positive Grid ever adds the ability to customize impulse responses, this thing will easily go to 11.
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