This is a really cool little tool. The [b]Vox amPlug[/b] plugs into your guitar jack and acts as a pre-amp into which you plug headphones. A practice tool, in other words. It is battery operated (2 X AAA) and has three controls – gain, tone and volume. There is also a jack into which you can plug an MP3 player to jam along to and a red indicator light.
Price: R380 at Music Mate.
Why would you buy one? I did because I got tired of having to rig up an amp, cables and stompboxes to practice, and then being forced afterwards to pack it all up because it takes up space in the living room. I also have more freedom of movement, which means I can now stand up and move around when I practice – something I really need to do as I’m way too used to sitting down.
What did happen, was that I also found it to be a great travelling tool – I went to the Free State for two weeks and packed a Strat, the amPlug and some headphones. That was it. For the first time I could practice and write riffs on an electric and it altogether took less space than the bulky acoustic I usually travel with. It will also work really well backstage if you want to warm up before a gig. That’s what Henry Steele of Delta Blue does – I bought mine on his suggestion.
But how does it sound? This is where the big surprise came in. There are three models: AC30, Classic Rock and Metal. I got the first one. It is supposed to sound like a Top Boost AC30. Now, I’ve heard them in action live, but have never used one myself. Therefore I cannot compare this to the real deal. But: The little amPlug really sounds great. It has a slightly overdriven clean sound, but if you crank it up, it starts ‘crunching’, breaking up like a properly dirty overdriven valve amp’s sound. Somewhere in the middle it starts becoming dirty and gives a very bluesy sound with the Strat. At full tilt power chords sound fat and I was surprised at the big classic rock tone. If this is what the AC model sounds like, what do the other two do?!
There is also no lack of volume. You won’t need to crank the volume up all the way. According to Vox the batteries should last about 20 hours with alkaline batteries and 7 with zinc-carbons, which we can expect to be an overestimation. However, I’ve already had hours and hours of fun with it. It honestly sounds full and fat and is quite addictive. I haven’t started up an amp since getting this little bugger!
There is one slight problem you need to get used to, though. The gain control has an influence on the volume. In other words, don’t expect clean tone with it turned all the way down – it’s silent then. As soon as you start turning the gain up, the volume increases accordingly. By the same token, at full gain, you need to roll back on the volume.
The amPlug has a cool shape, like a proper amp head. That does mean that it rests on the guitar’s body on a Strat with the angled cable jack – it’s not heavy and shouldn’t easily wear out the jack, but its corner could possibly mark the body slightly. Be aware of it if you’re really precious about your loved one.
All in all, it’s not really cheap because of the bloody exchange rate, but it is one of the most effective and rewarding pieces of gear I’ve bought in ages. It sounds great, gets me playing and gives me a lot of freedom. I can now even practice in a remote corner of the back garden if I want to. It would also be ideal for pro musos looking for a way to warm up properly backstage (what, you don’t?!), or for flat-dwellers in need of a silent practice amp. I would suggest that you ensure you use good ’phones with it, though. With proper enclosures over the ears – you don’t want to miss out on any of this little guy’s tone or volume. It's like the dwarf in the movie [i]In Bruges[/i] - small, but dirty!
