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SPARK PRACTICE AMP


Larryz

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Hey my buddy just bought this amp and was describing it to me. Well worth watching the demo all the way through skipping any ads that pop up IMHO. This thing looks to be a major hit and a great learning tool. You can play along using all kinds of backing tracks, shows the chord charts, effects, smart phone, tablet, computer, recording, etc., blue tooth connections, etc., too much to list. Some really great settings/sounds enjoy:

 

[video:youtube]

 

:cool:

Take care, Larryz
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Demo sounds good.

Small and light is good. Under $300 is good, haven't checked the used market.

There are always "early adapters" who never quite get around to things and go back to their old ways. At some point there will be deals on used ones.

Maybe when version 2 comes out?

 

The Spark homepage https://www.positivegrid.com/spark/

 

Gotta love "Intelligent Technology", that's good stuff! lol.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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+1 Kuru, The Spark amp is fairly new on the scene and there will probably be used ones on the market some day. It took the best of show at Namm 2020. Lots of info on YouTube. Thanks for posting the homepage link as there is great spec and other info on their site...the price seems pretty reasonable and we'll have to wait and see how they hold up. I would like to see if I could run the headphone output jack to my Roland Cube EX4 amp (or my Fender Deluxe Tonemaster) and try the pedals and/or amp sims on it. I could also run the amp to my laptop then to the Roland, etc. Might be interesting to try mic'ing it to the PA too. I'll see what I can do with the Roland next week at my buddy's place. :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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+1 DBM, I'll get a closeup look at one next week when I jam with a buddy. I'll report back on how it sounds when I hear it live! I may be in the market as well.... :cool:

 

I would like an input for vocals, so I am thinking not on this model. Probably go with that one you recommended from Roland, the Street Cube EX $499.99 at Sweetwater.

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+1 DBM, the Roland is a great little PA vocal amp along with a decent sounding guitar channel. I put it on a speaker stand to get it up off the ground at little gigs. I use it with or without my other guitar amp(s) depending on how much I want to size down. If I had the Spark, it would be a great little grab and go in the trunk with the Roland. It doesn't really need to be run from the headphone jack and/or the Spark could be left at home. I think you will like the Roland as you have a channel for your mic, another for your guitar and another for you MP3 etc. to play your backing tracks... :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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Previewed the amp at my buddies place yesterday. Can't really give it a review as I was not at the controls. He had a chord set up to run the Spark to his Roland Cube EX4 but he didn't plug it in. It is a 40watt Spark amp I couldn't get him to crank it up on clean through the two 4" speakers. When playing along with it, I had to unplug and play through my Roland Cube EX4 while he played a few play-along-backing-tracks (blues, country blues, jazz). He could demo the chords and charts during the play backs on his cell phone via blue tooth. He's still learning and maybe on my next visit, I'll get a better look at it and report back. I think it works very well as a learning amp. He had to turn up the gain to get clean volume up which dirtied the clean setting that I had heard when I viewed the demo's on YT. Anyway, I wish I could have done better and offered a review. Maybe he'll let me borrow it one of these days and I'll play with it at home. I didn't want to interrupt our jam session, so I didn't get to spend too much time on the amp. :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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@LarryZ still cool that you got to hear it anyways. Give us your impression after a few days on it's capabilities. If you have an outboard distortion pedal set the amp for the cleanest sound, and see what the stomp does as well.
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I've got one arriving today according to Fedex, Now I just have to find a way to review/demo it that hasn't been done 49099058987549 times. =]

 

 

Use it to make tortured cat sounds at 3am outdoors?

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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@LarryZ still cool that you got to hear it anyways. Give us your impression after a few days on it's capabilities. If you have an outboard distortion pedal set the amp for the cleanest sound, and see what the stomp does as well.

 

Looks like Marky is going to receive one in a day or two and we'll be getting a review from him. He does excellent reviews and I'm sure he will see your suggestion DBM! :thu:

 

 

I've got one arriving today according to Fedex, Now I just have to find a way to review/demo it that hasn't been done 49099058987549 times. =]

 

Very cool Marky! Looking forward (I can't wait!) for your review! You do excellent reviews and you are tech savvy with great audio and video presentations, so I know it will be a good one that we can rely on! :thu:

Take care, Larryz
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@LarryZ still cool that you got to hear it anyways. Give us your impression after a few days on it's capabilities. If you have an outboard distortion pedal set the amp for the cleanest sound, and see what the stomp does as well.

 

Looks like Marky is going to receive one in a day or two and we'll be getting a review from him. He does excellent reviews and I'm sure he will see your suggestion DBM! :thu:

 

 

I've got one arriving today according to Fedex, Now I just have to find a way to review/demo it that hasn't been done 49099058987549 times. =]

 

Very cool Marky! Looking forward (I can't wait!) for your review! You do excellent reviews and you are tech savvy with great audio and video presentations, so I know it will be a good one that we can rely on! :thu:

 

Sadly, I don't have a single external distortion pedal. I'm all Axe FX or Kemper over here. =/ Thanks for the kind words about my reviews though!

Music With Marky - A YouTube Channel For Guitarists Who Want To Make Better Music
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@LarryZ still cool that you got to hear it anyways. Give us your impression after a few days on it's capabilities. If you have an outboard distortion pedal set the amp for the cleanest sound, and see what the stomp does as well.

 

Looks like Marky is going to receive one in a day or two and we'll be getting a review from him. He does excellent reviews and I'm sure he will see your suggestion DBM! :thu:

@Larryz I misread your post. I thought you were getting one yourself. It is no big deal I will not be getting one anyways. If I get a solid state amp it will be the Roland CUBE Street EX 2x8" 50-watt Battery Powered Combo Amp. I May also just get a very small tube amp like the Fender Super Champ X2 that I sold (and regret selling) it is part tube, part modeler, and will play backing tracks with programmable foot-switching between clean and overdrive all on board, with efx also.

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@ DBM, I was still in the checking out stage, maybe in the market, but not ready to pull the trigger on the Spark yet. After a little time with one, I'm still not ready as I did get enough time on it to experiment. I will wait for Marky's review. I know you will like the Roland EX 2x8 amp like mine. It's been a real reliable work horse. Great mic channel(s) decent clean guitar sound. Goes a long time on 8 AA's batteries depending on which power setting you use. I pretty much always use the power supply and take the batteries out when not in use as they last longer with no drain down over time. For out door venues, I take 8 extra AA's and an extension cord just in case. You can change batteries so fast that you'll only interrupt the show for a minute or two if you happen to run them down, but there are battery check lights that will keep you informed as to their status before you start. Great for BBQs, Deck Parties, Camping, Beaches, etc. Not cheap but worth every penny IMHO. :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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@ DBM, I was still in the checking out stage, maybe in the market, but not ready to pull the trigger on the Spark yet. After a little time with one, I'm still not ready as I did get enough time on it to experiment. I will wait for Marky's review. I know you will like the Roland EX 2x8 amp like mine.

 

I will have to go to a music store and try the Roland EX 2x8 amp out. It all depends if I can make it deep enough sounding without a lot of treble or presence, many amps are too bright for my ears. You have a Hot Rod Deluxe, how do the clean sounds on it compare to the HRD amp on clean? I have time because my HRD has not had a single inquiry since Covid started, so I may be stuck with it for years,

 

I actually love the HRD sound but it is too freakin heavy for my 78 year old bones (although I work out on weight machines 3x weekly). I play the HRD on one or two weekends a month just to keep the caps charged correctly, Plus it is plugged in to AC all of the time. I love the tone of the HRD however my all time favorite amp truthfully, and I have had about 20 or 30 amps over the years. Mesas 4 of them starting with the Mark IIC+ Head and 1-12 cab. Then a Mark 4 1-12 combo, Then A Strategy 400 stereo power amp with a 4 channel Quad Preamp, that amp was loud.at 200 watts RMS per side. Then I tried a Lone star Classic 100 watt head. Plus I have had many of the classic Fenders (except a Super Reverb) from A vintage Bass head, to 3 or 4 Deluxe Reverbs, a couple of Twins, a silver face Pro Reverb.(The Pro Reverb was one of my favs) And my all time favorite Fender was a Fender 30 all tube designed by Paul Rivera It was 30 watts single 1-12 combo the size of a deluxe. It was my first channel switching amp ever (This was before My Mark II Boogie by about a year or so) I have had several Peaveys, 2 Leo Fender Music Man amps a 50 watt 2-12 combo and a 100 watt 2-12 combo. & a few other amps as well.

 

They all came and went with only 2 regrets The Fender 30 and The Fender Super Champ X2. Now I am down to only 2 amps the HRD and My Egnater Tweaker 15 watt head.

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@ DBM, The HRD Deluxe will give you a much better clean guitar sound than the Roland EX. But, the Roland EX is more than half the weight @ 16lbs (which is a major factor for us old dudes, especially now that I'm having shoulder problems). The Roland will not compare to your Mesa Boogie either. It does give a very decent PA/mic sound and good electric and acoustic guitar sound. It will provide a decent mic and guitar sound when you want to travel light to jams and practices. At my last gig, I used the HRD for guitar and the Roland for my PA mic and my backup singer Harmonica player's mic. Now that I have the Fender Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb (almost 1/2 the weight 23lbs, of an HRD ) I can pack it instead of the HRD. I too, would sell the HRD now as the Tonemaster gets excellent clean guitar sound.

 

On the treble/bass settings, I have to set the Roland EX with the bass 3/4 of the way up, the middle 1/4 up and the treble 1/4 + up. The settings could change if you are more into OD/crunch, Electric vs Acoustic, etc. I always have mine on clean so I can't remember if I used different settings on the other 5 amp selections as I don't use them (especially when using a mic for my vocals). If you get by a GC, be sure to give one a try and bring a mic and a guitar and your MP3 backing tracks. Ask for a try out room so you can turn it up a bit if you want to. Run the mic on the left, guitar on the right and the MP3 on the far right channels. The Roland EX50 is a fantastic busking amp and it gets more use than any of my other amps. :cool:

 

ps. If I had the Spark amp and could get some good clean volume out of it, I could really size down and leave the Deluxe at home...but, I may not want or need to LOL! :thu:

Take care, Larryz
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@Larryz The HRD ain't selling anytime soon it looks like, not a single inquiry to my Craigslist ads since Covid-19. I take the ad down on Monday morning and put it back up on Friday, so it is always at the top on weekends. There is no hurry to sell the amp it is long paid for. It took me 5 years of doing that to sell my cherry sunburst Les Paul Custom. I got my price and then some (and I do not miss that guitar a single bit), nor do I miss the 2002 Gibson Faded SG. with ebony fret-board and half moon inlays, I got more for the SG than I paid for the guitar brand new on sale, and played it for about 8 years. I don't miss that one either (Even though it was the absolute finest guitar that I ever owned) The fret board was dead on straight, not a single problem with any note all the way up to the last fret on all strings It never needed adjusting or anything, the neck was true out of the box and stayed that way all the years that I owned it..

 

Disclaimer; If I was gigging out which I am not, I would have kept the Gibson's for sure. Instead that money is long into my savings account.

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Looks cool, but there are some "red flags" in the comment section of this link:

 

 

Some are pretty recent such as this one:

 

"Buyer Beware! Besides the long waiting period to receive the Spark, you better hope you don't have any hardware issues once you get it. This company does not reply to emails when you want to return the unit for a refund or if you have hardware issues! I highly recommend that you stay far away from this company!"

 

So, beware in case they haven't gotten their act together yet. Better yet, before ordering, send them an email inquiry about the shipping wait time and see how long it takes for them to reply. BTW, I can't find a customer service phone number on their website. That's another "red flag" that spells "inaccessible, crappy customer service", IMHO.

 

At least there is a phone number (if it's any good) on the Better Business Bureau website. Be sure to read the complaints there. They are eye-opening:

 

Click

 

Good luck if you order this because it sounds like you'll need it.

 

Peace :thu:

"Treat your wife with honor, respect, and understanding as you live together so that you can pray effectively as husband and wife." 1 Peter 3:7

 

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Excellent heads up BiC, thanks.

 

You betcha, brother!

 

Their turn-around time might be much better now. But, I certainly would not order one without first confirming that with them.

"Treat your wife with honor, respect, and understanding as you live together so that you can pray effectively as husband and wife." 1 Peter 3:7

 

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@ Bic, Thanks for the heads-up! :thu:

 

@ DBM, +1 when I sell or give away a guitar, I don't usually miss or regret it. Two exceptions, my '72 Les Paul Deluxe and my Fender Jazz Bass. But I'm over them as well as I have too many guitars, equipment, etc. LOL! I'll have to give Craig's list a try as I have 3 amps to unload and a few guitars. In a way, I would rather keep the guitars than have the money in the bank. Last night I did an AB test without the AB switch by just switching guitars leaving the pickups on full and not changing the amp settings. It was Kent Armstrong humbuckers on my Conti vs 57 USA Gibson Humbuckers on my Epi. The Epi won out hands down.

 

So, I'm talking to my tech today and if he agrees, I'm ordering the parts: 2 Gibson 57 USA humbuckers (my favorites), 4 500k Gibson pots, 4 Gold Gibson speed knobs, 2 Orange Drop 22uf caps. The gold humbuckers have been our of stock at all the mail order houses. They are $179 each on most sites. They are now back in stock. I found them for $159 each on Z Sounds.com. This is an expensive up-grade, but I love the guitar so much that it will be worth it for me. About $370 for parts and probably $100 for labor for a total of $500 +/-.. I already replaced the 3way with a quality Switchcraft switch and had the floating bridge pinned. So basically it's like having a brand new axe in my plan of attack! :cool:

Take care, Larryz
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I'll have to give Craig's list a try as I have 3 amps to unload and a few guitars.

 

Below is my disclaimer for Craigslist, that site is riddled with scammers. I only put that disclaimer out when the decision is made to come

try the instrument out, it does not go in the ad.

"I live in a gated community, I will need your name as it appears on your drivers license and the license plate of the car you will be driving,

to get you past the security of the gated community I live in. The price is firm and I will accept only cash at the time of sale.

I do not do pay pal nor accept anything but cash in my own neighborhood in person."

 

(Even if you do not live in such a community, the guard shack comment does scare away the scammers BIG TIME)

 

Once you make it clear that they have to prove who they are before they get to the house, that does make any further interest a bunch safer.

I have had folks try and talk me into meeting them outside the community (That is a big time heads up on that scammer)

 

Below is what my Craigslist ad looks like. (With price & pictures added as well to the ad).

 

"Fender Hot Rod Deluxe - $560 phx - wvl musical instruments - by owner"

 

I have a spotless tan Fender Hot Rod Deluxe version II. Excellent tone. It has a new Eminence Cannabis Rex Speaker in it, which sells for $79.99. It also has brand new set of JJ Tubes in it, and it also has JJ anti rattle rings on the power tubes, and the tube damper on 2 of the 3 pre amp tubes. The amp had one of the best amp techs in the Phoenix area go over the amp and fix any potential problems (which cost me $200 for the amp repairs), and put in all new capacitors (which wear out over time), and it sounds great. The amp has never left the house except for the repairs at Hunt Amplification, and has been lightly used at in house volumes. I will take only cash at the time of sale.

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DBM, Thanks for the CL selling tips. I do worry about having strangers come to my place. I will only show and sell one thing at a time as I don't want them to see my other stuff. Cash is the best way to go and my prices will be firm...I'm in a gated community and will have to buzz them in when they arrive. Your ad and amp looks like it's a great deal... :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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DBM, Thanks for the CL selling tips. I do worry about having strangers come to my place. I will only show and sell one thing at a time as I don't want them to see my other stuff. Cash is the best way to go and my prices will be firm...I'm in a gated community and will have to buzz them in when they arrive. Your ad and amp looks like it's a great deal... :cool:

 

I don't go as far as DBM and I prefer not to meet anybody at my actual residence. Luckily, I live in a 33 unit condo and have the only front door that is hidden in the staircase.

Our underground parking area has electricity for maintenance AND a wonderful echo-ey reverb-ey giganticness to the sound. I either meet people right out front or inside the garage.

Most buyers will just pay for something and take it - untested. I don't sell anything that is not as described, if it's broken I say so and price accordingly..

 

My "scammer chaser" is as follows. "Local cash sale only, I will not ship this. It's in Bellingham, come get it here."

Fairly low crime area, I'll grant you that. I'm from Fresno CA, which is NOT a low crime area and I am a quick read on people - basic survival skill down there. Not sure about Phoenix area or Northern CA so use your own wisdom and DBM's method seems absolutely bulletproof.

 

So far I have zero problems with buyers, everybody has shown up, been OK and bought the item. I LOVE that aspect of craigslist, cash, thanks, buh-bye!!!!

 

Before I posted no shipping and pick up in Bellingham I got an occasional "Can my uncle from Amsterdam who is visiting in your area pay with a check?" or other scams. More frequently I got what were probably legitimate but numbskull requests like "Hi, how often to you visit Arlington? Maybe you could bring that $30 item down here and I can check it out?"

I tell them to take the bus!!!!!! :laugh:

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Thanks for the info Kuru! Selling on CL could deserve it's own thread as people may or may not see our comments. But it ties in with your earlier comment on $300 being a little too much and waiting till the Spark starts selling as used equipment to get the price down. We have brought up some of the hazards of selling used equipment on CL when dealing in cash that can attract scammers, robbers, etc. We cover a lot of territory in Northern Cal and I could see sending someone from Amsterdam, if he was coming to town, to buy something for his nephew who lives way out of the local area. As long as the uncle has cash LOL! :thu:
Take care, Larryz
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  • 1 month later...
I bought one from Amazon about 3 weeks ago. Awesome toy/learning tool/backing tracker/bluetooth speaker/computer interface. My Mac is a bit too old for it, but the Ipad works fine, as does the phone. Great tonal flexibility. Next gen will prolly have a footswitch and line out. Sounds great, can hold its own with a sane drummer, and loud enough for all but huge gigs, in which case a mic in front will rectify that deficiency. DOES NOT IN ANY WAY REPLACE BANDMATES OR TUBE AMPS! Essentially a practice amp punching way above its weight/price. Sonically it can hang with any other modelling device, and that's with 2 nondescript 4 inch speakers. No Linux support yet, but works fine with Apple or Android. Dunno if I'd seriously consider gigs other than solo or duo, but the tones you can preset yourself will work without the app, so it is gig-able as a stand alone unit. Not sure it's built with serious road use in mind, but it's a sweetheart at home. Steep learning curve, already has user forums set up, along with modding ideas from advanced tinkerers. I could gig with it with my small pedalboard for an instant boost for solos. No wah features, so your own wah pedal could be added to your chain. Every other useful effect is there, and all are high quality. The parent company is well established and regarded in the industry. It' a true home run!
Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never!
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