Fender Mini '57 Twin Amp

There are a lot of mini-amps on the market, but this one is very good.

First, there is the build quaility. The Fender Mini '57 Twin Amp has nothing plastic-y about it, save for the blister package it comes in: all tweed, aluminium, a toggle switch, sturdy knobs, leather handle. It's main power comes from a battery, but there's also a power-in (which requires a seperate power unit). The battery lasts a long time, though. Shake it, and it doesn't rattle.

The volume is decent, and goes up to around 70dB - thats hair drier-loud, enough for playing along with other guitars and percussion, but not enough for drums or a noisy environment. No mini amp goes higher than that.

Then there's the sound. It's an electric guitar amp, meaning the mids are emphasized. You can play an acoustic guitar through it, but it will sound a bit electric-y. The knobs allow for adjusting the saturation level, the point where the sound breaks up and starts a wail - great for choosing when your harmonica or electric guitar goes into overdrive mode.

Size-wise and price-wise it's a bit above the other mini-amps, but I say that is certainly worth it.