Onboard Effects: 33 Amp Models, 43 Effects (Noise Gate, Compressor, Distortion, Modulation/EQ, Delay, Reverb) A: In your device's Bluetooth settings, forget the previous connection of Spark GO and then reconnect. Positive Grid's BIAS Tone Engine processing helps it sound more expansive with the same selection of six virtual delay pedals and nine reverbs that the other Spark amps have, along with the same electric, acoustic and bass amps – plus drives, compression, noise gate, EQ and modulation. But Positive Grid has also been extra smart with its already smart amp… Despite the small size, it doesn't skimp on any features, sharing the exact same amount of hardware presets, practice tools, and Bluetooth connectivity as its bigger sibling the Spark Mini."— Guitar World Because of its design we didn't always have to worry about having a table or surface in front of us to sit the Spark GO on – sometimes we'd place the Spark on our leg while playing because you can lay it flat (we'll get to that). We're not sure Positive Grid even has this in mind for use but it soon became second nature to us – and that rubber casing means it doesn't slide around easily.

The mobile experience has always been intrinsic to the Spark amps, transforming the products from standard (albeit over-performing) practice amps to a limitless world of tones and functionality that’ll have a stab at replicating any guitar sound. From your guitar heroes, to a completely custom sound that works with what you’re playing. Positive Grid says that the battery is good for eight hours of use on a full charge, and while it might not have quite got there on our tests, it was more than enough to enable many hours of playing, listening to music and recording. In terms of on-board controls, this version eschews almost all buttons to bring the physical controls down to the bare bones. Just like the Spark Mini, there are no dials for bass, treble, delay, reverb, etc., which you’d see on a traditional amp (or the Spark 40). It’s the baby brother to the game-changing Spark 40 amp, which bundled size-defying sound with an incredible range of app-based digital amp models and effects to create a truly endless array of fully customisable guitar tones. Fast-forward a couple of years and the Mini – a Spark that was effectively a third of the size of the original, battery-powered and portable, yet still sporting all of the functionality and great sound of the original – redefined what we believed that a portable practice amp was capable of, so what of 2023’s new darling, the GO?

This is the first Spark amp that can be positioned in two distinctly different ways for varying response I found it helped me with my timing a lot. When you’re noodling away on your own, it can get a bit all over the place. This kept me disciplined and in rhythm with the drummer. However, the amplifier used (think Marshall, Orange, etc.), the settings on the amp, and the effects pedals (delay, distortion, reverb, etc.) used are the other key factors, and that’s what the Spark app’s tones attempt to replicate. It could be Slash’s reverb-lased Gibson Les Paul solos, or a beautifully clean John Mayer-like tone. Either way, the Spark amp will have a solution that seeks to replicate the set-up of those icons, from amp models to the effects pedals. If, like me, you don’t have the time, finances, or expertise to finely tune a guitar sound via the amp or a big grand pedal board, this is where the Spark range truly comes into its own.

The Spark Go does a decent job of maintaining consistent design language with the replaceable speaker plate matching the other two models. Positive Grid also gives you an alternate option in the box. Whether it's a desktop companion for the office, something to keep you entertained on a camping trip, or as a hotel room jam buddy, the Spark Go will happily accompany you, and all without taking up too much space."— Guitar Player Specifications Audio In addition to the same array of models as the other Spark amps, all of the Positive Grid Spark app features are accessible with the GO; it's processed via your smartphone so that's no surprise. But I'm especially pleased to see four presets that can be saved to the hardware itself – just like on the Spark Mini. While the rechargeable internal battery of the Spark Mini freed players up to choose where they wanted and needed to play, the GO takes that idea further. Because it's so small and ruggedly built with its grippy rubber casing, it's easy to take with you in a gigbag but it also affected how we used it in the house compared to the Mini and Spark 40. Let us introduce the concept of… the leg amp! The hallmark of the original Spark 40 amp was its size-defying sound. It’s easy to forget looking at its baby brother that the Spark 40 – a reference to the 40W speaker – was the OG little amp that could. For a practice amp, it has no right sounding as refined as it does at high and low volumes. It was even loud enough for some light gigging or an open mic without losing fidelity. I loved it and have it five stars.

The Spark Go isn’t anywhere near as loud as the Mini and again, the limitations of the smaller speaker become more noticeable in its smaller form factor. However, I think the Spark Go makes the Mini a little redundant. It’s much, much smaller, has the same battery life and access to smart features. Through our ongoing pursuit of perfect tone, you’ll enjoy significantly improved sound flexibility with optimizations to EQ Scenario and other various fixes with this firmware update. However, established knowledge suggests that an 5W amp with a 2-inch speaker isn’t going to produce sound worthy of your guitar playing expertise. It goes without saying there will be trade-offs, but can the Spark Go hit the sweet spot between ultimate portability, functionality, and good-enough quality sound? It’s not that important as you can adjust these settings on the digital amp and pedals within the app. However, it does make the Go less useful if you don’t plan on connecting through the app every time.Remember, you can always save your four favourite tones to the amp so you don’t need the app at all.