The Best Battery Powered Guitar Amps - All Prices
Blackstar Fly3 Combo Amp - 3W
Blackstar’s Fly 3 Battery Powered guitar amp is a micro-practice amp, perfect for guitarists who are looking for portability.
Despite its small size, the amplifier is versatile enough for creative use with its onboard effects. The Fly 3 comes with an emulated tape delay (which on lower levels can be used to somewhat simulate reverb), an onboard overdrive, and the ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) control. With the ISF control, you can take on various different amplifier tonalities to suit what type of music you feel like playing.
Features:
- Power Rating: 3-Watts
- Battery Life: Up to 50 Hours at Lower Volumes
- Power Source(s): 6 x AA Batteries or DC
- Speaker: 3”
- Controls: Gain, Volume, Overdrive, EQ, Delay Level, Delay Time
- Input(s): ¼”, MP3
- Output(s): Headphone and extension speaker out
- Weight: 2 lbs
- Dimensions: 6.6” x 5” x 4”
Pros
Reviewers generally liked the tonal quality coming from the amplifier. Despite its small size, some found the amp sounded larger. The onboard effects were also seen as a plus as well as the ability to be a speaker for a music player or laptop. One of the primary reasons some users picked this over the others was the size: the Fly3 is the smallest amp in this list.
Cons
Quality control issues swayed some users away from this product. Durability can be hit-or-miss with reports of units breaking down from normal use but not enough of these complaints to drag its ratings down.
Overall
The Blackstar Fly3 is a good option for those who want to play along to backing tracks since the amp also doubles as a portable speaker. Since the amp includes flexible tone shaping as well as onboard effects, it works great as a coffee table or desk amp. It is more at home indoors than being carried around outdoors.
Blackstar Fly 3 Bluetooth - 3W
Blackstar’s Fly 3 Bluetooth is largely similar to its non-Bluetooth sibling.
It offers the convenience of being able to connect wirelessly to your phone / tablet / laptop for playing backing tracks or as a general purpose Bluetooth speaker. With the optional extension speaker it can operate in stereo.
As with the regular Fly 3, it features tape delay, overdrive and the ISF control for tone shaping.
Features:
- Power Rating: 3-Watts
- Battery Life: Up to 50 Hours at Lower Volumes (Bluetooth off)
- Power Source(s): 6 x AA Batteries or DC
- Speaker: 3”
- Controls: Gain, Volume, Overdrive, EQ, Delay Level, Delay Time
- Input(s): ¼”, MP3
- Output(s): Headphone and extension speaker out
- Weight: 2 lbs
- Dimensions: 6.6” x 5” x 4”
Pros
Users note it to be a great companion amp on the go and found the convenience of the Bluetooth capability a big selling point. Being able to add an extension speaker for stereo operation (sold separately) was a big plus for those looking for a dual purpose device. Similar to the non-Bluetooth Fly 3, this version is comes in at just 2 lbs, less than half the weight of the other amps in this list.
Cons
Quality control can be an issue as reported by a few. Battery life is shorter than non-Bluetooth variant according to a user's comparison.
Overall
The Blackstar Fly3 adds Bluetooth connectivity to the original Fly3. This makes it a great option for those looking to have both great sounding speakers and the ability to just plug in and jam along to their favorite tracks.
Roland Micro Cube GX Modeling Amp - 3W
Roland has decades of experience when it comes to digital modeling. They’ve always been innovators in the field, and the modeling products produced by the brand get praise from even the harshest of critics.
With the Micro Cube GX, Roland has taken their famed modeling technology and put it into a portable package with 8 COSM amp models and a total of 8 DSP effects available.
The auxiliary input can also be used for a two way connection to Roland's iOS based 'Cube Jam' App, allowing for recordings to be made with the included 4-pin analog cable.
Features:
- Power Rating: 3-Watts
- Battery Life: 20 to 25 hours
- Power Source(s): 6 x AA Batteries or AC
- Speaker: 5”
- Controls: Amp Type, Memory, Tuner, Gain, Tone, EFX, Delay/Reverb, Master
- Input(s): ¼”, AUX-IN with 'i-Cube Link'
- Output(s): REC out/Headphone
- Weight: 6 lbs
- Dimensions: 9.7” x 6.7” x 9”
Pros
With 8 amp models, tuner, modulation, and reverb, many users claim that the Micro Cube GX is their ideal portable amplifier. Versatility is also a key point which made some buy this amplifier.
Cons
Some found the sound to be thin and too quiet. Roland's 'Cube Jam' iOS app felt unintuitive for many users and has a low rating on the app store, however this is only an add-on and not required for the amp's general operation.
Overall
The Roland Cube series has always been a go-to amplifier for people who want a versatile amp with different sounds, effects and functionality. The Micro Cube GX continues Roland's stellar reputation for dsp-powered effects by managing to somehow cram a lot of features into a small, battery-powered package.
Yamaha THR5A Combo Amp - 10W
Yamaha’s THR5A is an acoustic-focused battery powered guitar amp.
While other THR series amplifiers have varying amp models, on the THR5A these have been replaced with mic models.
Many guitar players dislike the sound of most undersaddle piezo pickups because of their tendency to sound "brittle" when amplified. The THR5A rectifies this by simulating the more natural sound of a miked up soundhole. A blend knob enables you to mix the simulated mic sound with the direct piezo tone to achieve a balance of attack and body.
The "EG Cln" model on the other hand simulates an electric guitar clean tone and the blend knob becomes a gain knob.
Features:
- Power Rating: 10-Watts
- Battery Life: 6-7 Hours
- Power Source(s): 8 x AA Batteries or DC
- Speaker: 2 x 3”
- Controls: Mic Type, Blend/Gain, Master, Tone, Effect, Delay/Reverb, Volume, Tap Tempo/Tuner
- Input(s): ¼”, AUX-IN, USB
- Output(s): Headphones
- Weight: 4.4 lbs
- Dimensions: 10.7” x 6.5” x 4.7”
Pros
For recording acoustic guitar, users found the mic models to be a great tool for making their tracks sound better. Users with the Yamaha Silent Guitar say it pairs well with the THR5A. Others have used the headphone out to feed the mic simulated output and effects into the P.A. for live use to great success. Audience members have told one user that his tone through the THR5A into the P.A. sounded big and inspiring.
Cons
Users who enjoyed the amp wished that it had an XLR out for live use.
Overall
You're probably wondering why you'd need a small amplifier for use with acoustic guitar. Apart from adding volume, the answer lies in the microphone models and stereo effects built into the amplifier. Hearing your guitar sound as though it was processed through a pro studio rig with mics and effects adds a layer of excitement to playing. Not to mention having all these tone shaping tools at your command for recording makes it a winner for songwriters.
Roland Cube Street - 5W
Roland presents the Cube Street as "The ultimate amp for traveling musicians".
While the Cube Street was designed with buskers and street performers in mind, it also works well for musicians who want a good backstage or home amplifier that they can plug both their guitar and vocals into.
The amp has a channel for guitar as well as an XLR in for microphones. The guitar channel models five different amps, including Roland’s own Jazz Chorus, a vintage Fender-style amp, a Vox amplifier, a Marshall amp, a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier and an acoustic guitar simulator.
Both channels have an individually controlled EQ and output level, and the microphone channel features a bass and treble equalization control.
The amp also comes with modulation effects, including chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, delay, and reverb.
Features:
- Power Rating: 5-Watts
- Battery Life: Up to 15 Hours
- Power Source(s): 6 x AA Batteries or DC
- Speaker: 2 x 6.5”
- Controls: Channel Select, Volume, Bass, Treble, Delay/Reverb, Tuner, Type, Gain, Guitar Volume, Guitar Bass, Guitar Middle, Guitar Treble, Effects, Delay/Reverb
- Input(s): ¼” / XLR, ¼”, AUX-In
- Output(s): Headphones
- Weight: 13 lbs 1 oz
- Dimensions: 16 3/8” x 11 5/8” x 9 7/8”
Pros
The Cube Street's favorable reviews praise it for being "rugged" and "roadworthy". For most reviewers, the amp is loud enough for outdoor performance within a certain radius which is usually the case for busking and street performance. The addition of a microphone input is something that users didn't see in other battery powered amplifiers which led to them getting the Cube Street.
Cons
Users note that the amplifier can lack bass response, which is important for instruments like acoustic and bass guitar.
Overall
If you're looking for a portable amplifier with a microphone input for busking and performance, the Cube Street is a solid pick.
Roland AC-33 Acoustic Amp - 20W/30W
Roland’s AC-33 is a portable, battery-powered amp designed for acoustic guitar. The amp is designed to make your acoustic guitar sound as natural as possible.
It also has a Mic channel with an independent EQ and volume control.
Other features include modulation, reverb, feedback suppression, and a built-in 40-second looper.
Features:
- Power Rating: 20-Watts (On Batteries) / 30-Watts on AC
- Battery Life: 8 Hours
- Power Source(s): 8 x AA Batteries or AC
- Speaker: 2 x 5”
- Controls: Mic Volume, Mic Bass, Mic Treble, Mic Chorus, Guitar Volume, Guitar Bass, Guitar Middle, Guitar Treble, Guitar Chorus, Reverb, Anti-Feedback, Looper
- Input(s): XLR, ¼”, AUX-In, Foot Switch, Looper
- Output(s): Headphones, Line Out
- Weight: 10 lbs 6 oz.
- Dimensions: 12 9/16” x 8 13/16” x 9 5/8”
Pros
Users with guitars equipped with Piezo pickups love the amp for its natural sounding tone without bringing the "brittleness" that some amps have when paired with the pickup type. The feedback control is said to be well implemented and does not affect the guitar's tone in a negative way. The amp's light weight makes it a great companion amp for traveling and touring.
Cons
A few commented that the mic input is slightly weak so less sensitive mics may need additional gain. This may present a problem for noisier venues since the added gain will also amplify noise. The lack of phantom power was also an issue for some users with condenser microphones. It may not be loud enough for larger venues even for stage monitoring. Some wanted a footswitch to be included to make most of the amp's many features.
Overall
Though the inherent power limits the size of the venues it can be used at, The Roland AC-33 Acoustic amp is great for coffee shop gigs or small outdoor events where you won't need to be loud. Because small venues like cafes are prone to acoustic feedback, the anti-feedback control does a great job of avoiding ear-splitting microphonics during performances. The built-in 40-second looper enables harmonies and layering; a feature not found on other amplifiers in this class though you will need to purchase a separate footswitch to operate it during playing.
Yamaha THR30II Wireless
Building on the success of Yamaha's TH series amplifiers, The THR30II Wireless brings just what it says on the box: Wireless connectivity in the form of Bluetooth support as well as built-in compatibility with Line 6's wireless transmitters.
The THR30II Wireless also includes an internal rechargeable battery.
There are 15 guitar amp models and 8 effects on offer and these can be controlled via mobile editors available for iOS and Android.
Features:
- Power Rating: 30W (2 x 15W stereo), 15W (battery)
- Battery Life: ~5 hours
- Power Source(s): 15V DC power supply / internal rechargeable battery
- Speaker: 2 x 3.5"
- Controls: Gain, Master, Treble, Middle, Bass, Effect, Echo/Rev, Guitar Volume, Audio/Aux Volume, Amp type, Memory and Tap Tempo
- Input(s): 1 x 1/4" Guitar Input, 1 x 1/8" Aux in
- Output(s): Headphones, 2 x 1/4" Line Out
- Weight:9.48 lbs.
- Dimensions: 7.68" x 16.4" x 6.1"
Pros
Users love the amp's connectivity options. Some actually use the amp for both guitar and as a dedicated Bluetooth speaker for playback. Users also praise the connectivity options that enable you to truly bring the amp anywhere and control it via the mobile app. Users of the previous generation of THR all consider the THR II series, including the THR30II, as a total upgrade.
Cons
There were no consistently reported negatives pertaining to the amp itself, but there were some down-votes from people complaining about shipping issues - always buy from reputable sellers.
Overall
Yamaha was clear to state the purpose of the amplifier in the branding as the THR series was made to fill in the gap between your full stage rig, and your smaller rehearsal rig. The THR30II takes this philosophy further by letting you leave all your cables at home. Get it if you find yourself wanting to just power up and play in high fidelity.
Things to Consider When Buying a Battery Powered Guitar Amp
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Battery Life
As features and power rating increase (power rating is the wattage of the amplifier) battery life is going to decrease. So amps that model effects are going to have a shorter battery life, and the louder the amp the less time the battery is going to last. However, this also depends on the type and amount of batteries used. Bear in mind that more or larger batteries make the amp heavier, making it less convenient to travel with.
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Speaker Size
Speaker size has a huge impact on your tone. The smaller the speaker, the brighter and more focused it sounds. Larger speakers will sound fuller and warmer. Most battery powered amps have a smaller speaker, but many actually have a depth of tone that’s incredibly impressive for the relatively diminutive size. Do take into consideration that larger speaker sizes may make the amplifier weigh more especially when approaching the 12" speaker territory.
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Amp modeling and Effects
Many battery powered amps now come with built-in amp modeling and effects although the selection is generally more limited than larger plug-in modelling amps. You can usually only choose one of the modulation effects such as chorus/flanger/tremolo and add some reverb or delay. Apart from simplifying the controls this also helps to reduce power consumption compared to a full blown effects chain.
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Weight/Portability
Battery powered amplifiers are usually smaller than their powered counterparts. But the batteries themselves add do noticeably to the weight. No matter how portable an amp claims to be, you still have to consider how portable you want your gear to be. For example, bringing an amplifier made for busking / street performance to a one-on-one guitar lesson may become a chore when you could use a lighter amplifier instead.
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Which is the Best Battery Powered Amp for Busking?
For just playing guitar at low volume we recommend the Roland Micro Cube GX, however if you want to use a microphone as well then your best option would be the Roland Cube Street for low volume or the Roland AC-33 if you need a bit more power.
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Which is the Best Battery Powered Acoustic Amp?
The highest rated option is the budget priced 10 watt Yamaha THR5A, however if you need a bit more volume then we suggest you go for the 20 watt (when using batteries) Roland AC-33.
Battery Powered Guitar Amp Selection Methodology
The first edition was published January 2018 written by Mason Hoberg and the latest edition was published on August 12, 2020 written by Raphael Pulgar with contributions from Mason Hoberg.
We started by looking at popular and top-rated combo guitar amplifiers that can run on batteries (we excluded micro stacks like the Marshall MS-4). After looking at relevant reviews, ratings, forum discussions and recommendations, we made a shortlist of 26 Battery Powered Amplifiers. We then collected over 11,500 review and rating sources up to August 2020 -- over 4,000 more sources than the previous edition. These sources were then processed via the Gearank Algorithm to produce the rating scores our of 100 that we used to select amps that reflect the market's sentiment as the best. For more information about our methods see How Gearank Works.
The Best Guitar Amp from the Top 10 Guitar Amp Brands
The Best Small / Low Watt Tube Amps - Combo & Amp Heads
Comments
Curious why more amps aren't
Submitted by Peter (not verified) on
Curious why more amps aren't being made utilizing rechargeable lithium-polymer batteries? These batteries can supply much more power for longer periods then a handful of AA or AAA batteries while also being rechargeable and easily replaceable. Guess most amp makers aren't interested in utilizing a power source that you can find in many power hungry electronics now, from portable speakers to cell phones to drones. Maybe I should start my own company.
We've removed the following
Submitted by Jason Horton on
We've removed the following amps from the recommended list above due to being discontinued, but you can still read our analysis of them:
As a result of our July 2019
Submitted by Jason Horton on
As a result of our July 2019 update the following amp was removed from the recommended list above: Vox Mini5 Rhythm.
How did you miss the Roland
Submitted by Andre (not verified) on
How did you miss the Roland Mobile Cube in this list?
The Roland Mobile Cube is a
Submitted by Jason Horton on
The Roland Mobile Cube is a good amp and we have previously recommended it in our guide to Guitar Amps Under $200 - here's a direct link to the Mobile Cube information.
We did consider the Mobile Cube for this guide, but there were many battery powered amps with higher ratings, so we chose to recommend the more highly rated amps instead.
The Roland Mobile Cube is still on our short-list and will be considered for inclusion when we publish our next major revision of this guide.
Why do they all run on AA
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on
Why do they all run on AA batteries? I want an amp with serious power that will run on my rechargeable drill battery pack.
Looking for a portable
Submitted by Steve Landsberg (not verified) on
Looking for a portable lithium powered amp for acoustic guitar - preferably with at least a 6" speaker size (one)... likely not made (yet) lol... tx ~ S
For regular battery use, just
Submitted by Grey Luddite (not verified) on
For regular battery use, just invest in the latest generation "eneloop" type rechargeable batteries, like Energizer Universal 8 for $20-25. They run 1900mAH, hold a charge in storage for a long time. Just charge two sets, then you have a spare set along with you. You can run mini-amps off a plug-in as well, but note it usually is NOT charging the internal batteries, so you need a separate charger for them. Still a cheap investment for regular players.
There is an amp that is close
Submitted by Jason Horton on
There is an amp that is close to what you're asking for: Fishman Loudbox Mini Charge (link to Amazon).
The battery is rechargeable and it comes with an A/C adapter, the only thing is that I don't know is if it specifically uses a lithium ion battery.
I've also updated our rating for it which you can see here.
small battery powered amp for
Submitted by cilla Te Ua Wiri (not verified) on
Small battery powered amp for 3hr street performance with 3 microphone inputs & costs
I haven't seen any battery
Submitted by Jason Horton on
I haven't seen any battery powered amps with 3 mic inputs.
You would need to either get a battery powered mixer in addition to an amp, or a battery powered PA.
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