Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Acoustic-Electric Travel Guitar with Gig Bag

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List Price: $428.99
Sale Price: $299.99
Today's Bonus: 30% Off

• One-piece maple neck and body with natural finish
• Features a Shadow under-saddle piezo pickup and standard 1/4-inch output
• Detachable lap rest frame
• Includes deluxe gig bag, limited three-year warranty
• Full 24-3/4" scale, 22-fret acoustic/electric travel guitar fits in airline overhead bins

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I've had various travel guitarsI have a Taylor Big Baby, and used to own a Martin Backpackerbut I was looking for something that was more portable than eithersomething small enough to pack inside a suitcase and carry on vacation. I wasn't looking something with great sound, or something stageworthy, just something with a full sized neck to practice on when I was away from home.

I tried one of the Travelers that comes with both piezo and magnetic pickups at a local guitar discount chain, and I liked the feel (though not the painted finish); it was the only model they had, so I decided to do a buit more research into the range. Back home, I looked at the Traveler Guitars web site, and this model caught my eyeno electronics, piezo pickup only, but it was light, tiny, and came in an attractive natural finish. And the price was right, too. I decided to chance it.

It arrived this morning, and I've been playing with it most of the day. Fit and finish is very good, if simple, and the feel of the neck is excellent. The neck in particular shows a lot of care, with all the frets carefully hand-filed and shapedno sharp edges here, like on so many inexpensive imports. Traveler is either doing a lot of QC on these guitars when they arrive, or they've found a really good shop to produce them.

Despite the odd shape and lack of a headstock, it's easy to play. I found that a strap was more comfortable for me than the clip-on lap support, but thanks to the light weight, even without the strap or the lap support it's easy to hold.

Plugged into a standard guitar ampa Tech21 Trademark 30the sound was not very goodtoo much of that piezo twang, and an uneven balance. But plugged into the high-impedance (10 megohm) input of my Acoustic Image Contra, the sound was surprisingly goodbetter than a lot of much more expensive, piezo outfitted instruments I've tried. Using my K&K Preamp with a short (6") patch cord also delivered a much improved sound.

In summary, I'm very happy with this guitar (in fact, I've got in on my lap as I type this). It's tiny enough to travel everywhere, and with the right amplification, it sounds very good. In fact, I'm thinking the Traveler bass guitar might be a nice addition to the collection, too.

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This is no Strat. It is no Dreadnaught. But it is a very nice little practice guitar. Fit and finish make it a real musical instrument, not a toy. Stays in tune. Sounds very good through a Rowland Micro Cube amp. I haven't found a satisfactory headphone amp yet.

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First of all I love this as a travel guitar. And I'm considering adding other models to my collection, even though I don't really need them. It took me a while to decide if I wanted the Original Escape, the Pro, or the Ultra Light-Acoustic or Electric. In the end I bought the Ultra-light Acoustic.

I wanted something super small so I wouldn't have some excuse not to take it with me on long overseas trips. I really liked the Pro, but I wasn't thrilled about the little wooden leg support. And unlike my ultra-light which I have the option of not using, the pro-needs the wooden leg attached to work, and it seems like it would take more time to set up. The metal leg brace on the ultra pops in a second (it looks weird but it works nicely!)

And there are a few reports of the pro and the wood brace cracking as well. So I decided to stay away from it.

The ultra Light has a nice ebony fretboard, the tuning is a little odd, but you quickly get used to it. Changing strings takes a little getting used to but isn't really a problem. The Guitar seems to stay in tune very well and the neck was nice and straight with no Truss adjustments needed..

There is no volume adjustment, so you need to adjust the volume from your amp. Sounds from the Pizo pickup is good, and when I went into my VOX AC-30 with a little overdrive sounded just like an electric guitar...

My major issue was the the string action, admittedly I like really low string action on acoustics and ones that tend to play like electrics(I like taylor acoustics for this reason). But the action as shipped was usable at the low frets, but at the higher frets above about 12 made flat picking a chore.

However I simply adjusted the saddle (basically a guitar setup procedure where you file/sand down the saddle until you get to the string height). If you know how to do this aready it is pretty easy on this guitar as the saddle is removable, if not then any guitar shop/Luthor will do it for you.

Once I adjusted this, I love the feel. I have acoustic strings on it and it feels a lot like my Les Paul or my Taylors. (Note it has a 24 1/2" scale which is on the low side of what is considered a standard. Les Pauls are ~24 3/4, Strats are 25 1/2". But it is certainly normal, not short like some of the other funky travel guitars out there.

To compare, I did first buy a Washburn Rover which had glowing reviews, however I thought it was a piece of junk. Very toy like and had terrible neck feel and string action. Returned it right away. However this is a very playable guitar even for an experiance guitarist like my self. Good for travel and just practicing on the couch.

However be aware that with acoustic strings you aren't going to get much sound out of it without an amp (compared to a normal acoustic). I don't really care since I often play or practice my electrics not plugged in. So this probably isn't for you if you want to sit around the campfire and entertain. However I would recommend for an easy guitar to take with you anywhere.

In it's case it is really small and easily carried over shoulder and can be wedged into a tight space in a bag bin on an airplane. Looks kind of like a short shotgun when in it's case..

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The Traveler Ultra Light serves it's purpose as an easily packable full-scale travel guitar. Put on a decent strap and it's not hard to get use to playing. The problem I have encountered is that it does not have a built in headphone amp and I haven't found one that is very compatible with it. The Pocket Rock-it sounds pretty good but the positioning and size of it make it awkward to use since it gets in the way of your strumming arm. I bought a Dean Markley travel amp with a 3" speaker and it doesn't sound very good with the piezo pick-up on the guitar. Its very "quacky" and plastic sounding. Plugged into a full-size amp, this guitar sounds great but that kind of defeats the purpose of the travel concept. I have never tried the Traveler Pro-Series, which has the piezo pick-up, single coil pick-up and stethophone or the Traveler Escape, which has a built in headphone amp but I would recommend those over the Ultra-Light. The materials on the Ultra-Light are high quality and it is very well made so I would think other products from this company are as well. I will probably buy another Traveler brand guitar in the future.

After looking at many of the travel guitars I decided to purchase the Traveller Ultra-light. At 3 pounds and 28 inches it fits nicely into my 28" rolling airline bag. The quality is excellent. I use it with a laptop computer as an amp while on the road. I am very happy with this Guitar.

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Bose SIE2i Sport Headphones - Purple

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List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $149.95
Today's Bonus:

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Reviewer Disclaimer: This was received as a Review Product for the Amazon Vine Program. This program does NOT compensate nor reward for positive reviews.

**

Perhaps my greatest sin in reviewing the co-branded Bose/Reebok SIE2 is being a devotee to Bose products. The Wave Radio is simply fantastic (albeit massively outdated in interface and inputs), their Quiet Comfort headphones stellar in both noise cancellation and output quality. Thus, my expectations for the SIE2 were fairly high.

I wouldn't say the SIE2 disappoints me, rather didn't over-impress for its price point. To elaborate, the SIE2 are fairly well made, a slightly grade above equivalent Sennheiser's in cord thickness/texture and finish (including optional extension cord). The ear pieces (hard plastic component) are probably the best I've seen for sport headphones re: perceived durability. (I've been saddened by many a sport earbud style headphone crack apart due to low durability at the ear piece cover point.) Silicone attachment for the ears come in the usual suspects of 3 sizes, the 'insert and twist' variety so common to semi-waterproof headphones needed to keep them snug. As usual, the medium (default) size felt best...but never perfect.

Related and perhaps the most interesting aspect of the SIE2 is the shape and insertion angle of the ear pieces. In comparison to the circular insertion points of competitors, the SIE2 uses a thinner, low profile compressed oval. In tandem, the different size silicone ear piece covers vary only in the ear 'turn/tighten' versus insertion component. This design allows for a better feel inside the ear, also a decreased likelihood of popping out during exercise. Meaning, the SIE2 ear pieces due to their thinness and shape slide more naturally into the ear versus force-fitting a rounded rubber end conducive to sliding out via sweat. I wouldn't, however, declare the SIE2 any more/less comfortable than the alternatives. My ears still got sore after extended use.

The accompanying, adjustable armband is solid quality, around the $15-20 price point if purchased separately. Note that it's only designed for an iPhone and/or Ipod Touch. Also and logically, these devices would need to be removed from any case before insertion into the band. My iPhone 4 felt pretty snug/safe in the armband, the device evenly weighted when attached to my arm. Perhaps the greatest value add (for the fashion conscious among us) of the armband is its color match to the rest of the SIE2.

Arguably the most important variable here is sound quality...and this is where I couldn't give the SIE2 a perfect rating. Sound quality is sharp, distinct, but admittedly nothing that stands apart from lesser priced Sennheiser or even much lower grade headphones. There wasn't a single range of audio (high, medium or low tones) that truly shined via the SIE2...but also none that really struggled. Meaning, these are good headphones in audio quality, but not significantly better than what is out there. And they certainly are not Bose high end.

As a sum of parts, the SIE2 fares well to competitors, worth a good look based on perceived durability (I'd have to test it for months to conclude final verdict) and comparisons. Still, I can't help but recommend a slightly less comfortable alternative, but one literally 1/5th the price MEElectronics M6-CL Sport Sound-Isolating In-Ear Headphones for iPod, iPhone, MP3/CD/DVD Players Clear with arguably similar build quality, better audio, but no armband.

If you're craving an armband (and thanks to fellow Amazon'er Emre Isiklar for the head's up): MEElectronics Sport Fi S6 In-Ear Sport Headphone System with Armband, Carry Case for iPhones/iPods/MP3 Players and Smartphones Red/Black.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Generally I'm not a fan of ear bud headphones, least of all for rigorous activity such as running, but these Bose headphones are a rare exception to a grocery list of qualms I tend to have with the style.

Firstly these actually stay in my ears without requiring periodic adjustment. I regularly run long distance at a fairly aggressive pace and haven't encountered a problem with these slipping around even slightly. Perhaps I lucked out but the default buds fit me perfectly; it goes without saying that your mileage may vary in that respect but the box also includes a couple more sets. Calling these buds is slightly misleading I suppose as they're more ergonomic to the inner shape of your ear compared to simply jamming a silicone nub in to your ear hole. All things considered exceptional design for extended wear particularly in light of their designated purpose.

Secondly the sound is completely respectable. Buds can lose a lot of sound quality to poor fit in my experience so going back to point one these already had a leg up in the nice snug fit but outside of that they produce surprisingly rich and full sound. I generally run with my volume just short of maximum with 'lesser' headphones (Sony MDR-J10 , cheap, fairly secure on the ear, get the job done) to curb the inevitable distortion I tend to see at peak volume but these also jump right up to maximum while maintaining the sound quality. I wouldn't go so far to call these audiophile headphones by any means so perhaps the price is somewhat suspect in that regard but they are still good easy listening headphones to be certain and hands down the best set of sport headphones I've ever had in terms of audio quality.

Last but not least is thoughtful yet simple features. The cord is splittable which at its shortest is pretty much the perfect length for an armband phone/mp3 player while at its longest will reach my waist (5'10" dude) without an excess of cable tangling up. It also comes with a shirt clip which plenty of headphones come with but worth mentioning. It's good for tethering the cable in place to avoid raking your hands on the cord and yanking them out while running or what have you. All of the materials inspire a fair amount of confidence in their weather and wear resistance but that isn't something I can confirm just yet.

The headphones also come with a pretty decent Reebok armband. While I can't really give credit to Bose for the armband I will say kudos for throwing it in there. The armband itself, despite a lack of adjustment aside from its elastics, features numerous entry points for headphone cables depending on the design of your device, a velcro cord wrap, and enough room for smaller phones (iPhone 4, HTC Aria...).

All things considered these are easily my new favorite running headphones. They really deliver on all fronts in really sensible ways as a de facto sport headphone unlike any number of things with 'sport' tacked on as an afterthought. The price is a little up there but even still I'd recommend them in spite of that when I stop to think about the oodles of other headphones I've purchased over the years.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I'll start simple... I love these headphones. I'd add a half star if we could. I'm not a headphone connoisseur, but I know what makes me pick a pair, so I'll try to outline those areas in my review.

Package: The package was nothing to behold. Simple box with a plastic container inside. The plastic container is a pain to open. Be very careful not to cut the headphone cables or your hand as you cut it open. They do give a few starter holes to get your scissors started. Just cut the dotted lines and then tear it open with your hands. The box contains the headphones (31 inch cord), 3 sets of ear tips, a 21 inch extension cord, a shirt clip, a Reebok armband, and the usual papers. Fortunately, the light lime green color of the headphones, cord, and armband is not over the top annoying. All in all, a nice set.

Comfort: The product comes with a few ear tip sizes(small, medium, and large), so you can find the best fit. They are all in the StayHear design. You'll want to choose the best fitting tips to get the best sound. I will say that the tip design is by far my favorite configuration. It fits in the ear snug, but remains comfortable. And you don't have to shove the tip in your ear to get it to stay put. It uses the countour of your ear to hold it in place. The medium was a perfect fit for me. I can enjoy them for long workouts.

Sound: I use these with an iPhone 4 and can compare them to a few lower end earbud headphone sets, the old style Apple ear buds, a circumaural pair, and a set of Etymotic HF3 in-ears. I'll repeat, I'm not a connoisseur. But, short and sweet, these are the best sounding headphones I own. One complaint I had with the Etymotic set is that the bass was very weak (they have excellent highs though). This Bose set shines. The sound these produce is an excellent blend of all ranges. Vocals soar, and bass is plenty. High volume or low, they handle it. And a nice addition is that the design of the ear tips limits external noise.

Construction: Nice thin and straight plug connector, which is very helpful with some of the device cases these days. The cable is very thin, so I assume the insulation is not much to praise. Fortunately, there is plenty of extra surround near the ear pieces and plugs. And the ear tips don't look like they'll degrade or rip without a lot of abuse.

Convenience: There is no mic or remote with this set. Be sure to look at the SIE2i set for those features. I appreciate the extension cord rather than having one long cord. I usually use an armband, so the shorter cord means that I don't have to feed the cable through my shirt or wrap it.

Armband: If you have larger arms, this is not for you. There is a nice velcro flap to make it fit smaller arms and to hold any extra slack in your cable. There is also an ID and key pouch. It also has multiple hole locations to accomodate different headphone port locations. However, as many phones are getting larger, this will not fit them. It's a challenge to get the iPhone 4 in there. The power button is easy to access, but the volume buttons not so much. The touch screen works fine through the cover. A big plus of this armband is that the pouch for the phone/device is lined to keep moisture out. And there is a nice flap that goes over the top to assist in weather/sweat protection. I will probably use armbands I already own, but it is nice that Bose and Reebok included the armband for those in need of one.

Price: For the price, they should have incuded the mic and remote feature; instead of creating an additional model with those features. I also wish they came with a small carrying case. But, overall, these headphones are worth the premium price, and I hope to enjoy them for many workouts to come.

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These are the greatest! I would definitely spend twice as much for this excellent level of sound. Buy right now.

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The sound on these are fine but the microphone and controls break very easily. Bose will replace the headphones when this happens, which is nice, but I would rather just have headphones that actually work.

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Koss KSC32L Fitclips Headphones, Lime

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List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $29.99
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I'm one of those people who could never find earbuds that stay put. I mean never. Ever. The slightest movement of my head and the buds would fall out. But these really do stay in place. It's not just because of the clip that goes over your ear--it's that there are three sizes of 'buds' included so you can choose your best fit. The smallest set worked for me.

I love Koss products, both for the sound and the lifetime warranty, and have had them for years. I have two other Koss headphones, PortaPros and a pair of KSC-75, and the sound on the FitClips is not as rich as the other two. No surprise as they are so much smaller. But the sound is very good. And trading off a bit of sound quality for a good fit is worth it to me.

I bought the FitClips so I could use them with my iPhone 5 for workouts. On my first try, they didn't work. I had no sound at all through the headphones. It took me a while to figure out that my LIfeProof case was the reason. It doesn't let the plug insert fully into the phone. But the case does come with an adapter for headphones. I'd totally forgotten about that and once I connected the adapter, I had sound.

I'm very happy with this pair of headphones. And love the color, though it's more yellow than lime. Think highlighter yellow. I wish I'd known the case would be an issue, but happily it was a fixable issue. Hope that sharing my experience about the case will save others some frustration.

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Once you start running, you won't have to reach up and jab a finger into your ear to keep your ear bud in. You won't know what to do with your hands now when you run. Be careful because they do cancel out sound and so if you're running outside, be aware. These are pretty fabulous worry free, so you can focus on other things and not on your motivational sounds slipping out of your ear.

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I've always had a really hard time using headphones. They never stay in ears and I can't enjoy whatever I'm listening to because I'm constantly fiddling with the headphones. This is the first time I haven't had that problem! They fit perfectly in my ears. The sound quality is fantastic. They're great for working out/being active or just general use. The cable is very sturdy and I love the mint color!

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Love these earphones. Originally bought it because of its awesome warranty. Easy to put on and it STAYS on during my intense runs.

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Sent one to my sister. Designed for women's ears. Really works ! Looking forward to other products by same people.

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Fender Mustang II Electric Guitar Amplifier

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List Price: $269.99
Sale Price: $199.99
Today's Bonus: 26% Off

• 40 Watts
• 1-12" Fender® Special Design Speaker
• One channel (with 24 presets)
• Controls: Gain, Volume, Treble, Bass, Master, Preset Select, Modulation Select, Delay/Reverb Select, Save Button, Exit Button, Tap Tempo Button

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As far as amps that model vintage tones. This is the best.

For my ear, Line 6, Vox, Crate, Digitech etc are nowhere near the Fender Mustang if you are comparing Vintage tones.

I have played amps and effects from many companies, as well as many of the 'hybrid amps' that combine tube and digital tones, and if you are looking for the best recreation of Vintage Blues, Rock, Hard Rock, Country tones... the type of tones that you get from some of the famed Fender amps, the Mustang Series is as good as you are going to do.

I originally bought the Mustang I for my 9 year old son to be his first practice amp and when we hooked it up for him, I could hardly let him play.

The tone editing is easy through the controls on the amp. It is easy and straight forward to see what you need to do to tweak your sound just by turning knobs. When you add the Fender FUSE to the mix and start to download new tones from the web and tweak it with dozens of stomp boxes and effects that are free to play with and try and keep on your amp this is an amazing value. (not to even mention the Ableton recording software that comes for free with the amp.)

The reason I love this amp is because of the faithful recreation of the great Fender amps like the Bassman, Deluxe Reverb, and Twin Reverb. I have never heard a digital sound replicate tube amps even close to this well.

I have heard several people say that they would never buy this amp because it is not a tube amp or because they are not computer savvy.

For the Tube amp snobs...

Nothing is going to match the sound of a really great Fender Tube amp. But if you want to recreate great fender amps at low volumes the Mustang will be a great practice amp for you. OR... if you want to bring an amp to practice that weighs a fraction of what your Fender Tube amps weighs, the mustang is a great choice. I am selling my only tube amp now that I have the Mustang II because I don't gig and really need an amp that I can practice with at night while the kids are in bed.

For the Non-Computer folk...

There is plenty to keep you occupied on this amp without ever plugging it into a computer. And if you want to give it a try, it couldn't be easier to download new sounds and tweak your favorite tones.

For the Metalheads...

This amp probably is not for you. Go try and buy a higher gain Line 6 or the Vox ADT series of hybrid amps to get some really heavy tones. There are some decent metal tones to download on the FUSE, but the real strength of this amp is Vintage tones.

Let me make it clear! I played my son's Squier Mini guitar through this amp and it sounds really amazing. I have a Fender Strat, Squier Tele and a Les Paul and they all sound amazing in this amp.

This is the first piece of guitar equipment that has given me absolutely NO buyers remorse. Unbeatable value. A great toy. A perfect practice tool. You can't beat it.

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I can't say enough about how impressed I am with this amplifier. Fender has really packed a load of usable features into an affordable, excellent sounding package. I've had the amp for two weeks now and am still exploring all of its capabilities, but it's one of the most exciting guitar products to come my way in years.

First of all, the different amp presets sound absolutely killer and the included FUSE software allows for easy editing and you can store an unlimited number of presets on your computer. There are many amp models and effects to choose from and the FUSE interface is so simple even an old school knob twirler like myself can handle it. Using the computer, you can replace the factory presets on the amp with your own, making it a truly custom amplifier.

Secondly, I was really impressed with the sound I can get from the amplifier. I have always preferred tube to solid state and this is the first modeling amp I've really been impressed with. It just sounds fantastic, with real differences between the various amp models you can choose from. It's been a real treat to be able to explore the different models, such as the Bassman, the Deluxe, Princeton, Twin, and other Fender and non-Fender amplifiers. The 12" speaker sounds great and the forty watts provides plenty of power, at least for my purposes.

Lastly, Fender has outdone themselves with the options they include. The amp features an input for your audio/MP3 player-great for those of us who like to practice along with music, a headphone output that doubles as a speaker emulator for recording, and a USB connection for connecting to the FUSE software and recording software. Fender has also included free recording software (Ableton) and their Amplitube software (as seen on the most recent iPad commercial). And you get all of this for two hundred bones. Well done, Fender!

If you're interested in this amplifier, do yourself a favor and check out the demo video on Fender's website. It's a really nice overview of the features and they also have sound samples of some of the presets you can listen to. The amp sounds just as good in person.

(The Mustang I is a 20 watt amp with an 8" speaker, but has all of the same goodies as the II if you don't need the power and want to save a hundred bucks.)

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I bought this amp to play my guitar in a jazz trio-guitar, piano, violin. When I listened to the amp by itself, it sounded fine, other than most of the amp settings have oodles of fuzz in them which doesn't really work with jazz. O.K., I found a couple settings (twin reverb, e.g.) that sounded clean enough...but when playing with the other two instruments, the bass response of the Mustang II is totally lost. Make no mistake, you get a lot of goodies to play with, including the cool, but poorly documented FUSE software (hack around, you can make it work). I'd suggest this amp for someone who is starting to play and wants to get a feeling for what effects (chorus, flange, etc.) they like; what kind of reverb (hall, room, etc.), if they like a modelling amp, etc.etc. But I think you'll be very disappointed in the tone if you play even at very moderate volume levels with others....it is a very "bright" amp-you hear the high tones well-too well, really, but you might as well not have that low E string on your guitar. Maybe they really meant this amp to be used with electric ukuleles.:>}

UPDATE: After using the FUSE software for awhile, I found out that you can have better bass response and a cleaner sound than those awful presets that come with the amp...as one reviewer noted, the first thing to do is to get rid of the presets, hook up the FUSE software to your amp and choose some presets to replace the factory presets that work for your kind of music, in my case, jazz. Don't just pick a factory preset that you figure is "good enough", like I did before I wrote the original review...there really are a bundle of good presets that I figure were developed by teenagers that can't read music or tab, but have great ears.:>} (just jealous).

Here's a quick guide to the FUSE software:

1.After the software has been loaded from the disc, you will have to register-hit "logon" and follow instructions.

2. Now to load a preset: go back to the FUSE software (a picture of an amp with oodles of hyperlinks should be on the screen). IGNORE all the hyperlinks except the one on the right that says Media Library. Click on that link-you are now there!

3.On the middle of the screen there are the words (hyperlinks) "Computer Amp Web". Click on Web and a very long list of presets will appear-pick one that looks good to you and RIGHT CLICK on it-it will say Download Preset-click on that. Your guitar is connected to your computer with the USB chord and the amp is on, right? Also make sure the PRESET knob is turned so you see a red or green light-if the light is amber, turn the knob until you have a red or green selection.

4. Plug in your guitar and play the preset you just selected from the Web menu and see if you like it-if not, go to Media Library, pick another one, RIGHT CLICK and download...ah, that's the one? On your amp, press SAVE-it will start to blink; press SAVE again-the preset has now replaced one of the aforementioned awful factory presets on your amp.

5. Turn the Preset knob to another red or green position (so you don't over-write the preset you just saved), go back to the Media Library and repeat the process until you've replaced all the red and green presets you want to; you can always over-write any preset later that you decide wasn't all that good after all.

I thought I'd toss these brief instructions in because the manual instructions are, well, manual instructions....you have to hack around a bit to get the idea. Hope these hints were of help. You might want to look at the "Comments" section on this review for suggested presets with the FUSE software that are cleaner than the factory versions.

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I passed on all the Fender G-Dec units for years,(still glad I did), instead buying the Line 6 Spyder Jam and then a Line 6 Spyder IV. They are both great amps for sure, but for the money, Fender has really got this one right. The clean tones on this are just great. The ability to modify with FUSE is an additional layer of gravy. The amp is just about perfect for bedroom, studio or practice. I bet more than a few of these quietly show up in Nashville studios...

I still love my Line 6 units, especially my Spyder Jam cause I can play along with tracks, and I love the accuracy of the models in the Line 6 Spyder IV. But if you are in the market for a great practice amp, or an amp that will take you from super clean to vintage dirty for special effects on a demo, Fender hits the mark on this one. It's just ridiculous what is in this for $199.

I compared this to a VOX Valve modeling amp, not even a contest. Against a Spyder IV, individual tastes will vary.

Only complaint is the "stacking" of the six effects onto just two knobs. But that is a minor complaint. Most people don't use chorus and flange at the same time anyway.

If you are in the market for a cheap, reliable modeling amp that is less cost than a Digitec RP500 pedal, you owe yourself to look at this thing. Right now, it is the biggest bang for the buck. I only wish I had bought the Mustang III, but it was not available yet when I purchased.

After reading reviews and watching several online demos, I was convinced this amp was worth a try. Considering I do at least 85% of my playing while 3 kids are sleeping in the house, I wanted something that sounded good at low volumes and ideally through headphones as well. I am a compulsive tinkerer on my PC, so the USB-powered Fuse was icing on the cake for me.

First the bad: My initial impression when unboxing the amp was that it felt a bit cheap and toy-like. The knobs look and feel fragile and the black covering looks cheap with obvious seams visible. The light weight makes it feel as if it may break if I sit or stand on it. The jacks (including main input) are clad in black plastic instead of metal. Most of the presets didn't seem very usable out of the box as they were too "processed" for my taste. Too much compression, reverb, etc. The Bassman and Twin Reverb were exceptions and I found them usable without much tweaking.

Now the good: I have played through a variety of modeling amps/software from the roland cube to amplitube and some of the iphone/ipad stuff. This is by far the best sound I have heard from something that does not have tubes in it. The ability to run my ipod directly into the amp with backing tracks is a huge benefit. I find the amp great for hassle-free recording as well (with surprisingly good results). It is really fun to tweak and create various sounds using the Fuse software. I plan on using this amp as my ONLY amp for playing at home. I'll keep the micro cube for when I need to be on batteries, but that's about it.

A few final notes: Make sure to update the firmware as there have been improvements and this will possibly improve sound if you have an earlier build (did on mine). One word of caution my glowing review is from someone who plays blues, funk, and vintage tones almost exclusively. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this for metal or more aggressive styles. For all this does, it is money well spent and provides a great-sounding practice amp at all volumes (and through headphones). Don't forget to download other users' presets and additional fender presets. Takes about 5 seconds to add them, try them, and decide to keep or not...

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Mini Guitar Headphone Amp Pocket Amplifier Super Lead Sound Joyo JA-03

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $13.99
Today's Bonus:

• Sound Effect : Super Lead Sound
• Mp3 input jack:3.5mm
• Power: AAA battery, 2 pieces(included)
• Earphone input jack:3.5mm

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Joyo, for those unfamiliar, is a Chinese company (or perhaps "manufacturer", more accurately) that has gained some popularity in the past few years by "cloning" the circuitry of popular boutique guitar effects pedals, encasing them in a new form factor, and selling them at a price ($35 to $55) far more affordable than their boutique equivalents. The Joyo JA-03 series of Mini Headphone Amps appears to be a clone of the Vox Amplug series, which is quickly gaining popularity as a plug-in headphone amplifier with analog circuitry and surprisingly good tones. However, whereas the Vox Amplug costs either $40 or $50, these Joyo models can be had for as little as $10-$15, shipping included.

While I was a fan of some of the Joyo pedals, I was understandably skeptical that the Joyo could match the quality of the Vox Amplug. Also, since the two Amplugs I own (AC30 and Satriani) do not match up one-to-one with the "Super Lead", it is not a true comparison. However, I can say that the Joyo JA-03 is a very useful device, and given the affordability of these headphone amps, there really is no reason for any guitarist not to own at least one of the Vox or Joyo plug amps.

On the Joyo "Super Lead", you get three dials (Volume, Tone, Gain), but they are not numbered in anyway. This seems like a big deal, but actually it isn't, because the controls get bumped a lot anyway, and you can't see the settings on the bottom of the guitar as you play. Most of the time, you will be reaching down to the three dials and adjusting as you play. I opted for Super Lead because I thought it would be different than the two Vox plugs I already had, and it is. It probably has the highest gain of the three, but the sound quality is also not quite up to par with the Vox plugs. That's not to say that it's "bad" by any means I actually was quite happy with it. But the tone doesn't punch through quite as clearly, and there's also some feedback that happened if I put the gain up to 90% to 100%. Fortunately, there's no need to do that, as you get plenty of gain (and no feedback) at a slightly lower setting.

As for durability, it is a concern with both the Vox and the Joyo models, but there are some additional corners cut on the Joyo. The power switch could fail over time, and the 2 AAA batteries rest loosely against a circuit board inside the device. However, given the low cost and limited real estate, this is not particularly surprising. My model worked fine out of the packaging, and I would not lose sleep if a $15 item such as this failed.

If you're new to headphone amps altogether, I recommend the Vox Amplug AC30 ($39.99) over this one. If you're specifically looking for a heavy distorted tone to play riffs, I think the Vox Metal Amplug is the best option (from what I've read). For sustained solos, however, I think the JA-03 Super Lead is a nice alternative to the Vox "Lead" and "Joe Satriani" signature. Both of those are better devices (and feature a delay effect), but they are $49.99. I think the Vox plugs are more than fairly priced, but at only $15, I could see owning one or more of these Joyos as well, and leaving them all over the house. If I was rating the Joyo strictly from a cost vs. value standpoint, I'd give it a 5-star rating without a doubt, but given the affordabilitytt and better quality of the Vox, I think 4 stars is more appropriate.

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Superlux HD-385 In-Ear Stereo Headphones

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $14.95
Today's Bonus:

I have the previous model, the HD-381 series, all the 3 models, and wrote review about it in Head-Fi (by Earfonia). So I will compare HD-385 more or less with the HD-381, especially 381F.

HD-385 Tonal balance is neutral bright, more emphasize on midrange to upper midrange. Nice treble, good clarity, enough sparkle without being harsh or prone to sibilant. The bass is rather weak, less power than HD-381F. It is not really rolled off, but shelved down bass, meaning although bass quantity is less than average, the bass extends quite low, which is nice. HD-381F on the other hand, has more bass, fuller body midrange, and softer treble. Overall, HD-381F suits my preference better.

HD-385, like the HD-381 series, is a semi open design, meaning noise isolation is less than average noise isolation IEM. Good and bad. The bad is, HD-385 sounds best only in relatively quiet environment, not good for noisy environment. The good from the semi open design, is the absent (or very minimum) of driver's housing / shell distortion (resonant & reflection), that generally reduces clarity and causing other tonal balance abnormality. Clarity on HD-385 is very good, especially for IEM in this price range. The imaging is also good, feel more open, no narrow or congested imaging.

Detail is pretty good. Not up to the level of micro driver detail like my favorite JVC HA-FXD80, but definitely sufficient detail, especially for modern pop music to be enjoyable (a bit lacking for classical).

Dynamic is average, like many earbuds in this price range, not great dynamic, just sufficient.

Overall HD-385 is musical budget IEM with good clarity, good comfort, but the bass level is lower than what I like. I would give 4 stars if HD-385 has the bass of HD-381F. And I like the HD-385 1.2 meter cable better than the 60 cm cable of the HD-381 series.

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for the money, these are probably going to be hard to beat. only 4 stars because they are a great upgrade over most headphones that come with phones or music players, but there is still more to be desired

for in-ear/ear buds the only comparison i can make are to the denon ah-c260 which are around $22. these superlux are quite a bit cheaper

pros(and ways its better than the denon ah-c260)

fit they fit really really good. i can yawn, sleep, whatever and they dont come out or wiggle and start leaking sound

sound im not an audiophile and im not good at explaining it, but these are more clear, more bass. i dont know if burn in time stuff is real, but if it is, these havent had much so they will only get better if that stuff is true.

price cheap! better(or at least equal) than some that cost more(denon ah-c260)

i havent had them long or used them much so if i have any durability problems ill update, promise

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First of all, the total quality of these phones is that of the custom ones rather than universal phones. For instance, the general level of my Superlux HD-381F is that of my Westone W4, EarSonics SM3 and TDK BA-200, but the tonal condition of this set is more complete than the tonality of the HD-381F and better than all those and all the universal earbuds I have, except AKG-K3003i or T-PEOS H200 if ever.

It is never easy for the phone addicts like me to minimalize the quantity of their phones, because every high level of phones has its special individuality. But the HD-381F is the great helper for me in minimalizing my lots of earphones and helps me to put all my universal earphones aside to sell in the future.

I regard my Unique Melody Miracle are the Best ones among all earphones for classical music and romantic music as I am doing Beyerdynamic T1 among all headphones, while my Westone ES5 for romanctic music and electronic one, including FOSTEX T50RP/TH600/900 for romantic music. But my actual favorite earbuds for enjoying music with ease are these HD-385 for classical music and romantic one, Superlux HD681 headphones for the rock with romantic music and prefer DENON AH-D950(former flagship) together with Grado ps500 to FOSTEX T50RP/TH600/900, LCD-2/3, HE500/6 and needless to say DENON AH-D 2000/5000/7000 for romantic music and electronic one.

The great job the Taiwanese company of these phones is that they make the listeners easy to enjoy their music with maximizing the key point the listeners subconsciously demand for enjoying the music.

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HOSA TOSLINK to mini-Toslink FIBER-OPTIC CABLE, 10 ft.

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $24.50
Sale Price: $12.17
Today's Bonus: 50% Off

I use this product to connect my Apple Airport Express to my home stereo system. Airport Express has a 3.5mm mini-jack audio output which doubles as an optical output. This is the cable you need to use that output for connection to your home stereo's optical input ports.

Mine works great.

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I felt I should enter this review because I wish I would have learned that this is NOT the usual 3.5mm adapter that most of us are used to (digital coax). I admit that there is no misinformation on the description of the product but I was looking for a 3.5mm male adapter to use with a digital pc speaker system. This would not work because it is a fiber not a digital coax which is needed. Yes, it works with most Apple 3.5mm connections because they support Mini Toslink (fiber and digital coax support). Unfortunately, the shipping and restock fees do not make it worth sending back so it will gather dust in my cable collection until I find a use for it. I still gave it 4 stars because the quality seems good.

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I purchased this item to connect a mac mini to my home theater audio reciever so I could get 5.1 surround sound while streaming my media. It works perfect and the sound is great! The only downside to this is that it doesn't "snap" into place so if I move the mac mini around it easily falls out. I think the problem is more on the mac's side rather than this cable b/c all the other cables connected to the mini seem to act the same way.

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This product connects the optical jack on my Logitech Z-5500 speakers to my Macbook Pro's 3.5mm audio jack which doubles as an optical port. It does exactly what it's supposed to, and at a good price.

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I purchased to connect my laptop to a surround sound system. It works, after some configuration, without flaw. The cable itself is a bit thin and delicate feeling, but it's worked for many many years without any hiccups until just recently. If it goes out, I will absolutely buy this product again.

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Orange Amplifiers Micro Terror MT20 20W Hybrid Guitar Amp Head (Standard)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $199.00
Sale Price: $149.00
Today's Bonus: 25% Off

• Volume, Tone and Gain controlSingle channel hybridTube preamp with solid state power ampAux input for MP3 or CD20W1 12AX7

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I'll start off by saying that I'm a proud owner of:

Gibson ES125 Acoustic/Electric

Pono MSD-E

Blackheart BH5H

Blackheart BH110

A Weber Vintage Series 10A125 (10 inch, 8 ohm, 30 watts) in an open back, solid pine cabinet

A Jensen Mod 10-50 (10 inch, 4ohm, 50 watts)

All tube Fender Tweed Champ

Now that you know the gear I have, what I can play through an amp, and what I can plug an amp head into, I'll sum up my review with this:

What you get out of this amp is completely dependent on your speaker cab, the cables you use, and how clean your power is. Got good gear? This little amp will sound great.

The Details

The amp itself is tiny. I have an Electro-Harmonix pedal that's bigger than this amp! Still, it packs a punch. With the gain at about 1/3 up and the volume at half, I get great clean tone and enough volume for a small venue. Crank the gain up more and it gets louder and more distorted as you go. Yes, this little amp will go from Jazz & Country to Rock & Metal with a twist of a dial.

The line in and headphones jacks are a nice touch that none of my other amps have. If you want to quietly play along with some tunes, you can. Practice time just got better for your neighbors.

The one lone tube in the Micro Terror is the pre-amp tube. Mine came stock with a JJ Tubes 12AX7. I understand that's standard. A JJ is nice, but it will *not* warm up this little hybrid enough for you to get even a whiff of tube tone. Dig out an old Phillips, RCA, Sylvania, or GE to get this guy to sound a bit like its big brother. I had an old GE made in Great Britain lying around and popped it in my Micro Terror: warmed it right up; cleaned up a bunch of high-end tinniness.

Still, compared to my two-tube BH5H or my all tube Champ, this guy does sound more solid state than anything. BUT, compared to a buddy's Roland and solid state Ampeg, it's downright mellow.

No effects loop means that your time-based effects (reverb, echo, chorus) can get noisy. So, if you like pedals, stock up on 9 volt batteries to avoid power adapter noise add in.

Speaking of power adapters: a previous reviewer is right. The external power brick for this guy seems fragile. I'm not a fan of the thin line from the brick to the amp. It's holding up, but one round with my cat and I'll be looking for a new power supply.

The Rub

Annoyance #1: One cheap cable anywhere in the mix will result in annoying HISS even at low volumes. I found that out quickly. So, get a proper speaker cable and a high end instrument cable or you will hate this amp. I'm running it with a GLS 12 gauge speaker cable and a Planet Waves American Stage instrument cable both available here at Amazon or any good guitar shop.

Annoyance #2: This is a 20 watt amp, right? WELL... if you don't run a 4ohm speaker, you won't get all 20 watts. The Micro Terror self-adjusts to the power needed to drive your speaker by stepping down output. (Yes yes... don't quote physics to me.) At 8ohms, I still get good volume. But at 16ohms (like my BH110) it sounds like a 5 or 7 watt amp. That said, I'm actually a fan of the tone I get with my 8ohm Weber in its pine cab. The 8 inch Jensen speaker in my Champ, while nice, can't put out the low notes like I'd prefer and the Jensen Mod 10-50 is TOO clean. But the Weber 10A125 sounds fantastic to my ears; even with the loss in volume.

Annoyance #3: The Micro Terror is so small and so light, it'll tumble right to the floor if anyone kicks your chord. Unlike a nice 20 pound amp, the chord won't pull out. So: BE CAREFUL.

Mitigation for Annoyance #3: The all steel chassis can handle a tumble from three feet up onto hardwood floors... though, it will gouge your floor.

And then there's the standard annoyance that comes with owning any guitar amplifier: if the power is noisy or ungrounded, you will wind up with hiss no matter what. I always carry a Monster HTS 350 and run my amp through it; that REALLY helps in cleaning up signal noise. (If you don't have one, get one. The 300 & 350 are cheap and they work.)

The Summary

After all that, I can still say: I love this little amp! I've gigged with it and it sings well. Plus, the added gag of tiny ukulele + tiny amp always draws a laugh... until I crank the dial over and shred some faces.

For the price, you can likely afford to pick up $40 worth of guitar/speaker chords and wind up with a healthy rig. And, for the price, this is a solid 4 star amp. I know I'm happy.

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I got one after reading reviews and hearing YouTube demos. Very cool and, yes, very tiny. I use it into with 212 Celestion cab and the level of volume you can get is unbelievable. I haven't confirmed it, but I'd risk saying it's powerful enough to gig with a full band if you can deal with people laughing about how tiny and cute it is. There is some noise when it's cranked, but that's kind of to be expected. The best part is that it sounds almost as good as an all-tube amp and it's only a fraction of the cost. Glad I took the plunge.

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This thing is a great sounding amp and NOT a toy. I have a tiny terror and this thing is very close. I play it out of a vox t112tv cab, that i use for my tiny terror and it sounds great. Its a great practice amp. ive got the 8'' orange speaker cab on the way. so i cant speak for it yet. ive heard they can push a 412 with no trouble. this amp takes pedals well to and this amp smokes the crush amps, so if you got the little extra $. i would go with this. killer tone from orange and its cool as hell.

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Recently built a 2x12 celestion cabinet. My first non combo amp setup. I also had never played tubes before. Did some research and came across this little lunchbox sized amp. I personally was looking for an amp that had a good clean channel. I get all my effects and gain threw my pedalboard so I was not concerned with a high gain amp with a million knobs and buttons. This amp was ecactly what I needed. The tube preamp definately comes threw when cranked. For only 20watts RMS its loud! I have never been past 12 o clock. hooked up to my 2x12 inch 100 watt cab it holds its own to say a Crate/Marshall solidstate 100 watt half stacks. I am very pleased. For $150 your not going to find a better tube hybrid. I highly recomend checking out the rest of the Orange Terror amps. There is a big price jump to fully tube but this will definately give you a good taste of Tube vs solid sound. Dont expect to get all your tone with just the amp. If your looking for metal type gain this will simply highlight what your feeding into it. Its eather Clean and crisp or edgy crunch with this amp. And the tone knob does a good job at eq and shape. I havent jammed with drummer yet but Id feel comfortable gigging a small club venue with this. Before I thought my Line 6 spyder 2 was all I would ever need. Now that I understand the difference older tube technology cane make to your tone Ill never play a solid state unless I must. This amp is tiny but dont let it fool ya. It sounds great threw a 8 inch practice box but you unleash its potential threw a full cab. I also highly recomend a BBE Sonic Maximizer pedal. It will add that punch you wont know how you ever did without. A sonic max will make a descent amp sound like a high end Marshall, and a great amp sound like a Mesa Boogie. It acts like a comp/eq/sustain/drive pedal and makes a clean signal crisp and a dirty one not so abysmal.

At list $150 this is cheaper than most of my pedals, so with an extra speaker cabinet laying around, this was too hard to pass up. It doesn't take much to drive this amp into raging distortion. No pedal I own is capable of producing the huge, vintage, creamy mid-range, saturated sound that this little monster is capable of. It's a personal taste maybe, but I love it for leads and it has been loud enough to cut through loud drums with my cabinet miked. Also it is light enough to carry with 1 finger, something of value for us older folk. On the down side, it does not do clean very well. Some good videos on YouTube check them out.

I've been using it as a second amp, running it off of an AB-Y switch from my pedal board. My main amp is a Dr Z M12 + JBL-E120 (1x12) which I can set crystal clean and then switch to (or add in) the Terror for saturated lead sounds, which I currently have paired with an Alnico Blue (1x12). This makes it possible to have a setup where the speaker matches the amp head in a footprint similar to any 2x12 combo.

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CablesFrLess (TM) Purple 3ft 3.5mm Auxiliary (AUX) Audio Jack cable

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $14.99
Sale Price: $5.99
Today's Bonus: 60% Off

Awesomeeeee!!! And to top it off, is my favorite color too. The delivery wasn't that quick but it's ok. Will buy from them again.

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i have an awesome pc speaker set up but i was missing this cord in order to run it. i had checked everywhere in town before i came here and fouhd 1 so thank you seller you dont even know how badly my neighbors now hate me

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Had it for a week and it quit working.. Wasn't satisfied with it all!! Next time I will just spend more money on one at a store than ordering cheap on here.

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