What is it?
Before you rip my head off for reviewing the most basic of portable guitar amps – the On-Stage Travel Guitar Amplifier – allow me to point out that there’s more to this one than meets the eye.
“Travel” or “portable” amps have been casually lumped in with many others, including “Mini,” “Desktop,” “Practice” and “Headphone,” so narrowing down the plethora of choices becomes a matter of size, sound, features and, for some, price.
And while On-Stage’s Travel Guitar Amp might not be as packed with up-to-date tech as other brands, I say it’s one of the tiniest rechargeable amps with Bluetooth connectivity, full-range sound that’s astoundingly clear, simple two-channel operation and enticing affordability.
Small enough to hold in hand or tuck into your “nu-metal” cargo shorts’ side pocket, On-Stage’s Travel Guitar Amplifier (TGA01) is about the size of a Boss pedal and weighs roughly the same.
Built with a sturdy, hard-molded plastic brick-like frame, the amp has a black basket-weave grille to mask its dual 1.75-inch, full-range speakers, with a top panel that features a mode button (for the clean or overdrive channel); a trio of controls for Gain, Tone and Volume; a Power/Bluetooth button; an indicator light (that flashes when its rechargeable lithium battery power is low or flickers with a prompt sound when Bluetooth is enabled) and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
There’s also a side panel with a 1/4-inch input jack, a Type-C USB charging port and a charging indicator light. The amp is rated at 5 watts and has a battery life of approximately seven hours on a full charge.
Specs
- Launch price: $49.95/£72
- Type: Rechargeable travel guitar amplifer
- Controls: Gain, Tone, Volume, Clean/OD channel switch, Power on/off switch
- Connectivity: 1/4″ instrument input, Bluetooth 3.5mm headphones jack
- Speaker: 2x 1.75” full range speakers
- Power: 5 watts
- Dimensions (HxDxL): 4″ x 2.5″ x 5″
- Weight: 0.65lb/0.29kg
- Options: None
- Contact: Web link here
Usability and sounds
I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical before even plugging into the TGA01, presuming it was some cheap transistorized practice amp with anemic guitar tones. But all my biases were put to rest once I fired it up and heard how surprisingly good this amp sounded with its limited controls and zero effects.
Its OD channel presents the kind of “overdrive that meets distortion,” which doesn’t get mushy or muddy and remains crisp and defined
The cleans were sufficiently clear and present, and its OD channel presents the kind of “overdrive that meets distortion,” which doesn’t get mushy or muddy and remains crisp and defined throughout its range of saturation.
Moreover, when using the TGA01 with its Bluetooth connectivity as a practice tool to hear audio and click tracks, a metronome, or jam along – the two onboard guitar tones have enough favorable character to be distinctly heard.
But if you want depth, run a few modulation and time-based pedals through it for additional coloration. I also pumped a bunch of music from my iPhone to hear how it fared as an audio source.
Verdict
Verdict: ★★★★½
Did it have the complex fidelity found in more sophisticated Bluetooth speakers?
As an affordable on-the-go travel amp and Bluetooth speaker you can tuck in a gig bag, it’s wonderfully uncomplicated and sounds good
Obviously, no, but its clarity and output volume at 5 watts is impressive despite its diminutive size. Sure, there are other desktop and travel amps out there with boatloads of advanced features, but for the TGA01, that was never the point.
As an affordable on-the-go travel amp and Bluetooth speaker you can tuck in a gig bag, it’s wonderfully uncomplicated and sounds good.
Guitar World verdict: At just under $50, the On-Stage Travel Guitar Amplifier is a solid dual-purpose guitar amp and Bluetooth speaker. It might be the smallest of the small, but it’s a Goliath in sound.
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