Budget gear champion Harley Benton has released a pair of wildly affordable $42 desktop amps with the launch of its all-new JAMster series.
Available in guitar and bass amp formats, the two “tabletop titans” offer Bluetooth connectivity, a real estate-saving plastic design, and 5” speakers to project 10 watts of power.
The tiny amps can be powered by standard 9V adapters for impromptu home, office, and coffee shop jams, though AA battery compatibility means players can amplify their playing in a host of off-road venues – like in the middle of a forest, or at the top of a mountain, for example.
Harley Benton is promising a respectable four-and-a-half-hour playtime on a full set of batteries.
Each model has Clean and Overdrive channels, which are activated by a push button found on the amp’s top-mounted control panel. That sits alongside a streamlined parameter set comprising Volume, Tone, and Gain, as well as a button for engaging Bluetooth.
Further still, there’s an input jack – you’d be lost without one – and 3.5mm jacks for headphone operation (in case your neighbors or work colleagues find its output too much) and linking to other speaker outputs.
Such a low price is likely to generate questions over its quality. There are clear indicators that price-reducing measures have been put in place – the plastic housing and definitely-not-a-Celestion-speaker aren’t going to set the world alight, and the lack of a three-band EQ is a shame.
Still, its appeal as a little runaround amp is clear, and it's most certainly one of the cheapest desktop amps currently available on the market.
And for those raising their eyebrows at the prospect of an amp that gives you change from 50 bucks, Thomann’s in-house brand has been banging out affordable gear with solid specs for some time now.
It’s already released budget-friendly replicas of popular electric guitars, including $315 LPs, sub-$400 Strat-a-likes, ash-bodied T-types for $253, and $207 Fender-style basses.
These have been augmented by the likes of smart guitars, amp modelers, pedals, and accessories. It's an impressive stock, to say the least.
The JAMster Guitar and Bass amps are available for $42.75.
Head to Harley Benton to learn more.
Harley Benton launched a Reverb store earlier this year, meaning US players won't have to wait for their budget buys to be shipped over from Germany. “Our philosophy,” the firm said at the time, “is that you should not be limited to a budget to buy the instrument of your dreams.”
