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Thread: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

  1. #1

    Default ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

    The goal here is singalongs with friends and family in very small settings, hotel rooms and living rooms.

    I have been thinking about this for years. What is the smallest/lightest battery-powered rig for an electric? One that is suitcase/airplane friendly. I decided to give the Bose option try, here is the rig:

    - Electric Mando - my new mandostang.
    - Bose SoundLink Mini II - 7x2x2", 1.5 lbs, hard case options available, very suitcase friendly.
    - Pocket Pod (Express) - tiny, enough effects to get by nicely, phone out for Bose's aux in.

    I've had the POD for years, and it's been my goto for headphone practice. The POD has an aux in too, so playalongs with MP3's are possible.

    Speaker arrives this Sunday, first trip is in 2 months.
    Last edited by kurth83; May-17-2019 at 5:28pm.
    Davey Stuart tenor guitar (based on his 18" mandola design).
    Eastman MD-604SB with Grover 309 tuners.
    Eastwood 4 string electric mandostang, 2x Airline e-mandola (4-string) one strung as an e-OM.
    DSP's: Helix HX Stomp, various Zooms.
    Amps: THR-10, Sony XB-20.

  2. #2
    Registered User Rob Ross's Avatar
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    Default Re: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

    I am a complete tyro on trons for strings, but I just bought a NS WAV electric violin to travel with. It makes almost no noise when not amped, but I wanted something to produce real sound if I should find a nearby jam or session I could fiddle at. I ended up getting the oddly named "Aroma AG-03M 5W Portable Rechargeable Multifunction Guitar Amplifier Recorder Speaker" for about $27. It definitely doesn't have the power of the Bose or the processing power of the POD, but it is very small, produces sounds that go from natural violin sound to somewhat distorted electric instrument sounds, and would capably fill the bill for hotel and living room use. It's smaller than a large paperback novel, about 4"x5"x1.5". It evidently can record and play back from a micro-SD card slot. You supply your own card, and I haven't learned how to do the recording trick yet. It charges via USB cable. Additionally, I bought a Smokey Amp, mainly because I always wanted one. Twice as small, no real functions, but it flat out puts out the noise. For headphone-only practice, I use my old Honeytone eStudio, which was incredibly handy for hearing my mandolin while going back and forth to the desert in a C-130.
    Rob Ross
    Apple Valley, Minne-SOH-tah

    1996 Flatiron A5-Performer, 1915 Gibson F-2 (loaned to me by a friend), 2008 Kentucky Master KM-505 A-Model
    1925 Bacon Peerless tenor banjo (Irish tuning), 1985 Lloyd Laplant F-5, 2021 Ibanez PFT2 Tenor Guitar (GDAE)
    and of course, the 1970 Suzuki-Violin-Sha Bowl Back Taterbug

  3. #3
    working musician Jim Bevan's Avatar
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    Default Re: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

    I used the Orange Crush Mini on tour for years, with satisfying results.

  4. #4
    fishing with my mando darrylicshon's Avatar
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    atlanta
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    Default Re: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

    I have about 50 battery operated amps but i use my Roland cubes the most
    Ibanez 70's 524, 521, 3 511's,2 512's,513,1 514,3 80s 513's, 522
    J Bovier F5-T custom shop
    Kiso Suzuki V900,
    The Loar lm600 Cherryburst
    morgan monroe mms-5wc,ovation
    Michael Kelly Octave Mandolin
    Emandos Northfield octave tele 4, Northfield custom jem octave mandolin 5 octave strat 8
    2 Flying v 8, octave 5, Exploryer octave 8 20"
    Fender mandostrat 4,3 Epip mandobird 2,4/8, Kentucky. KM300E Eastwood mandocaster
    Gold Tone F6,Badaax doubleneck 8/6

  5. #5

    Default Re: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

    So I gave it a try...

    The Bose speaker is a bit of a disappointment, the sound quality and power is there, but it has a noticeable delay when producing sound (I am guessing about 20-50 ms, enough you can feel it while playing). It's usable in a pinch, but not an ideal solution.

    Even so, given it's intended purpose, it is usable, and nothing else even comes close in size and power.
    Davey Stuart tenor guitar (based on his 18" mandola design).
    Eastman MD-604SB with Grover 309 tuners.
    Eastwood 4 string electric mandostang, 2x Airline e-mandola (4-string) one strung as an e-OM.
    DSP's: Helix HX Stomp, various Zooms.
    Amps: THR-10, Sony XB-20.

  6. #6
    Registered User rockies's Avatar
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    Default Re: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

    Take a look at the Yamaha THR-10 series , compact, amp modeling, all the effects, programmable, good battery life and lots of tone an sound. All in a lunch box size.
    Dave
    Heiden A, '52 Martin D-18, Taylor 510, Carlson Custom A with Electronics

  7. #7
    Registered Muser dang's Avatar
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    Default Re: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

    Quote Originally Posted by rockies View Post
    Take a look at the Yamaha THR-10 series , compact, amp modeling, all the effects, programmable, good battery life and lots of tone an sound. All in a lunch box size.
    Dave
    I have one of these, works great with rechargeable batteries or plugged in. Expensive but cool.
    I should be pickin' rather than postin'

  8. #8

    Default Re: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

    I have a THR-10, love it, it's my goto practice amp, I have used it onstage as a monitor a few times too. Too big for a suitcase though.

  9. #9

    Default Re: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

    I use a Vox Amplug into a Sony srsx5. Very portable and sounds great!

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    VerneAndru.com | oKee.ComX

    - ---==< V >==--- -

  10. #10
    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default Re: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

    https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...SABEgIIg_D_BwE

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    I love this thing. It weighs about 1.5 lbs and sounds big.

  11. #11
    Harley Marty
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    Default Re: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

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    This is as portable as I can do for 15watts

  12. #12

    Default Re: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

    what speaker is that? searching for ks battery powered speaker didn't come up with anything.
    Davey Stuart tenor guitar (based on his 18" mandola design).
    Eastman MD-604SB with Grover 309 tuners.
    Eastwood 4 string electric mandostang, 2x Airline e-mandola (4-string) one strung as an e-OM.
    DSP's: Helix HX Stomp, various Zooms.
    Amps: THR-10, Sony XB-20.

  13. #13
    Registered User northfolk's Avatar
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    Default Re: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

    Maybe not ultra-mini, but I use the "legendary" Pignose...an oldie but goodie...

  14. #14
    Registered User jefflester's Avatar
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    Default Re: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

    Quote Originally Posted by kurth83 View Post
    what speaker is that? searching for ks battery powered speaker didn't come up with anything.
    Looks like:
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kitsound-Bl...00ZBXLCXK?th=1

  15. #15

    Default Re: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

    Ok, ordered one, the USD conversion rate is pretty favorable for the british pound these days.
    Davey Stuart tenor guitar (based on his 18" mandola design).
    Eastman MD-604SB with Grover 309 tuners.
    Eastwood 4 string electric mandostang, 2x Airline e-mandola (4-string) one strung as an e-OM.
    DSP's: Helix HX Stomp, various Zooms.
    Amps: THR-10, Sony XB-20.

  16. #16
    Harley Marty
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    Mar 2016
    Location
    Mullingar Co Westmeath Ireland
    Posts
    223

    Default Re: ultra-mini battery/travel rig for electric

    Correct & right Kitsound hive 2. The 1/8 phono input is stereo so it's important for the preamp to have a "headphone" out. You can use a smaller headphone amp, however the set up I have has a super clean sound & the 9volt battery lasts much longer (the speaker is rechargeable).

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