Busker amps that’ll sound great and take a beating

“It doesn’t matter how talented you are. If you’re not loud enough, no one’s going to give a shit.” — William Shakespeare

There are no shortcuts to becoming a good busker. No magic beans, no enchanted hat lines, no secret society of street performers that meets below the road at dawn. Much like calculus or a really hard jigsaw puzzle, it’s just one of those things you’ve got to work at.

That being said, having one of these busker amps sure as hell won’t hurt you.

That’s why we at The Busking Project have put together a list of five of the best portable amplifiers on the market, for your professional reference and viewing pleasure. We’ve tried to feature only self-contained, aesthetically pleasing equipment that allows for volume, range and clarity without sucking up too much power.

I should also note that all amplifiers have been screened and field tested for their ability to withstand: heavy kicking, dropping, spilt beer, stray dogs, fire, measles, gypsy thievery, extreme heat, bear attacks, and small bolts of lightning. Everything but police confiscation, really.

So, ten days and a few irate music store proprietors later, here we are. Please enjoy, and let us know if you’re aware of anything better that’s out there! We have, on certain infrequent occasions, been wrong.

#5. Peavey Solo Portable PA (CH-D)

For its size and price, this little guy puts out a remarkably clear signal at solid volume. Sure, it looks like the department store practice amp that comes with your first guitar, but when cranked, whatever magic tiny speaker they’ve got in here will scream.

Distortion becomes a problem at high volumes, but only toward the very top of its range. Actually lends kind of a cool 60s rock-and-roll vibe to electric guitar signals, if that’s the kind of thing you’re into.

Power comes either from a standard AC plug or 8 D-Cell batteries, and goes to a single 8-inch speaker. It features two channels (which work remarkably well together), one XLR input, and two 1/4” jacks.

Other than the dual EQ dials, there really isn’t much tweaking to be done here, so you can plug in without worrying too much about levels or dynamic adjustments. We suggest worrying about your hair instead.

Recommended for singers, acoustic guitarists, or anyone who needs their backing tracks amplified to fill a relatively small, (probably) indoor space. Think tubes, train stations, and uncrowded street corners.

#4. Marshall AS50D

Before we get into this one, you should really just take a look at it. All those knobs, the nice vintage casing, that tasteful Marshall lettering across the grille. For a busker, using this amp is about as close as you’ll get to doing your act beside a shelf of leather-bound books while sipping brandy. The thing is just classy.

Think of it as the Peavey’s handsomer, more successful older brother. It’s got precise controls for volume, bass, and treble across two channels; simple digital reverb; and a sweet, subtle chorus function that’ll make your music as nice and swirly as you like (or not). The effects are clear and pronounced without swallowing the signal, so you’ll get studio-quality guitar and vocal tones pretty much anywhere.

Due to the wooden casing and two heavy Celestion speakers, this thing can get a little clunky if you’re carrying it over long distances. But in true Marshall fashion, it’s all but indestructible. Just be sure not to drop it on anybody. It comes with a warranty, but legal fees are up to you.

For singer/songwriters who want a smooth, warm sound at high volume, you won’t be able to do much better than this.

Watch Gordon Giltrap review it at Marshall’s headquarters here:

#3. Fishman Loudbox Artist

Like the Marshall, this one is geared primarily toward singers and acoustic guitar players. If you aren’t one of those, we’re very sorry, but they’re everywhere. Hang tight and we’ll get to you.

Anyway, despite an absence of that distinct Marshall tone, the folks at Fishman amplification have added a few extra specs that make this an invaluable tool for any serious, streetwise performer.

It’s the middle product in their ‘Loudbox’ line—which also features 60w “mini” and 180w “performer” options. By far, it’s the best option for playing for crowds of more than 15 or fewer than 5,000. (Seriously, you could set up the “performer” amp in East London and sing to people in Scotland).

But the real appeal here is the meticulous, godlike control you’ll have over your sound (pretty rare for busker amps). Each of the two channels features 3-band EQ with feedback controls, and the effects panel is massive, boasting combinable modules for reverb, chorus, flanger, delay, echo, and slap echo. Anyone know what slap echo is?

Of course you don’t, but you want it anyway.

If there’s any drawback here, it’ll be the amount of fiddling you’ll have to do to get a sound you’re happy with. But even with this many options, you’ll have a hard time getting a disagreeable signal out of this hi-tech speaker system, which comprises an 8” woofer and a 20w soft dome tweeter.

If you have no idea what that last bit means, you’re not alone. Fortunately, the folks at Teufel Audio have a wonderful blog that’s pretty nifty for learning about the more technical sides of all the busker amps we’ve put up here. Check it out here.

#2. Roland CUBE Street Ex

Roland has long been the go-to brand for clean, versatile sound on the streets. They’ve come out with over 50 amps for guitar, bass, keyboards, and vocals, each of which seems tailor made for musicians who need portable, inexpensive gear that’ll fill up a room of any size.

With the CUBE, however, they’ve made an amplifier that actually is custom-designed for buskers and street performers. At 16 pounds, it’s probably only a bit heavier than your backpack, and its slim profile makes for easy luggage on trains, planes, or taxis. It’s got four channels and four speakers (two woofers and two tweeters).

If you have no idea what that last bit means, you’re not alone. Fortunately, the folks at Teufel Audio have a wonderful blog that’s pretty nifty for learning about things like that. Check it out here.

One channel is an “Audio In” port (for things like backing tracks or accompaniments), another is a simple, unaltered “Line In,” and the remaining two are more traditional inputs for microphones (via XLR) or quarter-inch compatible instruments. There’s a tuner, 3-band EQ, reverb, chorus/delay, and an audio output jack for those who’d like to use it as a standalone speaker or onstage monitor in a PA system.

Perhaps most importantly, we’ve got a solid, accident-proof grille cover, and the ultra light casing feels sturdier than even some of the metal ones we looked at. For the price, this destroys the competition. Violently, and without remorse.

#1. Stuff and Things M4K Stuffed Thing

Ok, fine. This has been a pretty unfair fight the whole time. Pitting any other amp against this little system is a little like setting up a basketball game after you’ve stacked the home team with Michael Jordan, Lebron, Larry Bird, and Jesus Christ (in his prime, of course).

What you’re looking at is an amplifier designed by Nick Warburton from the Norwich-based theatre company Stuff & Things. Travelling around to put on (absolutely hysterical) shows with two other members, Nick identified a need for some good, full-sounding, battery powered busker amps, which really didn’t exist at the time. Even the CUBE, for instance, won’t pass for carry-on luggage on a plane.

So he disappeared into the lab—or the factory, or the drawing board–and used his extensive background in engineering to come up with this thing.

It’s got more features than we could possibly list here, but a few highlights include 150 real watts of power (bigger companies find ways to bend the truth on this all the time), and an acoustically transparent carrying case that won’t block the sound should you want to use the amp while covered. The knobs and jacks are simple, and the casing is probably bulletproof (that we forgot to check, but feel free to order one and try).

Most importantly, what you’re getting is a full P.A. system, not just one portable unit. There are two incredibly loud boxes in the set, one called ‘stuffed’ and the other ‘thing’, and you can use one without the other without sacrificing any sound. Although, since they’re both smaller than shoeboxes, you might as well set them both up and shake the walls.

What have we left out? What’s better? Any other good battery-powered amps?

Read Best Busker Amps, Part II: The Revenge

*The Busking Project has an affiliation account with Amazon