Need recommendations for learner guitar / headphone amp setup

[Mincer]

I have a Spark Go it says five watts but it is no where near that loud

I playbit in hotel rooms regularly without issue

And it has a headphone jack

I have one of those, too, and it is fantastic. I use it for lessons.

 

[donaldr]

No, trying to avoid an amp. They live in an apartment and an amp is likely a no-go.

Katana amps have headphones out, aux-in, usb in/out audio and 0.5w setting for at home.
The Katana head has a 5" speaker specially for quiet playing.
Katana Mini-X is affordable, battery powered, with headphones out and usb audio. No software editor and very easy to get a good sound for a beginner.
My Katana 50w replaced my Micro Cube, but I would have get the Mini-X for at home if it existed when I bought it.

Not trying to "impose" amps but with headphones out/aux-in, sometimes they are better for a beginner than a standalone headphones solution.
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[Rex_Rocker]

I know Yamaha Pacificas are well-regarded, but I started out on one, and gotta tell you, it's not something I'd recommend. Mine was the biggest POS I've laid my hands on. The tuners were garbage. The bridge was garbage. The pickups were garbage. The neck felt almost as if it wasn't fully sanded.

My second guitar was an Epiphone LP Special II. Those are well-known for being pretty shitty (I didn't know at the time). It was an improvement over my Pacifica, LOL. Imagine that.

 

[beaubrummels]

Katana amps have headphones out, aux-in, usb in/out audio and 0.5w setting for at home.
The Katana head has a 5" speaker specially for quiet playing.
Katana Mini-X is affordable, battery powered, with headphones out and usb audio. No software editor and very easy to get a good sound for a beginner.
My Katana 50w replaced my Micro Cube, but I would have get the Mini-X for at home if it existed when I bought it.

Not trying to "impose" amps but with headphones out/aux-in, sometimes they are better for a beginner than a standalone headphones solution.
​

I think a small amp maybe should be considered, especially for when she has to play at school. She's joining a music club to help get lessons. We just need to watch the expenses. I'll look more closely at the Katana line. They might even have some additional models available in Japan.

 

[Aceman]

I think small amp w/ headphone jack is better than headphone amp.

Hit Reverb for used stuff. A good Ibanez S and a Yamaha The or whatever letters would be awesome.

 

[uOpt]

If you have a computer or an iPad I recommend IK media Amplitube. Sounds good, lots of variety.

 

[Cynical]

Any of you teachers, if you have students that have had good experiences with particular low-end models, or anyone who has bought $300-$400 guitars that played well and sounded good enough to learn on; let me know what you got.

While I wouldn't say they play *well* necessarily, Ibanez GIOs are certainly good enough to learn on as long as it's a fixed bridge model (avoid their tremolos like the plague). Expect the normal "low end guitar" bugbears (mine has a lot of sharp frets, a sharp nut [which is more annoying than you'd think], and partially dead frets at fret 10 and 12), but it was certainly good enough to keep me going for three years until I got my Jackson KE-3.

Honestly, these days, almost any low-end guitar that's not a First Act or similar will be playable as long as it's a fixed bridge. We've come a long way in the last 25 years at the low end.

For an amp, I'd recommend just getting an interface and using ampsims for beginners these days.

 

[quadquadquadquad]

I tried the Katana Go this week and was impressed. Miles better than the Vox stuff, and the charge lasts several hours.

The K:Go was my first thought. it's a great device and much better (IMHO) than the Fender Mustang Micro Plus (and certainly better than the plain Fender Mustang Micro). Don't waste your time on the amPlug unless you're nostalgic for "that sound".