MXR Micro Amp

Very easy to use, just put it at the beginning or at the end of your pedal chain. Have no experience with FX loop as I have a Bassman amp.

I use two. One at the beginning of my pedal chain and one at the end, then into the input of the amp (not fx loop). The one first in chain is used to improve the sound quality of my set-up. Some say there's no difference in tone when turned on, but somehow this pedal makes my sound better, more present, crispy, but not like the presence/crispyness you get when you turn up the treble or presence knob. It's hard to explain, but when you have it on for a while and then turn it off again, the difference is even bigger. You don't want to go back to your old sound again. I use the other one at the end of my chain to boost solo's. The volume boost is bigger than the first in chain and it seems to alter your sound less. So it's a real simple clean boost in that position. Gets only noisy at settings you don't need anyway

Looks sturdy

My set-up:
Ibanez LP '78 - Ibanez Artist '87 - Burny Monterey - RMC2 wah - Korg DT10 - MXR Micro Amp - Ibanez TS9 - Ibanez SD9 custom - Fulltone DP1 - MI Audio Crunch Box - MXR Micro Amp - Boss DD-7 - Boss OC-2 - MXR Micro Amp - Guyatone Bassman + 2xG12H-100 Celestions
Been playing for 22 years now, different styles: Metal, rock, pop.
I really love the Micro Amp as it does everything it supposed to do. I say everyone should have two.

Q: How easy is it to get a good sound out of it? - A: Very easy. Just step on the little silver button and twirl the knob.

Q: How about Editing patches? - A: Non-existent.
Q: How is the manual for it? - A: Fine, tells you everything you need to know.

Q: Do you know the firmware revision number? - A: What's a firmware revision number?

Q Has your unit been upgraded? - A: I had a vasectomy a few years ago. Was that an "upgrade to my unit"?

Q: What setup (i.e. what guitars and amps) are you using this with? - A: My set up is as follows: American Series Strat -> Morely Wah -> Boss TU-2 Tuner-> Ibanez Tube Screamer TS109 -> MXR Micro Amp -> different Amps depending on situation.

Q: Is it noisy? On what settings? - A: No, not noisy.
Q: Are the effects weak or do they always sound great? - A: Always good. The only "effect" is more volume, and it does that fine.

Q: What amp are you using it with? - A: various; the pedal is unnecessary if your amp already has a "lead boost" or a "solo boost" footswitch. All it does is bump the volume up. I currently use it with a Fender Hot Rod Deville. It has no sound, so no rating for this category.

Q: Can you depend on it? - A: Yes. It would be hard to damage this thing.

Q: Would you use it on a gig without a backup? - A: Yes I would and I do.

N/A

Q: What style of music do you play? - A: 70's, 80's rock, some newer

Q: Is this a good match? - A: Yes, helpful in boosting volume for leads.

Q: How long have you been playing? - A: 30+ years.

Q: What other gear do you own? - A: Too much to list.

Q: If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? Hmmm... this is a pretty specialized pedal. Like I said, it basically works like a master volume control. Put it at the end of your effects chain, just before going into the amp. It just takes whatever your signal is and kicks it up a few decibels.

Q: What do you love about it? - A: Its simplicity.

Q: What do you hate? A: The knob is a little awkward to adjust unless you are wearing pointy shoes.

Q: What is your favorite feature? - A: The quietness.

Q: Did you compare it to other products? Which ones? Why did you choose this one? - A: Compared it to the Seymour Duncan booster. This one doesn't suck tone - when it's off you don't know it's there.

Q: Anything you wish it had? - A: ?

Q: Does it help you make music, or does it get in the way? - A: Helps.

Q: Anything else you'd like to share? Um... I once won a $5 bet by eating a grasshopper live.

Like me, the Micro Amp has an input, an output and one knob. Erm, and a stomp switch :oP

However, it's more versatile than it looks, provided your amp has an effects loop. Used via the loop (which brings the signal in after the preamp) the Micro Amp gives you loads of extra clean volume on either channel with only a tiny bit of natural breakup at high settings. The gain knob has a wide enough sweep to give you lots of clean volume before you get to this stage.

Instead, you can also plug your guitar through the Micro Amp and into the amp's input. This overdrives the preamp stage, giving you less overall volume boost (it's only boosting the guitar's own output) but loads of high-gain crunch on the clean channel. One slight drawback (with my Marshall at least; your amp might have different circuitry) is that there's little or no volume boost through the distortion channel when using it through the input, just extra saturation of the gain. This is a bit of a shame, my amp must have some kind of fixed level input into this channel. It does give you two different distortion options though.

I play a Maverick F1 Hardtail with twin humbuckers into a Marshall MG50. The Maverick's pickups are pretty quiet to start with so there's no hum for the Micro Amp to boost, but I certainly don't notice any extra noise with it switched on. There's not much tone alteration, except for a very slight 'fattening up', which is nice.

I'm really happy with the sound, especially when played via the preamp with a high gain setting. The overdriven sound is really smooth even through the solid state Marshall. I reckon it would be brilliant for giving you a crunchy 'channel 2' on a proper valve amp.

I bought it second-hand and haven't gigged with it yet, but it's just about the most solid bit of guitar gear you can buy and feels like it could win a fight with a housebrick.

Haven't dealt with MXR/Dunlop, and probably wouldn't bother. The only things you're likely to break are the knob or stomp switch, and both are easily replaceable with help from Maplin and a soldering iron.

I'm really tempted to replace the knob (which pulls off easily) with a Tele-style knurled chrome one, or perhaps a skull!

As it's a clean boost, you could probably use it for any style of music. I play mainly heavy rock, and some more melodic arpeggiated stuff, so the occasional solo boost for between riffs or for knocking out fills between vocal lines is very handy.

If there's one thing I'd change it would be to give the control knob a little bit more resistance to help keep it stable when the thing is being kicked around the floor. Very minor point though. Guess I could find my favourite setting and just tape the knob in place.

I love the simplicity, build and sound quality. It could be more versatile if it had separate gain and volume controls, but then you're in overdrive pedal territory. An EQ would be better for shaping the tone more, especially if you want to boost your mids for solos etc. As a simple gain booster with no mucking about this is spot on.

One knob -- Simple...The only thing is you need to figure out where in your chain to put it...I like it inline between guitar and amp, after compression and overdrive...that works well for me

Phenomenal...takes your sound and makes it bigger! It does add fuller low end and sweeter highs, but it remains clear...I think this thing is better than using a compressor --

I am 38 years old, been playing since I've been 14. Whenever you try something new in your gear and the first response is "whoa, that sounds better", then you know you have something...for $80, talk about a steal...this thing can compete against any boutique pedal if all you need is a bit of gain add or volume boost for solos..

Just got it so I don't know how well it stands up for live use...I would think it would be solid..it's MXR for crying out loud..they've been around forever

No problems so far...

For clean boosts or for pushing the front end of your tube amp for some extra gain, this thing is amazingly effective for a small, simple little box. I think people get caught up on the hype of boutique stuff and flash...give this thing a try. The key is that this pedal works "with" your guitar and amp, and not "against" it..you know what I mean?? A lot of pedals will really subtract from your sound...i.e, ToneBone Classic...

Are you a moron?? One knob, that's it...how easy is that...Other than that, the only thing YOU have to figure out is where in your effects chain you want it -- use your ears...that part is up to you..

G&L Tele -> JD-10 for smooth overdrive -> Keeley Compressor -> MXR Micro-Amp -> Peavey Bravo -> Peavy Bravo Effects send -> Fulltone Tremelo -> Digitech Digital Delay -> Peavy Bravo Effects Return

You guys who don't get a volume boost by putting this thing inline between guitar and amp --> Are you freakin nuts?? You must be overdriving the snot out of your amp already and the natural tube compression is kicking in...For a clean boost with a little breakup, a setting of 12 o'clock or 2 o'clock, the boost is substantial. If you need more, than you're a stage hog whose pissing everyone else off with your ego-manic guitar-god fixation.

You really have to play with position in your chain. I had the MXR feeding the Keeley comp..guess what?? It was pushing the gain and kicking in the compressor to early and squashing the hell out of everything. I put the Keeley first, THEN the micro-amp and VOILA!! The delays and tremelo BELONG in the effects loop, if you indeed have one. If putting the MXR in the effects loop works for you, great...but you must have gain staging issues if you can make it boost inline ahead of the amp - plain and simple..

Others have commented on this thing boosting the low's a bit...yeah it does, but not in a muddy way...The Micro-Amp just really beefs up your sound without mucking your original tone. For Telecasters, low end is usually weak, so the MXR with a Tele is a nice alternative to the compressor angle because compressors usually kill your tone and dynamics way too much...Check out Brent Mason's page and see how he has the Keeley compressor set -- The sustain is at 9 o'clock and volume at 12 o'clock... get the point!!

I almost got sucked into get a Sparkle Drive after getting the MXR. At some point, you gotta stop the hype and focus on what sounds good to you...The BEST is to always let your guitar and amp to most of the talking!! The effects should be there to compliment that, not take it over or change it...If you want something different, change your guitar and amp -- it's that simple and that true!!

Have had it for one week...what can I say, it feels sturdy enough

No applicable yet...

For $80 or whatever, buy it, try it and return it to the Guitar Center or Long & McQuade if you don't work for you...BUT BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF...just because it doesn't have a flashy coverplate and boutique reputation, doesn't mean it won't work for you...

One Pot and one Switch, surely it can't get much simpler than that. Hey if you can't figure that out are you sure you should be playing the guitar?

Most learners when they get on stage seem to make the mistake of playing those solos at the same volume level of the rythm, in other words the solo gets lost. This little baby fixes that problem, that is if you have an effects loop in your amp read on.

If you use this inline from guitar to amp what you get is more growl but no more volume. MXR say that this box can equalise the power from say a single coil guitar and humbucker guitar or perhaps boost the signal in a long effects loop. Unfortunately I have never tried either because the most affective way to use this baby is to stick it in your effects loop.

Do this and set the pot to abot 12 and your solos should cut through loud and clear, well as long as you have a decent amp of course : ).

For a long time I had used a boss volume pedal, which was good because you could set the minimum volume - so no sound wipe outs. However I found that it sucked my tone, and its size was a little prohibitive as well with the Mic stand in front of me.

This little babay works in a completely different way set you volume on the amp for all your rythm work and then set the volume level on the MXR for the solos - brilliant - just a clean boost to the volume.

100% I own five other MXR pedals, all built like tanks and so far have have never let me down

Unknown

In conclusion this is a great little pedal, for the price. Its simple and does its job with no fuss.

However you need an effects loop on the amp to make it work, but that should not be a problem because most amps worth gigging with seem to have one of these anyway.

I am a Vocalist/ Guitarist in what is essentially a 'local' rock band. I use a Gibson Les Paul and Marshall DSL 100 Head with 1936 cabs.

One knob. If you can't figure this out, throw out your guitar. :)

It's very easy to use, just plug in and dial in the amount of boost you want. It's extremely clean, so it's just like turning up the volume on your guitar. Amazing.

I use this with various guitars, typically a Fender HSS Strat, Tele copy, or Epiphone Casino. Works great with all of them. I run them through my pedals...DE-7, CE-5, BD-2, this, Sovtek Big Muff, Dyna Comp, DOD Octave, and PT-100....into a '65 Twin Reverb Reissue. Great stuff.

I pretty much keep this on all the time. It's a great boost, brings out my leads. Gives gain to my BD-2, but a volume boost to the Muff. Works great for either. Then I switch them all off and just ahve a louder perfectly clean tone. Awesome.

I've not gigged with it, but it seems sturdy. The only thing I'd be worried about is the stomp switch, but even that isn't awful. I baby my equipment, if your nice to them, they'll be nice to you, ya know?

Never dealt with MXR before, this and my Dyna Comp are my first batch.

I play a lot of stuff, blues, jazz, and country, to the full spectrum of rock...surf, hard, modern, alternative, and a lot more. This is an amazing pedal, gives great clean boost. It'd probably drive an amp into OD, but not this Twin. More headroom than an elephant (bad joke) :(

I was on a search for a while, went from BBE, to this, etc. THis is the best there is.

one knob, one stomp, very very easy...

I use it everytime, on clean or crunchy sound, right after the guitar. It's magic on a strat-like guitar(I play strat, 70's stratoid eagle, Burny LP, epi lp customized custom and other japanese oldies). The purpose is to boost your sound by a stomp without changing the general color and dynamics like a TS9 can do it. When you play a crunchy sound and suddenly want to run a solo, it's really wonderful, the boosted sound is just wider, a bit thicker and with miraculous dynamics. If you want a smooth boost, clean that don't change your general sounding and settings, that's what you need.
It's so cool that I use it permanently on clean and rhythm light crunch sound because the sound is simply better on my 8080 marshall, using a 12 o'clock setting with no real boost.

Be careful, the more powerful your guitar pickups, the less worth it.

The low impedence output seems to guarantee a good presence of the high freq at the end of the effect chain and, again a wider, deeper and full of dynamics sound

bought it used...and aged also, built like a german panzer!

Great for blues specially for strat, good for clean smooth sounds on any guitar. Less worth it for heavy music but i'm not a specialist. I give an 8 because it's not really for any kind of music style and any kind of guitar. 10 for blues, 10 for strat.

Simplicity at its finest!
Beautifully simple: one knob(vol, one switch (on/off)
Didn't read manual.

Does just what it claims to....provides clean volume boost.

Not noisy at all.

Note: You run it thru effects loop for volume boost while maintaining tone/distortion of amp; run it thru guitar line for gain/distortion boost, but not much volume boost.

I run it thru effects loop on my Orange Rockerverb 50 head. Provides perfect volume boost during solos and for various scary effects and monster pickslides!

Bombproof, bullet-proof...

small, solid, simple.
Perfect.

n/a-
no need

Perfect 10. Said it all above.

The only nitpick here....there's no LED indicator; that would be ideal, let the user know when on/off!

So this pedal provides the perfect solution for anyone who has a killer tone already, but wants a little boost during solos (without altering tone)!!

Very easy to use only one knob. There was no manual so actually there is no manual needed cause there is only on knob. But there two ways to use it.
1. Just plug into amp input your sound will have more gain
2. Plug into your FX Loop your sound will be louder so it will work such as an volume pedal

I use the pedal to receive more gain for solo parts so it's plugged between guitar and amp(Marshall Valvestate 8100). The amp sound is truly boosted and other effects
do not change quality. In fact, I used a CS-3 to boost my leads which was very noise the micro amp gives me the same effect but less noisy. In combination with my NS-2 there are no disturbing sounds.

MXR standard

dunno

If you want to push your sounds for leads in a easy way so go and buy MXR micro amp. You can push for more gain or more volume!