Electrical guitars are superior in nearly each manner, however they’ve one shortcoming that’s unattainable to disclaim: they produce nearly zero sound till you join an amplifier. And that’s an enormous deal for anybody who needs to jam whereas they’re out and about, as a result of guitar amps are historically cumbersome and heavy. Even the favored Fender Frontman 10G — a really compact mannequin — weighs in at 11.7 kilos and can barely slot in a backpack. The handmade Nicotone mini guitar amplifier, alternatively, is sufficiently small to suit inside an empty cigarette pack.
Synthrotek leaned into the theme when designing this gadget, because the PCBs function cigarette motifs, Marlboro-style font, and labels that learn “CIGARETTE AMP.” We most likely don’t want to clarify that that is most likely a product finest suited to adults.
It is a quite simple pocket amplifier that solely does one factor: pumps up the quantity. It doesn’t actually have a quantity management, so that you’ll have to rely fully on the one constructed into your guitar. After all, there isn’t a knob for tone or overdrive, both. In response to Synthrotek, this all the time produces a “gritty, distorted tone.” To my ears, the distortion is clipped and crunchy with a tinniness to it.
At the very least a few of that tinniness is probably going because of the small built-in speaker, however the Nicotone features a ¼” output jack so guitarists can use it as a pre-amp for a bigger cupboard (4, 8, or 16Ω). That’s a cool function should you dig the sound or just overlook to convey your distortion pedal with you to apply. Energy comes from an ordinary 9V battery, so you may maintain a Nicotone in your bag always.
However the large promoting level is the aforementioned fashion and an empty cigarette pack completes it. Synthrotek designed the Nicotone to suit inside an ordinary (American) cigarette pack, so customers can personalize their amp. Use your model of selection or adorn an outdated pack with customized art work.
You possibly can order a Nicotone with a pre-cut thriller field or by itself from Tindie. These price $74.99 and $59.99, respectively.
