Bad Cat Mini Cat

This is a small, practice combo amp. It is only 5 watts but it gets surprisingly loud for an amp of its size and wattage. There aren't much in the way of controls, there are simply volume (gain), master volume, and treble and bass knobs. It has one 1/4" input, and it has the ability to be connected to a larger external speaker via a 1/4" speaker cable.

UTILIZATION

This is an amp for a very particular type of sound. Don't expect to find effects on this amp, it's a pure-sounding amp if ever there was one. The sounds that you can get out of this thing are only as versatile as the electric guitar you are using. The manual explains next to nothing, as there's nothing to really explain, just some troubleshooting and warnings.

SOUNDS

As I said previously, this amp is only about as versatile as the guitar you use it with. The sound that you can get ranges from a smooth clean tone to a warm overdrive. I find more often than not that the best way for me to play it is to crank the volume as much as I can (in order to get a good overdrive tone), and set the master volume at the appropriate level. Then I roll back the volume on my guitar to get a nice clean tone when I need it. I think that this tone would be ideal for anyone looking to practice, as effects and distortions are not needed for practice. Beyond just practicing, the tones sound good for blues and lighter rock styles of playing, as well as country and folk-rock styles. Anything heavier than the MC5 would probably not work very well with this amp, unless you are adding your own pedals.

OVERALL OPINION

I like the fact that this amp is not one that I constantly have to adjust. More often than not, it responds to the way that I play my instrument. It also highlights the flaws in my playing, which makes it great for practice and not for playing live. It might not be a great practice amp for beginners, as the flaw-highlighting qualities that I just mentioned will discourage newbies. People who are constantly trying to improve will be satisfied with this amp. It's not too heavily priced, and it sounds pretty good. It's better than most practice amps I've encountered. Highly recommended.