CUBE
Almost a cube and at a touch under 30cm per side the Little Jazz is super compact. Factor in the weight of a pretty amazing 6.9kgs and you’ll realise that almost anyone can carry it (tough handle on top). Whilst many combos have the idea that you can carry them into a gig, this really takes that thinking to a new level! Rated at 45 watts the Little Jazz is a solid state amp with controls for Master Vol, Bass, Mid, High and Reverb. Plus you get some nifty connectivity with an Aux input (mini 1/8”) for plugging in an mp3 player, a line out if you need to send to a mixing desk, a speaker out if you want to add an extra cab, headphones out and an Internal speaker on/off switch to mute the speaker when practicing with headphones – clever! The whole package is housed in a hip creamy white cab with black corners that looks clean and classy.
FLAT
You’ve no doubt heard it before, but I started with amp EQ set flat (12 o’clock) and added a hint of verb. Half an hour later and I hadn’t budged thanks to the warm tone with that hint of attack that really typifies the classic arch top jazz tone. Of course solid state amps are pretty much staple for most jazzers which is a big tick for the Little Jazz as a start (not to mention the peace of mind of not having to deal with tubes and the like!). So it sounds great at bedroom volume? Feel free to crank it up (as I did) to 2 or 3 o’clock and you’ve still got a clean tone with headroom that retains your picking dynamics. I could see it easily hanging in a jazz combo and even big band situation. It’s got that nice warmth and body for relaxed chordal arrangements or comping, but can get a little edge to it a la early Martino or Benson.
ALL THAT JAZZ
This amp is seriously setting a new standard for portable jazz amps and many other styles too! If you want clean and loud with a warmth that’s great for jazz and blues and a reverb that sits tastefully (not super surf and washy) then you can’t go past the Little Jazz. Then check the price and you’ll be opening your wallet quicker than you can say Lydian Dominant!
