We’ve seen our fair share of eye-catching guitar-related inventions make their way onto Kickstarter over the years, from the bug-like plug-and-play Ampbot to the marvelously absurd Fart Pedal. Yes, that’s a real thing, and it does exactly what you think it does.
Well, never one for dull creations, Kickstarter has now played host to yet another intriguing innovation: the Amonito guitar amp, which proclaims itself to be the “lightest professional stage guitar amplifier ever created”. And, by the looks of things, there may be some weight behind such bold claims.
As per the Kickstarter, the purpose of the Amonito is to rid the travelling professional guitarist of tonesome yet cumbersome tube amps.
But that’s not all – it also sets its sights on satisfying gearhounds who have an evergreen affinity for buying effects pedals, tweaking their pedalboard, then changing it all over again. Likewise, those disillusioned with an obsession that their modeling amp could sound better with neverending tweaking are promised salvation with the Amonito.
So, what actually is it? Well, it’s kind of… everything. According to the Kickstarter page, the Amonito is an amp system that offers onboard guitar effects, a tube analog circuit, instant switching between presets and a sound stage monitor. Oh, and it’s really light – the Carbon Amonito weighs only five-and-a-half kilograms.
According to the Kickstarter page, there are a number of unique appointments that make the Amonito unlike any modeling floor amp to have come before it.
Carrying a “new concept of guitar speaker cabinet placement”, the Amonito promises seamless symbiosis of a switchable high-voltage analog tube circuit and digital signal processing, and claims its unrivaled versatility and programmability is so easy to use you won’t even need a manual.
Under the hood, there are two vacuum tubes – 12AX7 and 12AU7 – as well as MOSFETs – metal-oxide silicon transistors – which combine in an effort to bring a dynamic playing experience that may be unobtainable with usual modeling amps.
Elsewhere, an eight-inch neodymium speaker makes use of a specially designed “wave deflector”, which supposedly adds to a smoother top end that sounds of though it’s coming from a “guitar speaker that’s been professionally mic’d”.
As for the effects, these are served up by way of the Sharc DSP, which has been positioned before and after the analog circuit – a smart appointment that promises uncompromising high-quality tones.
In practice, optical footswitches can be assigned to control whatever the user deems necessary, while a one-size-fits-all control knob can be used to tweak a multitude of preset-specific parameters, alongside some custom touchscreen displays.
It’s quite the package, and judging by the videos, it makes good on a number of its claims. It certainly sounds good, that’s for sure, and it looks incredibly convenient.
The Amonito – available as Carbon and Classic aluminum iterations – currently has $7,907 pledged with a target of $112,641 that it aims to meet in the next 15 days. The unit itself starts at $2,130.
To find out more, visit Kickstarter.
