Amplug – AC100 Amp in a Jack
Hat tip to this Bassnews.de post for bringing this Vox product to my attention!
The amPlug has been around a while, but Vox has added two new models, one of which might be of interest to us Bass folks. Described as a “palm-sized headphone guitar amp” this little gadget is modeled on VOX’s classic AC100 bass amp. No digital bits or bytes involved here, this pure good old fashioned analogue. A FET circuit provides a compressor/boost effect and even overdrive. Plug it in to the jack socket on your bass, plug in headphones (or in my case the Future Sonics In-ear monitors from the trusty Ampless Bass Set Up) and away you go. If you want some backing, there is a mini-jack input socket, so you can plug in an MP3 player, CD player or whatever else fits. Nice touch.
With the right batteries, it will last up to 15 hours on two AAA batteries – that should cover a reasonable bit of practice! I’ve not heard one for myself, but let me know if you have (hello Vox?). The are around the $50 mark (same in Euros and not far of in pounds). At 40g or 1.4oz you won’t need a roady to carry it for you 
.
What a great idea, must get it a try.