My New Favorite Gear: The Positive Grid Spark Neo

Man, I just picked up the Positive Grid Spark Neo this week, and holy riff city, it’s awesome! I’m already obsessed, and if you’re into guitar gear that sounds killer and cuts the hassle, you’ve gotta check this out. I’m here to rave about it because it’s easily one of the coolest things I’ve plugged into lately.

Killer Sound That Packs a Punch

First off, the sound is unreal. It’s got this rich, full tone that hits you right in the chest—33 amp models and 43 effects packed into these sleek headphones with 40mm drivers that bring every note to life. Cleans are crisp, distortions are meaty, and everything in between just sings. It’s like having a whole amp collection in your pocket, minus the heavy lifting.

Wireless Freedom, Zero Latency

And get this: it’s wireless. Most headphone micro amps—like the Fender Mustang Micro or Boss Katana:GO—make you plug into some box that’s wired to your guitar. Not this one. The transmitter goes straight into your axe, and all the amp modeling and effects happen inside the headphones. No extra gear, no cords tripping you up, and zero latency. Hit a note, hear it instantly—like you’re plugged into the real deal. Oh, and it’s got Bluetooth too—you can stream Spotify, YouTube, or any audio from your phone or computer while you play, making it a breeze to learn songs. I’m in a cover band, and this feature alone makes it a must-have for guitarists and bassists—nailing those riffs has never been easier. I’ve been jamming all over the place, from late-night practice to random couch sessions, and the freedom is next-level. Plus, with six hours of battery life (eight if you’re just vibing to music), it keeps up no problem.

So Easy, Plus an AI That Reads Your Mind

What really hooks me is how easy it is to use. You slap the wireless transmitter into your guitar, pair it with the headphones, and you’re golden. No fumbling with menus or tech overload—four onboard presets let you switch tones fast, and the Spark app opens up a playground of options. But the real MVP? The AI feature. I can literally type “Steve Vai For the Love of God tone” into the app, and it spits out four presets that are scarily close—sometimes dead-on identical—to that iconic sound. Then I tweak ‘em, save ‘em, and it’s mine forever. That kind of magic blows my mind every time. Some other prompts I tried with great results were “Cemetery Gates,” “AC/DC,” “Jimi Hendrix Manic Depression,” “Jimmy Page,” “Ambient Clean Tone,” “SRV,” “David Gilmour Lead Tone.”

See It in Action

Check out this video from Thomann’s Guitars & Basses—“Guitarist Headphone Revolution? | Positive Grid Spark NEO”—to see how it all comes together. They use a binaural recording head to show off some of the tones, (although I wish they went into the AI tones), but it’s still a good look at why this thing’s so slick.

The One Thing I Wish It Had

Alright, with all this killer tone, slick wireless freedom, and AI magic, the Spark Neo’s pretty much a dream come true. Plus, no more dealing with those micro amps that unscrew your guitar’s output jack every five minutes—if you’ve been there, you feel me. But is there anything missing from this shredder’s paradise? Yeah, one big bummer: there’s no output to record those sweet sounds and share ‘em with the world! I mean, come on, Positive Grid—give us a way to capture this holy riff city goodness. The Fender Mustang Micro Plus has this nailed—you just plug it into your computer with USB and boom, instant recording interface. I tried hooking the Spark Neo up to my rig and firing up Ableton, but no dice, it wouldn’t show as an input. Maybe there’s some secret driver out there I’m missing, or maybe they skipped it on purpose to keep us guessing. Either way, I’m crossing my fingers we can make some noise about it—imagine an update where the USB starts pumping audio, or at least a next-gen version that brings it home. Let’s crank up the volume and make it happen!

Why You Should Get One

Honestly, the Spark Neo is a no-brainer at $199. Killer sound, effortless setup, that insane AI tone-matching, and wireless freedom that leaves other micro amps behind. If you want to crank your practice sessions or just shred without the chaos. You can get it on Amazon, eBay, or any of the big music retailers. I’m loving every second with it—hit me up if you get one too, and we’ll swap some tone ideas!

This is a guest post by indie singer/songwriter Derek Frets.