The original Positive Grid Spark 40 has got to be one of the most impactful guitar amps ever made. Before Spark, the phrases and smart amp weren’t really in the average guitarist's lexicon, and I’d certainly never called any of my guitar amps clever before. But that’s exactly what Spark is, a canny that enhances any kind of guitar player's practice regimen, in conjunction with likely their most used device, the smartphone.
All this means the Positive Grid Spark 2 has got a hell of a reputation to live up to. Trying to follow a that spawned a hundred imitators is a pretty tough ask, even for a company as inventive as PG. But try they must, as we guitarists have been hungry for Spark 2 for a long time now.
Let’s get to it...
Upon unboxing my pre-release model of Spark 2, it’s immediately apparent that not much has changed in terms of looks. It’s pretty much identical to the original Spark in terms of aesthetics, with the same shape, the same gold piping, and the same black Tolex. The grille is slightly darker than I remember, but other than that it's all pretty similar.
A look at the top panel is where you’ll start to notice the first changes. Gone are the four preset/tap tempo LEDs, replaced with that most requested feature from all Spark-lovers, a built-in . It’s got three buttons, one for rec/dub, one to play stop, and one that clears the last loop if you hold it down.
The rest of the top panel is largely similar to the previous Spark amp, with the only major.