The 21st century is full of bad news, such as increasing pollution, rampant climate change and certain political leaders on domestic and global stages. However, it has to be said that, as far as guitar amps go, things are highly bodacious.

I’d been eyeing up the Vox Adio GT amp, with a particular eye on (a) it’s guitar tuned models and (b) the Bluetooth functionality but it seems to be in quite short supply at the moment. Searching out alternatives, I came across the Blackstar ID-Core BEAM. It has a range of models including some decent simulators to make electric guitars sound like acoustic ones. Furthermore, it is designed to handle a range of inputs – guitars, acoustic guitars, keyboard and even bass.

The online videos I checked out were good and I popped into a local branch of PMT tonight to give it a try. I wasn’t very impressed with the ‘red’ finish (+ £50 on the cost for what looks to me like a an undistinguished brown vinyl that isn’t even particularly well stuck down) but I think the basic black model could be in my near future for times when I need a bit of amplification combined with a high portability and the further option to double as a full range Bluetooth speaker.