The first GLX MG40 20w amplifier we got in to try never made is as far as the photographic studio. It mysteriously disappeared, bizarrely at the same time an appropriate sum of money turned up in the till. It turned out that after five minutes assessing the amp's suitability for a ukulele, our uke expert had transferred it from the warehouse to the boot of his car! Thankfully we now have more stock of this really exceptional little amp. Like most amps, it is geared up for guitars - but it works fantastically well with a uke. We stock many many amp varieties and have tested a great many with the ukulele to see if they're suitable. Some aren't and some are, and this GLX is very very firmly in the latter category.
The GlX MG-40 is made in a factory that supplies Boss, so comes from a good supplier - just without the brand name that adds a lot to the price. It is compact at 30cm high and wide, and 15cm deep, and easily portable via the rugged handle. In fact rugged is a good term for this ukulele amplifier, as the whole build seems very well done, durable and strong.
The clean channel is really nice, and you can mix in a bit of chorus or delay if you like. (Or a lot of chorus or delay if you want...). The delay is particularly effective - when picked the effect is impressive but when strummed, it delivers a sound that has a reverb-like quality. There is optional gain if you want to play solos or get some heavy distortion going, but the clean channel is what you'll most want to use with a uke - particularly as the sound is so inviting.
There are plenty of of other options too - with the key one being the mic input (via jack socket), which has a separate volume control. And with 20w of power and an 8" speaker, this makes it suitable for a reasonable sized hall, playing and singing, or use for public address. Our uke player used the amp at a gig and a fellow act, a wizened old chap who looked like he'd been on the road for years piped up with 'wow, that's got some poke'. And so it does, really good volume. At quarter volume it was enough for a small hall with 70 people in.
It has an MP3 input so you can play to a backing track, and headphone socket so you can appreciate the effects without disturbing your neighbours. But the key thing is it sounds great, really really good. The GLX MG-40 is good value, with a great build, good pedigree, varied effects and versatility. It might say guitar amplifier on the box, but its a ukulele amplifier inside! It works off the mains only, and looks like a Roland Cube, but it outperforms Rolands entry level amps (although if you pay an extra £50 or £60 for a better Roland, they do have some great models). For this price though, with this sound, its a really really good buy.
