Mint Tin Guitar Amp

The tin is the first thing that makes you look twice. This AMPOID is a hand-wired amp and speaker built inside a mint tin, and it’s made in East Tennessee. Plug in your guitar and it switches on by itself, so there’s no power button to hunt for. It runs on one replaceable 9V battery, so you can keep a spare in your bag and stop thinking about it.

The gain works through your guitar’s volume knob. Turn it down for a clean tone and turn it up to push the sound into overdrive. That makes it a neat little toy for learning how your guitar responds to the knob, and it’s the kind of build a DIY electronics tinkerer will want to open up and poke at.

It fits well for practicing on the porch, in a hotel room, or at a desk where a full stack would be a problem. Think of it as a fun mini amp, not a replacement for a real rig. For a player who already owns everything, it’s an odd, charming gift that’s easy to tuck into a stocking.

A tin this size only goes so loud, so it won’t fill a room or stand in for a real amp on stage.