Why Fender's new Mustang Micro Plus headphone amp is the right update at the right time

We are running out of excuses not to play guitar – whether recording or practicing, modelling technology is making everything easier. It doesn't even matter if you prefer your trusty, loud tube amp , modelling can still fill in the gaps for home practice late at night or tracking a demo in a hotel room. Headphone practice amps fit right into this world, and as I point out in my review , Fender's new Mustang Plus is a great example of how a modelling amp product can evolve and improve.

The original Mustang Micro was a huge hit for the company – small, flexible and with no cables required, it offered 12 amp models and 12 effects combinations at your fingertips and it could stream Bluetooth audio for you to play along with. But since then more impressive portable solutions have emerged, including the Positive Grid Go tiny combo and the now-discontinued (due to “the procurement situation of the materials") Boss Katana Go . The latter was the closest to the Mustang Micro, and Fender has responded in a very appealing way with its new Mustang Micro Plus; it's packed even more into a tiny amp.

There's now 25 amp models, 25 effects, 100 presets, a small screen that integrates with the chromatic tuner, tap-tempo and the Fender Tone app offering deeper control and the option to download presets from a community. It adds up to a lot for an extra $30 (Fender RRP is $149.99 but even the Fender site currently has it for $129.99) over the original.

The new Mustang Micro Plus isn't app-dependent either – like the Positive Grid Spark amps you can create or choose your presets, save, set and forget if you want. But the Fender Tone app offers the kind of control over virtual signal chains and controls that aren't realistically possible with such a small headphone amp. Nevetheless Fender still includes EQ presets and a selectable global parameter control that can be changed on the hardware itself.

The rechargeable battery offering four hours+ life, USB charging and direct recording of the original remains here, but instead of selecting an amp and then an effect to play with like the Mustang Micro, the new Plus model uses presets for you to use Fender's own signal chains, or create your own to call up whenever you want. It's different but it makes sense, and factory presets showcase just how impressive the stereo effects are for the headphone experience. Ping-pong delay? Yes please!

Whether you're a beginner or looking for a way to play guitar more without annoying the people around you (I know your pain), using the same form factor as the previous Mustang Micro makes great sense here – the jack can be angled to handle most guitars and the control layout works great for visibility and editing. The screen is a huge bonus over the colour-coded LEDs of the original Mustang Micro too – it's simply much quicker to know where you're at in terms of navigation.

The Fender Mustang Micro Plus is available now from retailers including Andertons , Reverb and Sweetwater .

Check out our Fender Mustang Micro Plus review .