A FEW DAYS back, while picking my way through the labyrinth that is the London Underground, I came across the usual complement of buskers. The breezy saxophonist, the bluesy harmonica player, and a more recent feature, the now obligatory clutch of Van Halen-esque guitarists. I saw three of these, and they had a number of things in common: they were all excruciatingly fast, self-indulgent and extremely annoying, and they were all using Fender Squier 15 amps, run off batteries. Could this be a Fender conspiracy? Was there a Fender stockroom on some hidden mezzanine floor between subway and pavement, full of Squier 15s to supply to eager buskers? Or was the Squier simply the natural choice for any self-respecting subway bard? I had some investigating to do...

The first thing that strikes you about the Squier is its tidy appearance. It's very plain — everything being black, white, or metal — but it still manages to look impressive. The unit is made from dense chipboard, is only about 12" by 13" by 7", and is covered in black PVC. A carrying handle is mounted on the top, and metal-protected corners should ease your mind about any bumps and bangs. The back is enclosed, as is the case with most practice amps. Removing the back to expose the inside proves to be less than exciting, the "organs" of the Squier basically amounting to the 8" speaker and circuit board of the amp. The speaker grille is fabric, and the "Squier 15" logo sits on the right-hand side of the control panel. Underneath the pots, in much smaller writing, are inscribed the words "Fender Musical Instruments", just to remind you of the little beast's parentage. There's just one input, a headphone output and an on/off switch and light — so simple, you'd have to be a complete no-hoper to get confused.

The amp sports a three-stage volume circuit, comprising the usual volume, gain and master pots, and three tone controls (amazingly denoted as bass, middle and treble).

So the Squier design appears to be very basic. No reverb, no presence control, no drinks cabinet — although a model with reverb, the Sidekick 15, is also available for just over a ton. But where the Squier has the edge over other little boxes is in the EQ department. The bass, middle and treble controls are "active", giving a larger degree of tonal control than you'd be used to finding on a combo of this size.

The basic clean sound is good — perhaps a bit more rounded than that provided by the majority of practice amps. It would be stretching it a bit to call it "warm", but it doesn't clank as much as some of its competitors. The range of tones on tap is wide, from the weediest treble to the boomiest bass.

The three-stage volume circuit allows a fine degree of control over the quality and quantity of distortion, too. The amp certainly offers a wealth of options — nay, a plethora of possibilities!

It's always hardest to get a nice, creamy, bluesy tone out of small tranny amps — their mildly distorted settings seem to break up more than The Who, and the whole effect tends to be rather mechanical. Ditto the Squier — on first impressions. But with a bit of patience, and adjustment to both amp and guitar, things start to look up. But grit alone isn't enough — you want filth, right? Well, as I expected with the various volume combinations, the Squier was not hard-pressed to deliver on the distortion front. The menu is extensive — from a long-sustaining, bluesy sound to total chainsaw buzz, the latter being completely over-the-top for chords but great for lead work.

So if you're into some serious bitchin' bedroom rock 'n' roll, the Squier should be just the prescription. But beware. With the 15 cranked right up, you're likely to encounter some serious feedback, not always of the controllable kind.

Despite all this mayhem, however, the Squier is relatively quiet (ie. hiss-free) in operation apart from at top whack, which is well above domestic practice volume anyway.

With its 15-watt output and tonal versatility, the Squier has sufficient a voice to be heard in the competitive practice amp market. And with another 10 watts or so, it could even be a serious contender in the small-venue combo stakes. As it is, it'll have to be content bringing some serious earache to London's weary travellers.

SQUIER 15 COMBO: £72 inc VAT

INFO: Arbiter Musical Instruments, (Contact Details)