Positive Grid Spark 40 Settings Guide
The Positive Grid Spark 40 is a 40-watt smart practice amp that connects to the Spark app on iOS and Android for tone matching, chord detection, and an AI-powered backing band feature. It became one of the best-selling practice amps ever made upon launch in 2020, widely adopted by bedroom guitarists and home studio players. Its built-in amp models, effects, and jam-along features make it an all-in-one practice tool rather than a traditional amplifier.
The best Positive Grid Spark 40 settings start with: Amp at 5/10, Gain at 5/10, Bass at 5/10, Mid at 5/10, Treble at 5/10, Master at 5/10. Adjust from there based on your amp, guitar, and room volume. For Blues: Amp 2/10, Gain 4/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 7/10, Treble 5/10, Master 5/10.
⚡ Start Here — Recommended Settings
| Control | Starting Position | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Amp | 5/10 | Clean (Fender-style) → High Gain (Mesa-style) |
| Gain | 5/10 | Clean → Full Drive |
| Bass | 5/10 | Cut → Boost |
| Mid | 5/10 | Cut → Boost |
| Treble | 5/10 | Dark → Bright |
| Master | 5/10 | Silent → Room Volume |
These are universal starting points. Adjust based on your amp, guitar, and room. Scroll down for genre-specific settings and artist-documented positions.
What Each Control Does
Recommended Starting Settings
Safe starting positions for any style. Adjust from here based on your amp and room.
All values on a 0–10 scale. These are starting points — fine-tune by ear.
Settings by Genre
Select a clean Fender-style amp model (Twin, Deluxe, or Blues Junior equivalent in the Spark app). Gain 4 sits at edge-of-breakup — the Spark's Fender models respond well to picking dynamics at this setting. Mid 7 adds vocal blues presence. Use the Tone Match feature to capture the tone of a favourite blues track.
Select a Marshall-style model (British 2204 equivalent) at Gain 6. The Spark's British models produce a convincing classic rock crunch for bedroom practice. Balanced EQ with slightly lifted Mid for presence. Add a subtle plate reverb and slap-back delay through the Spark app.
Select a high-gain model (Mesa Rectifier or EVH equivalent) with classic metal V-EQ. The Spark 40 handles high-gain well at bedroom volumes, avoiding the harsh fizz that plagues many digital practice amps at low levels. The AI jam feature works well for practising metal rhythm parts.
Bright, clean Fender-style model at low Gain. Treble 7 captures the twang needed for country. Add the Spark's built-in compressor at medium settings and a short slapback delay (60–80ms, no feedback) for classic country tone. The chord detection and backing track feature is particularly useful for country players practising licks.
The Spark 40 has a dedicated acoustic amp model that works well with acoustic-electric guitars plugged in. Select the acoustic model, set Gain very low, and use balanced EQ to match your guitar's natural character. The Spark's frequency response at acoustic settings is notably natural for a digital practice amp.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- The Spark app's Tone Match feature can analyse any song from your music library and generate amp settings that approximate its recorded guitar tone. This is the fastest way to dial in a specific sound.
- The AI Smart Jam feature listens to your guitar and generates backing chord progressions in real time — excellent for solo practice and improvisation.
- The Spark 40 works well at very low volumes without losing its character, which most tube amps cannot achieve. This makes it genuinely useful at bedroom/late-night volumes.
- The Spark community shares thousands of presets through the Spark app — download artist presets before spending time dialling in your own tone. Many accurate recreations of famous guitar tones are freely available.
- Use the headphone output for completely silent practice — the Spark 40 outputs a cab-simulated signal to headphones that sounds much better than most practice amp headphone outputs.
FAQ
Positive Grid Spark 40 — Common Questions
Best starting settings for Positive Grid Spark 40: Amp at 5/10, Gain at 5/10, Bass at 5/10, Mid at 5/10, Treble at 5/10, Master at 5/10. Adjust from there based on your guitar, room, and playing style.
For Blues: Amp 2/10, Gain 4/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 7/10, Treble 5/10, Master 5/10. Select a clean Fender-style amp model (Twin, Deluxe, or Blues Junior equivalent in the Spark app). Gain 4 sits at edge-of-breakup — the Spark's Fender models respond well to picking dynamics at this setting. Mid 7 adds vocal blues presence. Use the Tone Match feature to capture the tone of a favourite blues track.
For Classic Rock: Amp 5/10, Gain 6/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 6/10, Treble 6/10, Master 5/10. Select a Marshall-style model (British 2204 equivalent) at Gain 6. The Spark's British models produce a convincing classic rock crunch for bedroom practice. Balanced EQ with slightly lifted Mid for presence. Add a subtle plate reverb and slap-back delay through the Spark app.
Amp: Amp model selector — the Spark 40 carries over 30 amp models via the app, from clean Fender-style to high-gain modern metal. (Clean (Fender-style) to High Gain (Mesa-style)). Gain: Input gain / drive level within the selected amp model. (Clean to Full Drive). Bass: Low-frequency tone control. (Cut to Boost). Mid: Mid-range tone control — key for genre-appropriate voice. (Cut to Boost). Treble: High-frequency tone control. (Dark to Bright). Master: Output volume — bedroom to small-room level. (Silent to Room Volume)
The Spark app's Tone Match feature can analyse any song from your music library and generate amp settings that approximate its recorded guitar tone. This is the fastest way to dial in a specific sound. The AI Smart Jam feature listens to your guitar and generates backing chord progressions in real time — excellent for solo practice and improvisation. The Spark 40 works well at very low volumes without losing its character, which most tube amps cannot achieve. This makes it genuinely useful at bedroom/late-night volumes. The Spark community shares thousands of presets through the Spark app — download artist presets before spending time dialling in your own tone. Many accurate recreations of famous guitar tones are freely available. Use the headphone output for completely silent practice — the Spark 40 outputs a cab-simulated signal to headphones that sounds much better than most practice amp headphone outputs.
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