Fender Mustang Micro Plus Headphone Amplifier, Bluetooth Audio Streaming and 50 Amp and Effects Models, with 2-Year Warranty

Why it's worth it

The Mustang Micro Plus plugs straight into an electric guitar and sends the sound to headphones, with 25 amp models and 25 effects on board. It's roughly the size of a deck of cards and runs four-plus hours on its own battery.

This solves a specific, common problem: someone who wants to play electric guitar at 11 p.m. in a building where that's not welcome. It plugs into the guitar's jack, rotates to fit awkward input angles, and works with wired or Bluetooth headphones. MusicRadar's 2025 headphone amp roundup ranked the Mustang Micro first for value, and Guitar World's gift guide put it second overall behind the Spark.

For a college student or a first apartment, this is often the more useful gift than a real amp. There's no cabinet to find space for, nothing to unplug when a roommate complains, and nothing to carry. Bluetooth streaming with video sync means they can play along to lessons on YouTube through the same headphones, which is how a lot of people actually learn now.

From our review of 8 gifts for guitar players

What we like

• +This solves a specific, common problem: someone who wants to play electric guitar at 11 p.m
• +For a college student or a first apartment, this is often the more useful gift than a real amp
• +The bi-directional USB is the part people underrate

What to know

• –It's electric-only. An acoustic player gets nothing from this, so don't buy it unless you're certain there's an electric guitar…
• –Tone is a matter of taste at this size, and not everyone loves Fender's voicing