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Audio Kitchen Little Chopper Guitar Amplifier Head

Audio Kitchen Little Chopper Guitar Amplifier Head

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Page last updated Apr 20, 2026

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The Little Chopper is the foundation stone of the Audio Kitchen product range. It has become renowned for it’s articulate clarity, even when heavily over-driven, and its tonal footprint has informed every subsequent design.

It was conceived as an amplifier which would be inspiring to play across the whole of its tonal spectrum and consequently make ‘getting a sound’ in the studio as simple as possible.

‘Inspiration’ and ‘Scope for exploration’ are both spurs that have surfaced again and again in discussions about what leads us to make our amplifiers sound the way they do. Firstly an amplifier should inspire you; secondly it should present you with the possibility of hearing yourself in a new light whenever you plug in; even with the same instrument. Subtle changes in how you attack the strings, different combinations of volume, tone and pick-up settings can all send you along new paths before you even need to touch a control on the amp.

If those two qualities are the result, the contributory elements are manifold. The Little Chopper has been the test-bed for lots of changes and ideas over the years, always in the pursuit of more inspirational performance. We audition capacitors in blind tests, we have been through many different potentiometer types and track materials, we audition prototype output transformers exhaustively until we find ‘The One’, we obsess over which way every wire goes into each amplifier; the list goes on.

The question: ‘What does the Little Chopper sound like?’ is not easy to answer. The circuit was not based on any specific design; rather its evolution was informed by the sounds of amps we had admired. The outcome is an amplifier whose sound is transparent and nuanced, and whose disposition allows you to assert your character rather than vice versa.

Videos

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gearmanndude

Audio Kitchen Little Chopper guitar amplifier demo with Les Paul Historic

gearmanndude

Audio Kitchen Intro

AudioKitchenAmps

Audio Kitchen's Little Chopper with Reeves Gabrels at Vintage and Modern Guitars

Phils Vintage Guitars

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Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Audio Kitchen Little Chopper Guitar Amplifier Head.

Comparisons

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The Audio Kitchen Big Trees amp/pedal combo is based on the Little Chopper circuit, offering versatility as both an amp and pre-amp drive pedal.
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Use cases and applications

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The Audio Kitchen Big Trees can deliver a range from chimey clean tones to heavy fuzzy dirt, making it suitable for diverse musical applications.
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Features and functionality

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The Audio Kitchen Big Trees requires a cab for amp use but can also function as a pre-amp drive pedal into another amp, offering dual functionality.
Source

Critic Reviews

Audio Kitchen Little Chopper review | MusicRadar

musicradar.com

The Audio Kitchen Little Chopper Guitar Amplifier Head is a quirky delight for the discerning guitarist. It offers a wide spectrum of tones, all packed into a compact, eye-catching design with unique graphics. While it rewards players with its sonic versatility, it requires some effort to uncover its full potential. The lack of a low-gain input and the single eight-ohm speaker output might be limiting for some. However, its build quality and the tactile interaction between gain and headroom make it a standout choice for recording artists. Steve Crow's meticulous craftsmanship justifies its premium price, making it a desirable addition for those seeking distinctive, high-quality amplification.

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Jeff Beck

Guitarist

Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes

Verified via The ToneQuest Report

In the July-August 2010 edition of ToneQuest Report Beck's technician says:

(Pro Junior) is also the same amp he used for most of the record, along with a Marshall Lead & Bass 20 and an amp that a friend of mine built here in London called a 'Lil Chopper - a 7 watt, Class A amp with a single EL84, 12AX7, and a tone stack you can switch in and out. It's a brilliant little thing with endless sustain if you need it, and it was used on the song "Nessun Dorma" from the new album.

Russell Lissack

Guitarist

Bloc Party

Verified via YouTube

It is unknown whether Lissack actually used this amplifier on any records or live performances, but he definitely has it for some kind of house practice. In this video, besides testing the Little Chopper, he discusses Bloc Party's guitar riffs. He also plays numerous riffs by Bloc Party ("Uniform", "Helicopter", "So Here We Are"), as well as some riffs like "Say It Ain't So" by Weezer and "Aerodynamic" by Daft Punk.

Harry McVeigh

Singer, Guitarist

White Lies

Verified via Photo

Harry has been seen using various Little Choppers in several photos dating as far back as 2010 (Image 1, Image 2, Video). However, he was not seen playing with them live until sometime between 2012 and 2013, when he got a pair of custom dual Little Chopper amp heads (Audio Kitchen's Instagram, Image album). He usually places the amp head in front of the drum set, while the guitar cab sits backstage.

Image source: Arte Sonora | Fotoreportagem: Boas Segundas com White Lies e Charming Liars em Lisboa

Max Michael Helyer

Guitarist

You Me At Six

Verified via YouTube

For his clean sound, Max uses an Little Chopper by Audio Kitchen. Helyer switched to Audio Kitchen's amps around 2014, when You Me at Six recorded "Cavalier Youth", according to guitar.com interview.

After swapping traditional Marshall JCM 900s for Audio Kitchen’s Little Chopper around the Cavalier Youth cycle, Helyer went in search of a more “warm, huggy” sound for their 2017 record Night People.

Jez Williams

Guitarist

Doves

Verified via Soundonsound

When it came to guitars, Jez Williams used mostly his Gretsch Country Classic II, through a vintage Fender Vibrolux or a Vox AC30. "But then I just bought this new amp that's amazing, called the Audio Kitchen Little Chopper,” he says. "It's hand built and it got made and delivered for the very last session on the album, so I managed to sneak it into a couple of the songs.”

Max Helyer

Singer, Guitarist

You Me At Six

Verified via MusicRadar

In the article "Rig tour: You Me At Six" on MusicRadar, written by Matt Parker, Max Helyer confirms his use of the Audio Kitchen Little Chopper amp head.

I can't rate any more [highly] how good this head is, and how well Audio Kitchen has looked after me. I can even carry it, too. I've taken this amp to America on tour - I never have to rent heads any more, because I know I can take this with me.