Our Favorite #ShowYourSpark Giveaway Entries

By Brian Caples

Earlier this year, we asked Spark users from around the world to #ShowYourSpark for the chance to win an awesome prize pack. After much deliberation, we’ve officially picked Jesus Cortes as our contest winner. Congrats, Jesus!

Narrowing thousands of compelling entries down to one winner was nearly impossible, so we decided to show some love to our favorite entries in this blog, and we'd like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who entered.

While the contest is over for now, we'd still love to hear your Spark story! Post your Spark content on social media using the hashtag #ShowYourSpark, and we'll re-share select submissions.

Our contest winner’s Spark story actually begins with his kid’s story. As a longtime drummer, Jesus bought his 6-year-old daughter a Spark to help introduce her to music. This inspired him to start learning the guitar himself, and now practice time has become a special opportunity for father/daughter bonding.

Spark has allowed Malaysian shredder Abdul Rahman Mandali to explore and combine sounds from all of his musical influences. He mostly enjoys playing a fusion of Malaysian traditional music and American rock music, such as “Joget” by Samad featuring Paul Gilbert (seen here).

We all need our happy place at work, and nobody knows this better than frontline paramedic Michael Williams. Having been put through physical and mental turmoil throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Michael has officially designated his work station as his Spark zone. “Can't drag an 80 lb amp and pedal boards to work,” he says. “But it sounds like I have.”

Running into a musical rut is something that all guitarists encounter (in fact, our good friend Sophie Burrell recently discussed how to break out of one). Alberto was experiencing that for himself, until a buddy invited him over to try out Spark. His love for guitar had returned by the end of the jam session, and now he plays a Spark of his own whenever he has the chance.

As a lifelong mobility scooter user, Ron relies on Spark for massive sound with maximum portability. This is an important feature for Ron, as he enjoys performing for locals at his nearby park. He sees his relationship with Spark lasting awhile, stating “I always said I'd be an old fart in a rocking chair jamming on my guitar and that's exactly what I plan to do.” We’ll be right there with you, Ron.

Guitarists and bassists have been rivals since the dawn of time, and nobody knows this better than bassist Josephine and her guitar-playing father. Josephine recently bought herself a Spark to hone her bass skills and encourage regular practice, aiming to upstage her father. But don’t worry, she bought him a Spark as well to make it a fair fight.

Jackson had everything he needed to start his guitar journey, including a hand-me-down guitar from his father, fretting skills from his days playing violin, and a dedicated practice regiment. However, his lack of good tone slowed his playing down to a halt. He had set his guitar aside for nearly two years before buying a Spark. Now able to dial into any tone he desires, he’s shredding to his heart’s content.

Donald thought way outside the box on his entry. As a drummer, he uses Spark to loop backing tracks and practice specific sections of songs. Check out his cover of Civil Twilight’s “Letters From The Sky” above, where he absolutely nails the song’s odd beat.

Spark’s getting the band back together! For Matt, the decision to buy Spark and re-learn his high school band’s music led to their virtual pandemic-era reunion. Since Spark also doubles as an interface, he’s able to quickly send new riff ideas to his bandmates regardless of location. We’ll make sure to snag some tickets for their world tour.

Whether you prefer to jam with a traditional guitar or something a little more unique, you can't go wrong with a practice amp that fuels your creativity as you play. A powerhouse 40 Watt combo, Spark is a smart amp and app that jams along with you using Intelligent Technology, with backing tracks available for any style you play. Including over 10,000 tones (and counting!) on the Positive Grid ToneCloud, you’ll never run out of inspiration. Plus, you can use Spark as your USB audio interface for easy home recording and track your ideas with the included PreSonus Studio One Prime recording software. Find out more here.

Brian Caples is Positive Grid’s Marketing Coordinator and a lifelong music obsessive. When not on the clock, his favorite hobby is torturing loved ones with useless trivia about obscure punk and metal bands. His work has appeared in The Women’s International Music Network, Mandolin Cafe, ArtistWorks and more.