Outstanding Acoustic Amps

West R Lee

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I still wish someone here would point out an outstanding acoustic amp for me. I've got a little 60 watt Roland that is ok, but what is the cream of the crop?

Is it Genz-Benz, Rivera, Fender, Marshall, or are there others out there that are better? Any insight would be appreciated. I'm not so concerned with power, but with more with great reproduction and some cool effects in order to make myself sound almost bearable. A little power would be nice though :D .

Are tube amps still the way to go, or is there much more to be had from digital stuff?

West
 

Jeff

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[img:450:338]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid215/p0dae095bd99b6ab16d7c03b2b3f6b22a/ecbee272.jpg[/img] I'm hardly an expert but this Little Trace works pretty darn well.














Now if you want to remain a Guild purist, I can make you a fair deal on this Guild Aspen:
[img:450:338]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid217/p415f37c0343b939137d1a59e6cf7d17d/ec57b475.jpg[/img] [img:450:338]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid217/pd98e92f2116bc72b3f9c073c9e9c6e57/ec57b464.jpg[/img] All of them are solid state electronics. .














[img:450:338]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid217/p40904d841c3d2aec708e8ace78bf761c/ec57b453.jpg[/img] Then of course this Ultrasound is pretty nice too. Not sure I want to sell the Ultrasound.
 

West R Lee

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:lol: When it comes to amps, I'm not neccessarily (sp?) a Guild guy. I'd really like to eventually get something compact and powerful, that can really doctor up my "leaves much to be desired" voice and play.

West
 

dklsplace

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Trace Elliots are pretty much top-O-the heap when it comes to acoustic amps. I've had a TA 60CR, & currently own the same one Jeff posted above, the TA 100R.

I also want to give the Fishman Loudbox amps a try. Just need to get some time to find one locally.
 

West R Lee

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Thanks guys, I really did consider the Fishman loudbox when I got my little Roland. I've never heard of the Trace amps, which isn't saying much, I've never heard of a lot of things.

Good info,
West
 

dklsplace

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West, the TA 100R is outstanding for the current prices. I have seen TA 200's used by big name groups when touring, but have only seen one available on ebay in the past couple years. The price went quite high.

I'm intrigued by the Fishmans. Tri-amped, with mids built in....it's gotta be pristine for acoustic reproduction. Did you play any before buying the Roland? The lastest Pro Loudbox offering looks to be right up my alley, but spending $2k on an amp isn't in my near future. :?
 

West R Lee

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No Don, I hadn't. I just tried to read up a little and ask some opinions. I thought I had seen some Fishman Loudbox "Pro" amps for much less than $2000 Don, am I mistaken? Are they that good? Or just pricey?

West
 

dklsplace

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Kap'n

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It's been my experience that you're just way better off getting a decent preamp, and going straight into a PA.

Q: Does anybody make an acoustic guitar amp with a headphone jack? :D
 

Jeff

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Kapn said [/quote]It's been my experience that you're just way better off getting a decent preamp, and going straight into a PA
Might be good advice, I have some issues & limitations with Mikes & amps in my little 12 X 14 studio. What I've learned so far is there isn't enough room to get the geometry right, I needed the EQ on my mixer to back off a lot of the signal to get respectable volume.

The notch filter on the Trace works the better than the rest, it just nails a problem bandwidth. (sinewave ? bandwidth ?? Correct term??)

Are PA's less sensitive to feedback?
 

West R Lee

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Thanks Don, let me know if you ever get a chance to play through one. That $1300 does look like a fairly good price, doesn't it?

Graham, I'm looking for the ability to play amplified acoustic undistorted, or at least very minimally distorted, combined with the ability to ad limited effects to both voice and guitar if desired. The Roland I have is a good little amp, but not quite the power I'd like. I think there are probably acoustic amps out there that can amplify straight acoustic with less distortion. The Roland had a fairly wide range of effects, but all sound a tad artificial to me. Obviously effects are artificial, but I think they can be a little better, and sound a little more natural than through my Roland, if that makes any sense.

Kap, 25 or 30 years ago, that was the only way I played, through a Peavey PA and a Shure microphone. That might still be the best way. I'm asking. :D

West
 

Graham

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Good read Mark.

I'm trying to figure out what an amp should do for you. Simply amplify the sound as it is so the people in the back row can hear it, that's what I think it should be about with an acoustic anyway.

I am not an audio engineer so I can't begin to understand what happens when a guitar or a voice or anything else has it's sound sent through wires, or wireless and through speakers, etc. I guess there will be distortion of some aspect just based on that, however some of the acoustic amps that I have seen contain several speakers in them which suggests to me that the sound can or will be altered through it.

I have no idea what I'm saying here anymore. :shock:
 

Kap'n

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West R Lee said:
Kap, 25 or 30 years ago, that was the only way I played, through a Peavey PA and a Shure microphone. That might still be the best way. I'm asking. :D

I'm running a Fishman "Natural 1" straight into the PA right now. I'm not really satisfied with it, but I've heard a lot worse, and it's very convenient.

Once I get some cash together, I think I'm going to use a K&K with an external preamp into the PA on my new guitar. They've just come out with a new jack that replaces an endpin without drilling. I think it's like an 1/8" or something, and you use an adapter.
 

Kap'n

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It's a mishmash of stuff, that's the vocal PA for my electric band.

Yamaha MG16/4 board, SPX90 for reverb and some old Rane dual 15 band EQ through a QSC 1RMX1450 power amp and EON 1500 speakers.

When I did a lot of acoustic gigging, it was just an old Peavey box mixer with the EONs.

I'm hoping to upgrade the speakers this year. I'm thinking of the new JBL MRX515s. They're light like the EONs, only more power handling and better specs.
 

dklsplace

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Played a Fishman Loudbox Performer the other day with a Taylor 614CE. Can you guess what store I was in?

Anyway, the Loudbox seemed to have very crisp & clean acoustic reproduction, but it's obviously made for live gigging. Couldn't quite tell if the hiss was being generated from the amp, or amplified from the guitar's electronics. Didn't quite do it for me....then again, I really like big sound & use a 1x15 extension for my acoustic amp. 8) I'd like to try the other Loudbox offerings with different speaker configurations.

Re: preamp-to-pa. I think I've only had one sound man that could give me exactly what I needed on stage, & not be tempted to fiddle during a performance. I gave up on that & put together a rig which gives me what I want to hear on stage, then leave it to the sound guys to mix the house accordingly.
 
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