Acoustic guitar amplifiers

[75lespaul]

Hi guys. I'm not buying now, but I'm starting to get the bug for one of those Epiphone Ultra-339s with the nano or shadow mag thingy. I don't know jack about acoustic guitar amps, and I'm wondering what is a decent amp that is loud enough to project with a band (classic to 90s rock and metal type volumes). You know, like how many watts to look for, what the price range would be and all that. I'm seeing people rave about the Kustom Sienna 30 and 65, but being from the electric guitar world, $150 and $300 falls into that you get what you pay for kind of deal. Are acoustic amps really that cheap for a professional quality sound? Anyway, shed some light for me, bros! :smoker:

 

[SlyFoxx]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

I've always gotten fine results with an EV sx-300, a mixer and lots of clean power. It's all about HiFi so that means it's all about a great speaker and plenty of clean power. You're not going to find that for a few hundred bucks.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

Crate CA-60

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

Cool suggestions, but I'd like something new so I can get it with payments, and small like a combo. Anybody else have some kind of experience with this kind of amp?

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

Cool suggestions, but I'd like something new so I can get it with payments, and small like a combo. Anybody else have some kind of experience with this kind of amp?

I have a small Ibanez Troubador that I do not recommend. The best sounding acoustic amp of the three or four I have auditioned in music stores was a Genz-Benz.

 

[Matt42]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

A Genz-Benz Shenandoah series would be great, but they run on the expensive side. If you are looking to keep it high quality, but not break the bank, I'd suggest a Fishman Loudbox Artist. The Loudbox Artist is fairly loud, and should be able to keep up with a band. We used a Loudbox Mini at one of our gigs a while back and it sounded really good, but we used the Line Out into the PA for the house sound. Do you usually play with a PA? If so, I'd recommend maybe getting a pre-amp box to run into the PA, that's what I do in my band, and it works great. I have the LR Baggs Para-acoustic DI, but I plan on upgrading to the Venue DI soon(ish).

 

[mwalluk]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

If you want soaring high gain British crunch, you go Marshall. If you want pristine cleans, you go Fender. If you want amazing acoustic tone, you go Fishman.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

AER!

 

[Bludave]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

Sorry but I think the best way to amplify an acoustic is with a really good microphone. I know this limits where you play & how you play, but for the overall best sound a good quality microphone is the way to go. An Acoustic instrument is just that.... ACOUSTIC. We have all spent countless hours trying to keep the acoustic properties of its tone yet still get it loud enough to play in front of a live audience. My experience is as long as the crowds are not excessive a good quality microphone does the job really well. Aside from the fact that it is inconvenient and limits your movement onstage. I STILL feel it gives the best sound. Listen to any live performance and when you can see a mic in front of the guitar verses a cable it just sounds better. Now that I have spewed my opinion on this I still use Fishman Eclipse systems in three of my guitars and these plug in to a Genz Benz Shenandoah 80W acoustic amp. It sounds really good. When I record I prefer using three microphones One pointing at the neck joint of the guitar, one about a foot behind the bridge & one over my left shoulder. Each microphone is capturing certain nuances and when blended they sound as natural as I think you can get.

 

[schecterplayer]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

Try out the Vox AGA70 if you can. It's two channels, one with a tube preamp and one without, 70 watts, and shockingly compact and lightweight. Great little gigging amps. Roland also makes some very nice acoustic amps that don't cost much.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

Acoustic guitar amplifiers

All guitar amplifiers are working acoustically, silly.

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

This is a great start. Thank you everyone. Of course, when I'm ready to buy I'll stop in a store and listen, so obviously I'll get the guitar first. Have any of you ever heard something like the Nanomag or Ghost Acoustiphonic through one of these amps? My "ex" buddy has a Lifeson Les Paul and it sounded incredible through his PA but I never heard what one of these acoustic guitar amps sound like in person.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

so you want to use an electric thru an electric amp mostly, and switch to the piezo (piezocrap) pickup in the bridge sometimes?
The simple method is to run into the clean channel of whatever electric amp you are using. The other way would be to run a separate line off the piezo via a direct box into the desk ...that way you dont carry two amps to the gig.
Even the best piezos thru the latest acoustic amps still dont sound sweet like an acoustic, so for live work, close enough is good enough as long as you can hear yourself ok (which is why im suggesting the less than pristine but very simple concept of using your clean channel). In the studo, there is no need for piezos - mic's gat a far superior sound than any piezo.
Having said all that, in a live situation a piezo correctly mixed through a PA sounds fatter than any acoustic amp purely because of the headroom and the larger speakers. Acoustic amps are really just very small mono PA systems. If you are the kind of guy who plays acoustic exclusively, then i guess they are worth investing in if you dont use the PA for FOH duties (i have always used my own PA for classical/solo acoustic gigs), but if you are thinking of having an acoustic amp to get your piezo sound onstage, bear in mind that most FOH engineeers will just take a line off the acoustic amp, thus rendering it as a DI that doubles as an onstage monitor. I think if you take a minute or two at soundcheck sorting out a good piezo sound direct to desk and use the foldback for monitoring then you should be ok.

 

[Matt42]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

but if you are thinking of having an acoustic amp to get your piezo sound onstage, bear in mind that most FOH engineeers will just take a line off the acoustic amp, thus rendering it as a DI that doubles as an onstage monitor

This is very true. When my band borrowed the Loudbox Mini, that's what both sound guys did, I doubt a single person in either of the bars we played that weekend heard anything from the Loudbox speaker.

 

[schecterplayer]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

Acoustic amps are really useful to have around, and I recommend anyone who has the cash to spend (and doesn't already have a portable PA system) to pick one up. They are great for small acoustic gigs (obviously) but also can make a great extra monitor in a pinch, or can be used for vocals for band practice.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

I just plug into my Carvin Redline Bass combo
any bass rig should give you plenty of clean headroom

and you can play bass with it too

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

Acoustic amps are really useful to have around, and I recommend anyone who has the cash to spend (and doesn't already have a portable PA system) to pick one up. They are great for small acoustic gigs (obviously) but also can make a great extra monitor in a pinch, or can be used for vocals for band practice.

Ding ding ding! Yeah, I basically want it for playing at home, jamming, vocals in case there's no PA where I'm jamming, stuff like that. If playing live, I usually just use a clean electric for the clean parts, and this would be an upgrade. Mostly though, it's just for fun.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

Ding ding ding! Yeah, I basically want it for playing at home, jamming, vocals in case there's no PA where I'm jamming, stuff like that. If playing live, I usually just use a clean electric for the clean parts, and this would be an upgrade. Mostly though, it's just for fun.

And what did I originally say? Crate CA 30, or whatever they call it these days. Exactly what I do with it.

Sing through it with electric going on electric amp, sing and strum, took it to BTMN's for a good vocal mix while we had backing track, guitars, and vocals going....

Just a handy item.

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

And what did I originally say? Crate CA 30, or whatever they call it these days. Exactly what I do with it.

Sing through it with electric going on electric amp, sing and strum, took it to BTMN's for a good vocal mix while we had backing track, guitars, and vocals going....

Just a handy item.

Okay. It's the "whatever its called nowadays" part I needed. I looked at the one you mentioned, but you can only get it used. No payments.

 

[Jeffblue]

Re: Acoustic guitar amplifiers

I was given a Peavey KB 100 and I added a better crossover network and a JBL K150 15 inch 8 ohm speaker and a human voice range JBL high-midrange 5 inch speaker and this thing sounds incredible for vocals and acoustic instruments.