Anyone know Acoustic Image Amps?

Osensei

New member
The title says it all. Does anyone out there have experience with the Acoustic Image Amps. What styles have you played on them? Which model(s) have you used. What is your models tonal range?

Thanks
 
Re: Anyone know Acoustic Image Amps?

I have played extensivley thru a Claris. My friend Cris Mirabella has a Claris in his shop and for Archtop guitars they sound really good. I personally feel they sound a little sterile to me. I prefer the Wes Montgomery type of Archtop sound. That is a BF Pricneton and Paf's. That is an excellent combination for beautiful warm tone. For Acoustic instruments I don't think they are voiced properly. The positive on these is the Amp is small enough to throw in a a small bag (provided) and carry it like a pocket book. These amps sound much better with a Razors edge cabinet.

I was just playing a Mirabella Archtop equipped with a Seth Lover thru it on Saturday, and I thought it sounded a litttle dark to my ears. I then followed it up with a 2nd Mirabella equipped with an AII pro and I thought it sounded more open and had more warmth. I then played a 1958 Gibson L5 thru it and that sounded really good also. Then I ran all of the same guitars thru a Carvin X60 (kinda a Boogie 50 caliber clone). I though all the guitars sounded better thru the Carvin. As I said earlier, this is a real nice amp but I think they sound a little sterile to me. I prefer the tone of a nice tube amp. If you are looking at this for an archtop type of sound I would recommend looking at the Koch Twintone. I have a friend that uses one for Jazz and it sounds awesome with an Archtop. If you are looking to plug an Acoustic flattop into this I would look at the Fishman amp!
http://www.maurysmusic.com/fishman_amps
 
Re: Anyone know Acoustic Image Amps?

I'm playing an EPI LP Standard which, If you know anything about guitars, is almost just like a Mirabella! :chairfall I am nothing, if not humorous!

Right now my gear is very rudimentary to say the least. But I will say this ...! I have a Marshall MG15DFX practice amp and a EPI LP. This little practice amp is not very powerful. It is a "practice" amp, afterall. But boy is this little amp ever a tone goddess!? It's a solid state, by the way. If I could get a good combo or head/cab setup that could deliver the same or better jazz tone than I can get outta this little amp then we'll be in business!

I can get a cool Wes meets Jimmy Smith or Wes meets Wynton type tone on it. Plus I can get the Pat Martino drier tones. But the one I like the most is the Pat Metheny tone ala Watercolors/Elucidation. But my tone is not quite as wet as Metheny's. At times I feel he uses too much verb in his clean non-synth tone.

Anyway, that's more of what I'm looking for tonewise.
 
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Re: Anyone know Acoustic Image Amps?

Some of the working Jazz players around here like the Acoustic image stuff, but IMHO for the wrong reasons. Its very portable, you can carry a Razors edge in one hand your guitar in another and a bag with the head in it over your shoulder. I don't care for their tone. I just compared it to a Jazz King and I thought the jazz king had a more analog sound to it. As I said in my earlier post I prefer the Wes Montgomery or Kenny Burell type of Jazz sound over many of the newer sounds. They just sound to artificial to me!
 
Re: Anyone know Acoustic Image Amps?

Have you checked out Jazz Kat amps. I belive that is what they are called. John and Bucky Pizzareli both play them. They are small but loud! They sounded pretty cool too.

http://jazzkatamps.com/
 
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Re: Anyone know Acoustic Image Amps?

Yep! I know about the jazzcat amps. Unfortunatley, none of this means anything unless I can get out and demo some of these amps. I need to find some dealers in the Houston. Tx. area.

Guitar Center sucks cuz they have their amps setup in an inaccessible way. They have them on display shelves with the rear control panels inaccessible to the customer. Plus there are not enough power outlets to go around. And there is no sound room cuz the manager converted it into his office! :fing25: So you have to try testing amps while having to listen to every noob shredder wannabe in the store. Furthermore, you'll never find any gear of this caliber in a GC store.

Bottom line -- I need to find a good dealer that has a quality setup and a sound room.
 
Re: Anyone know Acoustic Image Amps?

Yep! I know about the jazzcat amps. Unfortunatley, none of this means anything unless I can get out and demo some of these amps. I need to find some dealers in the Houston. Tx. area.

Guitar Center sucks cuz they have their amps setup in an inaccessible way. They have them on display shelves with the rear control panels inaccessible to the customer. Plus there are not enough power outlets to go around. And there is no sound room cuz the manager converted it into his office! :fing25: So you have to try testing amps while having to listen to every noob shredder wannabe in the store. Furthermore, you'll never find any gear of this caliber in a GC store.

Bottom line -- I need to find a good dealer that has a quality setup and a sound room.

Good luck! I hoope you find what you are looking for.
 
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