Diminished Triad
New member
Boutique or Brand Name, is there one you feel stands and rises above the rest when bringing an acoustic guitar to life above the other instruments in a full band? Thanks for sharing any recommendations you might have!
Preferred or Best Acoustic Amp?
- Thread starter Diminished Triad
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Matt42
New member
Re: Preferred or Best Acoustic Amp?
For me it depends on the situation. If I'm going to be playing at a venue with a good soundguy and a quality PA, then I prefer to use a preamp (I use the LR Baggs Para Acoustic, but I'm not sure that I'd get that one again if I needed to replace mine).
If I'm playing at a place without a sound guy and PA, I'd use an acoustic amp. I've tried several in a few different situations, and my favorite was the Fishman Loudbox series. Small, light, loud and inexpensive. If money were no problem, I'd probably get a Genz Benz Shenandoah.
For me it depends on the situation. If I'm going to be playing at a venue with a good soundguy and a quality PA, then I prefer to use a preamp (I use the LR Baggs Para Acoustic, but I'm not sure that I'd get that one again if I needed to replace mine).
If I'm playing at a place without a sound guy and PA, I'd use an acoustic amp. I've tried several in a few different situations, and my favorite was the Fishman Loudbox series. Small, light, loud and inexpensive. If money were no problem, I'd probably get a Genz Benz Shenandoah.
Lazarus1140
New member
Bludave
New member
Re: Preferred or Best Acoustic Amp?
I have a Genz Benz Shenandoah acoustic amp. I think its either 60 or 80 Watts. I have three acoustics that I can play plugged in & its as much about the pickup/electronics in the guitar as it is about the amp. In all three guitars I have the Fishmen. I have the eclipse system in two & just an under saddle pickup in the other. I get a really natural sound with both the Fishman & the Genz Benz. Its a very cool system and sounds good & it work break the bank. I bought my Genz Benz used for $300.00. This is similar to mine.
The nice thing about most acoustic amps is you can use them for an actual amp in a small venue & in larger venues you can plug it into the PA and use it like a monitor.
I have a Genz Benz Shenandoah acoustic amp. I think its either 60 or 80 Watts. I have three acoustics that I can play plugged in & its as much about the pickup/electronics in the guitar as it is about the amp. In all three guitars I have the Fishmen. I have the eclipse system in two & just an under saddle pickup in the other. I get a really natural sound with both the Fishman & the Genz Benz. Its a very cool system and sounds good & it work break the bank. I bought my Genz Benz used for $300.00. This is similar to mine.
The nice thing about most acoustic amps is you can use them for an actual amp in a small venue & in larger venues you can plug it into the PA and use it like a monitor.
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jtougas
New member
Re: Preferred or Best Acoustic Amp?
Honestly? If it's a PA situation, I would just use either an LR Baggs Para-DI or a Tech21 Para-Driver. Both do an excellent job removing the harsh transients from piezos, and getting a natural sound.
And they're a hell of a lot more portable than adding an amp, and cost less to boot.
Honestly? If it's a PA situation, I would just use either an LR Baggs Para-DI or a Tech21 Para-Driver. Both do an excellent job removing the harsh transients from piezos, and getting a natural sound.
And they're a hell of a lot more portable than adding an amp, and cost less to boot.
Matt42
New member
Re: Preferred or Best Acoustic Amp?
That's why I use the Para Acoustic, it's small and portable. I'd rather have the LR Baggs Venue-DI or the Radial ToneBone PZ-Pre, but it definitely does get the job done.
That's why I use the Para Acoustic, it's small and portable. I'd rather have the LR Baggs Venue-DI or the Radial ToneBone PZ-Pre, but it definitely does get the job done.
Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: Preferred or Best Acoustic Amp?
AER!
AER!
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: Preferred or Best Acoustic Amp?
when i was doing mostly classical gigs, i just hauled my own PA and bridged the outputs thru one speaker bin.
As far as small portable acoustic amps go, the AER and acoustic image amps are very clear and hifi, but for some reason, they both make my ears hurt with prolonged use. I suspect that it has something to do with small speakers doing the job of large speakers. We all love the feel of acoustic guitars vibrating against out chest and in our hands, and i think that we are generally happy with an amplified tone when it reproduces that vibrational feeling to some degree. Small speakers just don't move the air in the same way so we turn up almost instinctively to try to get the feel. Solid state amps - especially dedicated acoustic amps have tons of clean headroom as part of their mission - which is a good thing. The downside is that Piezos do not reproduce the acoustic tone of an instrument (despite what the manufaturer's advertising tells us). Think about it - put your ear against the bridge of your guitar and strum a chord - apart from it blowing out your eardrum, you will find that there is no movement of air in the sound. In addition, due to the lack of air, there is no natural compression of softening of the transient peak at the start of the note. So - how to allieveiate this? Well there are magetic pickups which can sound nice when blended, or we use some kind of compression - which is just adding more circuitry to what is supposed to be a simple, clean unadorned acoustic tone.
After many years i stopped worrying too much about a perfect clear pristine tone (its impossible to get with a piezo anyay) and nowadays i just run thru a clean fender amp. It definitely has a reduced frequency response compared to a full linear PA or dedicated acoustic amp - but it does sound nice, and the tubes naturally smooth off those attacking peaks that are unavoidable with piezos. So far ive not had an unsatisfied client at any weddings or hotel gigs. Steel string sounds great thru it too.
ps. in fact ive gone so far down the tube amp road that for most classical gigs i just use my 175...so far noone has noticed! Just goes to show how much the general populace worry about perfect guitar tone etc.
when i was doing mostly classical gigs, i just hauled my own PA and bridged the outputs thru one speaker bin.
As far as small portable acoustic amps go, the AER and acoustic image amps are very clear and hifi, but for some reason, they both make my ears hurt with prolonged use. I suspect that it has something to do with small speakers doing the job of large speakers. We all love the feel of acoustic guitars vibrating against out chest and in our hands, and i think that we are generally happy with an amplified tone when it reproduces that vibrational feeling to some degree. Small speakers just don't move the air in the same way so we turn up almost instinctively to try to get the feel. Solid state amps - especially dedicated acoustic amps have tons of clean headroom as part of their mission - which is a good thing. The downside is that Piezos do not reproduce the acoustic tone of an instrument (despite what the manufaturer's advertising tells us). Think about it - put your ear against the bridge of your guitar and strum a chord - apart from it blowing out your eardrum, you will find that there is no movement of air in the sound. In addition, due to the lack of air, there is no natural compression of softening of the transient peak at the start of the note. So - how to allieveiate this? Well there are magetic pickups which can sound nice when blended, or we use some kind of compression - which is just adding more circuitry to what is supposed to be a simple, clean unadorned acoustic tone.
After many years i stopped worrying too much about a perfect clear pristine tone (its impossible to get with a piezo anyay) and nowadays i just run thru a clean fender amp. It definitely has a reduced frequency response compared to a full linear PA or dedicated acoustic amp - but it does sound nice, and the tubes naturally smooth off those attacking peaks that are unavoidable with piezos. So far ive not had an unsatisfied client at any weddings or hotel gigs. Steel string sounds great thru it too.
ps. in fact ive gone so far down the tube amp road that for most classical gigs i just use my 175...so far noone has noticed! Just goes to show how much the general populace worry about perfect guitar tone etc.
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Red_Label
New member
Re: Preferred or Best Acoustic Amp?
I spent a couple of years doing my own solo new-flamenco/latin-jazz type gig (quit doing that last August) and had the opportunity to try everything. My favorite was the Fishman Loudbox Mini. I took an Artist and Performer to gigs to try as well, but always came back to the Mini. Then I got the Fishman SA220 (the "Fishstick") and liked that just as well, if not better. So I bought it as well. I've owned or tried most of the others Roland, Crate, etc... and to my ears the Fishman amps were the most natural-sounding by far. Less color to the guitar's natural tone than the others. I traded-off my Fishstick last week towards my new H&K Grandmeister. But would own one again in a heartbeat if I was going back to acoustic. I still have my Loudbox Mini and will keep it. Also, I have to second the suggestion about the LR Baggs Para DI. It's very natural sounding and has always been my backup. I'm gearing-up to do a bunch of shows this summer in a rock band and will likely just throw the Para DI in my bag and use that for the few acoustic songs we do instead of having to deal with another amp (though the Mini is supremely portable).
I spent a couple of years doing my own solo new-flamenco/latin-jazz type gig (quit doing that last August) and had the opportunity to try everything. My favorite was the Fishman Loudbox Mini. I took an Artist and Performer to gigs to try as well, but always came back to the Mini. Then I got the Fishman SA220 (the "Fishstick") and liked that just as well, if not better. So I bought it as well. I've owned or tried most of the others Roland, Crate, etc... and to my ears the Fishman amps were the most natural-sounding by far. Less color to the guitar's natural tone than the others. I traded-off my Fishstick last week towards my new H&K Grandmeister. But would own one again in a heartbeat if I was going back to acoustic. I still have my Loudbox Mini and will keep it. Also, I have to second the suggestion about the LR Baggs Para DI. It's very natural sounding and has always been my backup. I'm gearing-up to do a bunch of shows this summer in a rock band and will likely just throw the Para DI in my bag and use that for the few acoustic songs we do instead of having to deal with another amp (though the Mini is supremely portable).
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: Preferred or Best Acoustic Amp?
I prefer to plug my acoustic guitars into my Peavey XR-600 top box and a speaker, typically a PV 112HS floor monitor. That gives me the most flexible patching, reverb, 3-band EQ, and a 9-band GEQ for feedback control if I need it. Set up is easy; and you have the advantage--over a combo unit--of placing the speaker to minimize feedback while keeping the controls handy. Also you can choose which speaker you like best for your guitar. And in today's market you can buy these pretty darn cheap!
The other one I use is a Guitar Center-made Acoustic Control AB-50. Two input channels, one set of tone controls, no effects. Ten-inch speaker and piezo horn, 50 watts, and a ported slant cab--designed for acoustic bass, but these work very well for acoustic guitar, bass and drum machines. Also cheap!
And another good way to go is with one of the many plastic, powered PA speakers on the market: Thump, Mackie, JBL EON, Peavey, Yamaha, Carvin, Alto, Behringer--all make 12" and 15" biamped woofer/horn PA speakers varying from 150 to 400 watts. Most of them have built-in mixers and can be stand mounted or used as floor monitors. Need more inputs? Add a small PV, Yamaha, Behrenger, et. al., mixer.
I have the Aura DI, which is very handy for open mics when I want to take my Taylor 710 CE with the Fishman Stereo Prefix blend, or my Martin D-28 with a Fishman Ellipse Blend pickup. I'm using my Martin DC Aura these days over the Taylor (which may be going bye-bye), and finding that it is much easier to get a great sound out of the Aura system. And the DC Aura is a great sounding guitar!
Bill
I prefer to plug my acoustic guitars into my Peavey XR-600 top box and a speaker, typically a PV 112HS floor monitor. That gives me the most flexible patching, reverb, 3-band EQ, and a 9-band GEQ for feedback control if I need it. Set up is easy; and you have the advantage--over a combo unit--of placing the speaker to minimize feedback while keeping the controls handy. Also you can choose which speaker you like best for your guitar. And in today's market you can buy these pretty darn cheap!
The other one I use is a Guitar Center-made Acoustic Control AB-50. Two input channels, one set of tone controls, no effects. Ten-inch speaker and piezo horn, 50 watts, and a ported slant cab--designed for acoustic bass, but these work very well for acoustic guitar, bass and drum machines. Also cheap!
And another good way to go is with one of the many plastic, powered PA speakers on the market: Thump, Mackie, JBL EON, Peavey, Yamaha, Carvin, Alto, Behringer--all make 12" and 15" biamped woofer/horn PA speakers varying from 150 to 400 watts. Most of them have built-in mixers and can be stand mounted or used as floor monitors. Need more inputs? Add a small PV, Yamaha, Behrenger, et. al., mixer.
I have the Aura DI, which is very handy for open mics when I want to take my Taylor 710 CE with the Fishman Stereo Prefix blend, or my Martin D-28 with a Fishman Ellipse Blend pickup. I'm using my Martin DC Aura these days over the Taylor (which may be going bye-bye), and finding that it is much easier to get a great sound out of the Aura system. And the DC Aura is a great sounding guitar!
Bill
MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
Re: Preferred or Best Acoustic Amp?
First in with SWR. Always thought the California Blonde was just about the pinnacle of of a Acoustic amp. I also bought a Mama Bear D-Tar, and that is one of the best sounding well built pure pre-amp/eq units ..I love it!
First in with SWR. Always thought the California Blonde was just about the pinnacle of of a Acoustic amp. I also bought a Mama Bear D-Tar, and that is one of the best sounding well built pure pre-amp/eq units ..I love it!
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Matt42
New member
Re: Preferred or Best Acoustic Amp?
I want one of those. They are great units.
As far as the piezo thing goes, I've taken to using transducers for my acoustic guitar. I've never really been a fan of the piezo, but the K&K Mini I have sounds really nice, even just straight into a PA.
I want one of those. They are great units.
As far as the piezo thing goes, I've taken to using transducers for my acoustic guitar. I've never really been a fan of the piezo, but the K&K Mini I have sounds really nice, even just straight into a PA.
Diminished Triad
New member
Re: Preferred or Best Acoustic Amp?
cuts through well?
cuts through well?
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