acoustic guitar amps vs. keyboard amps?

chris m. · February 10th, 2004, 07:44 PM

I am thinking about doing some acoustic guitar restaurant gigs-- I just sit in the corner, noodle on the guitar doing DADGAD background stuff, etc., and maybe I get a free meal and a couple of bucks out of the deal. Nice way to spend an evening, I figure.

Anyhoo, that means I need some kind of amplification for my steel string guitar. I already have a pickup in it, and play it through my band's P.A. system when we do bigger shows. But I want something small, light, and portable that will work, and my electric guitar amps definitely color the tone more than I'd like. I don't want to haul around a big P.A.

There are a number of acoustic guitar amps on the market, some of them quite nice and very expensive. Isn't the basic principle of these that they need to have a balanced response, more like a P.A., so they typically have a woofer, tweeter, and an enclosure that provides bass response? Also, the better ones have reverb, chorus, maybe a notch filter on there and maybe an "enhancement" or presence knob. They also usually have an XLR in for a microphone for vocals or whatever.

But isn't a keyboard amp basically the same thing? It might not have a notch filter and on-board effects, but it is trying to have a "high fidelity", balanced response, right? Just perusing some catalogs and there are a lot more keyboard amps out there, at lower prices-- I'm thinking maybe the industry is trying to fool/ price gouge the acoustic players out there-- any thoughts?

Carvin has a nice portable P.A. that is the same idea, on sale right now. What would you guys recommend- -obviously the SWR acoustic amp is a "gold standard"- I've played it and it's sweet, but it's way more than I want to spend.

Teletwang · February 11th, 2004, 09:29 AM

Chris,we use to use modest Fender keyboard amps
to check flat-tops w/ electronics & they sounded great.
If it's a cost option then I would go that way.

Brad · February 11th, 2004, 02:27 PM

I've had great results playing my acoustic through a Peavey KB-60 keyboard amp. Nice tone and plenty of volume. While I have not tried the Carvin amp you speak of, the reviews I've read are all great. I don't think you could go wrong with a Carvin amp. I tried a Behringer ACX 1000 acoustic amp and it was prety nice for $299.00. 2 x 60 watts, built in effects, mic pre-amp. Nice tone and features for the money. The new little Roland Cube is killer, but also about $450.00. Yorkville,
(Traynor) makes killer acoustic amps. The AM series is very nice. I passed on the chance to pick up a used one for $150.00. I'm still kicking myself! Also, those little Prime CA-30 acoustic amps are pretty cool for the bones. Not sure on the quality, ( Chinese made ) but they sound decent. You can find em for $100 or so.

Methos · February 26th, 2004, 12:07 PM

Check out the Genz Benz Shenandoah series. I picked up the 85 watt one which may be more than you would need for a restaurant gig but they have a smaller, cheaper one that would be perfect and it comes with onboard effects and an XLR mic input.

M

bgwatts · March 4th, 2004, 11:44 PM

My experience has been that acoustic guitar amps just don't sound that good.Well,the affordable ones anyway.Keyboard amps seem to always have bigger speakers and that provides better low end reponse.They also sound better with a vocal mic for the same reason. Many of them have two or three inputs in addition to the mic input.That would put you in perfect position for a second guitar in a alternate tuning,already plugged in and ready to go. Or Maybe I show up and you ask me to sit in
Keyboard amps seem to sound better are also seem more versatile.

PaulR · March 7th, 2004, 02:45 AM

I have used Peavey keyboard amps, Roland KC amps and acoustic guitar amps. I currently use a Yorkville AM100 and find that it does a great job. An acoustic amp usually will have a notch filter that a keyboard amp doesn't have for dialing out some of the unwanted feedback frequencies. Once in a while a booming howl will start to resonate and it can usually be squelched with the notch filter.

Charlie Bernstein · March 13th, 2004, 07:58 PM

it's always nice to have an excuse to buy a new amp, of course, but if you're keeping and eye on the buck-o-meter, you might try using your guitar amp with a graphic equalizer stomp box.

not as snazzy as a new amp, but sometimes it works. maybe take your axe and amp to the store, run through an e.q., fool with it a while, and see if it helps much.

Geno · March 13th, 2004, 10:46 PM

I have the AG-100-G 100 watt acoustic amp and the AG extention speaker.Mixed feelings about it though.My acoustics sound way better using my Carvin PA800 and the carvin acoustic speakers.My Fishman pro EQII plugged into most anything sounds better than the acoustic channel of the AG.But alone with a mic,a drum machine and the fishman it does ok.I cut the top off my AG,added a bottom piece that made it into a 1 space rack sized head and place the 2 speakers on poles.With a Digitech VX-400 I have good vocal effects and use the carvin effects for the guitar or use guitar pedals.For live band sound though the AG is to small I use the PA with some Huge ElectroVoice(2-15s w/horns) speakers and use the Carvin acoustic speakers for monitors.I have done coffee shops and a funeral with just the AG and 1 speaker and done OK.The price is right on the Carvin and they do have quality stuff.I'm not the best player out there and others sound better on my equipment than I do.Iv'e never tried the keyboard amps but used AGs go for pretty cheap on E-Bay.

February 10th, 2004, 07:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
chris m. Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Santa Barbara, California Posts: 126	acoustic guitar amps vs. keyboard amps? I am thinking about doing some acoustic guitar restaurant gigs-- I just sit in the corner, noodle on the guitar doing DADGAD background stuff, etc., and maybe I get a free meal and a couple of bucks out of the deal. Nice way to spend an evening, I figure. Anyhoo, that means I need some kind of amplification for my steel string guitar. I already have a pickup in it, and play it through my band's P.A. system when we do bigger shows. But I want something small, light, and portable that will work, and my electric guitar amps definitely color the tone more than I'd like. I don't want to haul around a big P.A. There are a number of acoustic guitar amps on the market, some of them quite nice and very expensive. Isn't the basic principle of these that they need to have a balanced response, more like a P.A., so they typically have a woofer, tweeter, and an enclosure that provides bass response? Also, the better ones have reverb, chorus, maybe a notch filter on there and maybe an "enhancement" or presence knob. They also usually have an XLR in for a microphone for vocals or whatever. But isn't a keyboard amp basically the same thing? It might not have a notch filter and on-board effects, but it is trying to have a "high fidelity", balanced response, right? Just perusing some catalogs and there are a lot more keyboard amps out there, at lower prices-- I'm thinking maybe the industry is trying to fool/ price gouge the acoustic players out there-- any thoughts? Carvin has a nice portable P.A. that is the same idea, on sale right now. What would you guys recommend- -obviously the SWR acoustic amp is a "gold standard"- I've played it and it's sweet, but it's way more than I want to spend. __________________ chris m.

February 11th, 2004, 09:29 AM	#2 (permalink)
Teletwang Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Connecticut Age: 41 Posts: 1,275 1 Photos	Keyboard amps Chris,we use to use modest Fender keyboard amps to check flat-tops w/ electronics & they sounded great. If it's a cost option then I would go that way.

February 11th, 2004, 02:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
Brad Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 1,294	I've had great results playing my acoustic through a Peavey KB-60 keyboard amp. Nice tone and plenty of volume. While I have not tried the Carvin amp you speak of, the reviews I've read are all great. I don't think you could go wrong with a Carvin amp. I tried a Behringer ACX 1000 acoustic amp and it was prety nice for $299.00. 2 x 60 watts, built in effects, mic pre-amp. Nice tone and features for the money. The new little Roland Cube is killer, but also about $450.00. Yorkville, (Traynor) makes killer acoustic amps. The AM series is very nice. I passed on the chance to pick up a used one for $150.00. I'm still kicking myself! Also, those little Prime CA-30 acoustic amps are pretty cool for the bones. Not sure on the quality, ( Chinese made ) but they sound decent. You can find em for $100 or so. __________________ We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old becasue we stop playing.

February 26th, 2004, 12:07 PM	#4 (permalink)
Methos Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 112	Check out the Genz Benz Shenandoah series. I picked up the 85 watt one which may be more than you would need for a restaurant gig but they have a smaller, cheaper one that would be perfect and it comes with onboard effects and an XLR mic input. M __________________ Muddy Waters Telecaster - slightly modded Tacoma EM-C9 Fender Champ Fender Hot Rod Deluxe "Girls, guitars, guns - ain't life grand?"

March 4th, 2004, 11:44 PM	#5 (permalink)
bgwatts Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 226	keyboard My experience has been that acoustic guitar amps just don't sound that good.Well,the affordable ones anyway.Keyboard amps seem to always have bigger speakers and that provides better low end reponse.They also sound better with a vocal mic for the same reason. Many of them have two or three inputs in addition to the mic input.That would put you in perfect position for a second guitar in a alternate tuning,already plugged in and ready to go. Or Maybe I show up and you ask me to sit in Keyboard amps seem to sound better are also seem more versatile.

March 7th, 2004, 02:45 AM	#6 (permalink)
PaulR Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Upper left corner of the lower 48 Posts: 196	Acoustic amps I have used Peavey keyboard amps, Roland KC amps and acoustic guitar amps. I currently use a Yorkville AM100 and find that it does a great job. An acoustic amp usually will have a notch filter that a keyboard amp doesn't have for dialing out some of the unwanted feedback frequencies. Once in a while a booming howl will start to resonate and it can usually be squelched with the notch filter.

March 13th, 2004, 07:58 PM	#7 (permalink)
Charlie Bernstein Friend of Leo's Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Augusta, Maine Posts: 2,600	cheaper alternative: e.q. it's always nice to have an excuse to buy a new amp, of course, but if you're keeping and eye on the buck-o-meter, you might try using your guitar amp with a graphic equalizer stomp box. not as snazzy as a new amp, but sometimes it works. maybe take your axe and amp to the store, run through an e.q., fool with it a while, and see if it helps much.

March 13th, 2004, 10:46 PM	#8 (permalink)
Geno TDPRI Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Anchorage,Alaska Posts: 48	Carvin I have the AG-100-G 100 watt acoustic amp and the AG extention speaker.Mixed feelings about it though.My acoustics sound way better using my Carvin PA800 and the carvin acoustic speakers.My Fishman pro EQII plugged into most anything sounds better than the acoustic channel of the AG.But alone with a mic,a drum machine and the fishman it does ok.I cut the top off my AG,added a bottom piece that made it into a 1 space rack sized head and place the 2 speakers on poles.With a Digitech VX-400 I have good vocal effects and use the carvin effects for the guitar or use guitar pedals.For live band sound though the AG is to small I use the PA with some Huge ElectroVoice(2-15s w/horns) speakers and use the Carvin acoustic speakers for monitors.I have done coffee shops and a funeral with just the AG and 1 speaker and done OK.The price is right on the Carvin and they do have quality stuff.I'm not the best player out there and others sound better on my equipment than I do.Iv'e never tried the keyboard amps but used AGs go for pretty cheap on E-Bay.