Amps for Acoustic

[Velorex]

Which Amp for Acoustic and Electric?
(Ibanez AE 10 and Telecaster, sometimes Bass)

[drjordan]

There’s a big, important difference between acoustic and electric guitar amps. Acoustic amps are designed to reproduce a sound/signal; an electric guitar amp is designed to create a sound. If you need something that will do both, what I would recommend is starting with some sort of mini PA. Some acoustic amps might work; others will not. I needed an acoustic amp that was much like a mini PA because I play dobro with a condenser mic so I needed something that would reproduce the signal I was sending. Most sub-$500 acoustic amps (Fender, Crate, Behringer, Marshall, Peavey) tried to make the dobro sound like an acoustic guitar. It was like they were also trying to create an acoustic sound instead of reproducing the acoustic signal from my mic. One of these would do fine for your acoustic guitar, but I don't see you ever getting an electric guitar sound out of it.

What I found that consistently worked a little better was keyboard amps. They were more like a mini PA than the acoustic amps that I was trying. I also liked the Mackie powered speakers/monitors. Both of these created a natural sound that I was pleased with. However, I did find an acoustic amp that made my dobro sound like I wanted it to. That’s the Roland AC-60. It’s a very natural-sounding amp. But I also have an electric guitar amp. And there’s no way I’d try to play a bass through it.

Here’s what I would do (or at least try):
Buy either a Mackie powered speaker or a keyboard amp (this keyboard amp would probably be better if you're going to play bass through it). Then, get an amp modeler because it will create the sound for your electric guitar. The acoustic guitar should sound fine going straight into it, but an acoustic preamp might make it sound better.

This or this would save you a little money on the amp modeler.

[telel6s]

Just adding to what drjordan has said, all of which I agree with.

About two years ago, I picked up the Behringer ACX1000 acoustic amp (got a real good deal on a floor model). It does what it says and at the price, I have no real regrets.

However, if I were to do it all over, I would have bought a decent acoustic preamp and then a powered monitor (like the Mackie mentioned but there are other brands out there as well). Why? Because the preamp would be better than the preamp in the Behringer. Plus, it gives you more flexibility. You can run the preamp into your amp/monitor; you can run it into somebody else's PA and leave your amp/monitor at home; you can use it for recording. And then with the powered monitor, you would have the option of running vocals or another instrument through it if you needed.

Yes, the preamp and powered monitor would cost more, but I think it gives you both better sound plus flexibility.

As for more specific recommendations, you need to start by stating a budget. As with all fun toys, you could get into 4 figures if you wanted to.

[Velorex]

Thank you both very much for the advice and the links.
The Situation is as follows:
I still own a fine 76 Princeton that will be good enough for the Tele.The Keyboard Amp solution is very interesting as well as the other thougts. Let us see which way i decide when my Marshall Half Stack is sold('') and the money is free
(but dont tell me the Marshall could do it best, we have only a small car for a two man Group)

[Paul in Colorado]

I use a rack with a Presonus Acousiti-Q preamp that runs into a Furman rack mixer that has a Digitech Multi Effects unit for reverb, delay & chorus in the loop. That goes into the PA or an RCF powered monitor (and the PA). It's a lot of gear to lug around but it sounds real good.

One of my band mates has a Genz Benz acoustic amp and I saw one of the 100 watt ones with a 12" speaker in a local pawn shop that's really calling to me for some reason. I'll have to go check it out.

[Charlie Bernstein]

an acoustic guitar amps is an expensive oxymoron. there are only two ways to go that make sense to me:

if you want to rock, run a single-coil soundhole pickup into a tube guitar amp. it'll distort beautifully every time.

if you want to keep it clean for folk, jazz, or classical, use a good mike run into a mixing board.

blues can go either way, depending on your style.

i used to work at a radio station that had a lot of acoustic artists play live in the studio. the newbees would get real fussy - three mikes, fancy amps, effect boxes, and so on. the old pros - people like noel paul stookey, eddie kirkland, rosalie sorrel - would just pull up the studio's guest mike and angle it to pick up both voice and guitar.

guess who sounded better.

[Durango Twango]

I'll throw in another vote for powered monitors. You can use one alone for an acoustic amp (but you'll need some kind of front end/preamp)or two together with a board for a full PA. Very versatile stuff and you can play anything through it. Mackie SRM's (350's or 450's) are a good choice - tough and very powerful with a flat response.

One thing I really don't get is the wattage of some of these acoustic amps. 40 watt amps are great for electric guitar, but for acoustics it's sound reproduction and wattage is king. Last thing I want is solid state clipping of an acoustic guitar.

As for the comment about a soundhole pickup into a gutar amp, it's something worth messing with. No, it doesn't sound acoustic, but it can really sound good.

[Tim Bowen]

Other than mandolin, I don't play any acoustic-electric instruments at full band shows. I do a bunch of strictly acoustic jobs, and for that, it's either house sound or a Mackie powered mixer (I own one and so does the bandleader of a project that I work with). I have a dedicated pedalboard that I use with acoustic-electric instruments - mostly low gain gainers and tone shapers, analog and digital delays, the occasional modulation wiggler.

I have a Guild Sequoia acoustic amp... four 8" speakers and a tweeter, with extensive tone shaping capabilities and routing options. Sounds very vibrant and organic. I'd recommend it, except that it's a bit of a rare bird; mine is the only one I've seen.

One of my bands contains a dedicated acoustic-electric player. That guy has certainly endured some nasty tone along the way, but he recently hit paydirt with a Peavey acoustic amp (sorry, can't cite the model, but it was "cheap"). What can I say, Peavey does it yet again. Exceptional headroom, brilliance and sheen, independently adjustable volume for the tweeter (GREAT move on Hartley's part)... big, full, rich. Wonderful. Sounded much better to me than any of the Fender acoustic amps that I've played or heard. Couldn't believe the tone, given the price tag. Pretty sure it clocks in at 100 watts. As with bass guitars, wattage and headroom is king with acoustic-electric instruments.

Anyway, my opinion is that if you're playing acoustic-electric instruments on a regular basis in a full band situation, it's best to have a dedicated sound source that you can actually control from the bandstand. If you're looking to count on a house sound tech for what you need, then you're looking to get screwed, sonically speaking. Just my opinion.

[Charlie Bernstein]

- always good to find out what you think. sounds like good advice.

i've played with a few people with acoustic amps, and the sound wasn't any better than (or even as good as) it would have been with an electric guitar amp or a p.a.

guess i just haven't heard enough of them. the peavey sounds cool.

[Durango Twango]

I actually like the Roland Cube 30's I bought for my kids as well as any "acoustic" amp I've heard. I've also seen the opinion that the Cube 60 is even better for acoustics (back to wattage I suppose). Given the price point and the ability of the amp to be a backup for electric guitars, if you want something small for coffee house volumes (or with the line to use as a powered monitor), these might possibly be better money spent - at least worth an A/B before plunking down a lot of acoustic amp bucks.

[popthree]

do you use the acoustic model with the cube ?

[Durango Twango]

It's OK, just sounds very low gain to my ears. I like the JC channel.

[Tim Bowen]

Charlie, I played with the band that uses the Peavey amp this evening. The model is "Ecoustic 112". The guy that I work with picked his up used for 400 clams, but I see that they go for significantly more than that, as new. Everybody in that band is just knocked out by the tones. Sounds like a big loud acoustic guitar, and the EQ is impressively voiced; rich, full bass, and the highs are pristine and clear without piercing your eardrums. We ran a Goldtone electric banjo through it this eve, and it handled that finicky instrument with equal aplomb. I'm seriously considering scoping a sweet deal for one to use as a dedicated mandolin amp.

http://www.peavey.com/products/brows...AE+112+EFX.cfm

[Durango Twango]

I'll need to listen to one of these. I wonder how much has to do with the 12"? I still prefer bigger speakers for most things and a lot of the acoustic amps using multiple small speakers sound a bit thin to me.

[teleman53]

i've played electric and acoustic and acoustic 12 string through the cube 60 and i loved it. it's what i'm gonna go with hopefully soon. though i'm also considering a mini pa system cause i plan to start recording.

[cooktimj1]

I've owned Crate, Fender, and Fishman acoustic amps and canned them all in favor of a L.R. Baggs para acoustic DI. This is the best, most true sound I've accomplished plugged in. The only thing that is better might be a condenser mic in front of the sound hole. At $100-$160 and the size of a regular foot pedal, it is the way to go. I store mine in the guitar case under the headstock. A lot less to carry and a better sound if you want true acoustic tone without digital overlays.

[studio1087]

I have a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe as my main electric amp.
I have a Fender Acoustasonic as my main acosutic amp.

An acoustic amp is like a mini PA. You need to clearly amplify lows and sparking highs to amplify an acoustic properly.

Acoustic and electric amps are different animals.

Having said all of that, I have had fairly good luck amplifying an acoustic with an electric amp that has good clean tones. I used to have a solid state Marshall MG 50 with a closed back. Two of my Martin acoustics have K&K Pure Western pickups in them and the K&K's sounded very nice through the Marshall MG (set to a nice clean tone). The sound with the Marshall was not as nice as the sound that I get through my real acoustic amp or through my PA but in a pinch, it was really OK.

You may find an electric amp that does a good acoustic sound. (Not great but good.) I think that if you are a nightclub entertainer or overband entertainer, you could certainly plug your acoustic into a good clean tube amp or solid state amp and get a good sound (again; good not great).

I have a cheap Danelectro Fish n Chips EQ (the green and white plastic pedal; $22.00 on e-bay) that I used to run between a Martin and the solid state Marshall. An EQ placed inbetween an acoustic and an amp will really help improve the tone and make things compatible.

John

[6942]

If you do not need extra loud volume, and don't want to spend alot of monet, try these out for (small) size:

Behringer AT-108, $59 at MF. (acoustic)

Roland CUBE 15, $95 at MF. (electric)

Good luck!!

[popthree]

i recently stumbled across a good deal on a genz benz shenandoah jr. so far i'm very happy with it

[eddiewagner]

i have one of those cheap marshals and thats all i ever will need combined with a cheap zoom pedal for preamping. in the guitar sits a passive and also cheap fishman soundhole pickup. alltogeter that set sounds very good and not as cheap as on paper.

[sharkydude50]

Best acoustic amp IMHO under $1K is the Ultrasound AC50SC3

[jdimitri]

Actually... if you can ever get your hands on an AER amp, they're the best acoustic amp there is IMO...
Seriously... it's amazing, beats every acoustic amp i've tried, they have a battery powered one too if you need it!
Now... if only i can afford one...