Need recommendations for an acoustic amp...

[sbpark]

I'll be playing acoustic guitar for quite a few songs in a band I recently joined. It's an 8-piece band; singer, backup singer, 2 guitars (any combination of two acoustics, two electrics, or one of each at any time), bass, keys, drums and pedal steel.

The places we'll be playing are on the smaller side, and usually have small PA's, ad definitely not enough of a PA to accommodate monitor mixes for everyone, so vocals obviously get preference. I'll be plugging my acoustic into a Radial J48 and have that going to the sound guy, but need something on stage so I can hear myself, and not liking the way the acoustic sounds through my electric guitar amp.

So what would be a good choice that will sound good, but not really break the bank and be loud enough to keep up with the rest of the band. Thanks!

 

[rebelwoclue]

I have a Fishman mini that sounds quite good all by itself. You might want to try one out.

 

[sbpark]

I have a Fishman mini that sounds quite good all by itself. You might want to try one out.

Those are too small. Not loud enough to hang with the full band.

 

[uriah1]

Get radial pre z deluxe. Trickle acoustic into monitor. Great tonality IMHO

amp would be loudbox

 

[Tony Done]

I only played acoustic initially, and I used a Peavey Classic 30 and later a Fender Blues Deluxe. It depends what kind of sound you are after, but if it includes the kinds of instruments you list, you could be better off with an electric guitar amp, as I was. If you have electric guitar and bass, say, the acoustic can come across as "Taki jangle" if you aren't careful. Even with a more electric type sound, IMO it is isn't easy to get an acoustic guitar into the mix. The only reason I can see for having an acoustic amp is if you need the balanced input for a mic; if I wanted higher fidelity than an electric amp (which I didn't) I would have gone for a keyboard amp.

I mostly used the amp as my monitor, and DIed and miked it into the PA.

Just out of interest, this is a recording of my old National Style O with a magnetic pickup and played through a Blues Deluxe, IIRC, DIed and miked to the desk> I'm not touting this as a virtuoso performance, but it gives you an idea of the capabilites of magnetic pickups and electric guitar amps


http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=6719048&q=lo&newref=1

 

[BigDaddyLH]

Twin Reverb.

 

[moosie]

I don't play out, but my Fishman Loudbox Mini sounds great at home. Depending how loud you need, perhaps the next size up. I'd expect they sound similar, except for volume, and more tweakability.

With a K&K Trinity pickup system, my Martin OM sounds .... just like itself. Only louder.

 

[McGlamRock]

I like my SWR Strawberry blonde, and it's kept up with a full band on the few occasions I've needed it. Some reviews say it's underpowered, but I use a K&K Big Twin pickup and it gets plenty loud (and I played with, shall we say an "agressive" drummer in a rock/country band)

They don't make them new anymore, so you'd have to buy one used. There is usually on or two for sale on ebay for 300-350 or so. I see em pop on craigslist from time to time to.

EDIT: After reading you rpost more closely and seeing how large your ensemble is, I wouldn't like bringing a second amp for acoustic stuff. One less thing to have to plug in and more stage room during the performance.

 

[Tony Done]

Twin Reverb.

I would have said Deluxe Reverb, but only on the basis of weight.

 

[motwang]

Why not try a digital pedal with amp simulations. You can usua lly get an acoustic setting . my Digitech does a decent acoustic simulation, and i can still play my tele! or I can use an acoustic and get a decent effect.

 

[rebelwoclue]

Twin Reverb.

+1!
You won't be worrying about not being loud enough.

 

[BryMelvin]

I just recently got a Roland street EX. Acoustic/pa amp that can do electric although not primarily. can tun off batteries alone . And can output up to 50 Watts. 5 25 50 settings

 

[Gnobuddy]

...and not liking the way the acoustic sounds through my electric guitar amp.

So what would be a good choice that will sound good, but not really break the bank and be loud enough to keep up with the rest of the band. Thanks!

If you're willing to deal with the considerable weight (60 lbs or so!), the Acoustic AG60 is worth a look-see: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Acoustic-AG60-60W-2x8-Acoustic-Guitar-Combo-Amp-104839105-i1425485.gc

This thing is one of the most neutral-sounding acoustic guitar amps I've heard. It works well as a small P.A., keyboard amp, or acoustic amp, and does a surprisingly good job of producing neutral, uncolored sound.

I suspect the wedge shaped enclosure has a lot to do with the neutral sound - this thing does not sound "boxy", as most brick-shaped speakers do to some degree.

The AG60 had a little brother, the AG30. The AG30 is pretty much one half of an AG60. I have one of those, and use it every week at acoustic guitar jams for both vocals and my acoustic guitar. With a little Mackie mixer in front, I run two mics as well as my guitar into it.

The AG30 is only rated to have 30 watts, but it was loud enough to comfortably cope with P.A. duty (vocals and guitar) for a charity dinner with about 70 people present a while ago. No drummer, just three to four acoustic guitars and singers.

The wedge-shaped AG30 now seems to have gone the way of the dodo, but the bigger (and, unfortunately, way heavier) AG60 is still available.

There is also a newer model in the Acoustic lineup, the A40. I know nothing about this model, except they've done away with the wedge-shaped enclosure and replaced it with the usual rectangular brick. This is not likely to be an improvement - quite possibly the change will add a lot of the usual "boxy" tone to the new model.

I suspect Tony Done's warning about excessive brightness was based on the unbearable ear-piercing jangle of a Fender Acoustasonic amp. I can't stand those things, though some people love them. Thankfully, the AG30 and AG60 sound nothing like an Acoustasonic, and both do a very nice job of presenting your guitar as it sounds through the pickup, with little to no added color or sound of their own.

-Gnobuddy

 

[sbpark]

Thanks for the recommendations everyone!

One thing that is consistent, is an acoustic guitar through an electric guitar amp does not sound good, or it just doesn't sound like an acoustic guitar.

I played several amps today. A Fender Acoustasonic, Marshall, Acoustic, and a used SWR California Blonde. All sounded just OK, and the California Blone, although seems to be popular among acoustic players, sounded the least 'acoustic' to my ears. Then I plugged into a Fishman. Sounded the most natural. It was a Fishman Loudbox Artist. Great sounding acoustic guitar amp, loud, small and light with great tone.

Ao right now I'm deciding between going with the Fishman Loudbox Artist or Buying a powered speaker like a Yamaha DBR10 and using a LR Baggs Venue as an EQ/tuner/DI.

 

[soulman969]

Having played through both the Fishman you selected and the Acoustic AG60 I'd concur that the Fishman had the edge although I was pleasantly surprised at just how good the AG60 sounded. I wasn't expecting that.

It's biggest detraction however wasn't it's sound it was it's weight. I believe it's about twice the weight of the Fishman. Sound aside I just can't see toting around an acoustic amp that heavy. It kind of defeats the purpose as far as light duty unplugged gigs go or even on stage as a separate amp in a rock setting.

You also won't get any argument from me that the typical guitar amp just won't cut it as a dual purpose acoustic amp. My little 40w Cube can handle it reasonably well when I use the acoustic sim mode but other than that my others just don't do the trick well enough to please me.

 

[haggardfan1]

If you're willing to deal with the considerable weight (60 lbs or so!), the Acoustic AG60 is worth a look-see: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Acoustic-AG60-60W-2x8-Acoustic-Guitar-Combo-Amp-104839105-i1425485.gc

This thing is one of the most neutral-sounding acoustic guitar amps I've heard. It works well as a small P.A., keyboard amp, or acoustic amp, and does a surprisingly good job of producing neutral, uncolored sound.

I suspect the wedge shaped enclosure has a lot to do with the neutral sound - this thing does not sound "boxy", as most brick-shaped speakers do to some degree.

The AG60 had a little brother, the AG30. The AG30 is pretty much one half of an AG60. I have one of those, and use it every week at acoustic guitar jams for both vocals and my acoustic guitar. With a little Mackie mixer in front, I run two mics as well as my guitar into it.

The AG30 is only rated to have 30 watts, but it was loud enough to comfortably cope with P.A. duty (vocals and guitar) for a charity dinner with about 70 people present a while ago. No drummer, just three to four acoustic guitars and singers.

The wedge-shaped AG30 now seems to have gone the way of the dodo, but the bigger (and, unfortunately, way heavier) AG60 is still available.


I suspect Tony Done's warning about excessive brightness was based on the unbearable ear-piercing jangle of a Fender Acoustasonic amp. I can't stand those things, though some people love them. Thankfully, the AG30 and AG60 sound nothing like an Acoustasonic, and both do a very nice job of presenting your guitar as it sounds through the pickup, with little to no added color or sound of their own.

-Gnobuddy

I don't know if they're still available, but I tried out an AG30 a while back with my own acoustic/electric guitar and I also was VERY impressed with it for the price.

Speaking of money, don't waste yours on an Acoustasonic. A friend of mine has had two of different sizes, and no matter how we tweaked everything, or which of our guitars we used, both amps sounded consistently horrible. It's as if they aren't voiced for guitar at all, much less to naturally amplify an acoustic.

By the way, I demo'd a Fishman Loudbox Mini against the AG30 that same day, and it sounded good too--just different. Maybe lots more bottom end...I don't know...but it didn't sound enough better than the Acoustic to justify the expense IMO.

I must confess, I didn't even think about comparing the weight. I was looking for an amp to leave at church, so it wasn't much of an issue at the time.

 

[Gnobuddy]

Speaking of money, don't waste yours on an Acoustasonic. A friend of mine has had two of different sizes, and no matter how we tweaked everything, or which of our guitars we used, both amps sounded consistently horrible.

Yup, that exactly parallels my experience with every Acoustasonic I've ever heard. They are so horribly, piercingly bright - just a nasty, nasty sound.

And yet they have plenty of buyers. Proof, I guess, that we don't all hear things the same way.

It's as if they aren't voiced for guitar at all, much less to naturally amplify an acoustic.

I suspect they are voiced to evacuate a room full of people as rapidly as possible. They might be more effective than a fire alarm for that job!

I must confess, I didn't even think about comparing the weight. I was looking for an amp to leave at church, so it wasn't much of an issue at the time.

I really like the neutral sound of the AG30, but even it is heavy and bulky enough to be a bit of a pain in the rump to handle. Particularly on cold rainy winter nights in British Columbia when the nearest parking is a 100 metres (sorry, yards!) from the building where we play!

Call me a wimp, but I would not want an AG60 myself, purely because of its weight and bulk, and the tiny apartment I now live in.

But it's sound quality is superb, if flat, neutral, and uncoloured is what you're looking for.

-Gnobuddy

 

[haggardfan1]

The most recent Fender I fooled with was an Acoustasonic 150. I really didn't think I was going to buy it from my friend, and I was right. I turned every knob on that thing, and I could not get rid of some weird distortion on the high E and B strings. The overall sound varied from undesirable to unbearable.

I've been a Fender user for over thirty years, and I hate to bash one of their products so mercilessly, but something is amiss with the Acoustasonic line. I can't understand how they sell so many.

Regrettably, MF and GC don't offer that Acoustic AG30 anymore. I should have bought one when I had the chance.

To the OP, good luck with your search and let us know what you end up getting.

 

[Gnobuddy]

...an Acoustasonic 150...could not get rid of some weird distortion on the high E and B strings. The overall sound varied from undesirable to unbearable.

Ever year one of those pedals that's supposed to make an ordinary electric guitar sound like an acoustic? They do some sort of processing that adds a painful amount of "boom and tizz", or perhaps boom and jangle, to the sound. They're trying to add the deep body resonance and high-frequency shimmer of a good steel-string acoustic, but instead you get too much one-note boom and too much glassy, brittle jangle.

There are "acoustic guitar simulator" models in several of the multiFX pedals that are supposed to do the same thing, and have the same sort of sound.

What I noticed is that the Acoustasonic amp line sounds exactly like those pedals. I hear the same kind of processing in the sound. What I called "glassy, brittle jangle" is what you described as "weird distortion on the high E & B strings". I concur, it's weird (apparently intentional) processing.

Why an amp line designed to work with actual acoustic guitars should sound like a pedal designed to make an electric guitar sound like an acoustic, I have no idea. Perhaps somebody in marketing was dropped on the head as a baby. Perhaps it happened by accident, and the amp was originally designed to in fact be used with electric guitars. Perhaps once the first few hundred buyers paid for one and talked about using it with an acoustic guitar rather than the electric the engineers intended, Fender Corp. decided to just smile and take their money.

To the OP - just as long as you don't buy an Acoustasonic, you won't go too terribly wrong!

-Gnobuddy

 

[sbpark]

The most recent Fender I fooled with was an Acoustasonic 150. I really didn't think I was going to buy it from my friend, and I was right. I turned every knob on that thing, and I could not get rid of some weird distortion on the high E and B strings. The overall sound varied from undesirable to unbearable.

I've been a Fender user for over thirty years, and I hate to bash one of their products so mercilessly, but something is amiss with the Acoustasonic line. I can't understand how they sell so many.

Regrettably, MF and GC don't offer that Acoustic AG30 anymore. I should have bought one when I had the chance.

To the OP, good luck with your search and let us know what you end up getting.

I was about to buy the Fishman Artist, but also posted on an acoustic guitar forum and given my main use for the amp (using it with a full rock/alt-country 8 piece band) a few people recommended stepping up to the Fishman Performer because it sounds better than the artist, and definitely enough volume to be heard over everyone else for monitoring on stage and would be fine if there wasn't a PA available, or just a PA for vocals.