Acoustic Image

I'm a tube lover but my feet are killin' me! Going to a gig with just a guitar in one hand and the amp over my shoulder is a very attractive option.

Does anybody have experience with these? I'm looking at this model because it's 20lbs and works for bass or guitar. In fact with 2 channels, it works with bass and guitar and you can have reverb on the guitar channel and none on the bass channel, or you could use one channel for vocals and the other for guitar. Is there anybody here who has one or who's used one?

http://www.acousticimage.org/acoust...r-siii-combo-amplifier-400w-with-padded-case/

AlohaJoe said:

I'm a tube lover but my feet are killin' me! Going to a gig with just a guitar in one hand and the amp over my shoulder is a very attractive option.

Does anybody have experience with these? I'm looking at this model because it's 20lbs and works for bass or guitar. In fact with 2 channels, it works with bass and guitar and you can have reverb on the guitar channel and none on the bass channel, or you could use one channel for vocals and the other for guitar. Is there anybody here who has one or who's used one?

http://www.acousticimage.org/acoust...r-siii-combo-amplifier-400w-with-padded-case/

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Never seen one of these, Joe. 400 watts, 20lbs. Pretty impressive, but $1049?

Kind of looks like a document shredder, though.

Dave

dapmdave said:

... Kind of looks like a document shredder, though.

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... Or one of those bulky desk-top multi-function printers. :wink:

Hi Joe; maybe this is a nitro v. poly kind of reply but transistors ... that's a pretty big sacrifice in tone ... arguably more noticeable than nitro v. poly ... to save some lifting. Apart from tone, all those features and functions live on their own little pcbs with ICs on them ... or worse ... they're all on the same motherboard.

If a function craps out, its pcb needs to be replaced and there's huge downward pressure to knock those little boards out cheaply. The 5-year guarantee is encouraging provided you're prepared to live with what might be extended periods of downtime ... not to mention what happens if the mfr stops making it or obsoletes it. Your Princeton has an indefinite lifespan ... I question if the same could be said for this $1,000 wonder?

If this is just a matter of not wanting to hump the rig you're using ... maybe this guy can help :wink:

Just for the record, I've never owned a tube amp. That is, in part because I have only owned three amps and still have two. When the first one was purchased the tonal superiority of tube over solid state was an open question not an established fact. What I do know is that with a 2x15 cabinet that weighs 110 lbs. and a 1x15 cabinet that clocks in at 50, I do not take an amp anywhere without serious planning. In fact, I'm not sure the 2x15 will even fit in any of our current vehicles. Point being that in my world it is pretty much a choice between sacrificing tone, not playing out or hiring some muscle, and I don't get paid enough to do the latter.

:wink:

I know; easy for me to say ... after all, it isn't my back.

To expand on frono's point...

It's my observation, at least, that there are plenty of great sounding solid-state bass amps. Modern electric-acoustic guitar rigs also seem to do well with solid-state. But a 6-string electric guitar seems to sound best with tube power.

Can someone explain this?

Dave

This is all good input... thanks!

capnjuan said:

If this is just a matter of not wanting to hump the rig you're using ... maybe this guy can help :wink:

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:lol: Jack's exercise regimen did enable him to live a long time and heaven knows I could be in better shape. Yes, I love the PR... nothing will ever replace it, which is part of the reason I hesitate to take it out of the house. The '65 Starfire (or the '56 ES125/P90 or the '46 Epi Broadway/DeArmond) through the PR is tone heaven to me, but hard to replace. I usually gig w the more replaceable Corona X150+Polytone (or the Li'l Dawg depending on venue size), but If my wife is playing bass I'm hauling the bass and its amp too.

AlohaJoe said:

... I usually gig w the more replaceable Corona X150+Polytone. If my wife is playing bass I'm hauling the bass and its amp too.

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Hey ... AJ; Man up! Women's Liberation means women carry their own amps. Next time she says: 'AJ, would you mind (nodding her head towards the amp)' ... tell her that your always being willing to shoulder the burden imputes incapacity and weakness to her; that she's unwilling and unable to look after her own needs ... what kind of a man insults his wife like that :evil: :wink:

400 watts / 20 pounds ... that's 20 watts/pound .. record power-to-weight ratio? Maybe she needs the Acoustic Image? If it means you don't have the confrontation outlined above ... and she carries it ... Otherwise, it just seems like a lot of money; especially if you don't need that kind of power. On the other hand, it's cheaper than 5 visits to a chiropractor.

Jack L died last month at the age of 134 ... I wonder when he stopped humping his own amps? Good luck with your decision.

capnjuan said:

AlohaJoe said:

... I usually gig w the more replaceable Corona X150+Polytone. If my wife is playing bass I'm hauling the bass and its amp too.

Click to expand...

Hey ... AJ; Man up! Women's Liberation means women carry their own amps. Next time she says: 'AJ, would you mind (nodding her head towards the amp)' ... tell her that your always being willing to shoulder the burden imputes incapacity and weakness to her; that she's unwilling and unable to look after her own needs ... what kind of a man insults his wife like that :evil: :wink:

400 watts / 20 pounds ... that's 20 watts/pound .. record power-to-weight ratio? Maybe she needs the Acoustic Image? If it means you don't have the confrontation outlined above ... and she carries it ... Otherwise, it just seems like a lot of money; especially if you don't need that kind of power. On the other hand, it's cheaper than 5 visits to a chiropractor.

Jack L died last month at the age of 134 ... I wonder when he stopped humping his own amps? Good luck with your decision.

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Talk to the wife like that and your amp is the only thing you'll be humping. Just sayin'... :wink:

Dave

dapmdave said:

Kind of looks like a document shredder, though.
Dave

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400 watts, it's shreddin' :lol: sumpin'!

dapmdave said:

But a 6-string electric guitar seems to sound best with tube power.
Can someone explain this?
Dave

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Something to do with the actual waveforem produced by the pickup, perhaps?

capnjuan said:

dapmdave said:

Talk to the wife like that and your amp is the only thing you'll be humping. Just sayin'... :wink:

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:lol: Yes; there's a chance it might not go well ...

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MY thought exactly. And it's not just when ol' Jack stopped humping his AMP that's got my curiosity aroused. I'd be more interested in knowing just when I should start living clean to maintain my, uh, capabillities.... :lol:

dapmdave said:

Talk to the wife like that and your amp is the only thing you'll be humping. Just sayin'... :wink:

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:lol: Yes; there's a chance it might not go well ...

AlohaJoe said:

but If my wife is playing bass I'm hauling the bass and its amp too.

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Does she have a Guild yet? My excuse for the B-50 is to accompany an un-amplified D-25 in Mrs. Fro's hands...

I don't own the Coda R but I do own the Ten2 combo amp, http://www.acousticimg.com/#/ten2/lp and can say it's a great little amp. (I use it for upright bass and electric bass sometimes, not guitar). It's a loud and transparent amp. Very dependable, and very lightweight. The company has well-earned reputation for exemplary customer service and offers a warranty that's hard to beat.
Jazz guitarists, or any guitarist wanting a clean, transparent hifi sound should find these amps well-suited for their needs.

This is the proper link to the company, btw: http://www.acousticimg.com

I did go ahead and get the AI Coda-R for my wife's bass and I think it sounds great. Her GK was dying and it was time. The portability is awesome.

It actually sounds quite good for guitar as well; it's very transparent, has a great reverb and I actually prefer the sound to the less-transparent Polytone. With an Audio-Technica mini-mike on my Gypsy guitar it sounds amazing. It's similar in function to the Roland AC60 or 90 but on steroids, with a heavy duty down-firing speaker that really fills the room.

I'm still a tube-preference guy (esp for electric guitars), but I can imagine both of us using the one little amp under some circumstances.

When I have time I'll expand on this and add it to the 'reviews' section, since I think this would be a viable choice for any acoustic player.