Insanity = choosing an Acoustic Guitar amp. Help! Ahhhhhhh

[Frosty]

Another vote for the Crate Gunnison. I bought a used-but-mint Gunnison for $250 and I think the price/performance is outstanding. If I had to have The Best Sound In The World... I might chose something else. My performing guitars have either an LR Baggs or K&K Trinity system, FWIW.

 

[Metalman]

I've been in the same hunt. The Crate recommendation is interesting - there's one here in a local pawn shop, like new for about $250. I've been eyeballin' it, maybe I'll bite.

How do these acoustic amps work with a regular electric guitar? Anyone have any thoughts on this? (Not to hijack the thread... )

Playing a strat through a Crate Gunnison amp; I did it recently, only because there was nothing else handy. My Prosonic was at church, and it was not available.

Anyway, the Strat sounded fine once I stayed in the clean setting. But as soon as I hit the button on my Maxon OD-808 - which is a modern Tube Screamer - the sound was simply awful!

Now through a tube amp, the Maxon is great, my favorite pedal. But through the Crate Gunnison, which is a solid state amp, and voiced differently, the sound was just putrid.

Yecch! Don't recomend it at all.

Dennis

 

[bighouse]

andrew,

As you've noted, there are as many opinions around here as there are posters, but certainly no im-posters!

FWIW my two cents gets thrown behind the Genz-Benz Shenandoah series.

If you're still looking, enjoy the hunt!

Bill

 

[West R Lee]

Andrew,

This is recorded through a Roland AC60 and into a Shure microphone and a Zoom. I only post this to demonstrate some of the "effects" on the Roland amp.....as I've said, you can doctor yourself up enormously with it, though I'm sure you can do that with several of them.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_so ... ID=6830151

West

 

[valleyguy]

I played the Roland 60 several places, had heard it at a restaurant and really liked the sound. Went out to probably buy one when the store had a Behringer ACX900, whcih I tried and liked quite a bit. Since it was basically half the price and I really don't use it much and would not depend on it for performing out, i bought the Berry, despite their so-so reputation.

I've been very happy with. It's very heavy, whcih is one of the advantages of the Roland60, but I think there is more low end and it puts out more volume. Used it for one year with no problems, use it at least once a month. The effects are not that great, but useable. Vocal sound very nice.

 

[dklsplace]

There are 2 configurations of the Trace Elliot TA100R. I have the 4x5 configuration, but would much prefer the one with the 12". I have modded mine so I can use an external (unpowered) speaker cabinet with a single 12 in addition to 3 of the 4 5" speakers.

We have an acoustasonic jr dxp sitting in the corner at work waiting for a damage claim to be completed. I've heard good things & would like to try one.

 

[Bing k]

Here are 2 options that are really worth looking at.

The Laney is three channel with mic input and you can plug your drum machine in. Great for vocals and has a DI so you can run the whole package to the board on a separate level output and keep your stage level where its comfortable. We have a lot of performers using it doing just what you want to.

http://www.laney.co.uk/show_prod.php?prod=a1

The SWR is more money but is also very good.
http://www.swrsound.com/products/search ... 4460000010

 

[Steelpickin']

http://www.lrbaggs.com/html/products/products_amp.shtml

another one of the mindboggeling choices out there.

 

[Pikemusic]

Hello Andrew!

I am a composer, acoustic/electric guitarist, pianist and singer.

I am now in the process of recording my first album, some years ago I owned an acoustic guitar-amp for live
settings which I later sold because I needed to finance the buy of a twelvestring Guild built in westerly.

Now the time has come to start to play more live sets again, and I will now definitely buy a similar acoustic guitar-amp again.

Simply because I think it is the best one out there, after years of research, the german company AER(audio-electric research),
made what actually hadn´t been around before; an acoustic guitar-amp that really projected the sound in the most natural way ever, and that also sounds great for vocals, violin etc.......so I hereby warmly recommend these awardwinning amplifiers to you, here
are two links: the second link for the actual amp that I owned and which I´m going to buy again, go and get yourself an AER!!!:

http://www.aer-amps.info/

http://www.aer-amps.info/index.php?page ... ng=english

Dearest greetings

Jens Raven Holma, composer, northern Sweden

 

[6L6]

Well, for the past three years I've been gigging with a Fender Acoustasonic Jr DSP amp and I LOVE it. I normally gig with my '06 Guild D-55 equipped with a Fishman Matrix active pup and some BOSS pedals. The vocal channel on this amp will make anyone sound like a MUCH better singer than they really are!

Same size & weight as a Fender Deluxe reverb (same cover fits both). Plenty of power for the situations you described, and the tilt back legs are a MUST for getting the sound to the back of the room.

Yep, I'd buy the same amp all over again in a heartbeat.

http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=2213200010

6

'06 Guild D-55
'06 Guild D-40BJ
'06 Guild F-412
'74 Guild D-40
'98 Martin D-45V
'98 Collings D-1
'03 Taylor 214

 

[MarkRobertD225]

Do yourself a favor and get a UltraSound AG50DS4. Most transparent acoustic amp for the money (less than $500), 50W, 2 input channels (either XLR or 1/4" with phantom power for a mic, if needed) and 16 effect presets.

 

[plaidseason]

I've been using a Crate CA125D for close to ten years now and I absolutely love it. I've also had great experiences with SWR and Ultrasound. I'll echo what others have said in that Ultrasound provides a great bang for the buck.

I've heard many great things about Genz-Benz, Fishman, Baggs and numerous others . . . and not to sound like a nonreviewing reviewer in Acoustic Guitar magazine, but there are a lot of great choices out there.

One thing I do recommend is getting something with 2+ channels, so that you'll in essence have a mini PA. I've used my crate to play solo gigs in some fairly large rooms and it's served me well.

-Chris

 

[earbleedz]

Hi Guys. Let me jump in to endorse Crate acoustic guitar amps. I've had many and my Crate is the best. I play with a K&K Western pickup in my dreadnaughts. They work great in a combo setting in a coffee shop or lined in to a board.

Good day!