Hi guys,

i'm reading a lot on the internet that i should be purchasing a acoustic amplifier instead of just keeping my vox ac15cc1...

I have a furch dreadnaught acoustic, and will hopefully be getting a baggs m1a soon.

Anyone shed any light on this question, or even have a nice acoustic amp for trade with a lovely vox?

:)

Years ago, I purchased a trace elliot, tr25 r. They had just gon into the business of making acoustic amps. Small, 5 inch speaker. Very punchy, and compared to standard amps, and PA systems, if you plugged a caustic with a built in pickup, it was the most accurate reproduction I heard. After that other companies followed. At this point I think fish man is the tops you can get now. For small gigs, it cant be beat, and they tend to sound a bit more acoustic than a standard guitar amp. However, after visiting Jorma at his ranch, he introduced me to the fishman Aura preamp. He uses it every where he plays acoustic. It will always produce your sound, and you can run it into a PA with great results. The latest version allows you to down load your guitar, assuming fish man has recorded it. They have hundreds of them on line on thier website. They work best with the under saddle pickups. Now I can play anywhere, and still get my sound without driving the crew crazy. Look them up. One less amp to drag around!

Good luck!

Freddy's last point looms large in my consciousness. A good acoustic amp would be nice but when I'm playing out I like to travel light so I use one amp for everything. I don't use an acoustic on stage these days but when I did I was pretty happy with the sound of it through my Fender amp.

I had a Fender Acoustasonic and it sucked. I use a Fishman Aura through the PA and it sounds great.

Jorma knows best!

Freddy's last point looms large in my consciousness. A good acoustic amp would be nice but when I'm playing out I like to travel light so I use one amp for everything. I don't use an acoustic on stage these days but when I did I was pretty happy with the sound of it through my Fender amp.

If you are playing acoustic exclusively the specific amp maybe. This is what I use with my Fender Tube amps makes a major big difference and it is killer acoustic direct through the PA mixing board as well. LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI

For what it's worth I've been playing through a Marshall AS50D for the last four years. If it's just acoustic stuff you are doing this is a fine amp & has the advantage of having a mic input plus chorus & reverb.

so although i'm probably going to purchase the M1A with built in preamp, to get the best from an acoustic plugged into an electric amp (voxac15) a separate preamp di like the bags and fish man will enable me to get the best results... as of yesterday (sold my strat) i play acoustic solely! :) Thanks for all the info, your time is greatly appreciated!

okay guys quick update one of my favourite artists "ben howard" seems to use a laney vc30 live for his acoustics... anyone any experience themselves? there meant to be really good for cleans

or should i just be looking at an eq pedal... so many questions

I have a crafter acoustic amp that won the blind test for me against boxes upto 5 times the price, well worth checking them out.

That said, if you're playing the sort of small venues that you could use oneof these, your playing is what people will hear, far more than the subtle differences of speaker construction and EQ options.

I'm putting my hand up for the Roland AC series. I have an AC60, but I wish I'd held out for an AC80.
It has a separate mic input and guitar jack, has settings for both piezo and magnetic pickups, has easy dial up effects (reverb, chorus, delay) and sits on a speaker stand, nice and close so that it obviates the need for any foldback.
The sound is, to my ear anyway (and I admit to having tin ears) an accurate but enhanced version of your acoustic instrument.
Like most of the modern stuff, there's loads of extras like plug-ins for backing tracks, etc. and it will line out to a PA for bigger gigs.
I have a Fender Acoustasonic 30, too, which I quite like, but the Roland mic sound is noticeably superior - again, to my ears.

Best of all, it's light and comes in a case you can sling over your shoulder!
Gotta love that!

You can pick up a Fishman Loudbox pretty cheap sometimes. They are nice amps. Go to GC and compare them with the other acoustic amps and you'll see what I mean. Try MusicGoRound if you have one near you. You can find them on the net too. They will ship too if you find one you like. I tried my Martin OM1 through my Fender Amp and then through my Fishman and for me the Fishman brought out more of the guitar. Only my 2cents worth which ain't much.

OPINION TIME!
keep the vox. they sound lovely.

QUESTION TIME!
just how tall are you, TallestMan?

Even with acoustics? And quite small, 5"10 :)

I had a Fender Acoustasonic and it sucked. I use a Fishman Aura through the PA and it sounds great.


Funny, I absolutely love my older Fender Acoustasonic, Jr. (USA, non-DSP)

Sounds heavenly with a touch of chorus. And I also run my Shure SM58 thru the mic input - sounds great to me.


http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww183/telechamp/Acoustasonic_Jr_IMG_4960pb.jpg

I was thinkig about buying a Vox AGA 150 acoustic guitar amdp until I saw this demo of both the new Fender Acoustasonic 100 and 150. At the moment the local Fender distibutor just has the old Acoustasonic DSP Jr, so I'll wait until the new 150 arrives. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but this is perfect for the the type of gigs I will be playing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQriaNDiHds

Years ago, I purchased a trace elliot, tr25 r. They had just gon into the business of making acoustic amps. Small, 5 inch speaker. Very punchy, and compared to standard amps, and PA systems, if you plugged a caustic with a built in pickup, it was the most accurate reproduction I heard. After that other companies followed. At this point I think fish man is the tops you can get now. For small gigs, it cant be beat, and they tend to sound a bit more acoustic than a standard guitar amp. However, after visiting Jorma at his ranch, he introduced me to the fishman Aura preamp. He uses it every where he plays acoustic. It will always produce your sound, and you can run it into a PA with great results. The latest version allows you to down load your guitar, assuming fish man has recorded it. They have hundreds of them on line on thier website. They work best with the under saddle pickups. Now I can play anywhere, and still get my sound without driving the crew crazy. Look them up. One less amp to drag around!

Good luck!

Wow dude, did you go out to Fur Peace? I've been thinking of going out to one of their seminars for a few years now. Looks like a really fun vacation.

I use a Laney LA65 acoustic amp through which I play both my 6120 and Les Paul and the sound is great. The Gretsch sounds wonderful. The Les Paul sounds great too!

Wow dude, did you go out to Fur Peace? I've been thinking of going out to one of their seminars for a few years now. Looks like a really fun vacation.

It was the best. Other than Jorma, who is a great down to earth guy, David Bromberg was there, and Pete Huttlinger, if you never heard of Pete, look him up, he is a tommy emanuel level player, and funny. . Everyday I would eat lunch, breakfast, dinner with them. They offer a variety of different styles and levels. I strongly urge you to take a class at the level your at. Check out their website, and their schedule. JE Smith teaches there as well as Tommy Emanuel. I will always remember it, and glad I went, and would go back in a heartbeat. It was just one of the coolest places on earth for a guy like me to be. Jorma has tons of stories, and he is one of the funniest guys I have ever met. If you want some more behind the scenes info, PM me.

Funny, I absolutely love my older Fender Acoustasonic, Jr. (USA, non-DSP)

Sounds heavenly with a touch of chorus. And I also run my Shure SM58 thru the mic input - sounds great to me.


http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww183/telechamp/Acoustasonic_Jr_IMG_4960pb.jpg

That is the same one I had and it sounded horrible! Mine was the first release. I bought the first one that arrived at the Guitar Center in San Fransisco in about 1997. Maybe they improved them!

That is the same one I had and it sounded horrible! Mine was the first release. I bought the first one that arrived at the Guitar Center in San Fransisco in about 1997. Maybe they improved them!


Well, all I can say is mine sounds great. And another friend of mine has the Acoustasonic 30, and that one sounds great, too.

Maybe you had a defective one?...

Or maybe just different strokes for different folks...

Telechamp and Gentle Ben,
Some time ago, I played through a Behringer acoustic amp at a small gig. I loved the sound. It was terrific, so I bought one. It sounded awful. I thought I must have been doing something wrong, so I asked my mate (the guy who owned the amp I'd been impressed by) to come over and show me where I was going wrong.
He set my amp up exactly the same as he set his up and away we went. It still sounded pretty awful.
I sold it in favour of the Roland and I couldn't be happier (except I'd like a bigger Roland AC amp.)
I also know a guy who owns a cheap Ibanez jumbo that sounds as good, if not better, than the heavily expensive Gibson jumbo I've played. You can just get lucky, I suppose.

Well, all I can say is mine sounds great. And another friend of mine has the Acoustasonic 30, and that one sounds great, too.

Maybe you had a defective one?...

Or maybe just different strokes for different folks...

Sometimes equipment just doesn't seem to match and sometimes a musician has a sound preset in his head and the equipment can't get that particular sound. I was looking for a do-it-all amp that I could use for solo gigs in small bars and coffee houses. The Fender didn't do it for me and later I tried a Roland AC30 that was a little better but not quite there. I notice Roland now has an AC60 but I probably won't try it. My Mackie powered speakers and Carvin mixer give me the sound I want even though they are bulkier and more trouble to set up.

Telechamp and Gentle Ben,
Some time ago, I played through a Behringer acoustic amp at a small gig. I loved the sound. It was terrific, so I bought one. It sounded awful. I thought I must have been doing something wrong, so I asked my mate (the guy who owned the amp I'd been impressed by) to come over and show me where I was going wrong.
He set my amp up exactly the same as he set his up and away we went. It still sounded pretty awful.
I sold it in favour of the Roland and I couldn't be happier (except I'd like a bigger Roland AC amp.)
I also know a guy who owns a cheap Ibanez jumbo that sounds as good, if not better, than the heavily expensive Gibson jumbo I've played. You can just get lucky, I suppose.


Yeah, Fletch, I hear ya. Sometimes a guitar or amp just sounds good - even if it's not top of the line or whatever.. They can make good ones as well as bad ones, I guess!

I bought my Acoustasonic Jr. used from a friend because he was upgrading, and I had always liked the sound of this Acoustasonic of his. He sold it to me for a good price - and like I said, it sounds good to me.

I plugged in again last night just to be sure I wasn't "hearing things", and it still sounded good - both thru my Seagull Entourage and my Ovation Celebrity - although I do think it sounds a little better with the Ovation.

(I prefer the tone of the Seagull unplugged, and prefer the tone of the Ovation plugged in.)

You do have to tweak the Acoustasonic Jr. some to get the sound you want - both with the amp and the guitar settings.

Sometimes equipment just doesn't seem to match and sometimes a musician has a sound preset in his head and the equipment can't get that particular sound. I was looking for a do-it-all amp that I could use for solo gigs in small bars and coffee houses. The Fender didn't do it for me and later I tried a Roland AC30 that was a little better but not quite there. I notice Roland now has an AC60 but I probably won't try it. My Mackie powered speakers and Carvin mixer give me the sound I want even though they are bulkier and more trouble to set up.


As I was telling Fletch, sometimes a piece of equipment just sounds right - for whatever reason. This amp sounds good to me, but I do believe you when you say that yours doesn't (didn't). Luck of the draw maybe?..

I have heard two exactly the same guitars sound COMPLETELY different, and as Fletch mentioned, his Behringer amp sounded completely different than his buddy's - exact same model amp evidently.

I don't have any idea on what is the best acoustic amplifier because I don't have yet it though I have an acoustic guitar. On my opinion you have to choose the best amplifier if you want the music will come out smoothly and clear.

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Great info on this thread.
I can't offer any new advice, but I would say keep the Vox AC15 if you can. The CC line has some great features.

Fishman's Aura pedals can sound really good. But IMO whether or not you need one depends on how good a pickup/eq system you have on the guitar. I've heard Yamaha, Takamine and Martin electro-acoustic flat tops played straight into a decent PA and they sounded very good — and I've heard others that either sound 'too electric' or have that horrible piezo 'clicky/quacky' sort of sound.

If I did regular solo/duo acoustic gigs I'd buy some sort of acoustic amp with a separate mic channel. That could serve as a complete PA for small gigs, particularly with a small PA extension cab. For bigger gigs, you could still put the guitar(s) and vocal mic through the acoustic amp and use it as a stage monitor, just sending a ready mixed sound to the PA from the amp's line out. That way you, and not the soundman, get to balance the overall levels of the instrument(s) and vocals.

You might be surprised how useful this little thing is — three channels (two of them mic/line); clamps to a mic stand or sits on the floor; quite loud for its size; sounds pretty good if the guitar's pickup system is a decent one; and easy to daisy chain two or more together or link to a PA. And you can always use a graphic eq stompbox to tweak the guitar tone.

www.behringer.com/EN/Products/B205D.aspx

Depends on how much gigging you do with it. If you need to play fingerstyle instrumental to 100+ people in a solo format, then sure. If you need to add vocals or other instruments, then you need a multi-channel PA and a DI like the Baggs Para Acoustic DI.

My "acoustic amp" is actually a 3 channel mixer in disguise, a Carvin AG100D. We use it with a 4 channel line mixer for small gigs where separate PAs and cabinets are too much hassle. We usually run no less than a vocal mic and 2 guitars through it.

Not essential. Altho they are handy for some things.
I have a Roland AC60 and a Baggs M1A in a Recording King 000.
Its great for a small compact solo PA.
I got mine cause my duo partner had one, and we can each plug guitar and mic into our AC60s and balance everything out quite nicely. If we had different types of amps, it would prob be better to use a PA.
Acoustic amps are also nice as a personal monitor if you play acoustic in a loud band.

But most other cases, if you have a reg PA and good monitors that your gonna have to set up anyway, you might as well go to the board. It will most likely sound better on most PA systems.
With the M1A, I don't have to use the PADI thru the AC60, tho in certain PA situations it's nice to have it for more control, but not absolutely necc.
The M1A is already active and has a vol control, so most times you won't need a preamp. The PADI is a great tool tho if you have other kinds of instrs, esp those equipped w passive piezos. I use it for my upright bass, mandolin, dobro, uke, and banjo.

If you play small gigs where there's no PA for a Fishman or similar, I think it's well worth your while to have an acoustic amp--the full-spectrum reproduction is miles ahead of playing through a regular amp. I've done both--acoustic through Vox, and acoustic through acoustic amp. The latter is way better, I think. Though getting rid of an AC15 is hard to recommend!

I'd go with a Schertler David amp, if you have dough, or an AER.

I play through an Ashdown Acoustic Radiator. Sounds very nearly as good as a Schertler, but costs far less. On the other hand, I have a cord permanently plugged into the effects loop, because otherwise the amp crackles and cuts out, but it's otherwise been reliable for many, many gigs.

I have had several acoustics with electoronics installed, 614 Taylor, Jumbo Washburn, and now a small Taylor GS Mini with the Taylor sound hole pickup. The GS Mini has the most accurate reproduction of an acoustice when plugged in that the other two were. The Taylor 614 was a wonderful guitar but I just could not dial in there system to my liking and I tried it through several acoustic amps and tube amps. The GS Mini sounds great through whatever I plug it into.
Pop's

my 2 cents.. I have an LRbaggs Paracoustic DI that has served me a billion yrs, I run the passive Lrbaggs M1 into it and the Paracoustics DI goes straight to my atomic brain and over to a JBL Eon powered monitor. All house has to do is plug a mic cable into the back of the JBL Eon. They are absolutely awesome and can be used for anything.
My friend Buzz Campbell runs his Falcon into a line6 PODxt out to an atomic brain through a JBL EON for all his small bar gigs like Lucille's where there is just enough room for him and his upright bassist to stand in the corner by the door with one mic.

I have a Fender Acoustasonic and I like it.
I used to drag it around to gigs and then one night I decided to just plug my Gibson Jumbo into the PA and send some back to me in my small powered JBL wedge monitor. A touch of reverb and that's all I need for acoustic I also use a volume pedal and tuner in front of that. I can control the subtle parts and the volume can be cut back a bit when I'm slamming and strumming. I also play Dobro and Uke through the PA directly. You want full sound? That's what the sound system does.
For duos or single gigs, that's the way to go.
Maybe with a band I'd go back to the amp.
I use the amp at home now and at house parties. Plug a microphone and an acoustic guitar into it, Maybe a drum machine, and basically it's like a small PA.
But one thing I can tell you - Playing acoustic guitar through an amp designed for an electric guitar is NOT the way to get the best acoustic guitar sound. It ruins it. Makes it sound like an electric, so if you're gonna do that, why even bother playing acoustic?

I've been gigging with a Crate Gunnison acoustic amp for several years and wouldn't use anything else. I use a Martin 000-16 with an active Fishman Matrix under saddle pickup. The Gunnison has a load of nice features, including built in effects, line out, two channels with both 1/4 inch and XLR inputs, etc.