Advice on acoustic amps please

[roger]

I will soon be in the market to buy myself an acoustic amp for home use and very small venues ( if anybody is daft enough to come and listen to me).
This is a new area for me so any advice would be very useful and very much appreciated. I have no idea how much a decent one costs or what features I should look out for, or whether to buy new second hand or vintage?
Thanks in advance Roger. ;D

[Simon Thompson]

I have a Roland AC60 acoustic amp, rated very highly when it came out. New cost was in the region of £300 and worth every penny. It makes instruments sound louder without sounding electric (diificult to describe!). As well as reverb/delay, it has a very usable chorus
and a notch filter to ward off feedback. It has a useful array of outputs, and whilst not that loud can be fed into a PA for more volume. Most imortantly it has two imputs, one for instruments which caters for both magnetic and piezzo pickups and the other for microphone. It also comes with a heavy duty shoulder bag with room for leads etc. Mine is about 18 months old, and I assume is still available new.If you come across one second hand..grab it!

[Deleted]

Hi,

i purchased a Marshall AS100D earlier this year for around £370 and am thouroughly pleased with it.

It sounds clean even when up loud, has 4 speakers, 4 inputs (2 instruments, 1 mike and an aux), lots of effects (chorus and delay are my favourites), anti-feedback controls, various input controls and multiple outputs. sounds great with my mando and guitars.

it's a bit of a weight, and maybe has too many features (?!). really solidly built, oh and nice and brown.

i always try before i buy,

happy hunting,

duggyk

[Michael Messer]

Hi Roger,

I have used Galien Kruger and Trace Elliot acoustic amps and for amplifying acoustic stringed instruments that have pickups and plug in, they are excellent. However if you are looking for a portable system for voice & guitar in small venues, (IMO) you won't beat a small budget PA system and a couple of good Shure mics (SM58 voice / SM57 guitar).

Shine On,
Michael.

[Bottleneck John]

I recently bought a Roland AC-60..!! And man, am I happy I did!!!!!!

I use it as a small PA system really.

I decided to take it because the quality of the vocal sound was the best I've ever found in such a small and portable unit..!!
And the sound of a guitar pickup plugged in OR using a condenser mic in front of the guitar works amazingly well.. I've used it in churches, blues clubs, coffee houses etc.. I works in all venues..!!!

I can highly recommend it!!

BJ

[Michael Messer]

I have not heard a Roland AC 60, but from what you guys are saying it sounds pretty good.

Shine On,
Michael.

[roger]

Thanks for the advice I will check out the Roland, it sounds exactly what I am looking for.
I will let you know how I get on.

Thanks again Roger.

[loosenup]

Hi Roger .. I am new here too .. but i bought a second hand Line6 Amp called the Spider II.
150 watts through 2 x 12" speakers and loads of effects and twiddly bits on it . Nice clean sound up load and loud enough to punch through most small gigs. has effects built in chorus .. flange .. delay .. tape echo .. spring reverb and distortion .. 4 programmably channels .. set the volumes and all that then hit the button and the settings are saved .. so even if you move the knobs after turning it off .. just hit the channel button you want and all is set again .. oh yes .. has a tuner built in too
Phill

[loosenup]

Hi Roger .. I am new here too .. but i bought a second hand Line6 Amp called the Spider II. ( £200 .. they are around £290 New)
150 watts through 2 x 12" speakers and loads of effects and twiddly bits on it . Nice clean sound up load and loud enough to punch through most small gigs. has effects built in chorus .. flange .. delay .. tape echo .. spring reverb and distortion .. 4 programmably channels .. set the volumes and all that then hit the button and the settings are saved .. so even if you move the knobs after turning it off .. just hit the channel button you want and all is set again .. oh yes .. has a tuner built in too
Phill

[loosenup]

Hi Roger .. I am new here too .. but i bought a second hand Line6 Amp called the Spider II. ( £200 .. they are around £290 New)
150 watts through 2 x 12" speakers and loads of effects and twiddly bits on it . Nice clean sound up load and loud enough to punch through most small gigs. has effects built in chorus .. flange .. delay .. tape echo .. spring reverb and distortion .. 4 programmably channels .. set the volumes and all that then hit the button and the settings are saved .. so even if you move the knobs after turning it off .. just hit the channel button you want and all is set again .. oh yes .. has a tuner built in too
Phill

[loosenup]

Ooops .. seems i pressed the button too much
Phill