Acoustic Amps? (preferably battery powered for live work)

[feet]

so recently i had a crazy idea- if my flat and archtops are acoustic guitars, then maybe i should try them with... acoustic amps?

so i hauled the old g400 to guitar center to try and get my feet wet, as it were. and wouldn't you know it, their selection blew ass. but i think i heard enough to convince me that the idea itself was sound, or at least had some merit to it.

i'm leaning heavily toward the roland ac-33 to begin with. though there wasn't a single roland amp there that was operational and ready to test, i think the ac33 provides most of what my very specific needs are for now. i need an amp that runs off of battery power, can power a mic and a guitar simultaneously and is small and light for travel but loud enough for playing outdoors. it also needs to be somewhat affordable and essentially fungible- i can pick one up (or unload one) outside of the us. pickings are pretty slim.

but i'd also like a more... permanent solution, i guess you could say. a more seaworthy vessel, if you like. to that end, the lower end schertler and aer amps look interesting- the giulia y would be my first pick at that price. i suppose that if the roland experience goes well, i could try their larger amps as well. i would also consider the winner of my meager four amp tryout at guitar center- the fishman loudbox artist (or mini). but sadly, none of those run off of batteries, which makes that decision tougher. i'd prefer an amp to a pa, but the carvin s600 is also a fascinating solution but i don't want to prioritize bells and whistles over tone.

for those of you wondering about the battery thing, its an extension of my stupid busking at home and abroad idea. other solutions, like a marine battery (like i've seen in my travels) or a goal zero yeti 150 generator thing aren't super feasible abroad, but they could work here at home, not that its a real palatable solution.

and for those wondering about my itty bitty shoot out:

fender acoustisonic 90- ass
marshall as50d- ass
fishman loudbox mini- the biggest surprise. short, squat and a little heavy (for the size), but it handled the low end of the g400 pretty well. a little eq'ing and a touch of reverb and you were pretty good to go. the only knock is that it sounded a little flat and lacking depth, but that wasn't in a big deal.
loudbox artist- a little more difficult to dial in, but it was essentially the same as the little one but a little better. pretty respectable sound plugging straight in. the extra size gave it a bit more of what the mini lacked.

both fishmans (fishmen?) differentiated well between my g400 and the poorly set up j45 i grabbed off the wall as a control. simple, pleasing, honest tone. maybe not the most breathtaking thing in the world, but hard to be mad at it. couldn't crank it, but it sounded decent about 8" back at almost medium volumes.

[abealam]

I am currently using an acoustic image Clarus. Slr- series IV

Sounds good and doubles for my arch top

Abe Alam
Abealam.com

[feet]

how representative is the clarus of the acoustic image line? do they all sort of sound the same? i'm looking for a combo at the moment. i'm not sure if there is an advantage to going modular when they are relatively light anyway. some more clips of a clarus would be most welcome. though their combo is more than i had hoped to spend.

been looking at the henriksen bud too, but i've heard that sound pretty good and pretty bland, as well. like the feature set and size (if it really delivers like it claims to) but the high wattage would make it hard to power away from an outlet.

[dconeill]

... for those of you wondering about the battery thing, its an extension of my stupid busking at home and abroad idea. ...

If battery power is a necessity, then the Roland is a good bet. I use the Fishman Loudbox Mini myself, but I don't have occasion to use battery power.

But I want to comment on the tone of your posting. Why the self-denigration? Once I saw the "stupid" phrase above, it colored the entire posting for me. Don't talk yourself down, you might start believing that someday. If this music thing is worth it to you to give it a try, go for it and do the best you can at it. You will gain absolutely nothing from anybody by putting yourself down.

Imagine this situation:
Potential listener: "Why are you carrying a guitar and an amp? Are you playing somewhere?"
You: "Why, yes, I am. I'm busking at the Rue du Fromage in an hour. Why don't you come listen?"
P.L.: "Are you any good?"
You: "Well, I'm OK. I don't play all that well, and I sing flat sometimes, and my socks don't match."
P.L.: "Oh. Never mind then."

What would you have gained?

Talk yourself up. Do the best you can.

[feet]

no, i meant stupid literally. as in, the logistics of travelling with an archtop, securing an amp and such where ever i end up, dragging that around a few countries somehow and then hopefully sell everything off before i leave so i don't have to bring it back. its not a bright idea. believe me. i've done it a few times as a photographer/tourist, but never as a musician. i didn't mean stupid figuratively, though if you'd hear me live, you'd praise my job security its also probably not a great idea if you're hoping to secure a reasonable source of income.

but since you mention it, when i was in dublin a spaniard (inadvertently?) made off with a lot of my socks, which made the sock situation dicey. on the bright side, my pitch is often close enough and i now have a few pairs of marled green hiking socks.

i will mention that when travelling, busking is a little easier because you don't know any one, you have must less shame and your livelihood may depend on it, so you better be worth throwing loose change at. travelling lowers inhibitions in general, but more so when you're trying scrape up some cash. or pick up chicks. or have more street kebabs.

i did appreciate all that, however. thanks for taking the time. also, if you have any insights about the fishman, i'd love to hear them. it seemed more than good enough to me, but how does it stack up to some of the fancier offerings out there, i wonder?

[abealam]

The clarus sounds fantastic. Not sure about other models

Abe Alam

[DRS]

I like my Fishman Loudbox Artist for amplifying acoustic instruments. It also works for amplifying electrics as long as you like a pristine clean tone. No battery solution, though. Good luck with that.

[ronjazz]

I guess Crate is out of business, but if you can find a used Limo or Bass Bus, those are both very good, full-sounding battery-powered amps; the Limo has 2 channels with mic input. I've had mine for years, battery is replaceable, sound is quite good. They also made the Taxi, perhaps a bit small for your purposes, but surprisingly loud. I use them for sailboat gigs and garden weddings.

[Woody Sound]

I like my Fishman Loudbox Artist for amplifying acoustic instruments. It also works for amplifying electrics as long as you like a pristine clean tone. No battery solution, though. Good luck with that.

I think the Fishman series has the most versatile control layout of any acoustic amp. (JMO)

[Woody Sound]

I guess Crate is out of business, but if you can find a used Limo or Bass Bus, those are both very good, full-sounding battery-powered amps; the Limo has 2 channels with mic input. I've had mine for years, battery is replaceable, sound is quite good. They also made the Taxi, perhaps a bit small for your purposes, but surprisingly loud. I use them for sailboat gigs and garden weddings.

crate taxi | eBay

[Woody Sound]

If battery power is a necessity, then the Roland is a good bet.

I am wondering how their AC-33 compares to their Street Cube.

[feet]

it looks like i'll need at least a yeti 400 to power an amp because of the pure vs modified sine wave power issue. no bueno. but what's $400 and an extra 30 pounds to lug around, right? i still don't think that would run the bud, but it should be plenty for most other (reasonable) offerings, in the 30-100 watt range.

i wonder, does aer have a sound? does schertler and fishman and so on? what i mean is, does the range more or less sound the same but come in different sizes and configurations?

i've also been thinking about pa's and such, but powering them remotely could be an issue. also, i'm a little afraid of a pa giving me a plain, flat boring sound. not that i want something colored and unnatural, but you know. i can get a boring sound from anything for much less. i don't want to rely on a bunch of gadgetry to fluff up a bad sound. my other complication is that i'll need it to sound good for flat tops and archtops, both floating and set in pickups. though i'm not really chasing an electric tone here. seems people think aers sound more "acoustic"/flat toppy and hendriksens are more "electric" or archtoppy.

roland and fishman seem like solid, reliable, workmanlike products. but they seem to be routinely bested by the names in the next tier, if such a thing exists. sad thing is i probably have to buy to try, whatever it is. comparisons would be difficult to make.

so far as i can tell, the street cubes are geared more toward electric players and have more bells and whistles, while the ac amps are more stripped down and acoustic-y. i preferred the ac33 to the cubes in comparison videos. i'll probably seek one out while travelling. though i think i recently discovered the trick to getting a more natural tone from a jc type amp.

[oriv]

definitely check a combo by acoustic image, you can find a used coda or contra for a good price.

[rlrhett]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the little Yamaha (can't remember the model number). It's practically sold as a set with the silent guitar series.

It's a small amp, but to my ears sounds really good. Especially with a SBT or under saddle piezo. Too small?


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[dconeill]

... if you have any insights about the fishman, i'd love to hear them. it seemed more than good enough to me, but how does it stack up to some of the fancier offerings out there, i wonder?

I had pretty severe (self-imposed) budget limitations, and since I play for my own amusement, not severe performance requirements. I did want it to sound good and not to weigh very much. I looked at everything I could find under $400. To cut to the chase, the Fishman Loudbox Mini sounded the best of the amps I looked at with my piezo-equipped guitar and with my archtop, and IIRC I got it for about $275. With the archtop (Heritage Sweet 16 with a Kent Armstrong pickup), the Fishman sounds very close to my Evans amp with less weight and at 1/4 the price (but also less loudness and less range on the tone controls - but the tone I want is in there).

Is it the best amp in the world? No. Is it the smallest and lightest? Close, but no. But it does a pretty good job, comes pretty close to being completely transparent to the instruments it's presented with, and hit a sweet spot for price/performance. It's loud enough for any venue I could imagine myself playing in just now and sounds good to me. I'd buy one again.

If for some reason I need more volume I'll deal with that when it comes up. So far it hasn't.

[Rob Fletcher]

REPLY TO WONDERING ABOUT AC-33 VS STREET CUBE
I have both. However my AC-33 doesn't have battery ability. It sounds much better than the Street Cube, but for outdoors shows- farmers markets and even indoor shows like senior centers the Street Cube is fine. And I use both for vocals. I've found that I actually don't use the 33 much - either small portability w/ Street Cube or step up to AC60 which has a GREAT sound, really nice low end.

[nopedals]

Some amps do both (I have a henriksen bud).

[feet]

some updates from further down the rabbit hole-

doesn't look like i can find an acoustic image combo at a manageable price. don't want to go piece meal here. the bud is still pretty intriguing, though i don't think its my thing for electric guitars (minor issue), its only a two channel amp and its higher wattage would be a challenge to power in the field. but it seems to deliver, otherwise.

current contenders-

schertler jam 100- seems to offer enough of what i need at a manageable size/price point, but i'd have to power it myself, some how.

elite acoustics a4br8- battery powered, built in effects, several channels, but so little info out there. total dice roll on both the company and product, as it seems they are fairly new.

acus oneforstreet- battery powered, decent mix of size and power. but again, little info out there, and only two channels. not sure if it can be found in america and its very near what i'd be willing to spend.

most of the pa and line array stuff looks like it would require too much power to use as a busking sort of thing. still researching how to go about rigging up a power supply (good threads on the agf) but that's extra size and weight, and would probably cost at least another $200. but it opens up my options to just about anything, which means i'd probably get better quality and sound.

the aer stuff is nice but i'm not sure the price is justified compared to similarly spec'ed rivals. and i'd have to come up with a mobile power solution to use it. but of course, i could always fall back on a fishman or roland, worst case scenario.

edit- ran some experiments using my interface and monitors as an ad hoc pa to simulate what that may sound like. i used a flat top with two different pickups in it and my archtop with a floater. and i did get a fairly decent sound from the flat top, but it took two sources to do it. neither was all that great on its own. the archtop, well... that needs some help. i added some eq, compression and reverb from the interface and fluffed up the sound to "acceptable".

so what did i learn? i'm not sure. but i think i need to lean toward guitar amps moreso than pa systems, to massage the sound a bit. or maybe just get a nice eq/di/imagine type box to fluff things up some? though i prefer the amp and guitar be enough...

[Woody Sound]

REPLY TO WONDERING ABOUT AC-33 VS STREET CUBE
I have both. However my AC-33 doesn't have battery ability. It sounds much better than the Street Cube, but for outdoors shows- farmers markets and even indoor shows like senior centers the Street Cube is fine. And I use both for vocals. I've found that I actually don't use the 33 much - either small portability w/ Street Cube or step up to AC60 which has a GREAT sound, really nice low end.

The AC-33 IS a battery powered amp. Perhaps you were just not aware of that? Look at the back of yours.

Roland - AC-33 | Acoustic Chorus Guitar Amplifier

[WilliamScott]

I have both a loudbox performer and an AC-33. I prefer the Roland for a jazz sound and the Fishman for an acoustic flat-top sound, although the Roland does both very well. I have not been able to get a good jazz sound out of the Fishman.

[christianm77]

I've got some decent results using an inexpensive Samson battery PA. Preamp obv. a good idea.

[Pygmy]

Hey Feet, over the summer I bought a used Schmidt Washburn OE40TS arch top and a Trace Elliott TA50R acoustic amp. I can vouch for the compatibility of that acoustic amp and that particular electric hollow body. In fact, it sounds great through a Trace Elliott. Very woody sound--I'm used to a richer, more electric sound (using a Polytone Minibrute). I myself now want to acquire a portable amp for busking with a different hollow body, an Aria Pro II Herb Ellis model. Used to busk w/ a Mouse, back when the only options were that or a Pignose. Should have sprung for a Mighty Mouse, which supposedly had better tone. Prior to that, I experimented w/ modifying a 10W Fender w/ a dry cell motorcycle battery, but the amp itself was too bulky for traveling. Have tried out various portable amps at Guitar Center, but don't like the way my guitar sounds thru them. I am now considering a Roland AC-33. Did you acquire a portable acoustic amp? If so, I'm wondering how it's working out for you and which one you got. Have you or anyone else on this site besides WilliamScott tried the Roland AC-33 with an electric hollow body jazz guitar? (Thnx for weighing in WilliamScott.)

[feet]

the project got tabled as i got caught up with school, and that may even prevent me from traveling at all in a worst case scenario, precluding the need for now. at any rate, i sort of decided to go with the ac33 abroad as i'm sure to find one anywhere. it seems both good enough and fungible enough, though probably not the ideal for vocals or guitar tone, be it acoustic, archtop or otherwise. but certainly much better than acceptable.

for a more permanent domestic solution, well that depends on whether or not i have to stomach to power something externally, and how. the elite acoustics a4br8 would be the way to go for plug and play efficiency. if i cobble a system to power it together (or get a yeti 400) then the schertler jam 100 looks to be the way to go, considering features, tone, power and size. playing around here would generally mean no flying or flight cases, and my car and possibly a cart if need be, so the size and weight thing is much less of an issue. i would even try the hendricksen bud if i was sure i could power it, or the aer mobile amp if i had the money to burn and wanted a simple. turn key solution.

[Woody Sound]

I am now considering a Roland AC-33. Did you acquire a portable acoustic amp? If so, I'm wondering how it's working out for you and which one you got. Have you or anyone else on this site besides WilliamScott tried the Roland AC-33 with an electric hollow body jazz guitar? (Thnx for weighing in WilliamScott.)

I just ordered one for a small spot with a symphony. Don't want to have to run a big cord across the stage. Will report on it later.

[GNAPPI]

All my battery powered devices clean my teeth, drill holes, light the dark, run a radio, start my car, please my GF, charge and operate my phone, or run bluetooth speakers, mice and keyboards.

I wasn't aware that battery powered amps went beyond a Pignose. Happy day :-)