Opinions Please - Fender Deluxe Passport 250 vs. Yamaha Stagepas 300

[mikerol]

Hello -- Thanks in advance for your opinions. Please respond only if you have experience with one or both. After playing guitar for 18 years, I'm going to start playing out a little bit. Never owned a PA before.

 

Application: Acoustic duo with occasional sit-ins by an electric lead and an un-mic'd drummer playing with bamboo sticks or brushes. No bass running through PA.

 

Venues -- restaurant lounges, patio bars, parties, etc.

 

Music: Mostly acoustic rock and some newer country

 

I've looked at the Fender 250 [the new one with B@se speaker engineering] and the Yamaha Stagepass 300. I've read reviews til I'm blue. Some of them I'm sort of discounting because of the change in speaker engineering with the Fender. Price is comparable. Seems like some pluses and minuses to either design [ie/ Fender looks a bit Fisher-Price -- Yamaha needs adapters to mount onto stands].

 

I really don't care about looks. Only care about sound in this price range. Not too concerned that one weighs a little more than the other.

 

Again, thanks in advance.

Mike

[Shaster]

i've used the original Fender Passport - they were dreadful. I've heard the Yamaha.

 

A drummer only using brushes is like saying "the cheques in the mail". So on that note, I believe you should at least consider some "name brand" small powered speakers (QSC K series....) and a small board like the Peavey PV10 or 14. If your heart is set on an all in one PA, maybe the Yamaha Stagepass 500 (for a bit more juice).

[Rick6]

I had the Stagepas 300. I'm not a PA expert. For most on here, I know that second sentence was unnecessary after the first sentence.

 

I thought the Stagepas sounded like a good home stereo. In fact, I was planning to use it that way much of the time.

 

The salesman thought the stereo channels had mic preamps, but they don't, so I returned it. I wanted to be able to pan and thought I could accomplish the same thing by plugging my stereo signal into the stereo inputs on different channels and using the volume controls to accomplish panning. Not possible. It wants line level in the stereo inputs.

 

I believe that the PD250 does have panning.

 

One local guitar pro uses the bose speaker PD250 as a guitar amp and swears by it. He plays a Godin nylon through a synth GR33, drops the two low strings an octave and writes to his former bass player at Christmas.

 

The weight difference is not small, at least not exactly. The Fender packs up into one 50+ lb thing. The Yamaha packs into two pieces each under 20, if I recall. Much easier to move for us old guys.

 

Yamaha not only doesn't come with stands, the speakers don't have the stand hardware either. You buy it separately.

 

Hope this helps.

 

If I needed a small PA for coffee shop guitar and vocals, I'd buy another Stagepas. Probably that's because I don't know anything about sound. But, here's my reasoning. It's not that expensive. It's very easy to carry -- light weight and the mixer packs into the back of a speaker. I can use it as a home stereo in my office when it's not otherwise employed. I trust Yamaha. It's dirt simple to operate. And it sounds good enough for me.

 

Rick

[Rick6]

One other point. I gigged a few times with a singer who carried a Peavey Escort. It was pretty managable sizewise and sounded fine. In fact, one night the bassist forgot his power cord and plugged into the Peavey instead. It was a quiet gig, but it worked fine.

[Bobby1Note]

I tried out the more expensive Fender Acoustasonic series, and thought it sounded terrible, especially the FX. Not clean at all. Too "electric-guitarish" sounding for an acoustic amp. You'll want something that sounds good with vocals. That's VERY important for this type of application.

 

Of the two you've chosen, I'd probably go with the Yamaha, but if it were me, I'd go with a Soundcraft Notepad 124FX mixer, and a decent powered speaker (or two). A single Yorkville NX25p would probably be ideal for your application. If you don't need FX, then just the single NX25p would do. It has a built-in mixer for your guitar, and a vocal mic. Probably around $479. or so. The new Soundcraft Notepad 124FX, should retail for roughly $219.

 

By the way, "stereo" is pointless for your application.

 

With the NX25p, you'd have a real piece of "pro" gear, not something that sounds like a toy.

 

http://www.yorkville.com/products.asp?type=29&cat=22&id=338

 

Here's a pretty good deal if you need a stand and mic cable.

 

http://www.musiciansbuy.com/YORKVILLE-NX25P-Powered-Loudspeaker.html

 

Bob

[allexcosta]

Another vote for a small mixer with built-in FX and a single powered speaker of higher quality.

[stunningbabe]

 

Another vote for a small mixer with built-in FX and a single powered speaker of higher quality.

 

 

Another vote from me too!

[abzurd]

Used the Fender. They are pretty much the Fisher Price of PA systems. Just not enough there for more than small speaking engagements. For instance, the Fender worked OK for juggler friend of mine for small assemblies and carnival type shows with spoken word and low volume background music. Hopelessly outmatched for live work.

 

Just look at 10" and 12" powered speakers and an small passive mixer. You'll be miles ahead in performance and have something you can build off of if you ever expand. Today's mains can be tomorrows monitors.

[Bobby1Note]

 

Today's mains can be tomorrows monitors.

 

 

+1. Precisely why I recommended the NX25p.The op can also use it as a monitor when he plays a venue with their own PA

 

In addition, the Yamaha, has only a two-band eq. The NX25p as well as the small Soundcraft 124FX mixer, both feature three-band eq's. The 124FX also has a high-pass filter on each XLR/mono channel, to cut rumble/stage-noise,etc.

[Shaster]

I have used one NX25P and a mixer in singles and in "quiet" band situations. It was loud and sounded pretty good.

 

It should outperform both of the original OP's suggestions (especially the Fender), and can be augmented with another NX25P (when money allows). Or, it can be converted to monitor duty, as stated.

 

Other good powered speakers should perform in the same fashion.