Acoustic Guitar Amp Revisited - Best Options to Get Started

[Moonlight Blue]

The last discussions on acoustic guitar amps is far too old and we need to refresh the topic. Here we are:

 

I am looking for a small amp to get started with a brand new electric-acoustic Godin nylon string guitar. In my preliminary research I found a few worthy contenders:

- Marshall AS50D;

- Fender Acoustasonic 90;

- Behringer Ultracoustic AT108;

- Fishman Loudbox Mini 60-Watt; and

- Stagg 10 AA.

 

All seems reasonably priced but I have no experience with any and my local guitar stores do not carry any at this time.

 

Take your pick. I am not looking for the best necessarily, but for a decent amp for a beginner to intermediate acoustic player.

[DeepEnd]

Of your choices, I'd avoid the Behringer and Stagg. Cheap and underpowered. The others should be okay. Check out your local CraigsList for a used bass or keyboard amp. They do a good job for acoustic guitar. Peavey gear is decent and usually undervalued. Here are a few possibilities:

http://orlando.craigslist.org/msd/4976698144.html

http://orlando.craigslist.org/msg/4934360338.html

http://orlando.craigslist.org/msg/4920769392.html

http://orlando.craigslist.org/msg/4958280699.html

[FormerlyBassred]

Also, look at used Genz-Benz (or new ones) acoustic amps. They are clean and powerful and never seem to show up on these lists. That's the direction I'd go

[DeepEnd]

^ Nothing against Genz-Benz and if there had been one on the OP's local CraigsList for a reasonable price I would've included it. Here are a couple more:

http://orlando.craigslist.org/msg/4970685524.html. 150 Watts for $200.

http://orlando.craigslist.org/msg/4940145668.html. 65 Watts for $50. Jump on this one if it's still available.

[FormerlyBassred]

Is it just me or did you not link to a single acoustic guitar amp? Bass amps may 'work', but will not be ideal or as versatile as acoustic amps.

 

Genz, Fender, Fishman, Marshall, AER, Roland, those are the brands I can think of in no time lat that make great acoustic guitar amps.

[DeepEnd]

First, a bass or keyboard amp will do a very good job with acoustic guitar.

Second, if there were an acoustic amp available for a reasonable price I would have linked to it.

Third, where are all the links you must no doubt be able to produce "in no time flat"? I don't see any.

Please post a link to even one acoustic amp that's available used for a reasonable price in the OP's area. I'm attempting to do something constructive beyond merely listing brands. From what I can see, you're not.

 

Edit: Okay, here's a Fender Acoustasonic Jr. that was just listed today. Just about the only decent used acoustic amp available. The OP can ignore everything else and just get this one: http://orlando.craigslist.org/msg/4986333894.html. 2X40 Watts for $260.

[WRGKMC]

I'm kind of partial to the Rolland acoustic amps because I know how they sound. My buddy has an older 2X12" Rolland twin designed mainly for acoustic guitars but sounds pretty good for electric too. He as switched to a line 6 recently which he seems to be liking allot more because it does have the built in effects which he can use to enhance the acoustic guitars tones or put on his mic when doing a solo gig.

[Moonlight Blue]

Over the weekend I tried the Behringer AT108 compared to an electric tube amp (Marshall Class 5), and the results were inconclusive. The Godin Multiac ACS-SA as an electric-acoustic does not respond like a typical acoustic guitar. It has a chambered body and is thin like a thinline semi-hollow electric guitar. I wonder if it impacts the sound and especially how the signal is processed by the amp. The Behringer was plenty loud and I had to turn it way down. But the sound was too bright and thin. The Marshall Class 5 is warmer sounding, but even at low volume and with the attenuator engaged, it still is plenty loud.

 

Do you have experience with the nylon string Godin?

[DeepEnd]

Not with that specific guitar. I do note that it's designed to work with the Roland GR series of synthesizers (http://www.godinguitars.com/godinacsp.htm) so you might expect a Roland amp to work well with it but their acoustic amps tend to be pricy. Your best bet is to take your guitar to the nearest Guitar Center or well-stocked mom and pop and try it with several amps.

[DeepEnd]

After further thought, I wonder if the issue might be in the Godin's electronics. Not saying they're defective but the issue you have with the sound might be related to the way the signal is being processed internally rather than by the amp.

The other factor is obviously the amps. The Behringer's 8" speaker (an Eminence at a guess) is likely going to sound different from the Marshall's 10", although Celestions aren't renowned for their low end. Then there's the whole tube amp warmth thing. Since you like the sound you're getting from your Marshall, maybe you should consider one of their acoustic amps, say an AS50D, if you can afford the $400 price tag. If you really like a tube sound, the Vox AGA150 has a tube preamp but it's not cheap either at $600.

[Moonlight Blue]

Vox amp. I never thought of them for an acoustic guitar amp. Then again, this nylon string Godin has special acoustics. I saw several videos on u-tube and was trying to identify the amp they were using. One excellent video was with a Fender Vibroverb and another with a Fishman Loudbox. Too bad the emphasis is always predominantly on the guitar and not the guitar-amp combo. I'll research the Vox and the Marshall. And yes, I do like the Marshall sound ;-)

[Pine Apple Slim]

With a guitar like your Godin, any clean and reasonably powerful solid state guitar amp would be a contender.Old Polytone would be good, any SS amp made with a warm jazz tone in mind would work great Id think.

Also any SS bass combo or keyboard amp, but those typically lack effects like reverb and chorus.

Still I bet I would myself prefer the sound thru a 100w bass combo with a 15 over any little ole acoustic amp like a Roland AC 60.

( I own an AC60, not dissing the AC 60 but your guitar isnt the typical acoustic guitar)

If you could locate a Roland Jazz Chorus I bet that would be the ultimate.

 

[DeepEnd]

Pretty much what I said, including a couple of really good deals. Waiting for FormerlyBassred to come along and slap you down like he did me.

[Mikeo]

I have a bunch of acoustic amps and I also have the Marshall Class 5 combo. Mostly I play a lot of acoustic guitar, which is way different that the Godin Classical. I like the class 5 for rock stuff. Just a side note. There are 2 generations of the Class 5 combo. The early addition had some rattling issues and it might not have had a low power setting either. The second addition is built a little better.

 

 

Now the acoustic amps I have are a Fishman Loudbox Performer, a SWR California blonde which a lot of guy play stand up bass with and guitar too (they are big and heavy). I had a Roland AC 60, but I didn't care for it all that much and returned to to get the Fishman. I also have a Roland AC33, that I have been messing around with. I turn off all the crap stereo effects, and just add a touch of reverb here and there.

 

Now I don't have a Godin classical electric, but other amps I do like and you can find them out there is the Gibson Les Paul Jr Goldtone amp. It's also 5 watts with one volume knob. I like the Fender Princeton too, but that are getting up there in price.

 

Fender killed SWR and Gibson canned there Goldtone series of amp and makes nothing now.

 

Vox makes a bunch of 4 watters that might work.

 

Fender had for a while this retro series of amps including the Excelsior, Ramparte and Vaporizer. they sound pretty good for the price and will looking interesting in you living or music room. Epiphone has a reissue Electar thing.

 

 

If your just looking for a small amp for the house the Roland Cube stuff is pretty low cost, but I don't know too much about there bigger Cube amps.

 

 

 

[WRGKMC]

What I used to use was a small PA cab with a horn, a power head and a mini mixer. I could get great tones from the acoustic and also plug a mic in too. I put the mixer and power head in a small rack unit and moving it wasn't any worse then moving a guitar cab and head. I later put an EQ and effects unit in the rack so I could get even better tones and have some nice reverbs