Can acoustic electric guitars work through electric guitar amps?

[Ashley1!]

I wanna buy a taylor 110ce acoustic electric amp and i was wondering do u have to buy an acoustic amp or can it work on an electric guitar amp cause i have a peavey amp that works with an epiphone les paul.

[bieke]

oh well, it works but your acoustic will not sound as good through the Peavey as it will sound through the Taylor

 

through the Peavey it will sound harsh, gritty and give feedback, and it will sound more like an electric guitar

 

An acoustic amplifier has a wider, flatter frequency response. It is also likely to have lower distortion before the onset of clipping and greater dynamic range. A decent acoustic amp ususally also has one or more speakers and a tweeter, the latter helps to give a more natural acousticsound For that reason, keyboard amps with coaxial or speaker/tweeter/horn combinations usually sound pretty good with acoustic guitars

[gardo]

You have the amp already so try it. If you like the sound you're getting then it works.

.Really, good or bad is a personal thing. We don't all play the same style or have the same taste.

My good friend sold his acoustic amp and got a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.,it works great for what he does..

Follow your ears .

[Tony Burns]

I agree with Gordo -use what you have and see if that works for you .

Honestly the 110ce has the very basic Taylor pickup

and to get a way better sound you would need a higher on the food chain taylor with a better

pickup system . some folks really like the sound they get from a regular amp -

so I think you'll be ok to start with -

[WRGKMC]

It will work but most guitar amps have a limited frequency response often time with boosted mids.

 

An acoustic amp will produce a much flatter and higher fidelity signal, and has a full range speaker to produce those frequencies at least up to 12K or so. A Guitar amp and its speakers will often roll off highs above 5K and below 200hz so it will likely sound thin. I'd roll the mids down on the amp, and kick the lows up, then see what you can get from the guitars EQ (if it has a built in EQ).

 

You may be able to add a Piezo drive to the amps extension speaker jack to improve the sound. You can buy one for a few bucks, connect a cord and 1/4" jack and just set it on top of the amp to act as a horn. http://www.parts-express.com/goldwood-3-x-7-wide-dispersion-piezo-horn-mid-tweeter--280-062 It should add some ultra highs the speaker fails to produce. A piezo tweeter doesn't add any impedance load so you aren't worried about it loading the head down.

 

Connecting a Hi Fi or PA cab would do the job too. Just be sure your impedance is OK.

[DeepEnd]

As the others have said, it depends on what you mean by "work." Try it and see. You may like what you hear. If you want your Taylor to sound like an acoustic guitar, though, then you'll need something other than a guitar amp. In the absence of further information, I'm going to assume your Peavey is a guitar amp. For all I know it could be a bass amp. What model is it? If you don't like the sound through a guitar amp, then you'll want a more acoustic sound. An "acoustic" amp will work, as will a bass or keyboard amp.

[kwakatak]

It will work. I've been using a Fender Hit Rod Deluxe for years with the K&K Pure Western mini (passive triple SBT pickup) that I installed in my Larrivee OM-03R and just have to watch how high to set the volume and where I point the soundhole. If I get too close it will give a nice hoot (don't pollute) but in a band with no drums or bass I like that the guitar runs a little "hot" in the mix; it allows me to play both bass and add a little percussion. I guess what I'm trying to say is that don't listen to the gear snobs, with a little discipline in technique and knowing where to dial things back you should be able to play through an electric amp without getting tinnitus.

[Greg Farres]

An acoustic amp will work the best for an acoustic guitar. BUT, if you have a wound sound hole pickup, an electric amp doesn't sound too bad. Your Taylor will really sound best with an acoustic amp. I designed all of the Ultrasound products and worked with Taylor on the ES system so I know a little be about it. I just started my own company and am making a new DI with preamp if you want to check it out. It is called the Ai1. You can see it on my website at http://www.gmfamps.com

 

[Tom Mc1]

My accoustic sounds best thru my Genz Benz accoustic guitar amp. When playing live, I don't have the set up to have my accoustic on it's own amp. Switch guitars and hit the switch.

 

If you are only playing accoustic, then look to the amps made for those guitars. Fishman is and excellent choice. Some of the new digital amps have an accoustic setting. You could give those a test drive.

[guitarcapo]

Acoustic guitars with magnetic pickups sound great through a standard electric guitar amp. That whole jazz guitar situation with the magnetic pickup at the neck into a Fender or whatever comes to mind. That's basically an acoustic/electric through a guitar amp.

 

By the same token I've had better luck using an acoustic with a magnetic soundhole pickup through a standard amp. The sound isn't exactly the same as an amplified acoustic...but it's smooth and pleasant and musical.

 

 

Now if you are getting into piezo pickups like UST pickups or soundboard transducers, THOSE signals need processing by a preamp to get rid of the harshness and then sound best through an acoustic amp. But the idea there is to recreate the sound an acoustic guitar makes exactly, only amplified. But it's a specialized sound and not necessarily THE sound. It lends itself well to situations where you are trying to get the exact sound an acoustic makes only louder. Gigs where it's just a guy and his guitar doing folk stuff....or acoustic bands going for a "traditional" sound like bluegrass, gypsy jazz etc...Stuff where you want the sound to be like an acoustic guitar exactly.

 

People shun magnetic pickups in acoustics because they paid $2,000 for their guitar and they want THAT sound to be what people hear...but a really nice magnetic pickup into a good tube amp can sound great. The heart of electric jazz and blues guitar.

[Buttcrust]

Yes,some type of noise will come out of it (an "electric guitar amp"), if everything is hooked up and working properly...what kind of noise depends on the guitar, and amp. It will certainly work. An acoustic/electric is an electric guitar, It's an acoustic guitar with an electronic sound "pick up". dig it ?

[thankyou]

It will work. I've been using a Fender Hit Rod Deluxe for years with the K&K Pure Western mini (passive triple SBT pickup) that I installed in my Larrivee OM-03R and just have to watch how high to set the volume and where I point the soundhole. If I get too close it will give a nice hoot (don't pollute) but in a band with no drums or bass I like that the guitar runs a little "hot" in the mix; it allows me to play both bass and add a little percussion. I guess what I'm trying to say is that don't listen to the gear snobs' date=' with a little discipline in technique and knowing where to dial things back you should be able to play through an electric amp without getting tinnitus.[/quote']

 

The Hot Rod Deluxe has a different taper in its volume control pots, it gets loud faster than most other guitar amps. That may mean it's a "cleaner" amp like many other Fenders, which could translate into better acoustic sound. I go to a festival where one of the stages doesn't use amplified instruments, but has a booth-like stage with large diaphragm mics. Paul Thorn's band plugged most of their instruments into the PA, and no-one complained, especially the roadies.

 

The open mic approach, like the ol' Grand ol' Opry, has its drawbacks. Here's a clip I found from that festival, the year before I went there the first time (in this century). Not a pro video, obviously, and even though this festival takes place in Kansas, I can assure you there weren't many sober individuals in the crowd.

 

[kwakatak]

You may have a point about the HRD. I've never had the volume above 3, even with my Strat and if I wanted to have decent overdrive I had to resort to using an external pedal. It's just too loud. That being said, my OM is a smallish guitar - smaller than a dread at least. That has to account for some of the tone as well as the K&K which is sensitive enough that I opted to forego using an external preamp. I must admit though that despite not being as shrill as a UST it has a certain "compressed" sound to it.

[Tom Mc1]

Amps work well depending on the amp. If it is a accoustic amp, it is designed for accoustic guiars. Electric amps are designed for electric guitars. Now Accoustic thru Electric Amp. You will get a good sound thru most amps on clean channel. Not great but good.

[thankyou]

You may have a point about the HRD. I've never had the volume above 3' date=' even with my Strat and if I wanted to have decent overdrive I had to resort to using an external pedal. It's just too loud. That being said, my OM is a smallish guitar - smaller than a dread at least. That has to account for some of the tone as well as the K&K which is sensitive enough that I opted to forego using an external preamp. I must admit though that despite not being as shrill as a UST it has a certain "compressed" sound to it.[/quote']

 

It's my understanding that you can change that main volume pot to one that has a more gradual taper.

 

Dreadnaughts are really great amplifiers of mid and lower frequencies, they catch and amplify the strings quite well, which is great. Until you have the frequencies amplified, and not only they catch the strings, they catch the frequencies coming out of the amp and start a feed back loop. I see a lot more small bodied guitars now, which makes sense for amplification. I have a 000 that I haven't yet found a pickup for. No problem, as I don't plan to use it on stage.

[mbengs1]

I played my ovation though my peavey blazer once and it sounded fine.

[FormerlyBassred]

The newer hot rod deluxe (the 'III' series') has changed out the pot on the treble control and the volume, so it is more usable for those lower levels!

 

When I saw Railroad Earth at the Fillmore I was surprised to see that Todd Sheaffer was playing through a Fender Super. It worked really well with what they were doing, so I'd say try it out and just see.

 

For gigs I tend to go right into the PA with my acoustic and have been considering getting a Genz-Benz or similar acoustic amp. A big part of that decision is also because of the options like a microphone input/channel and built in FX so I could use it for smaller solo gigs... I've actually never plugged my acoustic into my Hot Rod Deluxe... Might have to try that this week

[AJ6stringsting]

I retired my VHT Pitbull, Carvin X-100B, Mesa-Boogie Mark V, Marshall JCM 800, Mode Four and Soldano SL-100 and started using my Digitech 2112 GSP system, because using something like RJM M.I.D.I device would be expensive. Plus, the Digitech 2112 has over 100 amp simulations of the amps I have , plus more flexibility.

I managed to get great tones with my aforementioned amps and the Digitech 2112.

[Idunno]

I put a Martin HPL acoustic through a Fender Frontman and wasn't put off or impressed by it. It gets loud; mission accomplished. Same guitar through a Fishman SA220 sounded better to me but I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to amplification. Tone-wise, we're talking Piezo and not the guitar's natural sound so all bets are off for ensuring that. If I can balance the tones I'm happy enough because then I don't have to dig for them when playing. In small confines I like to add a touch of reverb for depth and the fishstick gives me that. Give me balance and depth and I'm happy enough to get through a set. Tone is for the other guy to worry himself over.

[garthman]

Electric guitar amps can work fine for electro-acoustics if you use the "clean" setting and tweak the EQ if nec.

 

[DeepEnd]

Our family dentist once told me "You can live with two left shoes but it won't be comfortable." (I was having a crown fitted. Long story.) You can live with pretty much anything but it won't necessarily be ideal. Your best advice is to try it and see. That said, I know what I'd choose and ti wouldn't be an electric amp.

[DeepEnd]

Please be warned: Ashley1! appears to be a fake. He/she has started threads here, in the Bass Forum, and in Electric Guitars, asking different questions and claiming different levels of experience.

[thankyou]

Please be warned: Ashley1! appears to be a fake. He/she has started threads here' date=' in the Bass Forum, and in Electric Guitars, asking different questions and claiming different levels of experience.[/quote']

 

Eeew, I tried to feel dirty, but ended up in a somewhat informative discussion.