I want to do a backyard jam, amp or small pa for acoustic and vocals...

[johnkline]

I'd like to throw a party and play some music for friends out in the backyard sometime soon. It's just me and an acoustic, and I'm not gigging anywhere yet, but was wondering if a good acoustic combo amp(fender acoustasonic, etc), will be good enough, or get a small pa system like a fender passport(pd250) would be better suited...

[missedmyexit]

The PA will be better suited in a outside area but I don't know if I would buy one for just one party. The small combo amp will do the job.

[Simon76]

You could rent a small PA.

[bsman]

I use a 30 watt Crate Taxi for just such events. You need an XLR-1/4" adapter for the mike, but it does a fine job, is built tough enough to take the occasional drunk stumbling against it and the battery lasts about eight hours. Plus, that thing gets damn loud!

[Terry Allan Hall]

I use a 30 watt Crate Taxi for just such events. You need an XLR-1/4" adapter for the mike, but it does a fine job, is built tough enough to take the occasional drunk stumbling against it and the battery lasts about eight hours. Plus, that thing gets damn loud!

 

Indeed!

 

BTW, Radio Shack sells XLR female-to-1/4" male cables to allow you to use a "pro" mic (in my case, a Shure SM-58) with hi-Z inputs like the Taxi has.

 

Never understood why the Taxi 15 and the Limo 50 have lo-Z (XLR) inputs, but the Taxi doesn't...

[Ronzo II]

You might also look for an Ibanez Troubadour 225. 25 watts RMS x 2 stereo, 2 x 10" with two piezo tweeters. Channel 1 has a 1/4" and an XLR input, reverb, and fixed EQ, channel 2 has a 1/4" input for the instrument, semi-parametric EQ, reverb, and footswitchable chorus. front panel also has stereo RCA inputs for CD. mp3 player, stereo POD, or a drum machine. Back panel has a line out, can't remember if it has an effects loop or not. A good friend has one, and when he tried it our versus the Fender Acoustisonic 30 it blew the Fender away based on tone. He uses it for solo and acoustic duo gigs with me. It's a high-quality piece. Here's the Ibanez web page, with a photo:

http://www.ibanez.com/electronics/spec.aspx?m=TA225

 

EDIT: It does have an effects loop. Here are the complete specs:

 

OUTPUT POWER : 25W+25W @1kHz/8ohms

INPUT IMPEDANCE : 4Mohms

CONTROLS :

MICROPHONE SECTION

BASS