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Suggest a suitable amp for gigging


liamisfun

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Posted

Iv finally decided that my route into gigging is going to be solo acoustic, or acoustic along with a good friend of mine, and just want some suggestions as to what sort of power amp i.e. (50w etc.) would be suitable for small club / bar gigs.

 

On a fairly small budget ($500 and under) so bare that in mind with your suggestions.

 

And before i finish, just an introduction, im Liam and i usually post over in electric guitars (im scum i know haha :p )

 

Any help and advice would be hugely appreciated.

 

Cheers,

 

Liam :thu:

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Posted

I used a Roland AC60 at Guitar Center and liked it a lot. Very acoustic-y sound. Its 60 watts, so it'll get you through a small club gig no problem.

 

I personally like something a little bigger, so I usually use a bass amp, an Ashdown 15-180 combo, at shows. Its really loud and has a 5-band EQ which is really effective and helpful when using it with an acoustic guitar instead of a bass.

 

Edit: I think its more expensive than what you're looking for, I just realized. I bet they make a smaller version, though, if you're interested.

 

Ellen

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Posted

 

Originally posted by liamisfun

do you think 60 watts would defo be ok for smaller gigs?

 

 

Yeah, I do. It of course depends on the venue, how many people are there, if you're playing solo or with a group, etc.

 

We had a (confusing) thread here a little while ago about how watts are a measure of power, but not loudness. Sometimes they help indicate how loud an amp is, but it should usually be taken with a grain of salt. See if you can't try the amp out at the store, crank it, and judge for yourself.

 

Ellen

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Posted

thanks ellen

 

yeah i was going on the basic principle of watts in terms of a measure of loudness... just gnna have to find somewhere who stocks the amp now, we only have 1 measely guitar shop in my town and its pretty crap... so maybe il have to take a trip to london to check it out... im over in the UK you see :thu:

 

Anyway thanks again.

 

Liam

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Posted

The Marshall AS50R has been good to me. 50watts, two channels, and a sprinkling of effects (chorus, reverb). Nice looking amp.

 

Generally, you're not going to need megawatts of power for acoustic gigs. Most of those are successful when no one asks you to turn down.

:thu:

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Posted

Might fit your budget.

 

I got a fender 1270P powered monitor. 100 watts. About $250

With a small mixer under $100

you have a nice little PA and it would be a monitor for a later bigger system.

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Posted

http://www.laney.co.uk/site.htm

 

65 watts Laney A1 maybe what you're looking for: I bought Laney A1 amp 8 months ago. She has a lot of bells and whistle, but the learning curve is simply. Clear tones and plenty of headroom, I like the tiltback cabinet design also. I got mine for $379.42.

 

Trina

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Posted

Check out the Ultrasound amps line. I use an AG50DS2 (older version they now have the DS3 version) with good results and when in a larger venue you can line out direct to PA and use it as a monitor, works very well. It has both regular jack and XLR inputs each with a separate channel. It has a very transparent sound, a good bang for your buck!

 

Here's a link:

http://ultrasoundamps.com/

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Posted

The small PA I own does wonders for me ... Yamaha StagePAS 300. Don't know its going price in England, but it was about $600 Canadian in Montreal.

 

I like the versatility of the rig ... I play various instruments and sing as well, so it doubles as my all-in-one music room system.

 

Cheers and best of luck.

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