Acoustic Guitar Amps

Not very long ago, acoustic musicians had few choices when it came to acoustic guitar amps. Those who performed in large venues with high-quality PA systems got by, but players who simply wanted to jam along with louder instruments (and let's face it, almost every instrument is louder than even the punchiest dreadnought), play in small coffeehouses, or use Acoustic Guitar Amps as a simple on-stage monitor were stuck with units designed with Strats and Les Pauls in mind, not D-28s or J-200s. Although some Acoustic Guitar Amps, such as Roland's classic JC-120, are clean enough to reasonably reflect an acoustic sound, the vast majority of electric Acoustic Guitar Amps color the sound too much, feature too much midrange, and offer little headroom once they're slammed with the large frequency spectrum of fine acoustic electric guitars. The acoustic guitarist needs Acoustic Guitar Amps that are more closely related to a hi-fi system than a Marshall stack.

Acoustic Guitar Amps

The first successful attempt at producing acoustic guitar amps came when Trace Elliot introduced its line of Trace Acoustic combos in the late '80s. Designed as full-range systems, these units were essentially enhanced miniature Pas, designed to reproduce the source signal as faithfully and transparently as possible. The first models were quite pricey, often breaking the $1,000 barrier, but it didn't take long before more affordable models became available. Today, the choices are mind-boggling; practically every amp manufacturer offers an acoustic model. Several new products have been introduced since our last amp review in March 1997, and they cover a wide spectrum of prices and features. We gathered five of the latest models for review.

Before you start your search for the perfect acoustic guitar amps, think carefully about exactly how you're going to use it. How loud will you need to be? If you're going to be competing with electric instruments in a band situation, you'll have very different volume and tone requirements than you will if you're planning to play classical guitar in a restaurant. What kinds of inputs will you need? If you'll only need to plug in a standard guitar cable, then one quarter-inch input may be enough, but if you plan to use external mics or complicated multiple pickup rigs, having more Acoustic Guitar Amps options (including a balanced XLR jack) is a good idea.

Having the right outputs can be just as important. If you intend to use the Acoustic Guitar Amps as an on-stage monitor, you'll most likely want a balanced DI feed. And a tuner output is a nice feature, because you won't have to risk degrading your signal by running your tuner in-line with your guitar's cable. Will you be expanding your system with external power amps or powered speakers? If so, a line out will save many headaches, and an extension speaker jack may come in handy.

If your sound depends on external effects, you'll probably want an effects loop (preferably one with a level control). All of the acoustic guitar amps I've seen feature at least a basic spring reverb, but you might find that you also want a chorus effect or that you prefer the cleaner digital effects included on some models. The amount of EQ you need will often depend on your pickup and possibly on your preamp. All the amps reviewed feature at least three bands of EQ, which should be adequate for basic tone shaping, especially since they are voiced specifically with the needs of acoustic instruments in mind. If you have a feedback-sensitive pickup system and play at high volumes, however, you might want a notch filter to combat unwanted squeals.

The physical size of the Acoustic Guitar Amps can also be an important factor. Some amps are simply too large to use in the corner of a restaurant, and if you have to carry your amp up several flights of stairs, you'll want something lightweight.

With these considerations in mind, we checked out five new acoustic guitar amps, assisted by Acoustic Guitar's music editor, Dylan Schorer, and assistant editor, Paul Kotapish. We tested the amps with a Taylor 712-C equipped with a Fishman Rare Earth humbucker pickup, a Lowden O-10 with an L.R. Baggs Dual Source pickup-and-mic combo, and a Juan Huipe flamenco guitar with a B-Band pickup.

 Gibson Les Paul Studio Guitars