acoustic amp?

[mikegee]

if i am playing an acoustic guitar on half my songs, and i want to start playing out, do i really need an acoustic guitar amplifier? is it really neccesary? does it handle better the sound and tonality of an acoustic, like, much better than an electric guitar amp? i guess a lot of them do have tweeters, so i guess it would sound better, but really, how much better? i dont like tweeking my acoustic tone too much, so i am not looking for all the silly bells and whistles effects on some of the acoustic amps that i have seen. also, i see a lot of them have a mic input, and i wonder if that is a good option too.

[Nubus]

If you are practicing with a drummer and no PA you'd need that amp. Most venues just run acoustic/electrics directly into the PA. Small venues with no PA? You need an amp.

Some people use the amp as their monitor because they can't trust the soundman. I can't imagine why.

[mikegee]

ahhh ok, yea. so, let's say i'm playing solo acoustic in a smaller coffee shop without a pa system. so, generally speaking, would an acoustic guitar amplifier sound a lot better than just a regular electric guitar amplifier? is it worth buying?

[dolivas]

i would imagine if you get a very clean electric amp maybe like a Roland JC you can pull of using both an acoustic and a electric on the same amp. i would also imagine if you add something like a good acoustic pedal preamp like a BBE or fishman you can regain some of the lost acoustic sound you can lose when connecting it to an electric amp.

[Bellringer]

The Behringer ACX1000 Ultracoustic combo amplifier is a good choice. It has inputs for vocals and guitar, which is great for playing places with no PA. I spent about a year playing all kinds of different guitars through it and it sounded great.

[mikegee]

thnx, bellringer. Thats good advice. i always wondered if that behringer acoustic amp would sound ok. it's a good value for the money, fer sure... i'll have to go give it a try...

[daschwarjazz]

Although the Behringer acoustic amps offer many features for a low price, it doesn't do any of those features particularly well (as with most Behringer products). For small jazz clubs, restaurants, and weddings, I use the Roland AC-60. It's lightweight, and even comes with it's own carrying case. Plus it includes multiple inputs/outputs and stereo effects. I even use my Gibson ES-335 though it for a nice acoustic archtop tone. I find that the AC-60 has a clear and natural sound, and despite its size, it can easily fill a small to a medium sized room.

Also check out the Hartke AC75 and Fishman Loudbox amps. The SWR California Blonde is also a great sounding amp, but if you are concerned about portability, the Roland AC-60 is the way to go.