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Joined:
July 2004
Posts: 7
Location: East Texas | Newbie here...
I did several searches here and at Amp manufacturers web sites but saw little as to explain what the difference is between a regular amplifier and an acoustic amplifier.
If some one has the Readers Digest version or a link to an explanation I would appreciate it.
I am soon to be the proud owner of an Ovation Elite T and I own an old Peavy Express 112 Amp.
Thanks,
T>D>C |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Acoustics are for amplifing acoustics which generally look for a cleaner sound. An electric you want that fatter distorted sound much of the time. |
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May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | As usual, I'm probably way wrong, but my understanding was that acoustic amplifiers have a flat EQ curve so you aren't coloring/shading the tone of the guitar itself, just amplifying it. The 'other' amplifiers (non-acoustic) have built in EQ that emphasizes highs and lows and generally make an acoustic[-electric] sound kind of crappy.
When I play my O through my Bandit 112 (Now! With Transtube Technology!!), I have to fiddle around with the EQ on the clean channel to get it to sound the same as when I play it non-amped. When I played the O through the big amp (only once, just for grins), there wasn't anything I could do to get it to sound 'natural'...but man, whodathought an O could sound so nasty/gritty/crunchy! :)
Congrats on your impending O adoption! I played an Elite LX at Guitarget the other night...sounded better than my ol' Elite (I have the shallow bowl) which is really saying something, IMHO. |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 28
Location: Oregon USA | You might want to also look for one which is labeled as a "keyboard amp" - I had a Peavey which I just sold, which was marketed as a "keyboard/acoustic amplifier" and it had a biamped woofer/tweeter for more range with very little "cabinet resonance," which is part of what gives guitar amps their particular sounds.
The idea is that the amp itself does little or nothing to color the sound in either case. |
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Joined:
June 2004
Posts: 95
Location: Monroe, Ohio (Cincinnati) | I have a Peavey Ecoustic 112 that I use for my acoustics on occasion. cwk2 was correct in his answer. Acoustics through amps designed for electric guitar sound somewhat like, well, electric guitars, only not as good. My acoustic amp has two channels, one for guitar and one for microphone. Each channel has it's own 5 band eq, level, and reverb.
The eq is especially important for acoustic guitars that, unlike Ovations, are not designed to be played amplified. Of course my Applause sounds fine with the eq flat.
Since acoustic amps are similar in design to PA systems most usually include a microphone channel.
I have never seen an electric guitar amp with a microphone channel. If they did it probably wouldn't sound very good for vocals.
That is why most people, including myself, plug directly into the PA system if one is available. (Why haul an amp around if you don't need it?)
I do this even outside at our Parish Festival when we hire a professional sound company. They use something called a direct box to connect the 1/4 inch guitar cord plug to a microphone plug and then input into the sound board. In our church we have direct 1/4" inputs in the floor as well as out microphone inputs going to the inhouse sound board.
The only time I use my acoustic amp is at home to work out settings with my chorus and overdrive pedal, or when I am playing for a group of people where I need amplification and I have no PA available.
This is usually when I play solo at a Home Mass, a small seminar, or retreat. |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 648
Location: Florida | You can get a flat eq on say... the typical Fender "guitar" amp too. But the way those amps vary from flat is not very flattering to acoustics.
Look at the "preset" on some of the Ovation preamps - they're deep cut in mids, especially lower mids. You cant really do that with the traditional guitar amp tone controls.
CWK2 had it right, of course, when he said that the acoustic amps are clean, no mean. Moreover, the acoustic amps have more eleborate tone controls, often an equilizer... I'll call anything with 4 or more tone controls an equilizer. They often have feeback notch filters, some sort of emphasis control, and Hi-Z and Lo-Z inputs. I think you could fake all of that with your typeical old style Fender and some effects in the chain....
.... what REALLY sets those acoustic amps apart from the crowd is the speakers. Typical guitar speakers are from about 80cycles up to about 7kcycles. Take a look at the response curve from a guitar speaker and they're a bunch of real peaky/notchy things. Acoustic amps have smoother response from the speakers, and an extended high end, going beyond the range guitar speakers normaly have. |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | TDC, try another search of the archives using the phrase "acoustic amp". There's been a lot of discussion on this subject throughout the history of this board & there's a lot of valuble information in there if you have the patience & inclination to sift through it |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by CharlieB:
You can get a flat eq on say... the typical .... what REALLY sets those acoustic amps apart from the crowd is the speakers. Typical guitar speakers are from about 80cycles up to about 7kcycles.
Holy smokes! I'm a licensed amateur radio operator (ok, ham), and I can tell you it's been a *looong* time since I've heard anyone refer to frequency as cycles instead of the more common/popular 'hertz!' I'm so farklempt...
:) |
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January 2004
Posts: 648
Location: Florida | Ahern.....
Ah it must be the radioman showing thru. I work a lot with commercial radio (data transmission, telemetery, paging transmission, etc etc). I've just always used cycles, and so do the crusty ol' Elmers that I have befriended (mostly to pick their brains!). Its gotta be a radioman thing.
FWIW, on a Fender/Baxandall/WesternElectic tone control (variations on a theme there), if you set the treble fully off, mid fully up, and add just a touch (like between 0 and 1 on the control) of bass, you have a pretty flat amp from about 30 to 15k cycles. Thata the AMP thats flat. The speaker resposne is still all kerflooey, and sharp cuts at 6 to 7 kcycles. However... put that thru a really nice monitor with flat response, and it becomes a whole other beast! |
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Joined:
June 2004
Posts: 365
Location: NC | TDC-
I too wondered that until I did some research. I am waiting on my Elite LX to come in and have already bought the acoustic amp which is a entry level Kustom KAA30. Had very decent reviews except one person said it sounded a little too bassy. The other guys however wondered if he had a "crappy guitar" as they put it. I will soon see if it was worth $119 for it. |
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Joined:
July 2004
Posts: 7
Location: East Texas | Thanks for the replies.
I will search again with the term "Acoustic Amp".
My Peavey Express 112 also has the dual input, Hi gain and Lo gain. I assume lo gain is for microphones and possibly acoustic guitars.
Thanks again for the feed back.
T>D>C |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 2487
| Yep you have a lot of answers already. I too have an Ecoustic Amp from peavey it is also a 112 but this one has three channels and the best thing about this amp besides the effects and eq's and clarity is the anti-feedback.
Through the board or almost any other time I have been plugged in I get super feedback through these Adamas's. I get virtually nothing through this amp! If there are a bunch of us playing then all I need to do is use the litttle rubber sound hole plugs and this kills the rest of it? I have a little Zoom acoustic's effects pedal as well it is a little bit electro-sterile sounding to me compared to mic's, or using just the amp, but I am not comfortable with mic's yet anyway? Acoustics have there own set of rules and a whole new learning curve? Do not buy an electric guitar amp and think you are killing two birds with one stone? I did I was wrong! Randy |
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June 2004
Posts: 95
Location: Monroe, Ohio (Cincinnati) | Northcountry,
You said your Ecoustic 112 has 3 channels. I thought it has 2 channels, but 3 inputs.
The Microphone channel has 2 inputs (Lo Z and Hi Z). I have used the Hi Z mic input for a second guitar player at practice on occasion.
Maybe someone can speak to the difference between channels and inputs, that is if there is a difference.
I also have the Zoom pedal, but it didn't hold up to live stage use. (Plastic Jacks!) I now occasionally use a Danelectro Cool-Cat Chorus pedal and a Danelectro Daddy-O overdrive pedal.
Actually I only really use the Chorus. I am still experimenting with The Overdrive. I think it may have too much distortion at any real volume with my acoustics. I have found it more fun to experiment with the separate pedals than to just select something from the list on the Zoom. |
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Joined:
July 2004
Posts: 60
Location: Havertown, PA | How would the use of a PA amp be for an acoustic.
An ol' buddy of mine use to use a 40 watt Radio Shack PA amp with my pair of Bose 901s and it sounded pretty fair! Thoughts / comments welcomed! |
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April 2004
Posts: 265
Location: Warrenton, Virginia | I use a kustom PA sys. works well |
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July 2004
Posts: 812
Location: Hicksville, NY | I own an Ibanez Troubadour (TA 35), which I purchased about a couple weeks after owning my Balladeer. It delivers the bright rich tone that I've always loved about Ovations. Also, there's a separate input for a microphone, so it allows the artist to simultaneously sing (or whatever) while playing the guitar. Also, given that I live in a high-rise apt. in Queens, I also must be cautious to keep my neighbors from banging at the walls! :) |
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July 2004
Posts: 60
Location: Havertown, PA | ignimbyte,
I respect that "signature"
... contentment with the basics ...
I use a RS (Radio Shack) 35 watt PA amp, and for my humble usage, does fine. Dual input/mic input.
For monitors I still use my vintage '76 Bose 901's. Cones are original with no sign of age or cracking. |
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What's an "Acoustic" Amp?
