Solo gigging with a Marshall AS100D

[jricc]

Originally Posted by Finger Stylish

Do you currently use this set-up,

I currently use the Fishman Loudbox Artist, 8" speaker, tweeter, 120Watts. I use it for guitar with a looper and vocals. I made a little shelf that fits on a speaker stand to get the amp in the air and it has been good for me up to around 100 people. It has plenty of power and I have been complimented on its sound.
And as LJguitar and lschwart said, there are some really good other options, AER, Ultrasound, Genz Benz, so happy playing and good luck.

[Finger Stylish]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi FS...

I'm pretty sure the concern expressed was due to the fact that audiences respond best to loops pulled live on the fly as opposed to pre-recorded loops which is like playing to canned tracks. I'm also a looper-for-many-years, and that is true. I've been experimenting lately with adding some of the shorter loop, play over it type passages as opposed to entire verse or chorus sections of songs.

I'm also a singer, and my particular looper will allow me to capture the guitar behind my vocal for a verse and stop it without immediately playing it. I save/hold it to solo over later.

As to the amp, I like the Marshall and am not sure how well it does with vocals. I use UltraSound AG-50 (DS-4) amps because the 8" coax speakers reproduce both vocals and guitars well.

The Marshall AS-100-D is very similar, albeit quite a bit heavier (mine is 25 pounds). There are a number of amps in this size range which will do the job. Fishman, UltraSound, GenzBenz, AER all make lighter weight amps with a similar configuration to the Marshall...all 20-25 pounds lighter.

And remember 100Watts as opposed to 50 or 60 etc…the rule of thumb is that it takes 10 times the power to double the volume. Any of the amps I listed can drive you off the stage before you max them out.

Interestingly, the Rolands are not very good if you are using them in ensemble situations. They just don't cut through the mix. A friend was playing on a fairly aggressive stage with us, with his Roland 90, and it was apparent he was not going to hear it.

Fortunately my house was 3 miles away so I brought my extra UltraSound DS-4 in, and it did the gig just fine. The Roland is just too mellow to play nice in aggressive situations.

You do want the 8" and a high frequency driver/coaxial/tweeter if you want not only natural tone, but plan to sing through it. The high Frequency 'driver' is a great addition to singing voices and clarity.

Hope you find the amp of your dreams...

I very much appreciate the good insight.
The amp would be used with the idea of vocals being as important as the guitar. I am not young so weight is a factor for sure. I'm wanting to hear some of these amps if possible. I'll be heading to the closest Guitar center soon.
As far as, I looping. I've played without it for years. It's something I find fun and challenging. I have much to learn that's for sure.

Thank you again

[jricc]

Originally Posted by Finger Stylish

I'm thinking about a amp / PA combo for my solo gigging. I am as much a vocalist as an acoustic guitarist. I use a JamMan looper with background vocals and rhythms.
I'm considering the Marshall acoustic amp as well as the Roland.

Any thoughts on these?
I appreciate the information.
Marshall
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AS100D/
Roland
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AC90/

I have owned and used smaller versions of the Marshall and Roland, so here is my two cents. The Marshall AS50 was used for guitar and vocals in a small bar many times over the course of 5 years and it does a real good job. I decided to get something lighter and smaller and bought a used Roland AC60, I didn't keep it very long...It was ok for the immediate area, but it didn't have a lot of throw into the room. I sold it and bought the Fishman Artist with an 8" speaker and tweeter and found the best combination of good sound, power and weight for me.
For vocals, the Marshall AS50 sounded real good, nice and full, the amp did add it's own color to the guitar tone, but it was still very usable. The one thing I didn't like about the AS50 is that it didn't have a middle tone control. Just bass/treble. I believe the AS100 has a middle control for the acoustic but not on the vocal channel.
FWIW, based on my experiences, if you don't mind the weight, I think the Marshall is the better choice. Hope this helps.

[Finger Stylish]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi FS...
I'm pretty sure the concern expressed was due to the fact that audiences respond best to loops pulled live on the fly as opposed to pre-recorded loops which is like playing to canned tracks. I'm also a looper-for-many-years, and that is true. I've been experimenting lately with adding some of the shorter loop, play over it type passages as opposed to entire verse or chorus sections of songs.
I'm also a singer, and my particular looper will allow me to capture the guitar behind my vocal for a verse and stop it without immediately playing it. I save/hold it to solo over later.
As to the amp, I like the Marshall and am not sure how well it does with vocals. I use UltraSound AG-50 (DS-4) amps because the 8" coax speakers reproduce both vocals and guitars well.
The Marshall AS-100-D is very similar, albeit quite a bit heavier (mine is 25 pounds). There are a number of amps in this size range which will do the job. Fishman, UltraSound, GenzBenz, AER all make lighter weight amps with a similar configuration to the Marshall...all 20-25 pounds lighter.
And remember 100Watts as opposed to 50 or 60 etc…the rule of thumb is that it takes 10 times the power to double the volume. Any of the amps I listed can drive you off the stage before you max them out.
Interestingly, the Rolands are not very good if you are using them in ensemble situations. They just don't cut through the mix. A friend was playing on a fairly aggressive stage with us, with his Roland 90, and it was apparent he was not going to hear it.
Fortunately my house was 3 miles away so I brought my extra UltraSound DS-4 in, and it did the gig just fine. The Roland is just too mellow to play nice in aggressive situations.
You do want the 8" and a high frequency driver/coaxial/tweeter if you want not only natural tone, but plan to sing through it. The high Frequency 'driver' is a great addition to singing voices and clarity.

Hope you find the amp of your dreams...

I ended up with a combo set up. I bought a new Loudbox Artist, and also the new Acoustic20 combo.
Using both in combination;
I use my loops and my Guitar through the Loudbox Artist
I'm running vocals and 5 string banjo through the Acoustic 20.
Both mix into the sound system through their own channel.
So far it's working fine. I'm tweaking it constantly to find the balance I want.
I'm doing this all for the love of music, and I'm enjoying it.
As a Seasoned Citizen(grandfather of 7) new technology is challenging, but I enjoy learning. I just hope I can remember what I'm learning day to day.

[RedJoker]

I've been thinking about the Acoustic 20. I'm a beginner, don't perform, and certainly don't need it but it seems like it would be fun to play with around the house.

I will say, I had some friends over to jam a couple weeks ago and one guy brought his drum kit. With all of us and the drums in the living room, none of us acoustic guys could hear ourselves. This might be a nice addition...

[Finger Stylish]

Originally Posted by RedJoker

I've been thinking about the Acoustic 20. I'm a beginner, don't perform, and certainly don't need it but it seems like it would be fun to play with around the house.

I will say, I had some friends over to jam a couple weeks ago and one guy brought his drum kit. With all of us and the drums in the living room, none of us acoustic guys could hear ourselves. This might be a nice addition...

Like a lot of Acoustic brand amps, there is a humming noise when it's idling, but it isn't noticeable when playing. For the $$, you won't be disappointed.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

The AS100D is an excellent, full-featured amp offering three inputs (or a dual source input and another input in a second mode) plus an independent stereo line in. It is not light.

There have been several lighter amps. I've just found that the facilities are so comprehensive and flexible on the AS100D that I love it. You may get other suggestions here and that is great.

Bob

Hi Bob,
It must have been around 1997 or so, and Jim Marshall came into Sam Ash 48th Street, NYC when I was working the high-end acoustic room.

We had many acoustic amps at the time including Fishman Pro Performer, Trace Elliot, Marshall, etc.

When Jim asked me what I thought about his product, I was fairly frank about it. I told him about the problematic hissing, and the lack of a TRS input for dual systems. He basically blew me off, but said thanks for speaking my mind.

I'm glad to read that the product has improved, apparently.

HE

[slewis]

Looping is good...

[noledog]

Tried the Roland and agree, nice sound but like an earlier post said, not much throw...I went Fishman all the way and now own all three; the Mini for backup and practice and then a tandem of the Artist & Performer with the Artist being the warmest overall but the Performer addition gives me more oomph and throw for larger outdoor stages. The Artist & Performer run in tandem sound great together!

[dcopper]

I agree with most of the posts regarding the Roland AC90. I have had one for years and it is a good solid working amp. It sells for more than the Fishman Artist, and I would buy the Fishman Loudbox Artist if I had to replace the AC90. What I do like about the Roland is that it is pole mountable so you can use speaker stands. That really helps, but once you put the amp up in the air- you do lose some considerable bass. That is not a real issue for most guitar/vocal work though.

To my ears, the Fishman Loudbox Artist is a warmer sound. I recently played the new Taylor ES2 on a new 814 vs the prior version Taylor ES on a 2013 Limited Guitar - all through the Artist and it sounded excellent with both systems. I have heard people playing and singing through the LB Mini and the vocals were very good even with such a small amp. The Artist is even better.

The LB Artist is lighter than the Roland and that is a plus. One HUGE plus is the individual controls on the effects for each channel. That really helps.
My vote is for the LB Artist all around.

Just to clarify- I bought an AER Compact 60/3 which i love and it has been my go to amp. The salesman tried to sell me the ARtist instead, telling me it was a far better value.

davidc

[jacm81]

I've used an AS100D for hundreds and hundreds of solo shows over the last 10 years. It gets the job done. It's certainly plenty loud. And durable. The only problem I've ever experienced with it was after I left it in my trunk (which leaks) for about a year. It was so wet in there that parts of the amp started to rust and eventually it started cutting out when I played at high volume. It should have ruined the amp completely but after I took it to a repair guy who charged me something like $100 and kept it for a few months(he claimed to have a lot of trouble getting the information he needed to fix it from Marshall), it works fine again. I can't say how it compares to any of the other amps mentioned here. I'm thinking of replacing it next year with a Schertler Jam 400.

[truckerdave]

Well i'm new here but not new to guitars. I have the AS100D and it does well as a stand alone setup when i chose to use it. I got around the vocal problem by using an old alesis microverb. Worked fine. Unfortunately this thing weighs a ton. Unless you work out on a regular basis or are built like a gorilla it may not be for you.