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#1
08-07-2015, 03:07 PM
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Acoustic or electric amps for archtops?
I'm interested in an Eastman archtop with the Kent Armstrong humbucker. To get the best amplified sound, would a Fishman-type acoustic amp work best or one designed for electric guitars?
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#2
08-07-2015, 04:35 PM
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There are many different definitions of "best amplified sound," from the classic 1x12"/2x12"/1x15" tube combo tone that defined the electric jazz genre to the ultra-tight response of the new breed of solid-state gear - what are you hearing in your head...?
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#3
08-07-2015, 05:51 PM
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#4
08-07-2015, 06:08 PM
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Like the OP, I'm a finger style, solo player. For many years I used an Ultrasound 50W amp. The 7-string archtop I had at the time, an Unger all-laminate, liked that amp a lot. When I replaced the Unger with a Comins all-solid guitar, well the amp...I'm now using, and liking a great deal, an old Roland Blues Cube. But even though it's a SS amp, it weighs 40+ lbs. Not ideal for small, short, solo gigs. For those I use a Fender Harvard Reverb II, found on Clist. For bigger events or venues, I use a no-longer-in-production Phil Jones bass amp head with 1 or 2 Razors Edge Nighthawk 10-in speakers. That set-up was purchased from, and with the advice of, the owner of Sound Island Music in Seattle, WA. He's a gigging jazz archtop player himself.
Hope that's of some use.
__________________
"In all human work, the wise look for virtues and fools look for flaws." -Jose Ramirez I
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#5
08-07-2015, 08:02 PM
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There are as many opinions on this as their are guitar players!
I play mostly carved top guitars with floating PUs, but I also have a Sadowsky JH that I use for some gigs. I play with pick and fingers, hybrid. For amps I have a DRRI, a Polytone Mini-Brute IV, and a Fishman Loudbox Artist. Simple answer: I can make any of my amps sound good with any of my guitars. Check out my YouTube channel to see whether you agree. My experience is that all my archtops sound best with a flat frequency response. That is, not the mid cut sound of most Fenders. I don't have or don't use the tone knob on the guitar, so I set the treble and bass on the DRRI to zero, that's closest to a flat response. On the Polytone and the Fishman, I set the bass to 9 o'clock, which is something like a 6db cut. That improves the volume before feedback a little because on all archtops that I'm familiar with the first feedback point is the low body resonance at around 180 Hz. On the Fishman I also use the feedback notch filter to get a few extra db before feedback. For gigs I use the either the Polytone or the Fishman. The DRRI is big and heavy and has more bass, therefore lower volume before feedback, so there's just no reason for me to schlep it. The Polytone goes when I really need to fill a room. The Fishman goes when I am in a hurry, trying to save space, or need another channel. Posted here before, but it's relevant: There's other stuff where I use other amps, but this one is an eye opener to many people.
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#6
08-08-2015, 03:12 PM
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Quote:
__________________
Taylor 512...Taylor 710B...Blueridge BR163...Blueridge BR183a...all with K&K's & used w/RedEye preamps Seagull CW w/Baggs M1 pickup...National Vintage Steel Tricone...SWR California Blonde Amp
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#8
08-12-2015, 06:04 PM
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Quote:
http://www.jazzguitar.be/wes_montgomery_guitar.html
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#9
08-12-2015, 06:34 PM
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Sounded just like me playing Wes' personal L-5CES...
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#10
08-13-2015, 01:53 PM
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I play acoustic guitars plugged in amps. All sort of acoustics, all equipped with magnetic PU's of some sort, in all sort of amps. A few years ago, I get thru a moment when I bought (and sold…) about 20 or 25 used amps (some new, too). I kept 8 of them. I use 8 regular guitars. I bring 2 guitars and 2 amps each time I gig. I don't remember enough from my math courses to calculate the number of combinations. Only you could answer your question. And even then, our taste change.
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#11
08-31-2015, 09:45 AM
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archtop amp
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i am trying to figure that out for myself as well, i have a fender acoustisonic solid state amp and a tube fender "hot rod" amp. tried both with my new archtop that i just acquired. its a epiphone emperor "joe pass". i think the going thru the tube amp sounds better, but since i just got the guitar a few days ago, i am not sure, as i havent optimized anything just yet. i might go to the LGS, and try some of their amps to see if something can be improved. probably i need more time to evaluate. i got the epi to go into the jazz and bossa gendre. lets see what happens z
__________________
z  2006 Epi Joe Pass 2009 Epi J-200EC 2012 Taylor 814CE TB 2010 Martin D-18GE sunburst 2004 Martin 000-28EC 2005 Fender Telecaster Am Std 1963 Goya G-10
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#12
08-31-2015, 04:36 PM
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I have a Heritage Eagle with KA paf floater. So far my favorite amplification set up is a Quilter Aviator through a Raezer's Edge Stealth 10 or an Acoustic Image Clarus through a Raezer's Edge Twin 8. Tube amps don't sound "pure" enough to my ears.
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#13
08-31-2015, 10:37 PM
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I have been using a Schertler Unico for a number of years. Very reliable and can be tonally tweaked in any direction quite easily. Before that I had a series of older Polytones, none of which work any more. I also sometimes add my Acoustic Image Contra for a really big presence when playing solo, but it is primarily my string bass amp.
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#14
08-31-2015, 10:41 PM
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For pure acoustic goodness I play through a DTAR Solstice / Jam 150 ext. It's a pretty good acoustic rig. You may not like the way it sounds with all electric guitar pickups though. Then, I just replaced the speaker in my early 80's Fender Concert from stock (awful speaker really) to a nice Electrovoice. To me, it's a really good electric sound. Been enjoying that a lot lately. Warm and rich. And then there's the solid state Henriksen in my practice area which I'm not fond of. Still, with EQ I have to admit it does sound quite good with archtops and it's nice and compact for such a powerful setup. So, since you asked, for that guitar I would get a Fender Princeton reissue. Easy to sell if you don't like but I think you will.
__________________
Spook Southern Oregon
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#15
11-06-2015, 08:35 AM
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I use my Genz Benz Shenandoah acoustic amp with my semi hollowbody Ibanez Artcore for my solo acoustic/vocal gigs. I prefer that sound over my Fender electric amp, in that application. When playing with my buddies in a band enviromnent, I prefer the Fender sound. I am a chord based, rhythm guitarist, not much soloing on the guitar.
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