Godin ASG-150 Questions

[Hinto]

Hi guys, I have a chance to pick a nice used amp, seen here:

http://www.godinacousticsolutions.com/as150w.html

From what I gather this is likely similar to the Jam 150's from SR Technologies and now Schertler. They come from the same factory. Godin was the North American distributor for SR Technologies and when Schertler moved the distribution to Eastman, I guess Godin decided to have their own line of amps made. Anyway here are my questions:

1 - Has anyone compared the Godin with the Schertler? Any noticeable differences in terms of tone? The Godin seems to have nicer features (tilt back, speaker stand socket, handle, more reverb options).

2 - If I get this amp I'll be looking for a short/compact speaker stand to raise it about 3-4 feet off the ground, any suggestions? I don't want a large bulky speaker stand used for FOH speaker applications.

3 - Would $800 be a fair price for a used version of this amp that's only a few months old?

And any other impressions would be very appreciated.

Regards.

[amyFB]

I bought one of these new last night for a little over $1000.
I'd want to know why it was being sold after a short time; might be worth the extra $$ for the new one with a warranty.

So far, I am thrilled with it. It is much nicer for my archtop than the Fishman loudbox mini.

good luck!

[kspotter]

I originally purchased a David Deluxe from an online dealer, and when I got it, the reverb did not work.. sent it back and got another one with reverb not working. Turns out, this online dealer was selling new old stock David's (apparently all having issues?). I returned the second one and started from scratch.
We have a store in Seattle that sells ASG, Schertler, the Jam 150's and others.

Schertler Unico Deluxe: This amp is a beast.. Monstrous bass.. in fact.. too much I thought. It was hard to turn the amp up without feeding back. It's pricey too, but thought maybe I would shell out the money if it blew me away. Bottom line was that for my purposes (Coffee houses, home etc), it's not really needed.

Schertler David Deluxe:
Pros: The newer version of the one I had tried.. Sounded as good as I remembered. These are great amps with a very natural compressed feel to the sound when pushed. Never sounded harsh, only louder. Really impressed with the 'touch dynamics'. Very sold and punchy when palm muting.
Cons: Small speaker limits the throw of the sound. It is easy to push this amp to the limits, and I felt like I wanted a bit more. Spring reverb is not a great choice for an acoustic amp. Somewhat limited there.

Schertler Jam 150: Does not have the same touch dynamics and natural sounds as the David Deluxe, but made up somewhat by the larger speaker, which filled up the room better. Had much better array of inputs than the David. I was going to 'sacrifice' the tone and get this until I tried the Godin on a whim...Glad I did.

Godin ASG 150: Love this amp! In fact, I liked it better than the David Deluxe.. The deluxe might have been a tad warmer, but overall, the larger speaker provides better projection, and it has more inputs/outputs. Much better reverb too.
I would have no reservations recommending the ASG 150 to anyone. In fact, I liked it so much, I bought another so I could have a proper PA for small shows. Vocals sound great through these too.
Note.. although the Jam 150 and Godin are made in the same facility, they definitely do not sound identical. The Godin sounded closer to the Schertler.
Hope that helps.
K

I am told that the Godin ASG150 is essentially the Acus OneForStrings 8. Acus, Godin, & Schertler are, apparently, all made in the same Italian factory, but have slightly different features. The distinguishing feature between the Godin and the Acus is the tilt-back cabinet-shape of the Godin (and 120V AC mains compatibility). Inputs look to be the same...anyways, the Acus website may be a good additional source of information on the AGS150.

Kspotter, where did you get your ASG, and did you get any discount for purchasing two? Did you compare the ASG150 to the Unico Classic?

\\/\\/ o l f r a m

[Hinto]

Just for the record, since I started this thread and it got revived...

I never got that used amp, it was a couple of hours away and the seller wasn't being particularly cooperative. I decided to get a Bose Compact. Which I later sold. Then I bought the ASG-150, and I think I've found the amp I'm going to keep. For a while anyway!

Schertler's are pretty hard to get in Canada, whereas there are a couple of local stores that carry the Godin. I got mine in the black finish, never liked the wood finish coming out of that factory, too scuffy/scratchy.

Anyway the Godin is a fantastic amp, my only complaint is that the effects are not really obvious, I wish they would have provided additional information as to what each of the 8 effects are. And it would be nice if it didn't always go back to effect 1 every time you turn the amp off and on. Oh well, the tone is great and that's what counts.

[amyFB]

The vague effects labeling on the ASG-150 bugs me too.

The user pamphlet is funny ; tells you to choose the one that is right for your instrument. (Period)

I like 3 most of the time.


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[kspotter]

I got mine at a place called Django Books in Seattle. It is really a guys house that he sells gear out of. He went to the basement to unbox the amps that I tried. I did not get a discount on two, partly because i bought them at different times.. but even then, he doesn't sell that much so probably would not be able to afford too much of a discount.
I agree on the documentation for the Godin.. they could use an English translator.
K

[ChrisDowning]

Originally Posted by wolfram

I am told that the Godin ASG150 is essentially the Acus OneForStrings 8. Acus, Godin, & Schertler are, apparently, all made in the same Italian factory, but have slightly different features. The distinguishing feature between the Godin and the Acus is the tilt-back cabinet-shape of the Godin (and 120V AC mains compatibility). Inputs look to be the same...anyways, the Acus website may be a good additional source of information on the AGS150.

Kspotter, where did you get your ASG, and did you get any discount for purchasing two? Did you compare the ASG150 to the Unico Classic?

\\/\\/ o l f r a m

Stragely ACUS are shifting some tilt back 8s at Thomann at the moment - slight over production problem maybe? Certainly looks like they are making the Godins