best acoustic amp for my money?

[lewisbeeman]

So I would like to buy an acoustic amp but have no idea what to look for or listen for. Not wanting spend a large amount but want a quality product I am not going to regret buying later. Also, does anyone make an acoustic amp with the G deck, or line 6 spider jam capabilities, presets to play along with. Also, is there an amp that I could use to play both acoustic and electric guitar with. I know about acoustic guitars but know nothing about amps, so please help.

[leeplaysblues]

Roland AC60 -great tone and built to last

[martinedwards]

Marshall AS50R

Chorus & reverb

has Phono & XLR inputs for your Ipod & mic too.....

[chitz]

Fishman Soloamp

[Mel]

Also, is there an amp that I could use to play both acoustic and electric guitar with. I know about acoustic guitars but know nothing about amps, so please help.

The output from the magnetic pups of an electric guitar is not constant with frequency. The higher the frequency the lower the output level. Electric guitar amplifiers cater for this by boosting the higher frequencies somewhat. The actual increase should be about 6dB per octave.
Channel 1 of the Carvin AG100D can actually do this on the sweepable mid eq control. you set the centre frequency to 800Hz and the gain to +6.
So you could play electric guitar thru CH1 and acoustic guitar thru CH2.
mel

[fitness1]

I just got a Carvin Memorial Day sale email and the AG100D is on sale for a pretty nice price.

[jsystevo]

just brought a 75 watt line 6 spider 3 amp for my J-50 as i havnt gone electric but like muckin about with effect......

all the reviews for this product are top notch... loving the VOX setting and hammering a thundering 12 bar blues..........not sure what the neighbours think tho!!!!

[im_erik]

can't go wrong with a Fender Acoustasonic... the newer DSP models have some nice onboard effects.
you can find them used all over the place, not too pricey.

[drcmusic7]

As far as acoustic amps go, I think Ultrasound are fantastic amps and their prices are more than fair...

I love mine...

Kindly,
Danny

[imwjl]

I just spent time comparing amps and PA options ranging from the cheapest through the best stuff and am surprisingly happy with the very cheap Acoustic models. Some Crates sounded fine for little money too but not as accurate as the Acoustic brand I got.

The cheap Acoustic may not be suitable if you want an XLR plug, and it was my observation that you have to get up the food chain for phantom power.

If you want double duty and some effects I find the Rolands work for acoustic and electric.

Moving up the food chain were the Ultrasonics and AC-60 mentioned here and Fenders. It seemed to me that the AC-60 needed a sub but was nice.

The same amps that sounded most accurate with an acoustic guitar did not sound as nice with my electrics if they were not designed with some reverb. I have black face Deluxe and Princeton so that makes me sort of a snob as far as electric tone.

FWIW: A touch of my analog delay pedal (MXR) gives some nice electric tone to a solid state amp or amp with no reverb and it makes my Acoustic sound like less of a monitor if I have my JamMan and an electric plugged into it.

I've seen the inexpensive Crates I mentioned as well as some of the Fender Acoustasonic series on craigslist but not the high end stuff like L.R. Baggs and Fishman.

[Herb Hunter]

Originally Posted by lewisbeeman

So I would like to buy an acoustic amp but have no idea what to look for or listen for. Not wanting spend a large amount but want a quality product I am not going to regret buying later. Also, does anyone make an acoustic amp with the G deck, or line 6 spider jam capabilities, presets to play along with. Also, is there an amp that I could use to play both acoustic and electric guitar with. I know about acoustic guitars but know nothing about amps, so please help.

It is difficult for us to make a recommendation without knowing how much you intended to spend. Nevertheless, you have gotten many different recommendations already.

I wouldn't want an amplifier that has no tweeter or that has a piezoelectric tweeter and I wouldn't want one whose bass response drops off above the low E of a guitar, (approximately 82 Hz).

As regards an amplifier that is designed to handle both electric and acoustic guitars, the amplifier and speaker requirements are quite different. I know of only one manufacturer, Rivera, that makes them and they are expensive. Prices start at around $1,700.00.

http://www.rivera.com/products/sedona/sed100-combo.php

http://www.rivera.com/products/sedona/sed55-combo.php

http://www.rivera.com/products/sedona/sed-lite.php

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by drcmusic7

As far as acoustic amps go, I think Ultrasound are fantastic amps and their prices are more than fair...

I love mine...

Kindly,
Danny

+1 for Ultrasound. For the money and for their price range, they are the best out there. I've had mine for 5 years and love it.

[kscobie8]

Originally Posted by leeplaysblues

Roland AC60 -great tone and built to last

+1 for the Roland. I got mine used from guitar center for a little more than 1/2 the street price and it's in MINT condition! No scuffs, tears, crackles, nothing. Check the back corner of your local GC for one of these for sure!

[jooonnn]

Ultrasound DS2 DS3 or DS4 are great great amps.

[wierdOne]

Ultrasound amplifiers.