Using electric guitar amps for acoustic instruments

[Aaron Smith]

I am in a gigging acoustic trio. It started as a basement project... all of us were burned out on rock bands, and decided we wanted to do something stripped-down and simple. All of us play multiple instruments.

We have three vocalists, and all swap different instruments depending on the song. In any given night, I will usually play acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, violin, dobro, and a few percussion instruments (bongos, claves, etc.). The other guys play acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, and electric guitar. So much for simple!

We sometimes play shows in bars where we do our own PA... those are the easy ones. I have a good PA with QSC powered monitors, a 16 channel mixer, 32 band eq for main and monitor mixes, etc. I have a dedicated channel for each mic and instrument, which has already been EQ'd for that particular instrument.

The hard shows are when we have installed sound and a sound guy. By comparison, gigging with a four-piece rock band is a walk in the park. We typically need 4 mics on stage, and 6 or 7 direct boxes. Then the sound guy has to EQ each instrument. Then he has to remember which instrument is where, know which channels to mute and unmute for each song. It's a mess.

This week, on a lark, I started plugging instruments into my electric rig. It's a basic pedal board (tuner, boost, overdrive, delay) into blackface Deluxe Reverb. I have to say... I really like it! I don't like the acoustic guitar sound compared to the PA, but the mandolin, dobro, and fiddle (all with installed pickups) all sound really good. I can easily switch instruments onstage, and quickly set EQ and volume with the amp controls. It is cool to have the pedal board for easy tuning, and some delay and boost for solos. The amp reverb sounds great with these instruments. Also, I can hear myself better on stage. So I'm thinking about giving this a try for gigs.

Anyone else done something like this?

[SupremeDalek]

See my response on TGP.

To summarize, I say go for it. Your ears will tell you if it sounds good or not.

[Random1643]

Interesting post. Sounds like this approach is simplifying your gig life.

I’ve got a Fishman AS-220 but, depending on live or recording situation, often plug my parlor guitar into a little handbuilt Tube Amp Factory (TAF) 14-watt tube combo. Tried a bunch of amp, pickup & guitar combinations before landing on S&P Woodland Parlor via Fishman Rare Earth Humbucker into TAF. Couple of examples below. Another thought is that the TAF uses 6v6s in the output stage. Doesn’t the Deluxe Reverb also use 6V6s? Wonder if there’s anything to that.

https://soundcloud.com/vern-equinox/...ould-cry-take1 - plugging straight into clean amp

https://soundcloud.com/vern-equinox/vigilante-man-take1 - with pedals, amp in overdrive

Your post makes me want to try my little cavaquinho with the tube amp.

[frank4001]

Originally Posted by Aaron Smith

I am in a gigging acoustic trio. It started as a basement project... all of us were burned out on rock bands, and decided we wanted to do something stripped-down and simple. All of us play multiple instruments.

We have three vocalists, and all swap different instruments depending on the song. In any given night, I will usually play acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, violin, dobro, and a few percussion instruments (bongos, claves, etc.). The other guys play acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, and electric guitar. So much for simple!

We sometimes play shows in bars where we do our own PA... those are the easy ones. I have a good PA with QSC powered monitors, a 16 channel mixer, 32 band eq for main and monitor mixes, etc. I have a dedicated channel for each mic and instrument, which has already been EQ'd for that particular instrument.

The hard shows are when we have installed sound and a sound guy. By comparison, gigging with a four-piece rock band is a walk in the park. We typically need 4 mics on stage, and 6 or 7 direct boxes. Then the sound guy has to EQ each instrument. Then he has to remember which instrument is where, know which channels to mute and unmute for each song. It's a mess.

This week, on a lark, I started plugging instruments into my electric rig. It's a basic pedal board (tuner, boost, overdrive, delay) into blackface Deluxe Reverb. I have to say... I really like it! I don't like the acoustic guitar sound compared to the PA, but the mandolin, dobro, and fiddle (all with installed pickups) all sound really good. I can easily switch instruments onstage, and quickly set EQ and volume with the amp controls. It is cool to have the pedal board for easy tuning, and some delay and boost for solos. The amp reverb sounds great with these instruments. Also, I can hear myself better on stage. So I'm thinking about giving this a try for gigs.

Anyone else done something like this?

Hey Arron i've been doing this for the last few years myself. As the Acoustic stuff slowly worked itself in more I ended up getting an acoustic amp and and A/B box and I actually like the blend. I like all the contol near me too.
It;s been very versatile for all the different pickups that get plugged in. Not diffucult to deal with either..Here is a picture, DR is mic'd and the Trace has a line out .. I got a Trace Acoustic TA50.

[pitner]

I plug acoustic and electric into the same rig with a pedalboard that works eith way sharing some pedals and not all. I use an 8 channel looper to select what effects I want on and one of them is a baggs pari di which eq's the acoustic and set volume also. Off to a Blues Jr to grab reverb and a speaker then mic to the house. Works realy well and I run IEM's to hear it so my amp offstage to keep the stage volumes down to a whisper.

[Hotraman]

I am in the same musical situation as well ( play guitars, mandolin, pedal steel) through various amps ( Mesa Express 5:25, Jazzkat Tomkat, MB200 into a 15" Sica speaker, and direct into a PA)
I just started using a Fishman Loud box Artist.
What I like about this amp, is the ability to adjust the tweeter speaker in the mix.
It handles all of my electrics / pedalboards well, too.

Like a previous poster said, if it sound good to you, then it works. Hopefully your sound mixer ( at your larger gigs) will come up and hear your "tone" and get that sound in the FOH.

The amp / effects / journey never ends