Fishman SA220 Solo vs. other amps??

[Ty Ford]

I never had the overload circuitry kick in on my soloamp, but I guess that could happen.

About the behind the performer/feedback problem. Yes, if you turn up too much and the amp is directly behind you, that will happen at some point. I found putting the soloamp to one side and angling it back towards me so the spill gives me a monitor level works.

If you're environment is loud enough that you can't hear yourself…LOUD BAR, then a small powered speaker on a stand in front of you with a feed taken from the soloamp would work.

You said you use 3 instruments in a set. The red-eye only supports two so you're still one shy.

Hmmmm,

The K10s are a great sounding speaker, no doubt.

[The Bard Rocks]

I did an extensive A/B of this with the Bose Compact here a couple of years ago. Both are excellent units and your price is probably very good, assuming it's condition is also very good and there are no sales running. I never found those sales when I was looking.

I finally decided the Bose worked best for the music I play, but it was not an easy decision. Why? I liked its sound somewhat better for me and felt it had better bass. It was also a trifle lighter and as easy to cart around (which came as a surprise to me as it doesn't look that way). I much preferred the 2 XLR inputs on the Fishman; not having that on the Bose is a severe limitation to me (I play a variety of instruments and mike them - which means I need some way to get a mike into the 1/4" input, which in turns means more equipment, more money, and more weight, thereby eliminating its weight advantage over the Fishman). I think Fishman's phone help was slightly better as well.

[Ty Ford]

I didn't like the guts and connectors of the Bose on the floor. Too many opportunities for stuff to be dropped into it. The tower itself looked more fragile to me.

I hate the wheels on the SoloAmp, but other than that I don't have anything bad to say.

Regards,

Ty Ford

[slewis]

Originally Posted by GmanJeff

I like and use the SA-220. The sound is more than acceptably clear and accurate, and unless your audience is conducting a live A/B comparison with another brand or type of amp while you're playing, they won't discern any relative subjective inferiority in the Fishman. The Fishman is, in my view, unbeatable for convenience - light, and easy to pack and move. It has reverb and notch filters, and has adjustable height (due to the use of an adjustable stand), which provides for flexibility in suiting the environment - you're not locked into a single dispersion height for your sound.

Well stated on the A/B comparion -- no audience is going to notice a difference when there is no second unit to compare it to. And both systems, IMO, provide very good sound. I just prefer the SA. I couldn't be happier with mine, having gigged steadily with it for four years now. Not a problem ever, and if there was one, I know Fishman is famous for their great customer service.

Another point on the comparison between the SA and the Bose system is that I believe the Bose system is supposed to be placed at least 6-8 feet behind you. I don't like that, nor would it work well for me in some of the small spaces I play. And I really appreciate the on-board EQ and reverb controls. Can't really believe that the Bose systems don't come with those!

[Random1643]

Will try to respond to the OP's (well the 2nd OP who revived an almost 4 year old thread) questions:

~ Mixer? If you have a decent mixer I'd say keep it and run into the SA-220 when you have more inputs than the front panel will handle. I do think the simplicity for solo gigs of the SA-220's front panel is a wonderful thing. I have an Allen & Heath ZED 10-FX that works well with the Fish Stick.

~ Are 2 SA-220s better than 1 + a mixer? I just don't understand this well enough to give you a decent answer. You can handle a duo with the SA-220 + a mixer. Some folks I've talked to like 2 SA-220s for handling bigger venues; they may also still use a mixer. For me, once I start thinking past the Fish Stick + occasionally the mixer, I'm getting beyond what this thing was designed to do.

~ "Light weight great sounding speaker" vs the SA-220? This is a choice. I don't know what your gig goals are. You indicate in your post that you're moving and looking to get lighter speakers. So either of these options could serve that goal. As one poster notes you can find yourself in venues where the SA-220 might not deliver. What sorts of gigs/venues do you intend to play in? I've played in different settings and so far never cranked the master vol past Noon.

My basis for purchasing the SA-220 last year is I'm 61. As a younger man I was happy to pile my big system into the current beater and head for the gig. And I loved the sound quality. Still I like the light, portable aspect of the SA-220, think the acousticish amplification is pretty awesome, don't expect to be playing more than bars, cafes and community festivals, and over the years have become sold on Fishman products and service.

[kaos]

If you are not going to use a monitor, my experience has been that I can hear myself better with the SA220 ... than the Bose. But that is me.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by Mah ' Crub

ammm straight...I just paid $999.99, you wont regret it, it's sleek, ominous, and won't break your back...a great piece of tech I must say. It's concise, but balzy, and you can literaly walk into a bar, rolling your PA/amp and carrying your guitar. Das it, raw...and of course a rug and a table to put your stuff on ;and mike stands and bags of cords and mikes, song lists and music stand and guitar stands and effect pedels and a looping station and extention cords, power strip, string winder, strings, harmonicas, pipes, whistles, flutes, mando, fiddle..........like I said ...just walk in...


Mah ' Crub

My favorite post of the week. (Chuckles)

[Ronnie RedZone]

I have owned an SA-220, and I currently own a Bose L1 Compact, as well as a pair of 15" powered Mackie "Thumps" and a Yamaha StagePas 600i.

I wanted to love the SA-220, but the truth is, I disliked the tone. It was plenty loud, and I find them very convenient and effective. And when I hear other performers using the SA-220, it sounds great. But for me, when it was behind me or slightly to the side, it had too much midrange, and not enough bottom. Presence was a little lacking, too, in my opinion.

At every NAMM show, I see dozens of exhibitors demoing their products with SoloAmps, and they all sound great. The tone just wasn't for me.

I love the Bose L1 Compact, though it's at the opposite end of the spectrum from the SoloAmp. The Bose has great bottom, and really pleasant treble & presence, but I find it a bit lacking in mids. Still, it's much more pleasing to my ear and for my usage scenario.

The Bose really benefits from using the ToneMatch mixer, which is a $500 add-on. Without the mixer, it's a bit limiting. It is, however, a really convenient, lightweight, easy to setup system.

The SoloAmp seems considerably more powerful, and the feature set is great. If the tone works for you (as it does for most people), I think it's a steal at that price.

Lately I find myself considering giving the SoloAmp another try. I'm a Fishman dealer, so if anyone wants to purchase a SoloAmp, PM me for the AGF discount.

[kbrink]

I've been using my Fishman for about a year now and absolutely love it. I generally place it, as recommended, about 4 or 5 feet behind me and off to the side. I generally run it at about 40% volume on the mains, and somewhat less on each channel. When I need louder volume outside, I put it right up by me, and over to the side about 6 feet. Then I don't have to worry about feedback and can run it up to 70% or so, if needed, which is extremely rare. I can still hear it just fine. When I play with my duo partner, who also has one, we link to each other thru the Monitor In/Out, so we are stereo. Suh-weet! In a few cases, we have used just one SoloAmp, and used both front inputs as well as the Aux In in the back for a guitar and the Monitor In for a vocal. Both (Aux In and Monitor In) have volume knobs on the front, which is convenient. Or we could have used a mixer, but no need with so many input options. I just can't say how easy and quick they are to pull in and set up. And I always get comments on how good it sounds. Oh, and I have used the Monitor Out to connect a powered speaker for larger gigs. Works great. Just my 2 cents. They're a great value.