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Old 02-05-2018, 08:43 PM
Boy_Narf Boy_Narf is offline
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Default Tried a few acoustic amps tonight.

Hello Everyone,

So I've been on the hunt for an amp to pair with my A6 Ultra, and sat in the store for nearly two hours doing a shootout.

1. Mesa Rosette. I went specifically to try this out one. At first I wasn't really a fan. The reverb was very odd on the top end, and I couldn't get a clear sound out of it. After an additional 30 mins of tweaking I got a very nice tone.

2. Loudbox Artist. I tried this right after the Rosette and I was pretty surprised at how it seemed to sound more natural. I really liked the adjustable tweeter knob but did not like effects bank B. Why on earth didn't they put delay on B, so you could have verb and delay.

3. Fender 100. WAY too much top end coming out of this. I wasn't able to tame it either. It sounded like my guitar was all piezo even though I had the humbucker blended in. Also the speaker couldn't take the low end from my A6, so onto the next.

4. Loudbox Mini Portable. Honestly this amp sounds great. I would for sure opt for the non battery powered version and save myself $200. It also had trouble handling the low end from my A6, so I had to bring the bass way back to keep it from bottoming out.

5. Bose S1. Sales guy told me it was amazing. Plugged in and well, it wasn't. I had to back the bass off all the way to keep it from bottoming out, and having only a two band EQ is very limiting. Really not worth the price IMO.

6. Traynor Acoustimate. Sounded terrible and produced a funny smell. I think it was a long term rental. Didn't spend any time with it.

Final thoughts:

I wish they had the loudbox performer in stock as I REALLY wanted to test that guy out against the Rosette. I was 10 second away from getting the Loudbox Artist when I went back and did another test of the Rosette. Honestly the Mesa has a "clarity" the other amps didn't (after excessive mid range tweaking). I will say the effects master is extremely hissy (even with the tweeter off). The only way I could run it was to crank the FX level on the channel, then bump up the master ever so slightly until it was the proper amount. The Mesa was also the only one that could handle the low end coming out of my A6. I never once had to turn down the bass due to the speakers bottoming out. Need a few days to think on it though, it's a large chunk of change to drop on an amp that probably won't be leaving my house.

If I decided to go cheap, it will be the loud box mini for sure. Used to have one, wish I never sold it...
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Old 02-05-2018, 11:24 PM
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Groberts Groberts is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boy_Narf View Post
Hello Everyone,

So I've been on the hunt for an amp to pair with my A6 Ultra, and sat in the store for nearly two hours doing a shootout.

1. Mesa Rosette. I went specifically to try this out one. At first I wasn't really a fan. The reverb was very odd on the top end, and I couldn't get a clear sound out of it. After an additional 30 mins of tweaking I got a very nice tone.

2. Loudbox Artist. I tried this right after the Rosette and I was pretty surprised at how it seemed to sound more natural. I really liked the adjustable tweeter knob but did not like effects bank B. Why on earth didn't they put delay on B, so you could have verb and delay.

3. Fender 100. WAY too much top end coming out of this. I wasn't able to tame it either. It sounded like my guitar was all piezo even though I had the humbucker blended in. Also the speaker couldn't take the low end from my A6, so onto the next.

4. Loudbox Mini Portable. Honestly this amp sounds great. I would for sure opt for the non battery powered version and save myself $200. It also had trouble handling the low end from my A6, so I had to bring the bass way back to keep it from bottoming out.

5. Bose S1. Sales guy told me it was amazing. Plugged in and well, it wasn't. I had to back the bass off all the way to keep it from bottoming out, and having only a two band EQ is very limiting. Really not worth the price IMO.

6. Traynor Acoustimate. Sounded terrible and produced a funny smell. I think it was a long term rental. Didn't spend any time with it.

Final thoughts:

I wish they had the loudbox performer in stock as I REALLY wanted to test that guy out against the Rosette. I was 10 second away from getting the Loudbox Artist when I went back and did another test of the Rosette. Honestly the Mesa has a "clarity" the other amps didn't (after excessive mid range tweaking). I will say the effects master is extremely hissy (even with the tweeter off). The only way I could run it was to crank the FX level on the channel, then bump up the master ever so slightly until it was the proper amount. The Mesa was also the only one that could handle the low end coming out of my A6. I never once had to turn down the bass due to the speakers bottoming out. Need a few days to think on it though, it's a large chunk of change to drop on an amp that probably won't be leaving my house.

If I decided to go cheap, it will be the loud box mini for sure. Used to have one, wish I never sold it...
Really nice report. Enjoyed the comparison and contrast. I tried the Mesa Rosette and it was way too Midrange for me. Not full and rich enough for my preferences. And 30 minutes is a lot of time to find a sound you liked. Maybe it’s easier once you zero in on what works. But otherwise I just don’t see spending a thousand bucks for it.

I had a Fishman Loudbox Performer for a few years. Very very good amp and I preferred it to the Rosette. Very fast and easy to dial in a good full range sound.
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Old 02-06-2018, 10:31 AM
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Your in depth analysis was well done. Your conclusion is right for your conception of what amplification should sound like. Everyone of us has our own conception of what that should be. No one is right or wrong. The only important thing is that whatever amp you select fits your ear. Go with your gut - you’re the one that needs to be satisfied with the sound.
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Old 02-06-2018, 11:09 AM
Boy_Narf Boy_Narf is offline
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Indeed the rosette has tons of mid range. I had a pretty serious cut on both bands to get it to clear up. I'm actually thinking this would make a great clean electric/jazz amp. Part of me wishes it was a single channel so I could save a bit of cash. I don't see myself using the other channel at all which is why I've started to second guess the amp. Seems nearly all acoustic amps are designed with two channels (Except the S1, which I haven't tried).

I was seriously considering the Loudbox performer, but I really think I need to play one first. The Artist was a bit thin sounding in the mid range, but I'm sure the Performer would remedy that having the extra driver and larger cabinet.

Alternatively I was considering a princeton, or blues jr. It would be nice to have a bit of warmth/grit on top of my tone. Funny for once in my life I could save a bit of cash by picking tube over SS.

In the end I think I want the Mesa, just have to convince myself to buy it I also saw they have the wood cabinet version. Anyone know if those cost more?
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Old 02-06-2018, 12:49 PM
RockerDuck RockerDuck is offline
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I have an A6 Ultra HG and it is naturally bass heavy. I use a Boss GE-7 eg to shape the frequencies. I use the Fishman Loudbox mini and it does really well and I use a DI out to my PA and the eq works like a charm. I've said this over 45 yrs. An EQ is the best piece of gear you can own when performing. It makes any amp or PA you play through sound good.
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Old 02-07-2018, 08:31 AM
Revy Revy is offline
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Originally Posted by Boy_Narf View Post
After an additional 30 mins of tweaking I got a very nice tone.
It seems this is the case with about every Boogie. They can be a bear to dial in. But once it's dialed in, hang on!
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Old 02-07-2018, 08:53 AM
troggg troggg is offline
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Is there some time pressure to make this decision? Cause it seems like at this point you would be settling. And there are other contenders which might actually ring your bell.

Like what? Like Acus, Schertler, Genzler, AER, and Elite Acoustics, to name the first handful that come to mind.
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Old 02-07-2018, 09:03 AM
6L6 6L6 is offline
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My acoustics are all dreads and all are equipped with K&K Pure Mini pups.

I LOVE my Fishman Loudbox Mini and Fishman Loudbox Performer amps! You DO have to turn down the Bass, but that just involves spinning a little knob...

Between the two, 9 out of 10 times I grab the Mini because it's plenty loud enough for almost any venue, LIGHTWEIGHT (I'm 72 and this is getting cooler by the day), and it sounds GREAT.

That said, I have done hundreds of gigs with my 2006 Fender Acoustasonic Jr DSP amp even though the guitar tone is just "OK". The reason I grab it is because the vocal channel is BY FAR the best I've heard on any acoustic amp. It will make ANYONE sound like a MUCH better singer than they really are!

But when I head for our local Open Mics, I grab my Mini and sing through the house PA. Love it!
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Old 02-07-2018, 10:11 AM
Nailpicker Nailpicker is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Revy View Post
It seems this is the case with about every Boogie. They can be a bear to dial in. But once it's dialed in, hang on!
The thing I like about my Rosette is that I don't feel the need to use an external preamp/eq like I usually do with my other amps. To get better/best sound from my other amps I usually go through a Radial PZ-Pre or PZ Deluxe. Sound is so good, once dialed in, on the Rosette that I don't bother going through the PZs.
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Old 02-07-2018, 10:31 AM
Boy_Narf Boy_Narf is offline
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I'm not in a hurry no, but of course I can't order amps just to try them out so I'm stuck with whatever is in stock. Still kind of hoping for a Mini to pop up on Kijiji
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Old 02-07-2018, 11:03 AM
troggg troggg is offline
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I'm not in a hurry no, but of course I can't order amps just to try them out so I'm stuck with whatever is in stock. Still kind of hoping for a Mini to pop up on Kijiji
For what it's worth, big companies like Sweetwater have sweetheart deals with shippers, as in my Rosette was only 40-something dollars to return. Would have been like $125 to ship it to some smaller outfit.

Why'd I return it? Two reasons. First, the 300 watts are a real figure, cause it was the only electronic device including big shop compressors which freaked out the electricity at my rental house. The landlord wasn't going to redo the entire electrical circuit just because one amp was making crackling noises (not a peep out of a Bose L1C). It didn't crackle anywhere else, so it wasn't the amp. And I didn't love singing through it. That said, I completely miss it for guitar! My two cents is that the Rosette tends to reward more aggressive players ... but others are probably perfectly satisfied who attack less.

Also you should know that Mesa is a great company to deal with for what that's worth. Everything else being equal, if you love going through a phone tree, get a Roland/Boss. If you want to reach an actual human who knows the amp inside and out to offer some guidance, go with Mesa.
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Old 02-07-2018, 11:39 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boy_Narf View Post
Indeed the rosette has tons of mid range. I had a pretty serious cut on both bands to get it to clear up. I'm actually thinking this would make a great clean electric/jazz amp.
In the end I think I want the Mesa, just have to convince myself to buy it I also saw they have the wood cabinet version. Anyone know if those cost more?
They are great clean jazz amps.
Depending on the wood (and grill) they can cost much more.
I got mine on Christmas Eve. I knew the prices were going up 150 so I may have gotten the last 999 free ship no tax available.
These are serious American made amps.

Here is a blackwood. If I had a money tree I might, but the extra 1000+ is too much.


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Old 02-07-2018, 12:01 PM
Boy_Narf Boy_Narf is offline
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Oh very nice! I saw those wood ones then I saw the price. Totally a rip off. I could build a cabinet like that for under $50, but I guess that's the price you pay for this kind of product.

I am a fairly aggressive/heavy train beat strummer so it's good to hear it works well for that. I might also use it with my post rock project as I've been looking for a crystal clean amp with tons of head room for looping.

The power issues you noticed are a concern. We have tons of horribly wired venues in town here. At home however I run through a Furman power strip, and will be picking up another UPS shortly as my current one just bit the bullet. I do think the Rosette is on the noisy side. Like I said earlier the FX master is EXTREMELY hissy, to the point where I thought the amp was faulty. Also flipping any of the switches (except mute) on the front seem to make a popping noise, but I'm assuming most of the guts are analog (with the exception of the reverb) so that is probably the culprit.

One thing that really draws me to the Mesa is the parametric mid EQ. Nice not to need an EQ pedal/preamp to make it sound good. Also the fact that it never came close to bottoming out even with the bass cranked on my A6. It was the only amp that could handle the output so I know it will have plenty of headroom no matter what I throw at it. I also play a Godin Fretless A4 and already have a big bass rig, so this might be a good addition to the arsenal for smaller gigs/rehearsals.

I'm trying to come up with as many scenarios as possible to justify the price.

1. Full time acoustic amp/monitor.
2. Portable compact bass rig.
3. Wedge monitor for vocals. OH! I could set it up next to my drum kit and finally have my own vocal monitor. Interesting!
4. Portable clean rig for my Electric project.
5. I've also got a Sub Phatty that I currently play through my bass amp, I wonder if this guy could handle the low frequencies without burning up? Would be nice to run it through a full range amp for a change.

I'm a fan of the buy once cry once gear mentality these days. I've wasted enough cash on upgrading over the years, so I want to get something that I can grow with. On that note, I'm still kicking myself for not buying an old JAM150 off my buddy who was selling it for next to nothing. Man that thing sounded good! I would love to try one again, but nothing in stock anywhere in my city.

***Only thing I think it's missing is a better tweeter control, perhaps a level knob as opposed to a switch. As well as a separate effects loop per channel, along with a level control. I was planning to run a slap back delay in the loop for my guitar, but if I also ran vocals through it, there would be no way to get just the internal verb and not the loop. Small issues.
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Old 02-07-2018, 12:39 PM
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And then there's the private reserve woods $$$$$

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Old 02-07-2018, 01:26 PM
troggg troggg is offline
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I guess I have an additional questions about the Rosette EQ. The basic philosophy seems to be to find offending frequencies and cut them. Only thing is ... what if your guitar happens to be really well balanced and doesn't really have offending frequencies? I found that mildly confusing, but I'm really far from an EQ guru. But the point is the better you are at EQ, the more you'll get out of Rosette. I'm also not great at dialing in verb settings; this also takes some skill on Rosette.

One advantage you'll have if you don't sing and don't plan on using the second channel is you can set up a whole other "scene" if you will ... then quickly mute one channel and plug into the other as opposed to fiddling with 3 verb knobs and all the EQ knobs. Strumming/fingerpicking really take 2 different approaches; this could be a selling point for you.
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