right amp, wrong amp

[fazool]

I have a Peavey Solo Series 130 Special. It's a big 130 watt 1x12" monster. It's a great solid state amp but way too big for my use now. I played one for a long time and am very familiar with getting whatever tones I want from it so I keep this one around but really just use it at my workbench (and when I feel like annoying the neighbors).

So, I bought a Fender Acoustasonic 15 watt amp for just practicing and noodling around with.

Since then, I added a new electric guitar, a small host of pedals, cables and pickups and last night I had an "Aha moment".

I've been having tons of fun with my pedal chain and my (loved) Taylor SB1 electric but I just haven't been loving the sound coming out of my Acoustasonic amp. I mean its a fine amp for what I need but it's just not giving me this powerful, gritty electric sound I am trying to find.

I was a bit discouraged about it last night and so, on a whim picked up my "main" acoustic guitar, hooked up my DiMarzio soundhole pickup, ran it through my new MXR compressor led pedal train and MAGIC happened. It sounded amazing. Simply perfect. Man, I was so thrilled with how this sounded it was so much fun to play.

And I thought "man, this Acoustic amp sounds so GOOD with my acoustic" as if that should have surprised me.

I had spent so long being distracted with my electric and trying to force my acoustic amp to scream like my ear-splitting Peavey rock/metal amp that I completely lost sight of what it's supposed to be and do.

I fell totally (back) in love with my acoustic amp last night. The compressor added a whole other dimension to this. So, now I remembered why I bought it in the first place.

My huge amp was just too much for my occasional little playing in the den. I lugged it upstairs then promptly back downstairs. I am either going to have to make room for my electric amp or find a tiny electric amp.