Mini / Practice / Battery Amps - Page 4

tinnitus · #46 09-02-2020, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webwzrd

The SDOTD right now is the whole Super Fly Pack including the ext cab, case and power supply for $149.99.

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/stup...4bdd0c924f0601

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinnitus

Thanks (I hope... LOL). Sight unseen, I just ordered one. This'll probably replace a Roland Micro Cube (which my son can use).

As long at it sounds okay without overly coloring my guitar sounds (I use electric and acoustic) I see a couple advantages with this setup.
- Built-in battery pack and charger.
- Number and versatility of inputs.
- Bluetooth.

This'll be a first for me, quoting/replying to my own post (above), a follow-up on my purchase of a Blackstar Superfly Street Pack (which I learned does not include the extension speaker cab, but I ordered it anyway).

Received it and (just out of curiosity) read a couple reviews before I opened it up for a test drive. Tested it and confirmed mine also does what everyone else complains about (see below). I phoned Musician's Friend and got a free return shipping label to return the package for a full refund.

Kinda sad about this because it's a great value for all the capabilities, features and general sound quality. But the annoying thing I noticed was a faint "thump" sound that happens about one second into letting any guitar note or chord ring. Maybe no problem for non-stop lead guitar shredders or players buried among other instruments. But since I got this for performing solo, it's unacceptable for me. Uncritical listeners may or may not notice, but it's something I cannot unhear even when I try to ignore it.

Courteous Customer Service guy at Musician's Friend said this product is discontinued and guessed that is probably why. I told him I might try another one at some point if I see any indication they've eliminated this common glitch. Not his problem, but he did say he would relay the feedback.

page853 · #47 09-02-2020, 04:49 PM

Roland Acoustic Mobile - fab sound quality and surprisingly loud for 5 watts
Roland ac33 - again stellar sound quality
Yamaha THR5A - good sound that is tweakable lound for 10 watts , although can get a bit flappy up full

If uou wanted something for home use I'd go the acoustic mobile

Birdbrain · #48 09-02-2020, 06:16 PM

Maybe it's a matter of expectations. I used to have the tiny Fly amp, and it was impressive, for what it was. I never tried to use that acoustically, though. That would be the main use for the Super Fly, which I bought on curious impulse. No-risk returns, right? Well, when I took the Super Fly to the PO to ship it back, I found it would cost $33, mostly due to the oversized box. That would have been a third of my refund. So I'm keeping it to see if it turns out to be useful as a loaner, a mobile pickup tester, or a second voice in a two-amp rig.

The Super Fly's acoustic sound isn't bad, but next to my Boss Acoustic Singer, it's pretty tinny and artificial. You can use as many three-inch speakers as you want, but you still won't get much highs or lows.

tinnitus · #49 09-02-2020, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birdbrain

Maybe it's a matter of expectations. I used to have the tiny Fly amp, and it was impressive, for what it was. I never tried to use that acoustically, though. That would be the main use for the Super Fly, which I bought on curious impulse. No-risk returns, right? Well, when I took the Super Fly to the PO to ship it back, I found it would cost $33, mostly due to the oversized box. That would have been a third of my refund. So I'm keeping it to see if it turns out to be useful as a loaner, a mobile pickup tester, or a second voice in a two-amp rig.

The Super Fly's acoustic sound isn't bad, but next to my Boss Acoustic Singer, it's pretty tinny and artificial. You can use as many three-inch speakers as you want, but you still won't get much highs or lows.

Expectations were the problem for me. I truly wonder if I would've focused on that soft "thump," at least so quickly, if I weren't looking specifically for it.

Not to be a negative person, I frequently read the bad reviews on anything I'm thinking about getting. When I see repeat negatives, I tend to assume that issue can become a problem for me too. In this case, I had already jumped on buying the package because time was running out on SDOTD (Musician's Friend Stupid Deal of the Day).

In the $40 Fender transistor micro amp, I might've expected it. So did those negative reviews of the Superfly taint my own evaluation and make me intolerant of something really minor? I don't know. Probably never will.

RedJoker · #50 09-04-2020, 04:08 AM

Switch to the "Electric" channel and the thump went away for me. I did have to adjust the gain to get a good acoustic tone.

Morrill · #51 10-24-2020, 05:14 PM

Quick update on my Superfly. Picked up an 8 pack of rechargeable batteries and charger on Prime day and have been using my Superfly much more. It's become my go to combo portable speaker and work practice amp. It gets used a lot and I'm much happier with my purchase now.

It's light, fairly durable and at $99 I'm not afraid of breaking it. Mine doesn't have the "thump" issue or at least I haven't noticed. If you can get one on close out cheap I would buy it.