Da Capo 75 or Era 1

[Andygatkiwi]

Hi All

I'm in the process of purchasing a new amp to run both guitar and vocals through on solo gigs. I'm playing a Martin HD28 into a LR Baggs Anthem fed into a Radial Tonebone preamp. Currently using a Roland AC90 (that I'm not happy with). I've narrowed my amp options down to either:

Udo Roesner Da Capo 75
Hughes & Kettner Era 1

Both amps are a special order for any music store down here in little old NZ so trying before I buy may not be an option :-(

My questions are:

Has anyone had any experience with either or both of these amps?
What is the quality of both guitar and vocal like through both?
The Era 1 has more power but would I miss this with the Da Capo?

Thanks :-)

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by Andygatkiwi

Hi All

I'm in the process of purchasing a new amp to run both guitar and vocals through on solo gigs. I'm playing a Martin HD28 into a LR Baggs Anthem fed into a Radial Tonebone preamp. Currently using a Roland AC90 (that I'm not happy with). I've narrowed my amp options down to either:

Udo Roesner Da Capo 75
Hughes & Kettner Era 1

Both amps are a special order for any music store down here in little old NZ so trying before I buy may not be an option :-(

My questions are:

Has anyone had any experience with either or both of these amps?
What is the quality of both guitar and vocal like through both?
The Era 1 has more power but would I miss this with the Da Capo?

Thanks :-)

Perhaps you should try your Roland with the Anthem straight in and ditch the Tonebone?

[Andygatkiwi]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Perhaps you should try your Roland with the Anthem straight in and ditch the Tonebone?

Been there and it's rubbish. Should have been more specific re the preamp maybe? Its a Radial PZ-Pre.

[Jinder]

I can offer a ballpark comparison...I own an Era 2 (the big brother of the Era 1, obviously) and an AER Compact 60/4, the amp that Udo Roesner designed prior to the Da Capo 75.

The Hughes & Kettner is absolutely superb. It has more of an “FRFR” presentation than the AER and will deliver a huge spectrum of sound-it can also be used as a bass amp, such is the low end extension. It is warm and detailed, but not especially loud for it’s stated 400w.

The AER is much more of a “reference” amplifier which deals in the frequencies that an acoustic guitar produces, but also works very well for vocals.. It’s astonishingly loud and projects brilliantly-it will fill a medium sized venue with ease. It’s probably louder than my Era 2, certainly in terms of punch and projection. It belies both its size and stated wattage massively!

Both are good amps to sing through...for my vocal timbre (I’m a light tenor), the AER edges it, but both are satisfying to sing through. I love the adaptive peak limiting on the AER, as it’s a little like singing through a really high end studio compressor set to very subtle, soft-knee optical compression. It’s very musical and you can lean into it like a well dialled in LA2A. The H&K has equally good EQ and effects, along with various switching options for EQ contour etc however.

I love both amps. The AER is crisp, detailed and immensely hi-fi, whereas the H&K is a little more warm and rootsy. I think you would be happy with either. If I was in your position, I would probably buy the Da Capo 75, as it seems to be the next step on from the AER amps for Udo, which have been gamechangers worldwide, but both are amps entirely worthy of your time, attention and money.

[dnf777]

Hi Andy,
Ive had my da capo 75 for a couple weeks now, and really like it. I cant comment on the vocal traits of the amp, but really like what you can do with tone shaping. Not sure where you are, but in USA its pretty limited distribution. I spoke a long time with Bill at Artisan Guitars in Nashville, and he gave me the scoop. He said most of his da capo sales were to AER owners, and most feedback was that it was a worthwhile upgrade. The cab is now ported for better bass response, the treble pot was tweaked to be less harsh (more warm or rootsy, as Jinder may have commented) and a boost to 75 watts. If it has any shortfalls, volume and projection aint them! This little box is LOUD and CLEAR. As far as the on-board effects go, I think it is on par with most similar acoustic amps. Somewhat limited in parameter adjustments, but the reverb, chorus and delay are fine if youre not picky. If you are, you would probably want your own pedals or modeler. For me, it does fine.

Overall, I think Udo addressed several of the issues of the mighty fine AER 60/4. Apparently, it was too soon after the 60/4 roll-out to upgrade again, so Udo bided his non-compete time until releasing the da capo. Unlike the AER, it is assembled in Indonesia from German supplies. I see no quality issues whatsoever, and the touchable components feel quality and sturdy.

So far, Im very happy with it, and glad I took a chance on it.