The $99 Acoustic Amp

[Petty1818]

Ricdoug, that's a sweet little pa, especially for the money. Do you know if these are still available though? They don't seem to be on the Kustom website.

[midwinter]

Here.

[ricdoug]

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Kustom-P...85-i1934071.gc

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-a...onal-pa-system

Our local Guitar Center stocks them. Ric

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by slewis

Ray, you did indeed make that clear. But I and a lot of others here have wasted money on on cheaper stuff that may or may not have met our immediate needs, but which we quickly outgrew, and then bought something better -- often the item we should have bought in the first place. You rarely go wrong buying quality, and buying things that meet your needs now and also beyond. If you're up to maybe spending more in the long run than you need to, go with one of the two units you asked about. But many of us -- you probably too, in other circumstances -- have gone that route and learned a lesson. I personally like to invest in things that meet my current needs but also allow for some growing room. Good luck either way!

Agreed. We understood your constraints. We just politely ignored them. [emoji6] I have bought endless piles of cheap junk, only to regret it later.

But, if you are sticking to the budget, that Kustom PA might be a good option. I've demoed one in a Guitar Center. It was better than most options at that price point.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[RockerDuck]

I have 2 of the PA 50's and they do fine. More midrange in the acoustic guitar than needed, but I bring them for monitors on bigger gigs.

[RedJoker]

I was in your same boat and was looking at those two as an option. I ended up not buying either. Instead, I bought a small used mixer for about $60. Though I don't have a powered speaker yet, I have a lot more inputs, can listen on my headphones or plug into any amp with an Aux input or even my home stereo. That meets my immediate needs and allows me to grow in the future.

Just an alternative to consider.

[fuman]

You don't have to get a Mini, but I owned the Behringer and it was a disappointment, despite me not expecting much. The Fender is practically worthless. Both of these companies make decent bigger acoustic amps.

At the low end, consider the Acoustic brand (some of them buzz, but it's an individual thing, not a model thing. Try before you buy) or the Kustom PA or even a Kustom powered speaker (they sound pretty good and you can get models with two inputs).

[lschwart]

I'm not exactly what you'd call a fan of the Kustom PA50, at least not for real gigging, but I've had one for a while as a little utility speaker, and I will say that it works OK as a near field monitor if the stage isn't too loud, and I've used it many times to amplify my guitars for small acoustic ensemble rehearsals. I'll use my Genz Benz ProLT for rehearsing with my full band--especially when I need to amplify my vocals, too--but when I'm just practicing as an acoustic duo or trio and I need effects, it makes for a simple, portable rehearsal set up. I just go from my pedal board right into one of the mic inputs, and I angle it up behind me on one of these Fender acoustic guitar stands:

http://www.fender.com/accessories/st...0.html#start=1

You can get them for about $12-$14 from Guitar Center.

I still think the Mini or the Ultrasound AG-15M would be better, especially if you ever want to play small gigs, but the above is a workable, inexpensive solution on a tight budget.

Louis

[zhunter]

Originally Posted by lschwart

I'm not exactly what you'd call a fan of the Kustom PA50, at least not for real gigging, but I've had one for a while as a little utility speaker, and I will say that it works OK as a near field monitor if the stage isn't too loud, and I've used it many times to amplify my guitars for small acoustic ensemble rehearsals. I'll use my Genz Benz ProLT for rehearsing with my full band--especially when I need to amplify my vocals, too--but when I'm just practicing as an acoustic duo or trio and I need effects, it makes for a simple, portable rehearsal set up. I just go from my pedal board right into one of the mic inputs, and I angle it up behind me on one of these Fender acoustic guitar stands:

Louis

Sounds like a great solution for the OP if he can live with the size.

hunter

[Brian N]

How about the Yamaha THR5A? It looks good on paper, although I've never seen one.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Yamaha-T...77-i2862133.gc

[RayKarpis]

Thanks again for the great suggestions and discussion. I went ahead and took a flier on the Powerwerks PA50 system (like the Kustom) via Amazon. I had a $50 Amazon credit and got it for under $100. If I don't like it, Amazon has a great return policy so no harm, no foul.

I like the flexibility it offers, but we'll see if it will meet my needs with guitar/vocals.

[ricdoug]

How did the PowerWerks PW50/Kustom PA50 work for you, Ray? I9still impressed with their bang for the buck. Ric

[jseth]

I just saw/heard/played through one of the little Kustom units the other day for the first time, and I was VERY impressed... the one I used was more like $139, but it sounded a WHOLE LOT BETTER than anything else I have heard in that sub-$200 range...