AER 60/3 v Schertler Jam 200 v Fishman Loudbox Artist

[mikemo6string]

Regarding the original post, I thought I'd add: if you're not singing through any of these options, I think they are all good for guitar. When hooking up to a PA, I always like to use an amp, because acoustic guitars through club monitors are notoriously nasty sounding. I feel like you can usually get a pretty good vocal sound, but I've struggled in performance when that acoustic guitar sounds harsh and brittle, or just bad, pointed back at me. That's why I like an amp when hooking up to a club PA.

And I agree with what Dave said. If I have any of these amps and some time to play them, I'll list a host of differences between them. But if I was listening to them from behind a curtain, I don't think I could tell you which one was which. I'll try it with the two I have, and see.

[hotroad]

I gig full time and agree with everyone here. But if you gig only four times a year, why put out $1000 or so. Why not borrow for those four times and save the rest in the new guitar kitty. Of course if you want to plug in at home all the time like I do, then you might want a good small PA or combo amp for that. And depending on your age, think about portability. Occassionally I use my Fishman Loudbox 100 for a small monitor and direct out to the house PA and that works great if I trust the house PA. Love Fishman products for acoustic guitar and vocal tone.

[Rhythmdoctor]

I'm also trying to decide between these two (Fishman and Schertler). Based on what I've read here and online, I'm not sure the Schertler is worth the extra couple hundred or so. Can anyone offer a counterpoint? IF not, I think I'm pulling the trigger on a Fishman Loudbox Performer.

Thanks for the read, gents!

[Andy Howell]

Interesting. I like my vocals through my AER Compact! Can’t really comment on the others though I have played through the Fishman and liked the results. The AER is built like a tank yet light and very portable and that does it for me.

[Spook]

I only hear a little box when I listen to an AER 60/3. I know many like them including some pretty good players who know their business. But honestly, I don't get it. I have sat down with the AER more than once and I still wonder what I'm missing.

That particular Fishman is a budget choice that works for about a zillion players every day. Given availability at places like Guitar Center you can play them on several visits with a number of different guitars to form an opinion. I don't care for them because the EQ is pretty useless (fixed 50hz, 750hz, 15Khz). That and I think an honest frequency graph would show some real limitations.

Schertler 200 is expensive. And worth it though with the latest prices it's a bit more painful than it used to be. I've been using a pair of SR Jam 150 extensions for a few years and am still happy with them.

Another option if you want a combo is Acus. The Acus One for Strings 8 is less expensive and may be fairly analogous to the Schertler.

That being said, I recently purchased the larger Acus 350. Acus was started when a co-owner and head of Schertler R&D split off to form his own company when 'SR' and 'Schertler' became just Schertler. They appear nearly identical to SR products. I've wanted an SR Jam 400 for awhile but they've been replaced with the Schertler Roy which is appears to be nicer but is quite a bit more expensive. The Acus 350 is pretty close duplication of the SR Jam 400. I'm happy with the sound and construction quality. Sounds a lot like my pair of Jam 150 ext's in a bigger more powerful box. I can run it and a large pedal board for at least a couple of hours using a 5 pound lithium inverter. Bought mine on Amazon but music sites in Great Britain that ship to the US were quite a bit less than US music stores.

And yea.. in this price range you could get a Yamaha DZR10 and mixer but that's a different thread.

[varmonter]

Originally Posted by gruuv

In my experience, the AER sounds wonderful for guitar and so-so for vocals. It's more midrange focused, in my opinion, and cuts very well. The JAM sounds more like a PA - guitar, vocals, etc... everything sounds amazing through it. The Loudbox Artist seems somewhere in between. The reverb on the Loudbox is awesome, and while vocals sound better than the AER (to me), guitar isn't quite as clear and true.

Not sure how helpful that is, or whether it jives with others' experiences.

This has been my experience with the aer as well.
I bought it with a mini pa in mind and it just
didn't work for vocals. But if all you are going
to ever use it for is acoustic guitar then it is the
best of the bunch. Again Don't think of it as " I'll use
it in a pinch for vocals" Its just is too big a compromise. imho.

[Rhythmdoctor]

So based on comments it seems the Schertler JAM 200 is slightly better sounding than the Fishman. Do you guys think it's worth paying a couple hundred more for the Schertler over the Fishman? Like say I can get a Schertler for $900 and the Fishman for $700.... worth the extra $200?

[Al Acuff]

Sound quality bang for the buck isn't all you want to consider before choosing.

1. Consider customer service and support before buying. Where do you ship your Schertler for service? What is their turnaround time? Fishman? Their customer service is awesome!

2. Check re-sale value on eBay. Resale value is a generally a pretty honest indicator of quality and reliability.

You can't really go wrong either way.

[Rhythmdoctor]

Originally Posted by Al Acuff

Sound quality bang for the buck isn't all you want to consider before choosing.

1. Consider customer service and support before buying. Where do you ship your Schertler for service? What is their turnaround time? Fishman? Their customer service is awesome!

2. Check re-sale value on eBay. Resale value is a generally a pretty honest indicator of quality and reliability.

You can't really go wrong either way.

Good points!

[drive-south]

I've got the Fishman Loudbox Artist. These sell for ~$550. It's got plenty of power and sounds great for both guitar and vocals. I couldn't justify paying more.

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Rhythmdoctor

So based on comments it seems the Schertler JAM 200 is slightly better sounding than the Fishman. Do you guys think it's worth paying a couple hundred more for the Schertler over the Fishman? Like say I can get a Schertler for $900 and the Fishman for $700.... worth the extra $200?

I think the Schertler is worth the extra money, I just think when it comes to acoustic amps, Schertlers, especially ones that can double as a mini PA, are the best option out there. They are just so musical. And I've tried almost every option out there. I own the Jam 400, the Jam 200, the Side Extension speaker, and the active Sub, and frankly all of them sound great. The only negative complaint on the Schertler Jam 200 that you are looking at is the knobs are hard to read in low light. So you really have to learn how to use each channel and what each knob does so you don't go fumbling around in a dark venue. Till it got it down, I used a little book light in dark places to see better.

[Woodstock School Of Music]

Originally Posted by Al Acuff

1. Consider customer service and support before buying. Where do you ship your Schertler for service? What is their turnaround time? Fishman? Their customer service is awesome!

2. Check re-sale value on eBay. Resale value is a generally a pretty honest indicator of quality and reliability.

You can't really go wrong either way.

I can verify Schertler customer service is top notch. It only takes 2 days for them to send or receive a package to the US and if it's under warranty they pay the shipping both ways. They have a couple service centers in the US as well

I would take a Schertler over the Fishman any day of the week. Nothing against the Fishman but the Schertler is in a different league

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Woodstock School Of Music

I can verify Schertler customer service is top notch. It only takes 2 days for them to send or receive a package to the US and if it's under warranty they pay the shipping both ways. They have a couple service centers in the US as well

I would take a Schertler over the Fishman any day of the week. Nothing against the Fishman but the Schertler is in a different league

This is my exact experience, as I had someone accidently pour a drink into my Jam 400 mixer and their service department overnighted me a new mixer for it.
They also offered a quick turnaround if I couldn't handle the work. Nothing against Fishman, but they don't hang with Schertler. And I've owned two of their flagship amps.

[Rhythmdoctor]

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

This is my exact experience, as I had someone accidently pour a drink into my Jam 400 mixer and their service department overnighted me a new mixer for it.
They also offered a quick turnaround if I couldn't handle the work. Nothing against Fishman, but they don't hang with Schertler. And I've owned two of their flagship amps.

Thanks for the detailed replies! What about buying a used JAM 200? I found a used one for $850 and seriously considering it. Again, thanks. This has been a real help. I'd rather have high quality and spend a few bucks more.

[TNO]

I have the Jam 150 and the Loudbox Mini. That model Jam does have kinda boomy bass, thought they fixed it on the 200. The Mini has a great mid-focused sound. I found a used Artist cheap at GC and was disappointed to find the sound quality very cold and clinical-returned it.

Took advantage of the deals on the Boss Acoustic Singer and got it in yesterday but haven't used it yet. Hoping it will replace my other two amps.