Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Anybody use Fishman Acoustic Amps?


skilsaw

Recommended Posts

I have a great little Loudbox Mini. I have used it for guitar and vocals in small settings. It has great sound and can usually be had for about $250.

I am thinking there are a lot of similar offerings, and you can't go wrong with any of them really. Shop for the deal, and make sure they have a little reverb. I like that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Friday night a young lady with a Loudbox Mini for her AE came to the rescue when the house system decided it didn't like my Gretsch single pup archtop literally just minutes before my solo performance.

 

We plugged in the Loudbox and I messed a bit with volume and tone... and the house system designed for some 500 capacity theater adjusted the vocal mike and the combination was a fine solution to an "OMG!" moment. I joked at our situation and screwup for the crowd, got some laughs - and went on to do a cupla pieces through the little amp with no prior messing with it at all.

 

It's tiny, but no big deal.

 

I just was surprised that it brought out so much bass response - although the dials on it were set for a specific AE mid-size guitar and the Gretsch was something of a surprise to the amp settings. OTOH, although it ain't a bass amp, and I'd have set the amp settings differently had we had a chance to experiment.

 

Still, the little box was quite a pleasant surprise.

 

OTOH, I've had exceptional luck and good experiences with my little Kustom AE amp and its 10-inch speaker for both AE and electric guitar - at half the price and gadgetry.

 

I'd say mess with whatever, but either could do well enough in appropriate situations and venues. Consider those first.

 

m

Link to comment
Share on other sites

+1 for the loud box mini. Only drawback is no phantom power for your vocal mic if you need it. Standard Loudbox has it.

 

I have used mine in a larger group when the PA ran out of inputs. Plugged my guitar and a vocal mic in and played along with the PA boys.

 

Rich

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the Mini as well the Performer. I love them so much that I use them for my hollow body and semi hollow body electrics as well, but then I don't play at very loud volumes.

 

I use the performer a bit more than the mini, but they have both come in handy for any number of situations.

 

This last Christmas Eve my Priest offered up a mass in a barn. I brought the mini because I figured if was exposed to freezing temps as well as animal waste it would cost less to replace.

 

5UxZVw1.jpg

 

I plugged my guitar into one channel and a good mic into the other. We had close to a hundred people in a cavernous barn along with any number of farm animals and absolutely every word and note rang as true as if we were in a small room.

 

Since I also do most gigs partly on electric, and partly on the acoustic instrumentally, it's a breeze setting up one channel for each. The performer even has an optional A/B foot switch so that I can swap between acoustic and electric channels effortlessly.

 

I simply can't say enough about these. I love 'em, and they're worth every penny.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also have the Loudbox Mini and would wholeheartedly recommend it. It's a wonderful small acoustic amp with surprising sound quality. I agree with the comment above though... I wish it could provide phantom power.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll add just one point...

 

Frankly had somebody offered me the mini for $100-150 as used/perfect condition, without trying it or having my own "OMG" experience, I'd likely have said something along the lines of "thanks but no thanks."

 

It's quite surprising and worth a look -AND- tryout to see if it meets a given performer's needs.

 

With what I already have, I'm not planning to rush out and get one, but it's made me rethink some Fishman amplification equipment into a potential purchase at some point within the year.

 

m

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Loudbox Mini here...........Great for small venues and as an addition to a larger set-up. Found mine on sale with MF for way under list. It is lacking a headphone jack, but that is one feature I never use (not many plug in to listen with headphones!) There are models with more bells and whistles, and models that are smaller with less, and models that run on batteries(the mini does not)...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Skill...

 

The mini exceeded my expectations and is a fine little machine well worth the penny, but...

 

Seriously, match what it can do with what you need an amp to do... I think not doing that is a major error <grin> and one I've personally made too often.

 

Frankly one think I love about my "cheapie" Kustom, for example, is its versatility with the bigger speaker but most of all 'cuz I can plug in guitar of any sort and mike and run the thing together from "line out" into my computer to get a decent recorded mix. It's decent mike and guitar, or just guitar with vocal through a pa or just guitar plain or miked.

 

But ... I've a cheapie PA that does a solo gig much better, at least for what I do, two speakers, little powered mixer, even speaker stands that double its functional power... And I know guys making a living solo with a big powered speaker, perhaps with and perhaps not with a cheapie mixer.

 

So ... one might make a case that my little Kustom AE amp is kinda mediocre on all counts, but it fits the needs of a kinda mediocre picker better than other options I'd looked at regardless of price tag. Now, with lots of cash and even more room to put stuff, would this be my choice? I really dunno, 'cuz it does so well overall for anything I've done the past dozen years since I got it.

 

I think the mini works well for guitar in small gig situations but I've not heard it running a vocal through it or heard of anyone messing with recording with it somehow or or miking it for a big gig or in a hard rock situation miked or...

 

Just some thoughts to consider and believe me, no insult to a nice little piece of equipment. But I keep thinking about my quadrillion-watt tube amp I got for roughly because in its day, one could use it as a one-piece solution to mike and guitar. Swapped my Deluxe Reverb for it. Now it's an endtable in the house not because it quit working - I'm just not up for schlepping a 90-pound piece of equipment that can break windows at 50 yards when all I need is likely that little Kustom or ... just plugging into a board for plain straight-out playing. OTOH... If I hadda quit the day job tomorrow, I'd be looking hard at a Bose tower...

 

m

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I own the Loudbox 100, 100 watt. I got a great deal from a music store closing out. It was brand new in the box but several hundred less than one I had just seen at Tall Toad in Petaluma CA. Had it for several years and see now that the newer ones are 120 watts. Mine has two channels, balanced mic input. Outs for a board. Reverb is okay. Gives a realistic acoustic sound for my K&K passive pups and my Taylor factory pup nylon string. Also use it for a good jazz sound on my Epi Joe Pass. Now that there is a newer, bigger badder version the 100 watt can be had used fairly reasonably on eBay . Plenty of volume for a small club venue. Bigger than that you can plug it into the house board. B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...