Guithartic Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 I just got a 2018 Gibson J-45 with the LR Baggs VTC pickup. I’m a bedroom guitar player with hopes of playing out at coffee shops, restaurants, etc. I have a few amps for my keyboard and electrics already, and I’m wondering if I need to invest in an acoustic amp, or if something I have would be feasible or maybe even better. Are any of these options just as good or better than getting an acoustic amp? 1.) Straight into a Fender FR-12 powered FRFR speaker. 2.) Straight into a QSC CP8 powered FRFR speaker (it has two inputs with individual volume knobs). 3.) Plug it into a UAFX Dream ‘65 or Lion ‘68 (amp/cab sim/modeler) and plug that into the Fender FR-12 or QSC CP8. 4.) Use an acoustic amp simulator pedal like the Boss AD-2 going into the FR-12 or QSC CP8. 5.) Boss Katana 50 MkII on the Acoustic mode. 6.) Roland KC-80 (has 3 inputs with separate volume knobs) that I use for my keyboard. Other ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 If you are looking for an acoustic amp with a view to playing out at some point, I absolutely recommend the AER Compact 60. I’ve owned so many amps over the years and the AER is so far ahead of everything else on the market. It’s great for guitar AND vocals-something that all other amps struggle with at meaningful levels-and the build quality is astonishingly good. I’ve had my C60 for several years and have used it at every show I’ve played since then. I play for a living and regularly do 3-6 shows a week, and it’s been in and out of cars, vans, buses, trains, plane holds etc etc and has never missed a beat. For small to medium sized shows I use it as my sole source of sound reinforcement (I’ve used it this way for everything from house gigs to 800 capacity rooms with a seated and quiet audience) and for theatre/arts centre shows I use it as my guitar monitor and DI. The DI in the Compact 60 is the best sounding and most clean DI I’ve come across, and regularly gets compliments from sound engineers who enjoy working with it. They’re not cheap, but it’s an amp that sounds stellar and will last forever. Super light and portable too. Cannot recommend AER highly enough! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 There are a lot of options in acoustic amps. If you are going to sing through it as well, I really like the Bose stuff. I piggy-back (line out) theS1-Pro along with an L1-Compact for live venues all the time. If it's large and/or outdoors, sometimes I'll line that out to a Carvin AG100D. Or a p.a. system. Or a 4:10 cab/xr600. My daughter has a Fender Rumble bass amp that sounds great with her Epiphone acoustic. However, it won't work for vocals. Try stuff and be creative. There are no rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cayine Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 On 3/5/2024 at 8:47 AM, Guithartic said: I just got a 2018 Gibson J-45 with the LR Baggs VTC pickup. I’m a bedroom guitar player with hopes of playing out at coffee shops, restaurants, etc. I have a few amps for my keyboard and electrics already, and I’m wondering if I need to invest in an acoustic amp, or if something I have would be feasible or maybe even better. Are any of these options just as good or better than getting an acoustic amp? 1.) Straight into a Fender FR-12 powered FRFR speaker. 2.) Straight into a QSC CP8 powered FRFR speaker (it has two inputs with individual volume knobs). 3.) Plug it into a UAFX Dream ‘65 or Lion ‘68 (amp/cab sim/modeler) and plug that into the Fender FR-12 or QSC CP8. 4.) Use an acoustic amp simulator pedal like the Boss AD-2 going into the FR-12 or QSC CP8. 5.) Boss Katana 50 MkII on the Acoustic mode. 6.) Roland KC-80 (has 3 inputs with separate volume knobs) that I use for my keyboard. Other ideas? Redmond Fence Company I picked up a J45 about a month and a half ago. Not super stoked on how the element sounds when plugged in. It sounds very unbalanced, emphasizing the high end and muffling/muting the low end, and just sounds a bit strident, totally kills the overall vibe of the guitar and sounds nothing like it sounds unplugged. I also discovered I have to alter my playing style, primarily my attack, otherwise it just sounds pretty horrible. My primary use for this guitar is singer/songwriter stuff, with the occasional band situation, but most of the time it's just me and the guitar. I'd hate to go ripping out the Element, especially since I just had a bone saddle made for it, and would have to have yet another saddle made for it if I pull out the UST, but it's worth it if I can get a more natural sound that responds better to my attack and style. I've always shy'd away from dual source because I like simplicity, but if it's a better choice I'm all ears. Is there a dual source that you can combine and balance each source onboard and just have a regular 1/4" out on the guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieDog Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 4 hours ago, cayine said: I picked up a J45 about a month and a half ago. Not super stoked on how the element sounds when plugged in. It sounds very unbalanced, emphasizing the high end and muffling/muting the low end, and just sounds a bit strident, totally kills the overall vibe of the guitar and sounds nothing like it sounds unplugged. I also discovered I have to alter my playing style, primarily my attack, otherwise it just sounds pretty horrible. My primary use for this guitar is singer/songwriter stuff, with the occasional band situation, but most of the time it's just me and the guitar. I'd hate to go ripping out the Element, especially since I just had a bone saddle made for it, and would have to have yet another saddle made for it if I pull out the UST, but it's worth it if I can get a more natural sound that responds better to my attack and style. I've always shy'd away from dual source because I like simplicity, but if it's a better choice I'm all ears. Is there a dual source that you can combine and balance each source onboard and just have a regular 1/4" out on the guitar? Does your pickup or amp not have any treble/bass controls? Is it just running dry into the box? That would likely be the problem. There are dedicated acoustic amps like the Loudbox Fishmanns that have controls for each channel. Or maybe cheaper, picking up a pre-amp to plug into to have these settings might help. the few times I’ve plugged in my J45 studio, I had to take down the treble and juice the bass a bit, I also added just a touch of reverb to get a more open/rounded sound. I thought that sounded pretty decent. I’m sure there are other way more qualified folks to chime in though. Probably pay attention to them first, chuckle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 On 3/5/2024 at 8:14 AM, Jinder said: If you are looking for an acoustic amp with a view to playing out at some point, I absolutely recommend the AER Compact 60. I’ve owned so many amps over the years and the AER is so far ahead of everything else on the market. It’s great for guitar AND vocals-something that all other amps struggle with at meaningful levels-and the build quality is astonishingly good. I’ve had my C60 for several years and have used it at every show I’ve played since then. I play for a living and regularly do 3-6 shows a week, and it’s been in and out of cars, vans, buses, trains, plane holds etc etc and has never missed a beat. For small to medium sized shows I use it as my sole source of sound reinforcement (I’ve used it this way for everything from house gigs to 800 capacity rooms with a seated and quiet audience) and for theatre/arts centre shows I use it as my guitar monitor and DI. The DI in the Compact 60 is the best sounding and most clean DI I’ve come across, and regularly gets compliments from sound engineers who enjoy working with it. They’re not cheap, but it’s an amp that sounds stellar and will last forever. Super light and portable too. Cannot recommend AER highly enough! Second everything Jinder mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 On 3/9/2024 at 4:28 AM, cayine said: Not super stoked on how the element sounds when plugged in..... and sounds nothing like it sounds unplugged. I mic mine with an SM57. Someday I'll get an ETL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 1 hour ago, Murph said: Someday I'll get an ETL. Indeed. In my experience an ETL mic is a perfect choice.......one input for voice and guitar with absolutely true reproduction. Of course feedback can be an issue in some circumstances but can be overcome in a various ways. Solo performers (or acoustic duos and trios) rarely require massive volume or monitors to be heard in small to medium venues. If your voice and guitar tone are up to snuff, extensive outboard EQ is not necessary (perhaps a notch filter or parametric EQ).......an ETL mic reproduces exactly what it hears. A muting footswitch is handy to kill the mic while tuning and during breaks. Just an unbeatable mic for studio and live performance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docr Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Just for classification purposes. I'm a hobby musician who plays a few gigs a year with various bands and takes part in jam sessions and open mic events. The longer I spend on the subject of amplifying acoustic guitars and the more equipment I try out, such as preamp pedals, DI boxes or special acoustic guitar pedals, the more I tend to use a microphone. Of course, that doesn't always work, but I agree with Murph and Buc. My impression is that even relatively inexpensive microphones such as an SM57 or large condenser microphones bring the real guitar sound across much more realistically than pickups with the limitations of feedback risk, limited freedom of movement and problems in a louder band. Murph - I also had the experience you describe with a Fender Rumble bass amp when experimenting with a Boss OC-3 octaver in the "Poly" setting on the acoustic guitar to generate a "bass simulation" with the lower strings. The guitar doesn't even sound that bad with it - just like a piezo pickup can sound. But as you write - be creative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gibsonchiq Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 what about the gibson falcon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorristownSal Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 I have a Martin with a Baggs Element VTC, and I play it through a Fishman ToneDEQ into Bose S1. I think it sounds great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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