Topic: amplifier for acoustic guitars

I own an acoustic electric guitar and know nothing about amplifiers. #1: what is the best and least affordable amps out there. #2: can these amps also be used for an electric guitar. #3: can I play my acoustic-electric on these amps and have the same kind of effects you can do with electric guitars, like make it almost sound like metal rock sound?

Re: amplifier for acoustic guitars

pick  up a behringer.  you can get one with 2 channel inputs.  one for guitar and one  for vocals.  each has its own effects processers.
check one out at musicianfriend.com
i picked one up for $179.00 with free shipping.
you will not be disappointed.
joe

Re: amplifier for acoustic guitars

Crate makes very good acoustic amps!  Their prices are also good.

Re: amplifier for acoustic guitars

#1: I like the Behringer.

#2: You can plug an acoustic-electric into an electric amp, but you are not going to get that full-bodied acoustic sound.  Electric amps are made to distort sounds. You can plug an electric into an acoustic-electric amp, but, you are going to have a cleaner sound some musicians don't prefer for an electric guitar.  If you want to see for yourself, go down to your local shop and plug an electric into an acoustic-electric amp or vice versa, you'll instantly notice the difference.

#3: it depends on what kind of amp you get, if you toggle the controls around enough, you can probably get the sound you're looking for, although acoustic-electric amps tend to have distortion knobs similar to electric amps.  The only difference is that it does not distort as much

reasoning: try this, finger a chord shape, any one, on an electric without plugging it into an amp. strum. Hard to hear isn't it? This is because the sound is meant to be pushed through different parts of the amp (becoming a bit distorted along the way) then pushed out into the air.
now, finger a chord shape on an acoustic, again with no amp. strum. louder isn't it? The acoustic guitar is made to amplify it's own sound without the help of an amp, thus the sound hole.

sorry to ramble, but my guitar teacher gave me a huge lecture on this and I'm happy to share it with someone tongue

anyways good luck, hope I helped!

If you spend your life judging people, how will you ever have time to love them ♥

5 (edited by bootleger 2007-05-31 01:08:58)

Re: amplifier for acoustic guitars

jojejubri wrote:

I own an acoustic electric guitar and know nothing about amplifiers. #1: what is the best and least affordable amps out there. #2: can these amps also be used for an electric guitar. #3: can I play my acoustic-electric on these amps and have the same kind of effects you can do with electric guitars, like make it almost sound like metal rock sound?

1# As mention in other reply Behringer's are a good bang for your buck amp. I have an ACX1200 60 watt.

2# Yes you can play an electric guitar through them.

3# You won't get the distorted metal sound that you are looking for because of the pickup construction. Typically acoustic pick ups are made to pick up sound from under the saddle or under the sound board of an acoustic guitar. They are not made with the magnets or the copper wiring as an electric pickup and are usually piezio type. Also if you play an acoustic loud through an amp they usually feed back because the pickups pick up extra sounds (like a microphone).

All #3 goes out the window if you have a hollowbody electric that usually has metal covered humbuckers. (although they still feed back).

Bootlegger.

6 (edited by cytania 2007-05-31 11:52:49)

Re: amplifier for acoustic guitars

#2: can these amps also be used for an electric guitar

Yes and No. Acoustic amps have a wider flatter tonal range, electric guitars will do them no harm but you won't get the raunchy dirty sound that an electric amp gives. Electric guitar amplifiers are primitive unrefined beasts with big heavy cones and electrics that boost the mid-range. The rock sound comes from the amp.

. #3: can I play my acoustic-electric on these amps and have the same kind of effects you can do with electric guitars, like make it almost sound like metal rock sound?

Yes and No. You can apply effects to the acoustic signal, commonly used ones are chorus and reverb which warm up your sound. You can also add rock distortion pedals and get a racket but this is not a good way to learn rock guitar. Acoustic guitars put out alot of treble transients. By the time you have spent money on lots of effects gear you could have bought a decent electric guitar and be getting the rock sound straight away.

Actually there's more to it. You can get decent blues and rock sounds from an electric practise amp but it takes twiddling. Virtual amps like Behringers Vamp2 and Line6's Pod2 give it to you on a plate. Plug in, put on headphones and jab the preselect of your choice. This makes for good practise, I jab 17C on my Vamp2 and I get 'Tele Twang', it's a clean honky tonk bar sound, I jab 15B and I get 'Breakin Blues' a useable distorted early Clapton sound, I jab 18C and holy moley!!! 'Westminster Abbey Rock' a huge, crazy, gargantuan stack that blows your socks off (and it's only on my phones, thank goodness).

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'