My small amp collection: A Roland Stereo MobileCube (my main practice amp - has a separate Mic input channel, Aux In for an Ipod / MP3 / CD player, Distortion, Overdrive, Delay and Reverb settings on the Guitar / Keyboard channel, and dual stereo speakers); a CAO cigar box LM386 solidstate, 9V or wall wart amp, 4" speaker with Volume, Overdrive, and Line Out made custom to my specs by Joel Grey of GreyAmps, Chicago; a ZT Lunchbox 200-watt solidstate with 6" speaker, which, combined with my Digitech GNX-1 floor processor, is now my main stage rig; a Fender Champ 600 re-issue, modded with a new Jensen Mod speaker and new cap and resistors for 50% more volume; and the quintessential solidstate Pignose 7-100 (still under 100$, just like in the Seventies!). Unseen are my Digitech GNX-1 floor processor, Crate V-16 16-watt tube amp, and my beatup 1994 Crate GM20 solidstate amp. The wall is tromp-l'oeil 3D limestone fossil blocks hand-painted by yours truly.
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Mafi mushkela. I may have to do some recording of these amps with various guitars during Ramadan, and post them so people can hear 'em. I go on repat to the States in 5 days, and get back 3 weeks before my fam, so I'll have some time. when I'm not trying to finish Builds 1 and 2. Maybe I'll wait 'till those are done, then do 'em all at once.
Hmmmm. I actually have an Ovation 12 with an on-board pre...Lemme see:
The CAO is just too tiny / tinny for an acoustic 12, even adjusting the on-board EQ.
The Pignose is workable, but you basically have to dial back the Treble frequencies, leave the Mids flat, and boost the Bass.
The Fender works pretty well, the ZT Lunchbox probably colors the sound of the guitar the least of all of them, and the Roland sounds great by boosting the Bass, and adding a touch of on-board Delay and Reverb.
It would depend on the situation. The advantage of the Roland is that it has a separate Mic input channel, so you can actually sing and play through it at the same time. My daughter and I did just this at her 5th grade Talent Show a couple years ago. I played my 12 through it while she sang through it at the same time in a gym with 1000 people - and it was loud enough (just barely) when I turned both channels about 3/4 of the way up!
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Mafi mushkela. I may have to do some recording of these amps with various guitars during Ramadan, and post them so people can hear 'em. I go on repat to the States in 5 days, and get back 3 weeks before my fam, so I'll have some time. when I'm not trying to finish Builds 1 and 2. Maybe I'll wait 'till those are done, then do 'em all at once.
The CAO is just too tiny / tinny for an acoustic 12, even adjusting the on-board EQ.
The Pignose is workable, but you basically have to dial back the Treble frequencies, leave the Mids flat, and boost the Bass.
The Fender works pretty well, the ZT Lunchbox probably colors the sound of the guitar the least of all of them, and the Roland sounds great by boosting the Bass, and adding a touch of on-board Delay and Reverb.
It would depend on the situation. The advantage of the Roland is that it has a separate Mic input channel, so you can actually sing and play through it at the same time. My daughter and I did just this at her 5th grade Talent Show a couple years ago. I played my 12 through it while she sang through it at the same time in a gym with 1000 people - and it was loud enough (just barely) when I turned both channels about 3/4 of the way up!