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Topic: Acoustic amps |
Chase Brady
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 1 Apr 2014 1:59 pm |
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I have a Fender Acoustisonic 30 amp. My lap steel actually sounds pretty good through it. If I start using it professionally, I may invest in something more appropriate, but right now I just want to sit in on a local blues jam. I found some discussion about the use of acoustic amps, but couldn't find much on their tolerance for electric sounds. I read somewhere that distortion can fry the tweeters in acoustic amps. According to the specs, the Acoustisonic has a piezo horn. Does anyone know whether overdriven lap steel at bar room jam sound levels would be likely to do it in? Thanks.
--Chase Brady
pages.suddenlink.net/chasebradymusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGB22R_hYOXh55h_zfazCPQ |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 1 Apr 2014 2:15 pm
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Check with the jam folks - they often would rather not have people swapping amps in and out takes too long, they just back line a few amps and people plug into them when they take a turn...
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 1 Apr 2014 2:16 pm
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I would not overdrive a piezo tweeter. They are not designed for that - the long duty-cycle of prolonged square waves could easily overheat it. In my experience, the first thing to go on a typical cheap PA speaker is usually the piezo tweeter, if present.
In general, I would not overdrive an acoustic guitar amp or PA system. They are designed for clean reproduction, and to my tastes sound bad overdriven. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 5 Apr 2014 5:36 am
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Simply unhook the tweeter. It's useless for a solid-body instrument, and it won't affect the operation of the amp at all. Then, if you ever decide to sell it, you can make it "original" again.  |
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Chase Brady
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 5 Apr 2014 5:59 am
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The problem with disconnecting the tweeter is that I use it regularly for acoustic instruments. I'd need to put in a switch. (Hey, that's a thought)
I've discovered a couple of amps that are designed to do both acoustic and electric. One is the Peavey Vypyr VIP series. I asked about this one in another thread, but apparently no one is familiar with it. The other is a Fender Acoustasonic 100 or 150. I may end up getting one of these, because it also has a vocal channel, which would really make it all purpose. Only thing is -- the reviews are mixed. Some people love them, some took them back immediately. Some say they have plenty of power, some say they are weak and noisy. Some of the complaints are from electric guitarists who can't abide anything solid state. There's one at a local shop, so I guess I'll take a few instruments down there and check it out.
A third option is the Rivera Sedona, but only if I win the lottery tonight.
--Chase |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 5 Apr 2014 7:35 am
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| The new modeling amps that are out there today that a lot of musicians are using now , run thru FULL RANGE speakers that include tweeters ...... There are not many using Piezo's , so the piezo may be another story , but higher powered tweeters are all part of a full range system and can be used for any type of sound material that is fed to them with proper padding , and proper crossovers .... JIm |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 5 Apr 2014 7:56 am
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The Acoustasonic 30 has woofers and a tweeter... the speakers are not 'full range'. I've taken mine apart and found that the tweeter is only connected to one half of the stereo setup... the effects are stereo but the guitar sound is mono, so I guess this is OK.
The reason I took mine apart was that the tweeter quit sounding good... it still works, but not at a very good level. I'm going to replace it with a better tweeter anyway... probably with a proper crossover and L-pad for adjustment. Piezo tweeters are pitiful and are the mark of a cheap speaker.
_________________
New FB Page: Lap Steel Licks And Stuff: https://www.facebook.com/groups/195394851800329 |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 5 Apr 2014 9:05 am
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Stephen,
I do the same thing with Piezo's ....They are the first thing to come out of ANY amp that I have that has them installed ...... Why trust a good portion of your sound to a $10 tweeter ? ...... My worst sounds deserve more than that !!....Jim |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 5 Apr 2014 9:31 am
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Very good, James... those that know, know that piezo's are crap.
I just did the experiment... I had an old bullet tweeter and crossover/LPad from an aborted attempt to rehabilitate a PV copy 12" floor monitor decades ago. The signal coming from the tweeter wire was too low so I patched the crossover into one side of the main speakers... talk about *treble*, it's icepick with it all the way up now. Unfortunately the bullet tweeter is way to big to hack into the AS30DSP cabinet... so I'll probably wrap it back up and sell it. My experience inside the amp didn't bring a lot of confidence... lots of flimsy boards and spade connectors in there! My Roland Cube 40XL sounds better anyway.
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New FB Page: Lap Steel Licks And Stuff: https://www.facebook.com/groups/195394851800329 |
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