I need info about Battery Powered amp for Hawaiian Steel

Duane Becker · From: Elk,Wa 99009 USA

I am looking for a battery powered amp to use whenever I have a small gig featuring Hawaiian music. I play a Fender Console 1954 double neck. Anyone have any suggestions on the best amp to get? It can't be too small-as I've blown other small amps running steel through them. I thought I heard Alan Akaka talking about one in the past but can't remember the one he recommended. I've sent a Facebook message to him, but with the volume of messages he receives, it may take a while for a response. I thought I'd try the forum.

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

https://www.gearank.com/guides/battery-powered-guitar-amps#69900
Get the Fender one.
Ricky
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · From: Quebec, Canada

Alan use a Yamaha THR30II. I have one and love mine. I love it better than my Roland micro cube.

Duane Becker · From: Elk,Wa 99009 USA

Thanks Ricky and Jean, I appreciate it!

Glenn Wilde · From: California, USA

Roland makes a bigger one called a Street Cube, also there is a bigger Pignose with a rechargeable battery.

Joe Burke · From: Toronto, Canada

I like my Roland Mobile Cube. Bobby Ingano uses one, and even takes it on stage and mic’s it when he’s playing Taj Mahal.

https://www.roland.com/ca/products/mobile_cube/

Rick Aiello · From: Berryville, VA USA

Bobby Ingano uses a Roland Mobile Cube 😎

Tim Toberer · From: Nebraska, USA

I have been looking at these too. The Pignose Hog 30 has an 8" speaker. The tiny speakers in the other models make me nervous, I am sure they sound good, but I like 8" speakers.

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

I have a gaggle of Rolands -- Micro Cubes, Mobile Cubes, and a Cube Street. My favorite is the Mobile Cube, but it's not gonna compete with 100-watt tube amps, 200-watt solid-state amps, electric bass, drums, etc.

Duane Becker · From: Elk,Wa 99009 USA

Thanks for all the comments everyone. This sure helps. I have been attending a Hawaiian culture and music group in Spokane, Washington called the Pacific Islanders Association. Basically a 40 to 50 member group that meets every other month for a potluck and fellowship (talk story as they call it) and music. Most of the folks are really accomplished musicians. Mainly uke's, guitars and percussion instruments, but they play acoustic style, sitting around in a half circle. No real show, no mics or pa-just sit and play traditional Hawaiian music.
I've been taking my steel, with small Backstage Peavey amp. But sometimes the musicians move around from place to place within the building, and its hard to plug my amp in without someone tripping on the power cord/extension cord. Which is the reason why I want to get a battery powered amp. I also play other Hawaiian jams in parks-outdoor summer settings so I need an battery amp that would be powerful enough to cut through the ambient noise and the instruments. I don't have the option of a PA to mic an amp.
So I wonder if the small battery powered 30 watt stuff would work. I really liked the 100 watt Fender Acoustic Junior Go amp that Ricky mentioned above. I'd never use that much power with a Hawaiian gig, but the power is there if I need it. I'll look further into this first.

I've also considered taking my dobro as well, but I like the old 50s-60's electric steel sounds in Hawaiian music better than acoustic steel.

Samuel Phillippe · From: Douglas Michigan, USA

I use a Roland Street Cube, on battery poaer, every week end for all my guitars.....spealers are a little small for psg tone but are acceptable for small gigs

Sam

Duane Becker · From: Elk,Wa 99009 USA

I thought I'd mention that I did hear back from Alan Akaka about this battery power amp search that I'm on and he mentioned that he..."prefers the Yamaha THR models and the Roland Cube series." also that he mics the amp through a pa. Which in my case, may not work as my gigs are really jams, not concert settings and don't have pa gear.

Nic Neufeld · From: Kansas City, Missouri

I was just talking with Alan about this last night. He mentioned Bobby I using the Roland...he has a 7 string, high G C13 so his lowest string is a Bb, and he says its voiced perfectly for that, for him. Alan (like me) plays 8 string most often, with a deeper bass string usually...the Yamaha THR has the edge, for that, I think...really nice full, smooth sound. The only trick...my version, a THR10II, at least, is not battery powered. I'm not sure if there is one that is? But it's very, very portable and sounds great with Hawaiian steel.

Yeah, just caveat emptor...I think the first batch of THR10 models had a battery slot...the normal v2 model (THR10II) does not, but the THR10 Wireless and the THR30 have a built in rechargeable battery. I'm really happy with the tone and portability though!

I'm sure the various Rolands are great too. I'll tell you, you don't see these guys hauling Twin Reverbs around to gigs anymore it seems! Probably good for their backs Smile

Oh and yeah, Alan does mic his THR. Typically this is for playing on stage, where everyone else is mic'ed up or direct injected into the PA, too...the amp can get modestly loud, if the other folks are playing acoustic eg uke and slack key, it should be able to keep up. There's also the THR30 (which has battery power) that has more wattage if you really needed it.

That Kanikapila gathering sounds like a lot of fun! There's a Hawaiian civic club in my city that I visit, not nearly that well attended and not too many musicians...and the only ones that tend to know the old songs I know are the 80 year old aunties! Smile

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Brad Richard · From: Chisago City, Minnesota

I picked up Roland Cube Street EX for live work and love it. It's not just an amp, but a system. Great sound and power. CAVEAT: I haven't used it with batteries, but knowing I can is nice. Great Roland reverb and chorus. I do mostly one-man shows.

Steve Lipsey · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

Well, I thought this through, and already having a number of amps, I decided that I liked the big amp sound and power, and just got a power supply so I can play any of them.
Lunchbox size Jackery 240 only uses about 10% of its power per hour...I can power other folks at the jam also...
Probably would be fine with the next lower supply.

And it is nice to have a power supply with a variety of outputs for beach, emergency power, etc.

So I have no compromise at all...
https://www.amazon.com/Jackery-Portable-Power-Station-Generator/dp/B07D29QNMJ/ref=asc_df_B07D29QNMJ/

I mostly use it with my ZT Lunchbox, a 100 watt amp...the amp and supply fit in a small backpack together...I got the AC-powered lunchbox version 1 used pretty cheap a while ago, makes a nice amp for band practice and many gigs (Nels Cline of Wilco seems to love them),...tone works well for lap steel and dobro...
something like this one, look around for a deal... (Reverb, EBay, etc.) https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/ZT/LBG2-Lunchbox-Guitar-Amp-Guitar-Combo-Amp-118253294.gc
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Duane Becker · From: Elk,Wa 99009 USA

Steve, thanks for those links. Really interested in the Jackery Portable Power Station.

Miles Lang · From: Venturaloha

Do you think that Jackery can power a smallish tube amp?
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Raybob Bowman · From: S. Lake Tahoe, CA, USA

Tony Oresteen · From: Georgia, USA

Consider using a "FLY" rig.

If there is a PA with a free channel at you gigs, you could use a Line 6 Pocket Pod (or others) and a small direct box - basically playing direct into the PA. Just bring a long XLR cable to plug into the PA. I did this for a deployment to IRAQ where I played electric guitar in a church Praise group. There was a monitor nearby so hearing myself was not an issue.

Your steel guitar should sound fine and with the Line 6 PODs you can tweak a custom setting to your liking.

I have a small corner "studio" in my condo and I use the Pocket POD to record to my DAW.
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