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March 2008
Posts: 22
Location: Pennsylvania | Was bored so went to the guitar shop here that has tons of guitars (they're anti ovation btw).
Tried a dozen different acoustic amps there.
Was horrified by those smaller crate amps. The fender 500 dollar job sounded ok.
The only decent one I would have actually taken home that they had was the California Blonde.
I still have you in mind Al. I was just looking!
Now was it me being picky or does anyone else have this experience? They had a York something amp, it was ok I guess. The Strawberry Blonde just didn't match the California Blonde, but if you didn't have the Cali to compare right there the Strawberry was ok.
Or could the 38 cent cord they let you use at those places have been a factor in the general problem?
Is the Genz Benz Shen jr comparable to the California Blonde? |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Originally posted by alleghenymountains:
Is the Genz Benz Shen jr comparable to the California Blonde? I think the GB sounds better (more natural)and I have played them side by side. |
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March 2008
Posts: 22
Location: Pennsylvania | cool, I'd love to try a genz benz. of course I didn't even mention fishmen/fishman (sorry, so much in life to remember I can't remember everything :) forgive my inadequate spellings hehehehe).
My friend has a 12 inch custom speaker/speaker cabinet he said I could have, catch is he lives outside of Atlanta. He's coming up for his sister's wedding next month, but I think he wants me to visit.
I don't even know where to begin with that set up. Gas, head for the speaker, gadgets to plug into, it could end up costing more in the long run.
Although a sort of clean/pa set up? |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I know the Cali blonde seems to be the "staple" of many acoustic guitar players, but I think they are too noisy and color the sound too much.
If you really want to give an Acoustic amp a test, put it on the other side of the room with a decent cord. Set the volume for a comfortable listening level with the volume on the guitar about 1/2-3/4 so it's not "touchy". NO REVERB NO EFFECTS OF ANY KIND.
Now for the test, sit and strum chords with the volume all the way DOWN. Just listen to the guitar. When your ears start hearing the subtle things in your strumming... strum a chord and bring up the pre-amp volume. Turn it down and repeat. DO it several times, different chords all over the scale. If when you bring up the volume it sounds like the same guitar, just from "over there" you probably got yourself a decent amp.
In many cases (like with the Cali Blonde) you'll get the "wow that sounds nice" reaction, but it won't sound like the guitar you are playing. It will sound like "another" guitar over there.
JMHO |
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November 2004
Posts: 4413
| Excellent advice. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | turn on the swr
do NOT put in a cable
turn up the vol
what do you hear?
turn on the genz
do not plug in a cable
turn up the vol
what do you hear?
case closed |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | That's the way to do it (both of the foregoing) once without input and then with. |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | For the price new, I don't believe you can lose with a Genz Shen Jr. These units have all the features of more expensive models and sound good. They have sufficient power to drive everybody in the house and your neighbors absolutely nuts. If money is not a deterrent, another large bill will allow you to step up to a new Genz 60, used Roland AC60 or used Fender Accoustasonic Jr/DSP. There may be others in this mid-grade group as well. Although more powerful, IMHO they don't provide all that more useable value for the money. I'm using a Genz Acoustic Pro now for practicing and it truly is a professional level amp. However, for whatever reason, there seems to be a tendancy to buy way more amp than is necessary. I'm terribly guilty of this myself. Unless you are an equipment freak like some of us, think small. Also, if you have to haul your equipment around between gigs, you'll appreciate the real value of a smaller amp like the AAD Cub (yet another excellent tip from Temp). |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 22
Location: Pennsylvania | Originally posted by alpep:
turn on the swr
do NOT put in a cable
turn up the vol
what do you hear?
turn on the genz
do not plug in a cable
turn up the vol
what do you hear?
case closed I haven't tried the Genz Benz, but I know what you are talking about. Good advice. |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 22
Location: Pennsylvania | Thank you all. Al, gotcha on your tip. Mind everyone I don't really need something as powerful as that Cali Blonde and it's just the best amp they had on hand. I don't really want to pay 800 for an amp either.
Good point Mr. O. Good points all. Thank you very much. That little Strawberry Blonde amp, for 500 dollars didn't impress me at all.
I usually just look and look casually until something really catches my eye.
No hiss, no tin, and as long as it sounds like "my guitar" plugged in, that would be a great amp combo.
One guy came in, plugged in a martin mexi acoustic/electric, played it through the 400 dollar fender and i was standing across the room and thought, not bad for what he wants, as we had been shootin' the breeze.
Haha, I'm just going to have to a long cord or take someone with me that can play. When checking out guitars to buy I have someone else play a guitar I'm looking at for me so I can hear it from the other side. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | and just so ya know....Mr Big might still have some of the GB's at incredible prices.
You should give him a call. |
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October 2005
Posts: 4081
Location: Utah | If you didn't get to try the 60 watt Crate, check it out with your Ovation. It sounds better to me than the lower wattage versions. We test drove a number of amps with my daughter's Elite T and found the "Gunnison" Crate 60 to sound best. The Fender Acoustisonic was similar and also good, but seemed more prone to feedback when pushed. We thought the Crate sounded better than the Roland. We did not try a Genz Benz, which everyone raves about. |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 22
Location: Pennsylvania | Originally posted by stephent28:
and just so ya know....Mr Big might still have some of the GB's at incredible prices.
You should give him a call. Cool, I will, but who is Mr. Big? |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Originally posted by alleghenymountains:
Cool, I will, but who is Mr. Big? Che-Pep, also known as Al Pepiak, our fearless leader and owner of Lost Art Vintage. Call him. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | I started with a small Crate (ok) and a Fishman Loudbox 100 (very nice). But if you gig regularly and want consistent excellence from room to room, I suggest you check out the Bose Personal Amplification System called "L1" and "L2": It is heads and shoulders above the rest and quite portable. Some OFCers will back me up on this (Like Paul T and Lanaki). |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 22
Location: Pennsylvania | Originally posted by g8r:
Originally posted by alleghenymountains:
Cool, I will, but who is Mr. Big? Che-Pep, also known as Al Pepiak, our fearless leader and owner of Lost Art Vintage. Call him. |
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A buffet of amplifiers and the Ovation tonight