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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | I'm looking at a Trace TA50R Acoustic amplifier on ebay.
I've heard these really great little amps.
I need something small lightweight and line out capability. Reverb also.
I have considered a Roland AC60.
Thanks for your help. :) |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 1330
Location: ms | GO with the Roland. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 53
Location: Los Angeles | The Trace is the best there is for it's size. Nothing I have ever heard or played through compliments the sound of an Ovation better then a Trace Elliot. If you are using it to perform with and also singing through the amp,I would try to find the TA100R. It has more than enough power to cover a large church, large coffee house, or a very large outside food court or patio area. |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | So far one vote for each.
I've played a Roland AC60. Very nice for it's size.
I've looked at a Trace but never played thru one.
I like features on both amps. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | The Trace sounds great if you can find a quite one. A lot of them have a pretty consistent (although low) hiss. For me, that was really irritating in a quite setting so I got rid of mine.
I think the best is the original Fishman Acoustic Performer Pro......amazingly small and a huge sound. They cost around 1500 new but you can occassional find them on ebay for around $500 - 600.....and worth every penny! |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I have a Trace TA100R along with several Fender Acoustasonic Juniors. All have XLR outs and effects. The Trace has a better acoustic sound and is smaller to handle, but still weighs a lot. The Fenders have more volume and better effects. I posted a more detailed comparison/evaluation about a month or two ago. The Trace is much more difficult to find and will cost maybe 50% more on the used market. |
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Joined:
June 2004
Posts: 580
Location: NW NJ | Had a Trace TA100R and sold it a few years ago cause I really liked the sound of the Genz-Benz Shenandoah better. SCHWEEEEET amp! |
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Joined:
June 2004
Posts: 375
Location: Rocky River, Ohio | I love my Trace, but Stephen has a point. Mine is dead quiet, but I have heard an irritating hiss in more than one other model I've played.
I was in Columbus, OH a few weeks ago at the Guitar Center on Morse Rd. They had a USA made (Gibson) TA-50R, which looked like NOS for 299.00
I'm not sure what Gibson did to them (updates)when they were made in the states. You can clearly see on the back panel if it's a UK made (earlier) model or not.
The only amp that made me consider selling my Trace was recently I tried an AER Compact 60. Great sound.
As long as the TA50 is in working order, you should be ok, just don't overpay for it. |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 1330
Location: ms | Buy the Roland. |
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Joined:
August 2006
Posts: 34
Location: Chicago area | I have tried the Roland, and a Trace, and Fender and Ibanez, Fishman, and others.
I still feel Ultrasound is the most natural tone. Perhaps I am biased cuz I have one. I found mine on ebay too (mint cond with footswitch and tilt mech installed) for less then $200 below list. |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Mike--
Trace makes nice stuff, but I vote for the Roland. I have an AC60 and love it. It's got a lot of power for a small amp, and it sounds great. I run my old Balladeer with a Fishman Acoustic Matrix Natural pickup in it (no onboard EQ). On the Roland, I set the bass at 2 o'clock, the mid at 10 o'clock, and the treble at 1 o'clock, light chorus and reverb (both at @ 12:30 - 1 o'clock) and it sounds great. I have a CS 257 with an OP-30 preamp which sounds sweet through it as well. I zero out the amp EQs and EQ to taste with the onboard preamp on the guitar. The amp sounds so natural that I quit using effects boxes.
A really nice feature is the carrying bag with two nice-sized pockets. You can get just about everything you need except a mic stand in that bag and sling it over your shoulder, or carry it by the handle grip.
I've played everything from small rooms to medium sized halls with it, and it has done fine. No distortion, even at high volume. Stereo sounds great, and with the direct outs you can piggyback into a PA system if you need to play a really big hall or outside. And BEST of all, it only weighs 20 lbs. (Roland, my back thanks you!) I had a Peavey Ecoustic 112 before that, which was a great amp but weighed almost 4 times as much. The AC60 performs as well as, if not better than, the Peavey. I've had my AC60 a couple of years now, and they'll have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers! |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Just returned from gigging at an outdoor wedding with my Trace TA100R. At the last minute, the ministers wanted to run a second mic into channel 2, so I had the guitar on channel 1, the vocals mic in the XLR input on channel 2, and the speaking mic in the 1/4" input on channel 2. I then set the channel 1 gain at about mid volume, the channel 2 mics at about 3/4 volume, and the master gain also at about 3/4 volume. I kept the guitar at between 4 and 6, depending upon the number. Even at these substantial volumes, the Trace was dead quiet. No hiss whatsoever. Impressive. |
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Joined:
July 2002
Posts: 1900
| ..I always thought the roland jazz chorus amps were excellent for a/e guitars, I guess I'm behind the times these days...(old geezer.. :) ) |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | I'll end the suspense. Yesterday I bought a Roland AC 60. Floor model got a good deal.
I was not able to find a Trace I could try out and did not want to grab one on ebay.
The Roland has everything I wanted. I'll mainly be using it as a monitor at church and maybe take it to some nursing homes. It has enough power for those applications. While at the store I used a used Ovation they had. Sales guy tried to get me to use a Martin but I told him I would be playing Ovations with it. He just gave me that Dumb look I usually get when I use the "O" word. :confused:
BTW Steve: The jazz chorus is a good amp. |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Hmm..I was thinkin´about an ac 60 ,stereo is interesting o`course,but there`s also that carlsbro classic,mono but with 15" speaker and piezo tweeter cancel switch, weighs twice as much ,is bigger ,sittin`down I can easy reach the controlls ,open back could be a disadvantage,but it`s reverb tank is huge,real good, overhere it costs less than the ac60,I just can n`t make up my mind, :rolleyes: has anyone tried it live :confused: |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | The AC 60 can be mounted on a speaker stand to rise it up. I'm thinking of getting one for mine. |
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Trace Amplifiers
