When the soundboard isn’t enough - choosing acoustic guitar amps
Acoustic guitars sound wonderful in a gigging situation, but to get the best out of them they need to be twinned to acoustic
guitar amps. Similarly, acoustic amps are essential to vocalists, who need an amplifier compatible with their voice.
Human vocals are very similar to acoustic guitars in terms of loudness and tone, so vocalists prefer acoustic guitar amps to those used with electric instruments. However, acoustic amps are all very similar in the way the sound is captured.
You will see the same acoustic amps and acoustic
PA systems being used for all sorts of acoustic instruments, from pianos to saxes - as well as guitars and the human voice. However, there’s generally a pay off. Acoustic amps suitable for amplifying grand pianos and other resonant instruments may well be unable to do justice to a 6 string Spanish guitar, or a jazz blues vocalist.
Why singers choose acoustic guitar amps - even if they don’t play guitar
The reason acoustic guitar amps are so suitable for vocalist use is because both singers and guitars use a similar set of ‘strings.’ Vocal chords are tightly ‘strung’ across a hollow sounding board (the throat) the way acoustic guitar strings are strung across a hollow body. The two also resonate in a similar way.
All this explains why vocalists - especially soft voiced vocalists - and acoustic guitars go together so well, and why the same acoustic amps are equally suitable for both.
Qualities to look for in acoustic guitar amps
The best acoustic guitar amps are those which pick up the sounds made by vibrating guitar strings or vocal chords and amplify them without distortion or loss of tone. Good quality amps make the sound large enough to hear, but that is all - they should not alter the pitch, tone or timbre in any way, unless you want them to.
Guitarists and vocalists alike will find some acoustic amps will suit their needs better than others. For example, musicians who do a lot of gigging in large rooms, or with louder instruments, will need to look at acoustic guitar amps powerful enough to pick up the sound and transmit it across a crowded room without distortion.
PA systems and acoustic guitar amps - what’s the difference?
Singers use PA’s, musicians use amplifiers, or so the joke goes. PA systems are just that - all-in-one systems combining acoustic amps with various other components.
The acoustic amps used in PA systems are called mixer acoustic amps. This means more than one instrument can be plugged in at once, levels can be adjusted, and special effects like reverb added.
The acoustic guitar amps purchased as single units generally have just two channels - for the instrument and microphone. These can be “tweaked” in all sorts of ways but, of course, can only be used by one musician.
Choosing acoustic amps can be a minefield. Here at Fret Music we can help you select the very best amp for you.
