An acoustic guitar amplifier is a device that can increase the amplitude of a signal it receives. Acoustic guitar amplifiers are essentially an electronic amplifier, its main purpose is to make the electric sound signals much louder. The mechanism produces the sound from the loudspeaker by modifying the pitch. There are four options available to you when shopping for an acoustic guitar amplifier. The four options are solid state, tube, hybrid and digital. The digital and hybrid guitar amplifiers are known to be much more technologically advanced. Each of the above mentioned amplifiers have their own individual advantages and usages.
Stages of an Acoustic Guitar Amplifier
There are two main stages that are associated with an acoustic amplifier. The two stages are pre amplifier stage and the power amplifier stage. During the pre amplifier stage the guitars signal and voltage are intensified. Other effects performed in the pre amplifier stage include chorus, re-verb, distortion and graphic equalizer control. The power amplifier stage is considered as the second stage in an acoustic guitar amplifier, this is responsible for providing sonic effects of the required degree.
Types of Acoustic Guitar Amplifier
The tube electric guitar amplifier is an extremely popular type of amp. This type of amplifier was the first of its kind and is still just as popular nowadays. Amongst the many advantages that are associated with this style of amplifier, is that they are extremely power efficient. At the same watts, the tube amplifier sounds much louder as compared to the other digital amplifiers, or any solid state amplifiers. Although this type of amp has many advantages, unfortunately they do tend to suffer from some negative traits as well. The main drawback is that a person needs to be extremely observant and careful while moving them around, this is because the glass tube can break very easily.
The solid state guitar amplifier is also a well known amplifier on the market. In these amplifiers the tubes are basically replaced by transistors. This makes them much sturdier as compared to that of the tube guitar amplifier; the drawback is that it also makes them sound harsher or distorted at a higher frequency level. It is worth mentioning that this type of acoustic guitar amp is much better for heavy usage as compared to other tube amplifiers.
The digital amplifier is also a type of acoustic guitar amplifier available to us. Digital amplifiers are programmed in such a way that they emanate a wide variety of amplified sound. This wide variety of amplified sound consists of riffs, distortions and other classic tube sounds. It is always recommended to get this type of acoustic guitar amplifier if one wants to be creative and try out different styles.
Lastly, there are Hybrid guitar amplifiers. There are also very popular these days. This particular type of amplifier combines technology that is used by solid state and tube technology into one machine in order to provide acoustic guitar amplification.
Things to Be Considered When Purchasing an Acoustic Guitar Amplifier
There are a few points that have to be considered when purchasing an acoustic guitar amplifier. The first and the foremost aspect that needs to be considered is the amount of volume you are going to ‘set in’, there are various watts available depending on your preferences. Another consideration is what sound inputs you are going to need. The most important point to consider is what venue you are going to be using the acoustic guitar amplifier in. There is a common trend among people to forget to take the size of an acoustic guitar amplifier into consideration. You may need to transport it easily from place to place or you may need to set it up in a small area. A bulky acoustic guitar amplifier can be extremely difficult to set up on a small sized stage.
Guitar Amp Configurations
There Are Two Different Configurations of the Guitar Amp. These are known as the combo amplifier and the standalone amplifier. The guitar combo amplifier includes a powerful amp plus one, two, or four speakers which are enclosed within a wooden structure. Many acoustic guitar combo amps offer effects and tone modeling in the signal path. They may also feature a foot pedal interface which allows you to change the guitar channels and effects.
The standalone amp is sometimes referred to as an amp head. This type of acoustic instrument amplifier does not have a speaker; instead the signal goes into a speaker cabinet, otherwise known as cab. There are a huge range of amps available, each varying in quality and features depending on how much money you have to spend. The higher quality acoustic amplifiers tend to provide features that the lower priced amps do not. High end amps tend to offer phantom power, this feature allows musicians to use condenser microphones.
Acoustic Guitar Amplifier and an Electric Guitar Amplifier
An acoustic guitar amplifier and an electric guitar amplifier are not the same thing. An acoustic guitar amplifier’s sole purpose is to make the sound louder without necessarily damaging the end output. Whereas, with the electric guitar amplifier there is a high possibility that the emitted sound will be distorted in nature. Electric guitar amps have a lower definition when compared to an acoustic guitar amp.
Popular Brands and Models of Amplifiers for Acoustic Guitars
There are many manufacturers of quality acoustic amplification products. Popular brand names include Roland, Fender and Fishman. Popular styles include the three-channel guitar amplifier and guitar combo amplifier.
Roland Jazz Chorus Guitar Amplifier
This is a series of solid-state instrument amplifiers. These are designed to be used with electric guitars. The amp gets its name from the built-in analog chorus effect that it achieves. The amp is known for the clean, crystalline sound and its versatility.
Fender Acoustasonic Junior
The Fender acoustasonic amp is part of a range of Fender musical instruments amplifiers. The acoustasonic is portable and easy to use, and has been specifically designed to amplify your acoustic electric guitar and makes a great acoustic guitar amplifier.