Fender Acoustasonic Jr - Experiences?

[Treeline]

Looking at one of these... Anyone have any experience with this model?

Anybody tried out the Peavey Ecoustic EFX amps?

Acoustasonic Jr.

[Blue Bear Sound]

It's what amounts to a keyboard amp, with pots/controls geared towards guitars. It's got 2 drivers -- works well enough -- good sound.

[maestro_dmc]

I use one of these all the time.

This is a great little amp for coffee shop gigs, where you need a little PA, for just one mic and guitar with a pickup.

I just used ours for a memorial service just this afternoon. It easily covered the whole room, 60-75 people, and I didn't even have it turned up much.

I usually use it every week to play at church as a stage amp for just the acoustic guitar. I take a line out of the effects loop in back, into a Behringer direct box for the PA. I have an FX pedal patched into the Instrument insert in back, as well as the footswitch (I use the Chorus a lot.)

[Treeline]

Thanks for the replies!

I have a PA, but it can be a lot to schlep around (Mackie active cabs & board - it can take a pounding; we took it to redline at the jamfest). Sometimes I've used just one speaker at a little gig, and I've even used one speaker with a mic and no eq. But I've never gotten the guitar to sound just right without a couple of mics running on top of everything else. And when there is a full band going, I get outgunned pretty quickly with a big resonant guitar trying to run just through the PA. So I figured this would be a next logical step.

... along with a few more dynamic mics...


... and a snake...


... and, and, and...

[Fmmahoganyrush]

Ah...... the never ending quest for the pocket-P.A. Welcome to the club old man

[omtayslick]

Originally posted by Treeline
And when there is a full band going, I get outgunned pretty quickly with a big resonant guitar trying to run just through the PA.

I can relate to that. I use mine to help my Martin cut through a band mix of keyboard, drums, electric guitars, bass and 3-5 vocalists. It works well for this, and is probably one of the best sounding acoustic amps in this price range. Have also used it as a mini-PA a couple of times. Not stellar, but ok for this purpose if your expectations are realistic. (small room, coffeehouse, etc.)

Oh BTW, I did try one of the Peaveys a couple of years ago. Don't know if it was the model currently being offered. I thought the Fender sounded richer with almost no tweaking, but the Peavey had a lot more EQ options. But my local dealer quit stocking the Peavey, so when I went to buy the Fender was available.

[Treeline]

My dealer GuitarSam reopened his doors today after a catastrophic fire burned the place to the ground. As a matter of fact, he has the Acousasonic Jr. and the slightly smaller Peavey Ecoustic EFX in stock and I played with both over the lunch hour today, through a brand new Larivee.

Tomorrow I'm taking the Taylor and my Presonus AcoustiQ blender into the shop to listen to each unit. Believe it or not, I'm presently leaning slightly towards the Peavey, which surprised me. It's a pretty hot little box. But today I heard both only with an undersaddle transducer. Let's see what they can do with a blended B-band signal and a tube preamp... the Fender may show a set of cards I haven't seen yet.

I'm gettin' one of 'em... Just not sure which one.

[Treeline]

And the Fender wins!!

[omtayslick]

So what tipped the scales to the Fender?

[Treeline]

Four things:

1. I went in with my guitar and preamp and was knocked over by the Fender's sound.

2. Then I discovered the chorus.

3. The Peavey was already gone... and

4. He matched Musician's Friend pricing.


Actually, what really did it was that I could get a really, really good and accurate acoustic sound by using my preamp / blender. That's what I was hoping to get and its the first time I've gotten it without an external mic. The rest - reverb, chorus, second channel - I'll use 'em, but the real seller was the clean sound.

[maestro_dmc]

Congratulations fellow 'Coostasonik user, you made the right choice!