Any amplifier recommendations?

Everyone has their own favourite. Usually the one they own. All the ones suggested above are good, it's a matter of finding a shop with a wide selection and trying some out.

Hms said:

As previously stated get an accoustic amp, not a guitar or practice amp.
H

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I've come across this argument before and I don't really agree with it. It's a matter of what you want to do with your amp.

If you want to modify the sound of your uke using effects, then a guitar amp is a good choice as they are designed for that and without doubt it's great fun.

If you want a good clean sound, then an acoustic amp is the way to go. Given that you can get pretty decent amps for fairly modest sums of money, there's no reason why you can't have both.

I have a Vox mini5 which is a great little amp and has a good range of built in effects and is good for varying the sound.

I also have a Samson Expedition XP106. It's a reasonably powerful acoustic amp with a built in rechargeable battery and a good claimed battery life between charges. In some ways it's pretty basic. all the inputs have their own volume control but there's no effects, not even EQ but the tone is good and I use an acoustic preamp which has basic tone controls to the line in socket for my uke or just use a single condenser mic with an acoustic uke to pick up both voice and uke. It's spot on for a small venue such as a village or church hall.

I just bought a Fender Acoustic SFX a bit more than the budget here but a very interesting amp with a Uke

Bill1 said:

You should pay attention to the type of pick up you are using, eg coil or piezo, because you need to make sure it will drive your new amp.
I just looked at the local classifieds under guitar amps and effects. In the relatively small and isolated city of Perth there are 270 items listed for sale. As I said before, check the classifieds before you pay full retail for an amp or effect, there is always a lot of stuff in good condition available at a low price.

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Yeah......where I live there are 4 listed!

But your point is well made, I will certainly look at the used market - it just might be a little further afield!

Thanks everyone for the great advice.

Powerwerks/Kustom PW series 50, 100, 150. Line in, phantom power, some have battery and effects. Can use dynamic mics or condenser mics. can use 2 line and 2 xlr inputs at the same time. Can daisy chain together multiples. Sound good versatile and inexpensive 99-300

https://www.kustom.com/index.php/pa-systems.html?cat=54

There is a thread here about the pw50

Camsuke said:

I have used one of these Yamaha THR 5A amps for the last couple of years. They are an acoustic amp with many nice features and will not break the bank.

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When I purchased my Amp I had the same requirements as you stated. I really didn't want to spend too much, just wanted to mess around at home and maybe on location somewhere. A amp that was specifically designed for acoustic instruments was top priority. The ability to also operate on batteries was a 'nice to have'. I ended up with the Yamaha THR5A also. Instead of various amp modeling choices it gives you different microphone emulation. I really like this feature. I don't tend to go crazy on the EFX as I just want to slightly sweeten the natural sound of my Ukes. BTW, I have MiSI PU's in most of my Ukes. Even with the depreciation of the Oz and NZ$ yoiu should be able to get a new one for under $300, less if second hand.

vcs700s said:

I have the Mini. I highly recommend it.

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me too,I love the fishman, got mine for abut $260 new. but the Kustom pa-50 I bought new off Musiciand friend only cost $99 shipped, 3 channels and 50 clean watts. If you don't need any effects like the mini [chorus/reverb] it sounds great. a litttle light on the bass, but ukes don't have much anyway.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/kustom-pa-pa50-personal-pa-system?rNtt=kustom pa&index=3

Kiwiohana said:

Can someone with a Fishman let me know what the power input is like? Is it switchable between voltages? What format is the socket on the back (if indeed it has a socket)

We have 240V AC power down here, and I am trying to work out if I bought one offshore and shipped it, whether I could switch over from 110V and use a new cord or an adapter.

I haven't managed to see any pictures of the back anywhere, or find anything in the specs about the power requirements.

Ta!

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I have a Fishman and absolutely love it. I'd contact Fishman ... I had an issue once and their customer service is awesome. They'll give you the answer you need.

According to the Q&A on Amazon, it looks like the North American sourced Fishman Mini's are only 100-120V.

As I see them advertised locally I guess only the 'export model' is set for 240V.

Kiwiohana said:

Can someone with a Fishman let me know what the power input is like? Is it switchable between voltages? What format is the socket on the back (if indeed it has a socket)

We have 240V AC power down here, and I am trying to work out if I bought one offshore and shipped it, whether I could switch over from 110V and use a new cord or an adapter.

I haven't managed to see any pictures of the back anywhere, or find anything in the specs about the power requirements.

Ta!

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I have a fishman loudbox mini.....great amp!!!

I bought a PA system not an amp and it sounds amazing it's the Fishman SA-250 it's a single unit like Bose so it's easy to transport and set up....2 minutes....beats an amp any day and has 2 instrument and 2 mic inputs plus inputs on back for laptop or iPad etc