Amps????

mendel

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First of all- Merry Christma to all.

Second- I installed a pickup all by myself! Checked ona friends amp today and it works! I had to do some adjusting of the transducer which onvolved stringing and unstringing as well as some more sanding of te saddle. Regardless, it works an i am very proud and pleased.

That said, I find myself in the market for an amp. I have never played another instiment which required an amp so I am not "in the know" about them. I've heard a lot about the Roland micro Cube as well as a Voc something or other. As always, I look to the UU for guidance and suggetions. This is not for playing shows. It is just for around the house/ classroom because I am a teacher. Please let me know what you think will best suit my needs. Thank you all for your advice.
 
Forgive my ignorance. I don't know the difference. It was a Mi-Si Acoustic Trio. An under saddle transducer.
 
A Mi-Si would be an active pickup, as it takes some form of electrical power (in this case, needs recharging).

The Roland Microcube is a very popular choice, because its a small amp packed with features, and can actually be pretty loud for its size.
It's the one amp, but the modules on it enable it to act as though it's 7 amps in one, with plenty of built-in effects. Quite easy to use, portable and can even run on batteries too if you feel like taking it outside or somewhere without electricity.

They're as sturdy as amps get, affordable and a very good companion for the electrified ukulele.




If you don't want the plethora of features, and just want something to play a natural sounding acoustic tone, then it may be better to get an acoustic amp though.
Roland has some good acoustic amps too.
 
I've got a Roland Micro Cube and love it, it's a great little amp for the money. I found mine used and got a great buy on it, but even the regular price is a bargain. I just bought one of the $20 Rogues from Musicians Friend for my sons birthday tomorrow and I'll let you know how it works out. I also hava a Danelectro Honeytone that is great to clip on a belt and wander around with.
 
This question comes up a lot, and I always respond the same way.

Micro amps do nothing more than create a bit more volume, but to my ears are limited and thin sounding. If you really want to amplify properly with a view to performing in a coffee shop type scenario, invest in a full amp with a good acoustic stage. There are many about, but my money goes to the Marshall As 50 series. Beautiful sounding acoustic amp with seperate stage for a vocal input,
 
As always, have to decide what you mostly want to do with the amp. As long as it has a jack, can always practice in private without disturbing others. Will you "need" a battery powered amp? How much volume? In "general" acoustic amps usually needed when the instrument is producing very good acoustic sound that you want to accurately reproduce.
 
I agree with bazmaz.

Although I don;t have the AS50D, my teenage son and I own, between us, about 5 amps: Marshalls, a Rowland, and Fender DeLuxe Tube Amp.

I have found small and cheap amps to be, well, small and cheap. Not good for home. Certainly, not good for classrooms. PLus, the resale value of Marshalls (on eBay, Craigslist, etc.) is stellar. A cheap Roland Cube, etc., and the buyers will say, "Its so inexpensive, I'll just buy one new under warranty." So, hard to sell when want to trade up.

I see this video for the Marshall AS50D, and must honestly say, it looks lovely. And the ability to power an XLR mic, which none of my amps have but the Marshall AS50D does have, is a wonderful and lovely feature (even in front of the classroom). While still portable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIqmxgVSSDY

And here it is with superb reviews on Muscians Friends. MF almost always have codes and sales, for 10-20% off the price you see here, no sales tax and free shipping, so it's quite a deal when you get down to it.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guit...2x8-acoustic-guitar-combo-amp?source=3WWRWXGB
 
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We have the SWR California Blonde and it is sweet. It will run two `ukuleles and a mike simultaneously. However, it is *very* heavy (I just had to carry it for a gig yesterday) and it can be overkill for your needs. For "backyard" kine kanikapila we have the Roland Micro cube and for just fooling around Santa bought my boyfriend a Honeytone.
 
The Roland AC-33 is a nice little acoustic amp that has lots of features. Lightweight, can run for quite a long time on batteries, has separate controls for uke and mike, reverb and chorus and room 'ambience'. Headphone and MP3 player jacks, and a feature called a 'looper' that can record around 30 seconds of a repeated riff or phrase that runs through a song. It is plenty loud with accurate sound reproduction. I use mine for our uke club meetings which is held in a big room that holds 60 and people in the back hear it just fine.
 
The VOX MINI 3 is a great small amp. Can be run off batteries if needed, can input instrument AND mic. Has many different amp modeling effects, delay, reverb, chorus, etc. Can use FX on instrument and Mic.

I was just playing with mine, I don't have pickups, so use a mic and play my uke into it. I primarily use the reverb to pretend I'm playing classical ukulele in some big hall to a crowd of amazed fans like I'm Jake S. or something. Haha.... :p

http://www.voxamps.com/mini3/

Cheers,
Skottoman
 
This question comes up so much! As with anything you should try as many as you can as what sounds good to you can sound different to someone else. I have a misi pickup in both my ukes and have a Marshall as50d it is beautiful for me and works wonderful in a live environment mic'd up.
 
Mendel, go with the Vox Mini3 over the Roland Microcube. It has more
power, the addition of a seperate microphone channel and a lower price. I
own both.

Not knowing your budget, I highly recommend bumping up a bit more in
price to an acoustic purpose amp. Stay away from the Behringer brand.
Here's a 30 watt amp you can use in the classroom, plus take to a gig. I
own this one, too. It averages a 5 star rating accross the board, from 7
reviews:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/acoustic-ag30-30w-1x8-acoustic-guitar-combo-amp


Fast-Tone technology allows you to dial up great sound in an instant.


The Acoustic AG30 acoustic amp is perfect for performing
singer/songwriters looking for an easy and excellent way to amplify their
instrument and voice without having to cart around multiple pieces of
gear.

The AG30 is designed to maximize projection, with its angled, floor-
monitor-style cabinet. For warm, full frequency sound, the cabinet
features an 8" studio monitor style speaker for strong mid and low-
frequency response and a coaxial tweeter for ultra-clear, sparkling high
end. Each of the two channels has a combination input that allows you to
plug an instrument into the 1/4'" unbalanced plug or a microphone into
the XLR balanced plug. The 3 band EQ with sweepable mid band provides
satisfying control over your tone. Also included is a selectable effects
section, with 16 high-quality digital effects, including reverbs, delays and
choruses. A chart detailing each effect is located on top of your the amp,
so you'll never lose it.

For quiet practice, use the 1/8" stereo headphone jack, and for pre-
recorded accompaniment, the AG30 amp has an 1/8" stereo aux input.
Plug in a CD or MP3 player and play along. Finally, a Line Out affords you
the opportunity to send your signal to a PA, for amplification in larger
spaces.

Features
16 high-quality digital effects,
Two channels - combination inputs accept 1/4'" or XLR cables
1/8" stereo headphone jack
1/8" stereo aux input
Line Out
Heavyweight cloth grill
Heavy-duty 8" coax studio monitor-style speaker
Angled monitor-style cabinet projects sound upward
Rugged and comfortable handle
Easy-to-read control panel
Protective, long-lasting covering

AG30 30W 1x8 Acoustic Guitar Combo Amp Specifications:

Power: 30W RMS
Equalizer: Low - &plumn;15dB at 80Hz, Med - ± 15dB at 500Hz, High - ± 15dB at 10kHz
Channels: 2 — each with combo input jacks and volume controls
Speaker: 8" Coax Studio Monitor Style
Dimensions: 18.3" x 17" x 18.8"
Weight: 44 lbs.


DV020_Jpg_Jumbo_500133.001_black_V.jpg
 
From my non-expert but earnest experience amplifying a Flea a/e and a Fluke solid body electric (w/B-Band active pickups), and echoing some others' advice:

1) I've tried the MicroCube, and own the ($100) Vox Mini3, and the Vox sounds much better to me — more natural (and less expensive, as noted).

2) I'm very happy with my ($300) Fishman Loudbox Mini, which also has mic + aux inputs, line out, with just chorus & reverb for effects. But I've read many recommendations for Roland acoustic amps, and now I'm hearing more about the Acoustic brand.

3) I don't think I'd buy an amp without trying it out, to match ear and taste and instrument to amp.
 
An acoustic amp doesn't have to be a big ole 30w thing ya know. Everyone talks about the Microcube, and forgets about the Mobile Cube, which unlike the Microcube is a general purpose all-instruments type amp. You could plug into a keyboard amp just as well as an acoustic amp, and Roland knows that, which is why they made the Mobile Cube. You don't HAVE to get a big ole Marshall or Fender, or whatever the cool kids are saying you have to get.

Basically, it's just that electric guitar amps generally sound better with electric guitars. You have to get more of an acoustic or keyboard or all-purpose amp for uke. Yes a big speaker is nice and yes lots of room for the speaker to move is nice, but you don't really need to lug around a 30 or 50W amp if that's not what you need.
 
The VOX MINI 3 is a great small amp. Can be run off batteries if needed, can input instrument AND mic. Has many different amp modeling effects, delay, reverb, chorus, etc. Can use FX on instrument and Mic.

I was just playing with mine, I don't have pickups, so use a mic and play my uke into it. I primarily use the reverb to pretend I'm playing classical ukulele in some big hall to a crowd of amazed fans like I'm Jake S. or something. Haha.... :p

http://www.voxamps.com/mini3/

Cheers,
Skottoman

I love my Vox Mini3. It is perfect for my needs, sounds great, can run a mike through it and easy to transport around if you need to.
I just bought a Vox Valvetronix second hand for my son (for a steal). That thing is amazing. My youngest likes his Line 6 spider 15. Too crunchy for my taste.

Good luck
 
I've got the Roland Microcube as well. In all honesty, I only bought it because it was bright red, but at the end of the day, it turned out to be super useful, portable, and a great buy for the money.
 
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