Good amp?

Ahh. Thanks Ric. The number of inputs required for any real sized group (like 2 or more) is something I think many newbies are unaware of at first. When I was growing up, pretty much everyone had their own amp and guitar, and that was the way we played. Now, I find most of the folks I meet in ukulele groups don't have an amp, let alone each one having his own. Thats what really flipped my thinking over to mixers, PAs and devices like your BA33, once I started searching for an amp. Most personal guitar amps come up short on that score, so its something for a new player to think about before sinking too much money into a personal amp.
 
G Hill said:
I use a Bose L1 system with the T1 Audio engine. Its a bit pricey but the Doggys Donuts. As a preamp/DI I use the Fishman Pro Platinum
I am very happy with this system and would recomend it 100%. I also play harmonica and via a Digitech RP355 multi pedal also amplify via the Bose system.
For amplifying your uke indoors or in the street using batteries the Roland Micro Cube is a great choice.
Cheers
Gary
Click to expand...

I love the sound and function of the Bose systems, Gary. We're eying two L2's and Tonematch Generators with a bass module for a house system. I just received an E-Mail tonight that we'll be getting a demo at our venue from Bose:

"Ric... Guess what?... I ran into the Bose people who are also here for the Uke Festival... She said she will be getting in touch with us soon and arranging for someone to demo a system for USA. We will see???
That's the latest from Waikiki. Court


We open the festivities tomorrow at the park .... they are expecting about 10,000. I have to do a kazoo solo for one of our songs... I'm sure that will make youtube... How do I ever get myself into these things?"

With 10,000 at a ukulele festival in Hawai'i, it makes me wonder why Hawai'i cannot claim the Guinness world record for most ukulele players to play a song... Ric
 
SweetWaterBlue said:
Ahh. Thanks Ric. The number of inputs required for any real sized group (like 2 or more) is something I think many newbies are unaware of at first. When I was growing up, pretty much everyone had their own amp and guitar, and that was the way we played. Now, I find most of the folks I meet in ukulele groups don't have an amp, let alone each one having his own. Thats what really flipped my thinking over to mixers, PAs and devices like your BA33, once I started searching for an amp. Most personal guitar amps come up short on that score, so its something for a new player to think about before sinking too much money into a personal amp.
Click to expand...

That's what's so sweet about the $99 buck Kustom Powerwerks PW50, SWB. You can daisy chain as many as you want by connecting a microphone cable between them. They are totally modular powered line arrays. Each one of them is also a powered self-contained P.A. system. The more you connect together, the more channels and power you obtain. The same sound comes out of each one.:

1 PW50 = 2 channels and 50 watts
2 PW50 = 4 channels and 100 watts
3 PW50 = 6 channels and 150 watts
4 PW50 = 8 channels and 200 watts
5 PW50 = 10 channels and 250 watts
6 PW50 = 12 channels and 300 watts...

I think you get the picture. If each member of your group brings a PW50, speaker stand, microphone, instrument cable and two microphone cables, you will always have the "right" P.A. system for the job. Ric
 
One final thought, jdawg - NO AMP is going to make an electric/acoustic uke sound like it does when it is not plugged in, because that's not the way piezo pickups sound. If you are truly after the sound that it makes when you play it unplugged, your best bet is to mic it. If you want to sing as well, your best bet is to look for something that can handle at least two mics on separate channels.
 
ricdoug said:
I love the sound and function of the Bose systems, Gary. We're eying two L2's and Tonematch Generators with a bass module for a house system. I just received an E-Mail tonight that we'll be getting a demo at our venue from Bose:

"Ric... Guess what?... I ran into the Bose people who are also here for the Uke Festival... She said she will be getting in touch with us soon and arranging for someone to demo a system for USA. We will see???
That's the latest from Waikiki. Court


We open the festivities tomorrow at the park .... they are expecting about 10,000. I have to do a kazoo solo for one of our songs... I'm sure that will make youtube... How do I ever get myself into these things?"

With 10,000 at a ukulele festival in Hawai'i, it makes me wonder why Hawai'i cannot claim the Guinness world record for most ukulele players to play a song... Ric
Click to expand...

You'll love the L2 system, it's real quick to set up and tear down if you need to. Takes up very little space in the van and the sound is breathtakingly
good. I've played harp for many years and tried many conventional amp setups and I can tell you that 'for me' the Bose system is such a versatile
system that I don't feel I need to look elsewhere anymore for my amplification needs.
cheers
Gary
 
I plug my 8-string uke into a Roland AC-60 and it sounds great. Very true to the acoustic sound, with a few built-in useful effects and a separate mic channel. However, it can't run on battery power like its little brother, the AC-33. I bought mine used for half price. Not sure I would have paid full price for a new one, as they're a bit pricey.

- FiL
 
I've had the Fishman Loudbox Artist for about 6 months and love it. 2 channels, 2 different effects banks (if'n yr into that sort of thing) and 100 watts. It seriously was more than I wanted to spend, but it's been great both in rehearsals and onstage with my 7-piece band.

The Mini sounded great when I tried it, but I went with the bigger one--I'm such an American;)
 
ricdoug said:
KustomPA505.jpg


KustomPA506.jpg


KustomPA507.jpg


KustomPA508.jpg
Click to expand...

Wow, thanks bunches.......I have to check this baby out! Is this a great site or what.
 
Aloha e Phil.

I own a lot of expensive professional sound equipment. It's rare I'm this impressed by professional gear at this price point. Nothing else can touch it in the $99 buck price range. I also consider a speaker stand a must have with any P.A. system. Getting the speakers above the heads of the audience will allow you to play larger rooms with less power and equipment. The PW50 is modular. You can connect as many as you desire using microphone cables between them. This increases the available output power and channels. Here's some video from the developer, Powerwerks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZk33_3GmE4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL-RzN98VT0

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p0rxtjGtWE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xIY65YWEi0
 
I actually spied one of those PW50s in the wild today. I was eating at a Mexican restaurant that has entertainment. They seated us near where the small Mariachi band usually plays (not playing for lunch unfortunately). I looked up at the PA speaker on the stand and sure enough it was a PW50. I didn't see any other amplification, so it must be all they need. The restaurant seats about 50. I noticed two mics and some instrument cords plugged in, but a small mixer was also on the table behind it. There was also a set of conga drums beside it. I wish I could have heard it.
 
Aloha e SWB. It's easy to connect a mixer to a PW50 by XLR through one of the Sync inputs or 1/4'" through one of the channel inputs. In that restaurant they probably plugged microphones and instruments into the PW50 and the mixer through an adaptor into the 3rd 1/8" channel.This is a testament to the versatility and capability of the PW50. It's a simple no-frills audio powerhouse workhorse. In this setup the PW50 acts as the power amp and P.A. cabinet. An audience of 50 is an easy task for a PW50. I'll state this again from decades of sound experience, a speaker stand is crucial to get the sound above the heads of your audience. You can get by with a lot less equipment this way.I believe the low $99 buck price tag of the PW50 scares the naysayers away. Anyone who gigs with a PW50 is convinced of it's capability to get the job done right. Ric
 
Last edited:
does anyone own Ibanez troubadour acoustic amp or Kustom sienna?

i need an amp in this price range (30W-35W), in the state they are the same price (199$) but in Israel (were i live) the Kustom is
almost 100$ more expensive (!!), so i wanted to hear your toughts about the two before my final decision, although i'm obviously thinking of buying the Ibanez because of the price...
 
vetcvm said:
i need an amp in this price range (30W-35W), in the state they are the same price (199$) but in Israel (were i live) the Kustom is
almost 100$ more expensive
Click to expand...

If the Acoustic brand is available where you are, my AG30 is a high rated performer. The price difference you see is probably in shipping weight. The Ibanez is 20 watts. The Kustom Sienna's are 30 and 35 watts. The Acoustic is 30 watts. The Kustom amps only have 1/4" microphone inputs. The Ibanez and Acoustic have combination XLR/1/4" microphone inputs. Most professional microphones use an XLR connector. The monitor style cabinet of the Acoustic makes it easier for you to hear your ukulele/guitar and vocals. The tuned port allows for more audible efficiency. Both channels on the Acoustic can take a microphone or an instrument.

Ibanez Troubadour = 14 pounds (6.4kg) and has a 4 star rating.

Kustom Sienna 30 = 31 pounds (14kg) and has a 5 star rating

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Kustom-Sienna-30-Acoustic-Guitar-Combo-Amp-480788-i1567749.gc

Kustom Sienna 35 = 31 pounds (14kg) and has a 5 star rating.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Kustom-Sienna-35-Acoustic-Guitar-Combo-Amp-480779-i1567750.gc

Acoustic AG30 = 44 pounds (20kg) and a 5 star rating

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Acoustic-AG30-30W-1x8-Acoustic-Guitar-Combo-Amp-104839055-i1425156.gc

DV016_Jpg_Large_500133.001_black_V.jpg
 
thanks for the info!

i ended up buying the Kustom Sienna after comparing it to the Ibanez.
i have to say that there is HUGE difference quality between them although the price in the US is the same,
the Ibanez sounds way too "metalic" and there is no "MID" tuning in the equlizer wich made it even more difficult for me
to get a decent acoustic sound. the Kustom sounded pretty awesome and i was able to get a 50$ discount in the end so
i took it without hesitations!
 
i received the amp yesterday and bought a Shure sm58 microphone.
i don't have my electric uke yet (it's on the way from ebay) but i have an awesome ibanez acoustic guitar with pickup and both the guitar and vocals sounds really good. i didn't try the expensive amps, i would assume they are even better than this one, but i am very surprise of the quality of this amp, it's amazing for the price. the Ibanez troubadour wasn't even close to the quality of the Kustom.
 
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