An acoustic guitar is capable of making its own sound, but sometimes it may not be enough, especially if it is played in front of a big audience or when other musicians are around. This will be the time when one would want the best acoustic guitar amp, and our acoustic guitar amp review does your job easier.
The majority of acoustic guitar amps are made to offer some distorted and overdriven tones, as these are the sounds that the majority of rock-oriented players would like to have.
The acoustic guitar amps are basically designed to sound pure and clean, whereas the idea is to make sure that the natural sonics of the electro-acoustic guitars are reproduced in an accurate manner. Most players will never use the overdrive, as it is better to leave these features for electric guitars.
It is very important to know what you should be looking for when purchasing an acoustic guitar amp because there are so many options and features and not everyone would need all of them. The information we offer can help you enjoy your purchase even more by ensuring that you made the best possible choice according to your needs. After reading this article, you will be able to choose from a number of great amps that we suggest. Make sure that you follow each step in order to fully understand what each feature does for your tone and how it affects it.
There are a few factors that one must consider before purchasing an acoustic guitar amp:
- Music Style
The first thing that you should be looking at is your music style. The best acoustic guitar amp can make a huge difference when it comes to the choice, as some amps are designed for specific styles of music. For example, if you are playing on an electro-acoustic, then the smart move would be to choose a model that allows for electric guitars to be plugged in too. This way, if you need distorted tones on stage, there will be no problem achieving this sound.
- Portability & Size
If you are mainly using the amp at home or jamming with friends around, the portability of the unit is not so important. It is always good to have an amp with the right features of course, but if it takes too much space or is hard to carry around, there will be no need for all that. However, if you are planning on using the amp at small venues with an even smaller budget, then most likely portability and size of the unit may be your biggest issue.
- Speakers
The speakers included with the amplifier designs can really make a difference when it comes to how your final tone will sound like. If the speaker starts distorting the signal, it is time for you to look for another model with better speakers. No matter how good your instrument is, having poor-quality speakers can make everything worse. Good thing is that nowadays manufacturers include better models inside their amps so this should not be a problem at all when purchasing one.
Acoustic Guitar Amp Type
Lastly, as technology developed over the years, there are now different types of amps for acoustic instruments. There is a wide selection of acoustic guitar amps available on the market today, which you should consider when buying one. Finding your desired type will not be hard at all as we have included a detailed list of each type and its features just below this article. Now let's see what amp would work best for you!
What to Look For When Buying an Acoustic Guitar Amp?
Reviewing some higher-quality options that fit into several categories does not mean that other models are bad. We have gathered here only the cream of the crop so you do not need to worry about anything less than perfect. Below you can find all the information necessary for you to make an informed purchase.
Acoustic Guitar Amp Type
The majority of acoustic guitar amps are divided into three main categories: Solid State, Tube, and Digital. Each one offers its own unique set of benefits so it is up to you to decide which one would be best suited according to your personal preferences. Keep in mind that the overall power of the unit will also affect this decision as well. As long as you know what each type has to offer, then choosing between them should not be a problem at all.
Solid State Acoustic Guitar Amps
If you are looking for something simple with pure tone quality, solid-state models are probably the right choice for you. This type may lack in the overall versatility category, but it also works like a charm when it comes to ease of use. As long as you keep the volume at moderate levels, these models will provide great results.
Tube Guitars Amps
Another interesting type that may not look that different from other types on the surface is tube amps. Since they are full analog systems, chances are that they will provide superior tone clarity and warmth in comparison to Solid State models. Due to this fact, Tube Guitar Amplifiers can be used for both live performances and recording sessions in the studio environment. On top of all this, tube amplifiers come with plenty of additional features so their price ranges tend to be higher than average too.
Digital Acoustic Guitar Amps
If you are looking for something with a wide array of tones and sounds available, look no further than digital amps. Most Digital Amplifiers come equipped with a vast library of effects and tones so your options will be almost unlimited. Although they tend to have larger dimensions and higher price tags, the quality that comes their way will satisfy even the pickiest instrument players out there.
What About the Portability?
As we already mentioned there is really no such thing as an "unportable" amp for acoustic guitar. If you take a look at all the different types discussed above, none of them would fit into this category perfectly well. The portability factor usually depends on certain design elements like the weight and dimensions of the amplifier unit itself. Besides these two aspects, the quality of the materials used for construction also affects portability to some extent.
At this point, it would be best to say that these features are not really important when you purchase an acoustic guitar amp for your home use. However, if you wish to purchase one which you can bring with you when playing at a friend's place or in an open-air environment, portability may play a big role in your final choice.
What Should the Model Look Like?
Since these amps were designed with acoustic guitars in mind, their dimensions and weight should not pose any problem in terms of portability. Of course, there are larger models available (which means better sound quality) but they will always come with larger dimensions too so make sure this aspect does not pose any problem to you before making a purchase.
Another design element that comes into play is the way in which amplifiers for acoustic guitars are built. Since they were initially designed with small wooden pieces, this material was also used when designing their housing units. If you wish to choose an amplifier that will compliment your guitar, look for models made out of wood too since this model usually provides superior sound quality over metal or plastic variants. Keep in mind that these things do not really affect portability so it all comes down to whether or not you can accept limitations when it comes to noise levels and weight of the unit itself thanks to its materials construction.
What About Acoustic Guitar Amplifier Noise Levels?
As far as noise levels go, acoustics amps generally tend to be quiet enough so you can easily play them without disturbing anyone in your home. Keep in mind that the size of the room may also affect noise levels so you might want to take this aspect into consideration as well. Of course, amplifiers with smaller models are quieter than their larger counterparts but these limitations will not appear when it comes to portability options which is something you need to keep in mind too.
In this acoustic guitar amp review, you will see some of the best available choices that will be right for you.
List of the best acoustic guitar amps: review
Boss Acoustic Singer Live
The Acoustic Singer by Boss is known to be one of the best all-in-one tools for the gigging singer-songwriter, as it takes some beating. There are two separate channels combined with this amp, one for the guitar while the other for the vocals, and it also offers a bunch of valuable tools. The built-in looper is loved by many people, whereas the included effects sound is as good as one can expect from the top brand in our acoustic guitar amp review.
AER Compact 60
This is one of the top-rated acoustic guitar amplifiers that can be found in the market, as shown in our acoustic guitar amp review. The AER Compact 60's fourth-generation offers two separate channels, which means that it can perfectly suit the singer-songwriters. You will also find a small section of the beneficial onboard effects, which has two reverbs so that you can add a little sparkle to the sound. In the end, one can say that it is a grown-up amplifier that offers a natural touch of class.
Blackstar Sonnet 120
People in the guitar world are big fans of Blackstar, as they always thought that it should offer room for an acoustic amp in their range of products. When talking about the acoustic guitar amp review, the Blackstar two-channel acoustic guitar amplifier offers a lot of interesting tricks to the users. You will find Sonnet 120 to be very transparent that entirely focuses on the guitar's natural sound. It is superb for the backing tracks, whereas it is four different reverbs add an excellent polish to the sounds.
Fender Acoustic 100
The majority of the guitar lovers must be aware of the old Fender acoustic amplifiers, as they were great at what they did. Fender Acoustic 100 is a step forward packed with performance and enough power, which makes it great for large gigs. It has impressive Bluetooth connectivity, which means that it can use an 8" flat frequency speaker that is very helpful for you to stream any backing tracks from the tablet or the phone. It indeed is a big amp but is an excellent place for the one who looks for a gig-ready acoustic amp.
Fishman Loudbox Mini
Fishman holds quite a big name in the acoustic world and is famous for acoustic guitar pickups, but when we talk about the Loudbox Mini, it undoubtedly has proven that Fishman knows good about amplification. Loudbox Mini is a simple to use, compact two-channel acoustic amp best for solo performers. It is incredibly versatile, has Bluetooth connectivity and an additional 1/8” jack input, and is capable of supporting you at any sized gig.
Summary
There are many benefits of acoustic guitar amps, and these can be excellent for small gigs or busking, where pure volume may not be the main factor compared to the quality of sound. In this acoustic guitar amp review, we have seen amps that offer flexibility and lots of control as compared to the traditional PA systems that cannot be optimized for any particular instrument. The best quality acoustic guitar amps are lightweight and compact and are, therefore, easy to transport and give you the best sound quality. Use our acoustic guitar amp review to find the best amp for your playing needs.