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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Thoughts On Fishman Loudbox Artist
Thoughts On Fishman Loudbox Artist
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TheKrowe
11 posts
May 29, 2012
3:04 PM
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I'm thinking of buying a Fishman Loudbox Artist, 120W, bi-amped solid state amp built specifically for acoustic guitar. I would most likely front it with a Harp Commander IV, Harp Attack, LW Delay or Carl Martin Delayla xII, and a Martin Compressor. Being bi-amped, it has two completely independent sets of EQ and effects controls; one for each XLR/1/4" input. I'm thinking I could run my harp mic into one side and run my Tricone mic into to the other, and have just one fairly lightweight amp to deal with. It has notch filters and a polarity switch for feedback control, but I expect they would benefit my resonator much more than the harp. It also has post-eq XLR out for a PA if 120W isn't enough for a particular venue. The cost is under $500 USD.
So, what do you think? My tube amp seems to get heavier with each passing year, and you need hearing protection to get to that sweet Fender clean channel breakup. The drive channel is useless as this model was Bruce Zinky's answer to the Mesa Boogie.
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TheKrowe
"It can't rain all the time." - Eric Draven
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LSC
217 posts
May 29, 2012
4:23 PM
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If you're looking at dedicated acoustic instrument/mini-PA amps, I would strongly advise that you consider an AER Combo 60/2. I've tried the Loudbox -didn't like it, a Bose column-not enough control, and a Genz-Benz Compac Shenendoah- really good but not as good as the AER. It would be my reluctant 2nd choice.
Assuming that sound quality is your first priority, you will be hard pressed to find anything better. Go to the AER website and take a look at the folks who use AER. AER are used as the supplied back line at Kerrville Folk Festival, one of the largest and most important of it's type in the world.
Build quality is absolutely 2nd to none. Hey, they're engineered and built in Germany.
A Combo 60/2 weighs just 16.5 lbs compared to 25 lbs for the Loudbox. Also come with a really handy padded shoulder bag.
Although the Combo 60 is rated at 60 watts compared to 120 for the Loudbox, size isn't everything, as they say, but if you must, they do a 120watt version as well but I think you'd have to be playing with Def Leppard to need it. First off it's how efficiently does an amp use the power that is the question. I can tell you that I have used mine in a pinch on its own as the vocal PA with a full on blues/rock band and never got the master volume above 12 o'clock. In fact I now use two of these with a matching AER Ag-8 powered monitor fed by a Mackie ProFX as the band vocal PA. The volume I can get while still maintaining Hi-Fi audio quality is literally jaw dropping. There's so much headroom it's just silly.
Pricewise they are more expensive. Street retail is $950 but I bought all three of mine for no more than $650 each off of Ebay. I've been using them for 7 years and never once had anything less than sterling results. I've even had four pros I know go out and find one for themselves after hearing mine. They all have literally said, "Thank you," for turning them on to the little suckers.
When playing solo, I use a G-rig mic and a LW Harp Break and get plenty of tone and breakup for amplified harp as well as control of the drive if I want to clean things up.
If you really need notch filters and such for the reso, go with a LR Baggs Venue, about $170 2nd hand. Built like a tank, great built in tuner, really useful boost switch, and as much eq control as you could ever want.
I also play a custom jumbo guitar with K&K pick up and it sound wonderful.
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LSC
Last Edited by on May 29, 2012 4:25 PM
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TheKrowe
13 posts
May 31, 2012
11:46 AM
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Thanks, LSC! Much to think about. Would you tell me what you didn't like about the loudbox?
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TheKrowe
"It can't rain all the time." - Eric Draven
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boris_plotnikov
722 posts
Jun 01, 2012
1:48 AM
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Considering powerful solid state amps I tried Phil Jones CUB AG100 and I liked it
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Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
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Baker
224 posts
Jun 01, 2012
4:33 AM
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I'm not sure if this is relevant and I've never tried a Fishman Loudbox Artist, but I own one of the Marshall Acoustic amps - (this one - http://tinyurl.com/brvhks8 ). Specifically voiced for acoustic instruments. It has a nice worm clean sound with just a SM57 for harmonica, sounds great for acoustic guitars, fiddles banjo etc.
However I have tried plugging my LW Harp Attack peddle in, which works great into a PA and other solid state amps, but sounds awful through this amp. I'm guessing it's something to do with the fact the amp is voiced for acoustic instruments. Might be something to think about.
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TheKrowe
14 posts
Jun 01, 2012
11:45 AM
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Good thing to know, Baker! I'll take my Harp Attack and Harp Controller IV along with my SM57 when I go try it out next week. Thanks!
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TheKrowe
"It can't rain all the time." - Eric Draven
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