Here is a question for all you "Mac" types out there. I have been "googling" info on acoustic amps. the consensus is that do not use an electric guitar amp for acoustic guitar work as it will not produce the resonances an acoustic guitar has. This is because the guitar amps don't have a tweeter or horn. There is no mention of circuits which logic tells me should be involved as well. Soooo if I subbed in a tweeter with a crossover would there be any definitive improvement? Comments most appreciated. D
I'm not sure what a "Mac" type is or if I am one, but I do know that electric guitar amps color the tone too much, even the clean or undistorted tone is colored. Acoustic amps are much closer to mini PA systems that are designed around the frequencies that acoustic guitars produce. No really low lows, no really high highs, but crystal clear anywhere from low E to the 20th fret on the High E.
So adding a tweeter to an electric guitar amp probably won't do much other than give you an ice-pick-ey tone. Maybe you could get there with some massive EQ but my experience has been that if you're not starting with something close to what you want, you're not going to end up with anything good just using enhancements.
Similarly if you plug an electric guitar directly into a PA, it sounds pretty dull and lifeless but an acoustic guitar generally sounds fine.
Here is a question for all you "Mac" types out there. I have been "googling" info on acoustic amps. the consensus is that do not use an electric guitar amp for acoustic guitar work as it will not produce the resonances an acoustic guitar has. This is because the guitar amps don't have a tweeter or horn. There is no mention of circuits which logic tells me should be involved as well. Soooo if I subbed in a tweeter with a crossover would there be any definitive improvement? Comments most appreciated. D
"consensus"
I love that. What kind of amp do you have? SS? An acoustic through a good tube amp is tone heaven.
Here's a little secret. Go shop for a used keyboard amp. They are 'full range' setups intentionally, which is what a properly mic'ed acoustic amp really needs.
Guitar amps that are marketed as acoustic guitar amps are really just full range response amp/speaker/cabinet combinations. In the past, they often put brown tolex on them and brown tweed grille cloth to make you think you were getting something specific to acoustic guitar, but in reality, they are just a small combo PA system, which is what a keyboard amp is as well.
There used to be a big price differential between keyboard amps and 'acoustic' guitar amps, with keyboard amps being usually 1/3 lower price for the same type of features. This isn't true so much any more.
The other way to get to this pretty cheaply is to buy a little 4 channel mixer - You have many choices these days, and buy a single powered 'main' speaker for a P.A. system. Boom, same result.
Either the keyboard amp route or this suggestion above will sound much better than monkeying around with trying to turn a midrange-focused guitar amp into a full-range 'acoustic' amplifier.
That of course also assumes that the pickup system in the acoustic guitar is worth having.
Lots of variables to play with.
I've done some acoustic through a tube amp and it works well for stage use. No one is really critiquing the tone characteristics in that sort of situation. Plug in, turn up, eq the honk and play.
If you're looking for good tone.... mic it. Other than that, yeah, select a nice amp with a full range and go. Steel guitar amps, keyboard amps, and acoustic amps all fit that range.... but a nice tube guitar will go a fine job as well.... SS also. Or DI through the PA.