7 Best Acoustic Guitar Amp: Get Rich, Inspiring Sound
We all adore an acoustic guitar’s natural tone.
However, depending on your playing style, it might need amplification. If you’ve had enough of being muted by background noise or other brand members’ excessive volume, an acoustic guitar amplifier is here to rescue the day.
Let’s zero in on your options for the best acoustic guitar amps by identifying your needs.
If you are a live performer with a band, you need an amplifier that can be heard up to 100 watts. Or maybe you’re busking outside and performing as a pair or solo at several coffee shops and cafes.
Check out the best acoustic guitar amps below to maximize your guitar’s performance.
Please check out the best beginner amps here.
TL/DR
Acoustic guitars have a unique sound, but more is needed. One of the best acoustic guitar amps we rounded up is a great investment if you want to play live or with other bands.
- Fishman Acoustic Guitar Amp
- Fender Acoustic SFX
- Roland AC-33 Acoustic Guitar Amp
- Blackstar Sonnet 120
- Yamaha THR5A
- AER Compact 60/4
- Positive Grid Spark 40
Double up your performance with the best acoustic guitar.
Understanding Acoustic Guitar Amps
In the 1930s, Gibson introduced the ES-150 acoustic archtop with a bar pickup Jazz musician Charlie Christian (1916–1942) made the whole thing popular. The pickup was subsequently named after him. This model was the first acoustic guitar to use an electronic pickup.
However, it was a considerable time before acoustic amplifiers could adequately reproduce acoustic guitars’ tones and rhythms. During that time, acoustic guitarists who used pickups on their instruments sometimes put them into electric guitar amplifiers, although the results were usually subpar.
Even with an acoustic guitar connected to a “clean” guitar amp, the sound ended up often very loud, very angular, and lacking depth.
Fortunately, advancements in acoustic amplification were spurred by the acoustic-instrument boom that MTV Unplugged in 1989 sparked, together with the rise of tech-savvy, traveling musicians.
Whether you’re performing in a jam session, a band concert, or even in a noisy outdoor setting, one of these modern acoustic amps will make you have a blast. Their array of features and excellent tones make them perfect for any situation.
7 Best Acoustic Guitar Amps In 2024 (And More!)
Using an acoustic amplifier correctly means amplifying your instrument’s natural tone without feedback, distortion, or the false wackiness that may come from electro-acoustics.
- Fishman Acoustic Guitar Amp
Fishman has a special grasp of the needs of plugged-in musicians due to our almost four decades of expertise in the acoustic domain. Let’s know what are the best acoustic guitar amp models they offer.
Fishman Loudbox Mini
This compact and powerful amplifier is perfect for smaller settings or private rehearsals. The amplifier grows with your goals. If you want to take your show to coffee shops and clubs, the Mini’s 60 watts of power will not disappoint you. You can practice at home first.
One can play and sing by themselves using the instrument and mic channels. Another can perform with a friend as a vocal/instrumental duo. The Mini has Bluetooth and 1/8′′ and 1/4′′ extra ports so you can play music from other devices. Connecting a straight output on the Mini to a mixing desk allows you to use it as a stage monitor and play a venue through your home sound system.
Loudbox Artist And Loudbox Performer
When playing acoustic instruments with drums and other electric and acoustic instruments, the 120-watt Loudbox Artist and 180-watt Loudbox Performer amplifiers are the only professional choices.
These two-channel amps have combo inputs for instruments and microphones to be used as small PA systems for solo singers, instrumental duos, or live shows with pre-recorded backing tracks (due to the stereo aux connection and Bluetooth connection).
The musician and performer now have more microphone options, including dynamic microphones and condensers, which are possible with each amplifier’s onboard phantom-power 24-volt switch.
- Fender Acoustic SFX
Compared to other acoustic guitar amplifiers, the SFX has a unique appearance. Thanks to its maple-ply cabinet, its retro-minimalist flavor is reminiscent of Danish minimalism. Enjoy it in the comfort of your home with your Kaare Klint seats, in a café, a nightclub, or anywhere else you can imagine.
SFX differs from portable two-channel sound speakers because it has Stereo Field Expansion technology. The SFX has two channels that are precisely the same. Each channel has a combo input that can be used with either a 1/4″ guitar jack or an XLR mic input.
You can manage the effects by a center panel with a stereo chorus, a digital Fender Vibratone effect, and two forms of delay along with tap tempo.
Now things start to get interesting. By modifying the SFX adjustment on the amplifier’s control panel, you may adjust your preferred audio output from the amp with the aid of the side-radiating speaker. If you don’t use any SFX, your tone will be straight at the audience.
With SFX, you may make the sound more subtle or diffuse, depending on the mood you want to create. Combining the vibratone with SFX results in stunning wobbling and a whirling sound swirl.
- Roland AC-33 Acoustic Guitar Amp
A guitar amp with 15–30 watts of power should be sufficient for a modest venue with an audience of around 150 people. Powerful enough to fill the room without being overpowering, this range should do the trick. One of the popular options in this wattage range is Roland AC-33.
You may charge it from the wall or use eight AA batteries; it’s small and lightweight, similar to the Fishman Loudbox Mini Charge. You can remove the battery compartment and charge the cells.
The AC-33 has many different sound settings. Here, you get two kinds of chorus. The Roland chorus is magnificent. The background effects make the sound more significant, and the digital echo is also outstanding.
- Blackstar Sonnet 120
Are you looking for an amplifier for gigging with a band? For live performances, this acoustic guitar amp is second to none.
Although Blackstar is already a major player in the world of electric guitar amplifiers, the British company took a lot of time and thought about moving into acoustic guitar amps. They even brought in professional guitarist Jon Gomm to help with the design process.
Out of the way, here is a 120-watt amp with many useful features that any acoustic artist looking to perform live will appreciate.
Shows Gomm’s effect: The sonnet’s long sub-response is perfect for the low-end needs of percussion styles that use body-sensor pickups. You may adjust the piezo player’s high end to a detailed but not harsh level using the High Pass Filter (HPF) and Brilliance settings.
Reverb is essential for making an acoustic sound more atmospheric. The Sonnet is a great choice since it has four distinct varieties and independent quantities for each track. You may also utilize a condenser mic with phantom power.
The Sonnet is an excellent acoustic combination amp that can double as a live monitor when hooked up to a sound desk via an XLR connection; adding a tilt stand makes it even better.
- Yamaha THR5A
This small, battery-driven amp’s beautiful transistor radio-like form immediately makes it stand out among comparable acoustic guitar amps. But the Yamaha THR5A is so much more than what you see!
This acoustic guitar amp is made for on-the-practice and home studio use. You can connect a single guitar and use the 1/8″ aux input to play music from your own player while enjoying the THR5A’s stereo speakers.
The Yamaha Virtual Circuitry Modeling is what really makes the THR5A stand out from the rest. It lets you mix in five virtual mics and amplifier simulators: dynamic, tube, condenser, and nylon microphone models.
You can play in many different ways, and your tone will sound like it came from a professional recording studio.
- AER Compact 60/4
If you have a big budget, look for the AER Compact 60/4.
AER aims to provide high-quality sound and flexibility in a simple but stylish and classy package.
Instead of adding anything to your instrument’s sound, the Compact 60/4 tries to reproduce its natural tones closely. Whatever setting you set, the sound stays very close to the original.
Though this amplifier is small, don’t let that fool you! It really rocks, producing nearly 60 watts of sound, which is ample for filling a small space.
It’s great for singer-songwriters, given that the Compact 60/4 has two tracks, one alongside XLR and one with Jack. It’s not just magical when singing and playing the acoustic guitar, either!
- Positive Grid Spark 40
The Spark 40 is the best modeling amp for learning and playing bass, guitar, and acoustic instruments. Four of the 33 amp types available are specifically made for acoustic guitars. Over 40 effects, such as reverbs and delays, are available.
Besides the tones, the Spark also makes it easy to play music over Bluetooth. The app lets you download different Tonecloud sounds from other users, write down the chords for any YouTube song, and jam with background tracks.
3 Things To Check Before Getting An Acoustic Guitar Amp
While choosing the best acoustic guitar amps, we focused on several factors, such as:
- Feedback
An acoustic guitar amplifier or preamp with a phase, notch, or sweep filter will prevent feedback from occurring in most high-quality models. Unfortunately, acoustic musicians often face the unanticipated arrival of feedback, which may be a real pain.
Some amplifiers have features like a frequency sweep control and a notch filter to offer complete control.
- Effects
You should consider what effects will be essential to your success. The built-in echo makes the sound bigger and fuller. The built-in loop feature could be a great way for soloists to play over a beat track. The person and how they plan to use the benefits decide what they need.
- Two Tracks For The Guitar And The Mic
The mic/line input on an acoustic guitar amplifier is the most crucial part of it. Usually, this has an XLR input and a phantom power choice. This XLR input balances your singing with your guitar and makes the Acoustic Guitar amp a standalone PA system, so you can play concerts without a full-on PA system.
Now, check out these great products.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Plug An Acoustic Guitar Into An Electric Guitar Amp?
To play an acoustic with electronics already installed is a definite bet. But don’t expect high-quality audio. An amp may change a guitar’s tone, improving a skilled musician’s performance. Yet, the “Acoustic” sound will be severely diminished when an electric guitar amplifier is used to play an acoustic guitar.
Do You Need A Special Amp For Acoustic?
Yes, you need an acoustic guitar amplifier for optimal sound quality of your instrument. You should buy a particular one, even if you have one for the electric guitar.
Amp Up!
Choosing the correct amplifier is the first and most important step in creating the sound you want for your acoustic performances. This blog attempts to make your selection easier by outlining the 7 best acoustic guitar amps. From one-man shows to full-on tour bands, you can find an acoustic guitar amplifier that works for you. And you won’t even have to strain your back or break the bank to obtain one.
We hope this guide has given you all the knowledge you need to choose the right one for your purpose successfully.
