Godin A8 amplification

[Ranald]

I really appreciate the level of expertise in a great many areas shared on Mandolin Cafe, so here's a couple of questions for the techies. I have a Godin A8 electric mandolin -- or perhaps acoustic mandolin with electronic pickup is a better description. I've been advised not to use an electronic amplifier with my mandolin, as it might cause damage, but to use an acoustic amplifier instead. My questions are: what is the difference in amplifiers, and why is there that difference? Please answer simply, for someone who feels a sense of accomplishment when he plugs in a lamp successfully, and who thought an acoustic amplifier was a megaphone propped up in front of my mandolin.

[pops1]

With the Godin you have a preamp built in the mandolin and you can plug it into anything really. The one difference that I can see is an electric (for lack of a better term) amp as you say, is designed to color sound, the acoustic amp is designed to reproduce it. Playing mandolin you would like to reproduce it and not significantly change the sound. If you want to get a nice distortion the electric amp may be the way to go. It will not cause any damage and you can feel free to experiment with whatever amp you like.

[sblock]

Well, all the amplifiers are electronic! (You're right: an 'acoustic amplifier' might be something like a megaphone, which focuses the sound but does not actually amplify it).

If you meant, instead, an amplifier designed primarily for use with an electric guitar (with built-in distortion) or an amplifier intended primarily for use with acoustic instruments (with little distortion), you can choose either one, depending on the type of sound you want. And you can also use separate effects boxes, at your option, to modify the sound.

Maybe you're mixing up the terms "pre-amp" and "amp?" The Godin already has a pre-amp, so you don't need one of those (many acoustic pickups require a pre-amp before plugging into a power amplifier).

[kjbllc]

I use a loudbox, they work well with the godin, just go to a music store if you can and try some out.

[Steve Ostrander]

I cant see any way that you could damage the Godin or the amp. The issue would be the impedance matching between the pickup and the amp because the Godin has a bridge piezo and an electric amp would be better suited for an electro magnetic pickup. But it’s true that certain amps like the Fishman, Roland, Acoustic, etc would deliver a truer acoustic tone from the Godin.

[pops1]

I cant see any way that you could damage the Godin or the amp. The issue would be the impedance matching between the pickup and the amp because the Godin has a bridge piezo and an electric amp would be better suited for an electro magnetic pickup. But it’s true that certain amps like the Fishman, Roland, Acoustic, etc would deliver a truer acoustic tone from the Godin.

Godin has a preamp built in so the impedance match is not a problem.

[Loubrava]

I've been playing an A8 for a few years and have used it with all types of amps as everyone has said the A8 was made to be amplified there is no chance of hurting anything except your ears ! Have fun with it you can try out all sorts of effects and sounds the A8 it is a very versatile instrument.
Lou

[Ranald]

Thanks for all your help, folks. Mandolin Cafe is great.
I now get the gist of what is meant by an acoustic amplifier, and will likely postpone the regular amp till my heavy metal phase. (I actually did send my grandson a heavy metal mandolin recording, which he liked, one Christmas.)
Now, I can also conclude that the old wooden box with a strand of haywire running from it to tie to my mandolin isn't really an original 1903 Gibson acoustic amp worth $2,000, as the guy on Kijiji insists.
Ranald

Here's a minute of heavy metal mandolin, just to prove that such a thing exists (if you can't get the links, look up "Ben Rousell, Heavy Metal Mandolin" on YouTube):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ellFrIeBhY

[mandroid]

given its battery preamp & 3 band tone control are 'line' level, a powered speaker will do ..

with a little wiring modifications, each of the 4 piezo bridge piece signal wires can be separated they're now wired together on the circuit board of the preamp card, and go into an 8 pin connector* and
run thru an RMC polydrive 2 black box, which has a 13 pin jack for Roland's guitar synthesizers.. the synth pedal boards have MIDI jacks to run additional gear..

* yea there will be a lot of connections not utilized.. I did a retrofit bridge on my 4 string solid body electric ,

It's scheme used #7 for the magnetic pickup , and the tech added another jack on the box for that signal..output ..

A synth Tuba counts as Heavy Metal right?

..

[Dave Greenspoon]

AFAIK, the big difference between amps designed for acoustic instruments vs. electric instruments is the presence of a tweeter. While an amplified acoustic mandolin can be played through an electric-instrument amp, it is sub-optimal for your sound reproduction. My Crafter is similar to your Godin; small preamp and basic EQ. There is a HUGE difference is the sound when played through my Fishman Loudbox 100 vs. the Peavey Classic 30 (now gone) and my Laney Cub 10. I'd really love to run the Crafter thru one of the Roland Jazz Chorus amps to compare with the Fishman.