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Thread: Emando players: What do you want in an amp?

  1. #26
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    Default Re: Emando players: What do you want in an amp?

    Various jazz guitar humbucker pickups. My favorites are Bartolini and Bill Lawrence. Very different sound.
    Polytone Mini 12S solid state amp, Alesis reverb, Tubescreamer distortion/overdrive, DBX Compression effect.
    Very little of the effects. Just enough to smooth things out. Like a little seasoning on your food...
    [The Polytone's reverb and distortion are terrible. They stay off.]
    I'm trying to avoid harsh trebly plinkiness. The compression makes a difference in how the
    instrument sings, with less attack and more sustain, and reverb helps too. Without them I hear
    a tick-tick-tick -- a quick "on-off" sound picking notes. I think its because there is less vibration
    due to short strings, compared to a guitar. I thought John Gonder on the Back-up and Push EP
    had really nice tone. Haven't heard that recording in a while. Sometimes I can dial in Pat Martino's
    slightly processed tone, but the similarity ends there :^)

  2. #27
    Oval holes are cool David Lewis's Avatar
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    Default Re: Emando players: What do you want in an amp?

    There are some great suggestions here. I like a fender style but withoutas much treble. Maybe attenuated 10%. I know the fender style has treble but the mandolin supplies that in bulk.

  3. #28
    Registered User zedmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Emando players: What do you want in an amp?

    I use the amps I have for guitar.
    I like a good clean sound and the ability to sculpt a tone as even different guitars will need adjustment of the amp--so a mandolin even moreso.

    As to what it is about the amps--I don't like scooped mids most of the time, but I do have one that can do that easily if I need it.
    Not as much an impact on mandolin though.

    I plug it in, play it & see if I like what it does & how it sounds.
    Would it save you a lot of time if I just gave up and went mad now?

  4. #29
    Registered User DogHouseMando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Emando players: What do you want in an amp?

    After many years of struggling with amps I've finally settled on two depending on size of performance space and sound of the group.

    Fishman Loudbox Mini: $350 on Sweetwater.com. 60 watts solid state w/ DI if needed. This thing has some range on it without use of any additional preamp or pedals. Super light so you don't have to strain with a big heavy amp. Works great for solo shows with two channel inputs for instrument and vocal mic.

    Fender Blues Junior III: $530 on Reverb.com. 15 watts tube. Great amp for a larger band without too much size and weight. I throw an SM57 on this in larger shows with the band and I can hear myself and others can hear me fine without being louder than a third of the way up the volume knob.

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  6. #30

    Default Re: Emando players: What do you want in an amp?

    What I want from an amp?
    The car unloaded in one journey. Very light. Good tone. Ease of use every time. Loud enough for small gigs. Balanced Di for larger gigs. Happy with effects pedals. Able to cope with a C on the electric mandocello. I want a ZT Lunchbox and slave speaker. So that's what I have.

  7. #31
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    Default Re: Emando players: What do you want in an amp?

    LoudBox Mini works for me! As said, it is lightweight, has good tone, multiple inputs/types, and loud enough for most any gig purpose. EM200 goes into a small pedalboard and then into the 1/4" input while a Weber w/ Radius uses a DI to go into the XLR input. An EHX OD Glove provides overdrive and works well with the volume knob on the e-mando, rolling back to clean.

    The main amp here at home is a Vox AC30, but at 70+ lbs and being up on the 3rd floor it doesn't travel to gigs. Instead it was used as a reference to set the LoudBox EQ and the OD Glove to match the Vox. Honestly, you can't tell the difference but for the lack of tube hum.

    Have played it with a full band, at an outdoor gig. When I launched into the Sweet Child opening riff, folks waaay back by the fire pit yelled out. So, it is obviously loud enough!

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