Blues Bluegrass and Beyond

Blues Bluegrass and Beyond

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Fishman Loudbox Artist Acoustic Amplifier Review

                                            Click here to visit Fishman's website.


     Acoustic instrument amplifiers are a breed apart in comparison with their cousins designed to amplify electric instruments. Today, I want to discuss the Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amplifier, but before I do, let's learn a little about amplifiers in general.
The Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amplifier. Photo Original. 
      Learning about amplifiers can be a complicated business. There are countless different types of amplifiers, and the list of differences between them could stretch on indefinitely. For the sake of attempting to keep this site interesting, we will only discuss the differences between amplifiers designed for musical instruments. Amplifiers were first used to increase the decibel level of music in concert halls. Since concert halls were large drafty facilities, amplifiers helped to spread the music onstage all throughout the facility. Until the 1990's, amplifiers functioned using horn-loaded bass bins. As the new millennium approached, amplifiers were manufactured to include sub-woofers for main sound projection. Today amplifiers could be broken down into a few categories:



                       Click here to check out the Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amplifier.
  • Standard Amps- Standard amplifiers such as the Fender "tweed" style and Gibson amps can include tube amplifiers and built-in reverb and vibrato units. These type of amplifiers were created during the 1940's and were used with much success throughout the 1950's and 1960's. Today, these amplifiers are the perfect choice for blues and slide guitarists, country musicians, soft rock artists, and Rockabilly musicians. This amplifier is also perfect for harmonica players, traditional rock musicians, and anyone who wants to create a classic or 1950's sound. 
  • A Gibson Combo Amplifier. Courtesy of www.wikipedia.org                                         
  • Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Amplifiers- Hard rock and heavy metal amplifiers are designed for, as the title suggests, hard rock and heavy metal music. These amplifiers can also be useful to Southern Rock musicians. Featuring either tube amplifiers or transistor amplifiers these amplifiers are powerhouses for gain, distortion, and loud noise effects. These amplifiers can be kept in cabinets, and have been used by famous musicians such as Jimi Hendrix. One of the main producers of hard rock and heavy metal amplifiers is Marshall.
A Mesa-Boogie Mark IV Amplifier. Courtesy of www.wikipedia.org
  • Bass Amplifiers- Bass amplifiers are designed for bass guitars and upright basses. Typically, these amplifiers include 12 or 18 inch speakers, and may produce pitches of 40 Hz. Larger and more powerful bass amplifiers of 300 or more watts often are provided with external metal heat sinks and fans to keep the amplifier cool. 
An "Orange" Brand Bass Speaker Cabinet. Courtesy of www.wikipedia.org
  • Acoustic Amplifiers- Acoustic amplifiers are best suited to folk, bluegrass, and acoustic genres of music. Theses amplifiers are usually used in conjunction with acoustic/electric guitars, banjos, mandolins, fiddles, accordions, and other acoustic instruments. A hefty power supply of 100 or more watts helps these amplifiers create a "clean" sound. Normally built using class D amplifiers, these amps typically aim for a flat response. Modern acoustic amplifiers also feature anti-feedback, reverberate, and compression devices. The flat response rate of acoustic amplifiers is what really sets it apart from its electric cousins. 
A Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amplifier. Courtesy of www.fishman.com 
     
     The Fishman Loudbox Artist Acoustic amplifier is a fantastic addition to Fishman's line of acoustic amplifiers. At 120 watts, this amplifier is much more powerful than the Loudbox 100. This amp also features anti-feedback and tone fighting controls that help bring out the best sounds in a musician's instrument. One of my favorite features involves the Artist's bi-amplified controls. This amp features two channels that can allow for two musicians to plug into one amplifier. Also, a musician could plug an instrument into one channel and a microphone into the other. This dual purpose amplifier allows for a musician to travel light and carry only one amplifier. At 25 lbs, this amp is also capable of producing quality echo, reverb, gain, and distortion effects. The Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amplifer can even be used with solely electric instruments and still sound professional. This amplifier is perfect for the performing artist and the novice musician at home. After buying one last week, I can honestly say I am more than satisfied with my purchase. Check out the photos and video below! 
Front Control Panel of Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic ampilifier. Photo Original.

Rear Plug-In Panel of the Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amplifier. Photo Original. 

   

2 comments:

  1. A dependable product that doesn't really stand out from the competition. "The Yamaha RX-V371 offers some excellent features for an entry-level A/V receiver. To keep the cost down, h yamaha rx-v381 price

    ReplyDelete