Acoustic Amps - not for guitar!

Seoid

I'm looking for a small acoustic amp that would be suitable for solo gigging with a harp. I don't really know anything about amps but all the ones I have come across seem to be designed for a guitar.
I know that I'd need an acoustic amp to get a good sound out of an acoustic instrument but would one designed for a guitar work just as well with other instruments, such as violin or harp? It seems that the harp has a wider range than guitar, especially in the bass, so I don't know if this would affect it.

I'd also really like something portable (i.e. not too heavy) but that has a good, warm sound. Most importantly, I need to be able to get it in Ireland!!

Can anyone recommend a good amp for me, or where to get one? I'm told that I need a pre-amp but that all acoustic amps have this and my pick-up might as well so I'm a little confused
Would consider a second hand amp if anyone knows of one that's going....

Fingers Mcginty

Better off plugging into the House PA system in my opinion....much better sound.

paulhickey1

A bass amp might work but it's really a PA that you need to use.

Seoid wrote: »

I'm looking for a small acoustic amp that would be suitable for solo gigging with a harp. I don't really know anything about amps but all the ones I have come across seem to be designed for a guitar.
I know that I'd need an acoustic amp to get a good sound out of an acoustic instrument but would one designed for a guitar work just as well with other instruments, such as violin or harp? It seems that the harp has a wider range than guitar, especially in the bass, so I don't know if this would affect it.

I'd also really like something portable (i.e. not too heavy) but that has a good, warm sound. Most importantly, I need to be able to get it in Ireland!!

Can anyone recommend a good amp for me, or where to get one? I'm told that I need a pre-amp but that all acoustic amps have this and my pick-up might as well so I'm a little confused
Would consider a second hand amp if anyone knows of one that's going....

Seoid

That sounds expensive and not very portable.... Most places I go don't have a house PA system.

I have found recommendations online for Crate Taxi or Crate Limo and would like to find something similar that I wouldn't have to have shipped from America.

I'm still confused as to whether an acoustic guitar amp would be suitable for acoustic instruments generally or are really best just for guitar...

Dord

I would suggest a bass amp. What's your budget?

Seoid

The problem with an amp made for an electric instrument is that it makes an acoustic instrument sound tinny, rather than the warm, rich sound that you get from natural acoustics, especially wooden instruments (e.g. violin, classical guitar, trad flute, harp).
I don't think a bass amp would be the solution because bass guitar is an electric instrument and also, I don't know if it would support the range in the treble. I would like an amp that wouldn't need to be upgraded so it would need to cover nearly 7 octaves total with both bass and treble sounding well.

I don't need top of the range or anything but I'd probably go up to €450.

Do you know any shops in Dublin that would be able to advise me? I went into Musicmaker at lunchtime and couldnt even find anybody on the shop floor! Another shop I went into only had one acoustic amp and didn't seem to know anything about it.

Dord

Ok, I found this...

http://www.dustystrings.com/building/harp_amplifier.shtml

It looks pretty good, price ain't too bad either. Here's the manufacturers website.
http://www.schertler.com/prodotti_ing/loudspeakers/david.htm

Seoid

Wow, thanks for the quick research!
That one looks perfect, and not too heavy! Will have to save up and see where the nearest supplier is.

Dord

No probs. They're made in Germany so it shouldn't be hard to get one.

Organeer

Hi, I spoke to a really good harmonica player & he reckons a small valve amp such as the Epiphone is the business. He says it begins to break up very nicely for that really great harp sound. Try somewhere like Waltons or Jimis