Fiddle Amps
Through trial and error most fiddle players find an amp/pickup combination that they like well enough to stay with. We are always looking for something that sounds better. My search has been no exception. I started gigging in 1990 and have gone through many pickups, amps and bows. Ive talked with and heard many fiddle players throughout the Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas areas. Always taking note of what equipment was being used and the tone I liked or didnt like, as well as analyzing myself and asking other musicians and fiddle players what they liked or didnt like about my tone.
All of the fiddle pickups I have used have all been piezos. For a fiddle to be amplified with a piezo pickup...it usually requires EQ. This technology is old but seems to be the standard even though it does have negative qualities such as the "piezo quack" and harshness. So amplifying a fiddle is not always been an easy task.
These are my findings that I have gathered first hand over the past twenty + years. The following are the amps that I have personally owned or played on and these are my opinions...
PEAVEY AMPS : The most affordable, possibly the most popular and dependable amps in their price range.
Peavey mark iii series 400. A great amp head and affordable if you can find one in good shape. They sound as good as anything on the market. The down side is it is going to be old (perhaps noisy knobs and static) and it is a seperate amp head requiring a speaker cabinet.
Nashville 400: great amp, a colored tone and heavy.
Session 400 (and the limited): The most clean of the old Peavey amps, one frequency cut. This is my go to amp when it matters, or if Im outdoors or I think Im going to need volume. Its heavy!
Peavey 112 Acoustic- As good or better than the crate 125. 5 band graphic EQ and a frequency cut. Excellent clean and crisp tone with a 12 inch speaker. Pretty good amp but on the expensive side. Used is the way to go if you can find one. Great fiddle amp. I have not played on the latest model.
Nashville112 - nice ightweight powerful amps, clean tone. only one frequency cut. A great choice as a main fiddle amp.
Nashvile 1000- almost identical in outward tone to the 112 just with more power. ( under the ear you may find this amp to sound a little different with the 15 in speaker vs. 12 inch in the nashville 112.)
OTHERS:
Crate 125D Acoustic amp: I like this amp because it has the most EQ. 5 band graphic and two parametrics (mid cuts). Ive walked away from this amp for years and finally came back to it and tweaked it. I got a clean clear tone with this amp with the zeta strados pickup. The problem is it distorts if I turn it up 3/4 or more. Situations and bands that Im comfortable and know that high volume is not an issue...I would use this amp. Since then I sold it. Overall the size did not equate with the power. So I got a smaller amp for small gigs.
Marshall Acoustic 50/100 Amp: not enough eq for fiddle amplification but decent for acoustic guitar.
Fishman Loudbox: very good but kind of pricy.
Fishman Loudbox Mini: Hey this is the amp for Duo gigs or low volume gigs. Its nothing to brag about as far as tone but it is small and light. Thats the whole point. Its a cool little amp but dont expect it to perform like a nashville 112. Its a 6 inch speaker with a lot of punch. I use the Fishman DI that has the necessary EQ.
Roland Keyboard amps: To harsh and brassy to make them work for me.
Fender acoustasonic: a workable sound not much different than the rest, it needs more EQ on it for it to work for me.
Old Fender tube amps: They are good for fiddle if you want that dirty tone. Feedback could be a problem without the parametr eq. I dont think it is the amp I would use for my fiddle tastes. But for guitar and that "tele/strat tone" I love them.
Through trial and error most fiddle players find an amp/pickup combination that they like well enough to stay with. We are always looking for something that sounds better. My search has been no exception. I started gigging in 1990 and have gone through many pickups, amps and bows. Ive talked with and heard many fiddle players throughout the Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas areas. Always taking note of what equipment was being used and the tone I liked or didnt like, as well as analyzing myself and asking other musicians and fiddle players what they liked or didnt like about my tone.
All of the fiddle pickups I have used have all been piezos. For a fiddle to be amplified with a piezo pickup...it usually requires EQ. This technology is old but seems to be the standard even though it does have negative qualities such as the "piezo quack" and harshness. So amplifying a fiddle is not always been an easy task.
These are my findings that I have gathered first hand over the past twenty + years. The following are the amps that I have personally owned or played on and these are my opinions...
PEAVEY AMPS : The most affordable, possibly the most popular and dependable amps in their price range.
Peavey mark iii series 400. A great amp head and affordable if you can find one in good shape. They sound as good as anything on the market. The down side is it is going to be old (perhaps noisy knobs and static) and it is a seperate amp head requiring a speaker cabinet.
Nashville 400: great amp, a colored tone and heavy.
Session 400 (and the limited): The most clean of the old Peavey amps, one frequency cut. This is my go to amp when it matters, or if Im outdoors or I think Im going to need volume. Its heavy!
Peavey 112 Acoustic- As good or better than the crate 125. 5 band graphic EQ and a frequency cut. Excellent clean and crisp tone with a 12 inch speaker. Pretty good amp but on the expensive side. Used is the way to go if you can find one. Great fiddle amp. I have not played on the latest model.
Nashville112 - nice ightweight powerful amps, clean tone. only one frequency cut. A great choice as a main fiddle amp.
Nashvile 1000- almost identical in outward tone to the 112 just with more power. ( under the ear you may find this amp to sound a little different with the 15 in speaker vs. 12 inch in the nashville 112.)
OTHERS:
Crate 125D Acoustic amp: I like this amp because it has the most EQ. 5 band graphic and two parametrics (mid cuts). Ive walked away from this amp for years and finally came back to it and tweaked it. I got a clean clear tone with this amp with the zeta strados pickup. The problem is it distorts if I turn it up 3/4 or more. Situations and bands that Im comfortable and know that high volume is not an issue...I would use this amp. Since then I sold it. Overall the size did not equate with the power. So I got a smaller amp for small gigs.
Marshall Acoustic 50/100 Amp: not enough eq for fiddle amplification but decent for acoustic guitar.
Fishman Loudbox: very good but kind of pricy.
Fishman Loudbox Mini: Hey this is the amp for Duo gigs or low volume gigs. Its nothing to brag about as far as tone but it is small and light. Thats the whole point. Its a cool little amp but dont expect it to perform like a nashville 112. Its a 6 inch speaker with a lot of punch. I use the Fishman DI that has the necessary EQ.
Roland Keyboard amps: To harsh and brassy to make them work for me.
Fender acoustasonic: a workable sound not much different than the rest, it needs more EQ on it for it to work for me.
Old Fender tube amps: They are good for fiddle if you want that dirty tone. Feedback could be a problem without the parametr eq. I dont think it is the amp I would use for my fiddle tastes. But for guitar and that "tele/strat tone" I love them.
