Acoustic Amp Line Out

[tsfrance]

Hello Everyone. I just play acoustic at home but I do like to amplify because I think it makes me play a bit cleaner and I enjoy it. I have a Gibson acoustic with a Baggs VTC undersaddle pickup. Right now my amp is a Joyo BSK 40 and I like it but as always I am unable to get a great acoustic tone. Especially the bass. So today I tried something new. This amp has a amp out input and I plugged my acoustic guitar into it and it sounds great. Sounds just like it does unplugged. So it does bypass all the amp effects and the EQ and that is probably why it sounds so good to me. I have been looking at DI pedals because that would give me effects and EQ to play with tone with starting from just a plain speaker.

I am curious. Is plugging a guitar into a amp out supposed to actually work? I thought the amp out or DI out was for going into a DAW or a mixer but this seems to work good for how I am using it.

Anybody have any ideas about this?? Thanks.

 

[gearJunkie]

Are you plugging into the "AMP IN" input? If so, then yes, you are bypassing the internal preamp and relying on the Baggs preamp to drive your signal.

If you are plugging into the "AMP OUT" output, then I don't know what's going on, since that is potentially pushing signal back into your guitar electronics.

I was not able to download the manual.

 

[tsfrance]

I am plugging into the amp out jack. Someone told me that I am going to ruin the amp so I stopped doing that until i get more info. To be honest i am pretty confused. Like a lot of acoustic amps when i plug in to the Joyo you lose some of that natural sound due to the undersaddle pickup or that is what I read. So there are pedals that are supposed to help that and that is where i am confused. If a Di pedal has EQ and i run that pedal into the amp how would that be any different than the EQ on the amp? Im starting to think i just need a powered speaker. Im a noob for sure.

 

[AFKAEjay(retired)]

am plugging into the amp out jack.

In most cases a label like that suggest it’s a line out to a mixing desk. I would not have expected it to take a signal, and I’d assume not it’s intended use.

You are right about undersaddle / piezo pickups, most would consider their sound as suboptimal. Nevertheless they are used a lot, mostly cause they are a lot more resistant to feedback issues.

If a Di pedal has EQ and i run that pedal into the amp how would that be any different than the EQ on the amp?

There are simply different methods to deal with the sound of piezo’s, EQs, IRs, Preamps that do specific things..and they may all give different results. Typically, if you add a pedal like that, you’d wanna bypass all other preamp parts, I assume the “amp in” is meant for that.

Some acoustic amps have stuff going on in their preamp, by default, to compensate for the piezo sound, and are nowhere near “neutral”.

A powered speaker is a good option, but maybe your current amp can be just that by using the “amp in”?
Maybe a good test to see if that amp is any good to begin with is to run some audio into the “amp in”, to see if it does that acceptabele.

I never took the “piezo” challenge to the finish, but a friend did and he gets good results with an IR loading device and an EV active monitor (battery powered). It was a bit of a journey finding the right IR though.
Maybe looking at devices designed for this purpose is a shorter cut. Fishman?

If your looking at another amp, definitely check ACUS, I love those for my nylon strings.

 

[tsfrance]

It does work with the amp in but could you some enhancement. Honestly, I get on these kicks but I don't really need to spend $800 to sit and play on my couch for my dogs so I am reeling myself in a bit. I am going to spend $200 on a used Fishman Tonedeq. The amp by itself is decent so adding a little bit of tweaking should give me what I need.

Appreciate your input.

 

[AFKAEjay(retired)]

It does work with the amp in but could you some enhancement. Honestly, I get on these kicks but I don't really need to spend $800 to sit and play on my couch for my dogs so I am reeling myself in a bit. I am going to spend $200 on a used Fishman Tonedeq. The amp by itself is decent so adding a little bit of tweaking should give me what I need.

Appreciate your input.

Sounds like a plan! If your usecase means 80% of sound comes from the guitar acousticly, the amp/preamp becomes less critical.
In that scenario an IR loading modeler could also be a good option, especially if you like a bit of ambient (delay reverb)

I practice on the couch a lot, archtop into a nux air (supersmall Bluetooth speaker sized)…that acts mostly as an “add reverb/delay” to the acoustic sound.