Acoustic amps (duo BS)

If you were going to use the alto for the vocals and guitar you might need a little mixing desk as well, especially if you want a little vocal reverb etc.

I got one of these and it does the the job for pubs and coffee shops acoustically. Cheap and cheerful but gives you a bit of sound shaping for different rooms.

https://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Lighting/Behringturd-XENYX-1202SFX-12-Channel-Analog-Mixer/5LLV
 
I play acoustic duo gigs with my wife. The best way to do it (IMHO) is to have a small PA that can handle everything. We use 2 QSC 10.2 and a small Yamaha mixer with basic effects (reverb etc). I've tried using amps and it in small spaces, it was weird getting my guitar sound from one source and her vocals from another, it sounded disconnected. It's much better and easier to have everything coming out of a single source.
 
I play acoustic duo gigs with my wife. The best way to do it (IMHO) is to have a small PA that can handle everything. We use 2 QSC 10.2 and a small Yamaha mixer with basic effects (reverb etc). I've tried using amps and it in small spaces, it was weird getting my guitar sound from one source and her vocals from another, it sounded disconnected. It's much better and easier to have everything coming out of a single source.

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks man.
 
Yeah, a small mixer if you just need basic EQ and reverb, or, if you need more proccessing, a XR12 that lets you use full compressor, gates, EQ, effects (chorus, reverb, delay, different compressor, enhancer, exciter...). If you use a little looper, it´s easy to take a walk on the audience space to tweak the overall sound (a simple Zoom G1 would do the trick, plus you´d have tuner and additional EQ/effects if needed, for dirt cheap and small size).

Then, a couple speakers (not necessarily top tier ones). Altos are good enough, and if you´re exquisite, they say the QSC CB10 sound stellar. It seems they´re the new favourites in theacousticguitarforum.

Regarding the guitar, I´d just use one with a JJB pickup. Add a little compression and 1kHz small cut to remove honkyness. Those pickups (K&K style) sound very good, are passive, avoid all knobs, cuts, batteries or extra weight in the guitar and are cheaper than K&Ks.

Yesterday I was testing different preamps at high volume with my JJB equiped guitar. All of them sound very good just compressing and EQing from the mixer (Midas MR18). Fishman Platinum Pro/EQ, Bo Hansen active DI, Jack Orman JFet buffers (AMZ musique web... dirt cheap, but DIY), Pumpernickel compressor OPamp buffer, Nano Cortex with captures from several preamps (Grace Alix, Neve, Baggs Venue DI, Baggs PADI, Bodyrez) and even the buffer in the Boss MS-3. They all can sound similarly good with just small tweaks. You only need to be from 500 kOhm impedance and up, and slightly tweak to get a good tone.

I think a good buffer, some device to compress and EQ (be it the mixer or a little multieffects), and a couple speakers... and call it a day. I wouldn´t use acoustic amps.
 
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