Washburn EZ ROMP

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Just an update to my previous post. Had a chance to try it some more - also with a tiny electric combo amp (squier) and my home mixer going into a HiFi stereo (I'm broke, so what do you want?). I don't have a compressor yet, which would further improve things, but I get pretty good tone with both setups. It really does need a preamp, like I mentioned and I'm getting a Behringer ADI21 for it.

I get useable sound, strummed or fingerstyle, fairly balanced and natural, especially with a bit of reverb/chorus help from my mixer. I can get it up to a nice volume without feedback, but then a soundhole cover is never a bad idea, I should get one.

I will say again, it's probably not a match for expensive active pickups or mics, but sounds very good for the money. Make sure the mic points towards the top/soundhole/bridge.

I wish it was a bit easier to remove for battery replacements, but I'm still on the original set of batteries after about 2 years (but I rarely plug in, though). I don't think it takes up a lot.

Internal gooseneck condenser microphone, cable jack and strap pin all in one. Requires 3 little watch-type LR41 batteries. Seems to have very low gain, so needs nice preamp boost.

A cheap solid-top Brownsville dreadnaught, which I love, it sounds very nice, deep and full to me, especially with good strings. And I ain't worried about denting it like I worried with my Martin D-15.

Well, it's been about a month since I had this thing installed... I plugged it at the store into a nice acoustic amp, but it seemed to have VERY low gain, so all I've been getting was some bass and then FEEDBACK. I figured that maybe the batteries are low, so decided to try that later. There was no going back - worst case scenario I would end up with a $30 endpin, which was the risk I was willing to take.

After that, changing strings I realized that the gooseneck mic was pointed towards the back, which in part explains the problem. I adjusted it to point towards the soundhole and later tried it with an electric little amp I borrowed. Again, the sound was a bit better, but still very low gain. I don't own an amp or a PA, so I had to wait again...

After all I had a chance to plug it into a normal size PA - a Yamaha EMX2000 powered mixer and 2 Yamaha 15" plus horn monitors (500W speakers). At first I was getting the same result - very low gain. Then I turned up the gain knob on the mixer's input channel and finally got normal sound.

All in all I got electric band sound level and very good acoustic tone, far better than any piezo. I really don't like piezo's and that's why I originally tried internal mics (but they're usually expensive) and that's also why I tried Washburn's little "Romp".

I would say that for the money it's quite a gadget. I would also say that it needs a little active DI box, like maybe a Tech 21 Acoustic DI, something that will amplify it further. I hate having batteries in guitars and prefer a DI box which can be powered from phantom power (or battery).

For me this was the best budget option and I'm happy with the sound and didn't have to cut up the guitar much either.

I'll test it some more in time and post more info.

I would probably go for this unit again simply because I can't afford a more expensive unit. And I like internal mics MUCH better than piezos.

I really wish the battery part was easier to remove for changes.