Fishman Pro EQ II Preamp

Easy enough for me. The manual is pretty useful, showing a few examples of EQ settings for different styles of playing, power supply options, and so on.

I put a Markley Sweet Spot pickup in my guitar, but I really didn't want to cut a hole in the side of my instrument. The pickup sounds fine on its own without the preamp, but it really comes alive with the Pro EQ II. Of course a preamp doesn't (or shouldn't) really sound like anything, so a better pickup with the Pro EQII will sound better, a worse pickup, worse. The Phase switch does a good job of cutting feedback.

I've used it for many shows with no trouble. I know the old Pro EQ had a metal case, while the Pro EQ II has a heavy plastic case. I don't have a problem with the plastic since I'm gentle with it, and I don't see too many acoustic players swinging their gear around on stage anyway, so plastic seems fine to me. I'd gig without a backup because if it broke, I could just run the pickup direct to the amp. Sure, it wouldn't be fun, but I'd make it.

If it were stolen I'd see it as an opportunity to get a better guitar. However, it is a very valuable part of my setup, and I can't do without it. Due to the size of my band, I'm not always able to have my amp on stage, sometimes even to have access to a power supply. The Pro EQ II sounds just as good when run direct to the board, and it has worked flawlessly on battery power when I've needed it to.