A.E.R. Compact Classic Pro

it is built in 2003.
i use it mainly to amplify classical guitars in a large tango group and in a chambermusic group.
you might want to go to the A.E.R. homepage and download the datasheet (http://www.aer-amps.de/Sites_E/Produktseiten.htm) for more info on the features. basically it is a 60w one channel amplifier with two inputs wich both are mutable. I find that very useful.
the digital effect processor is high quality (32bit) but it has only reverbs so if you want different effects you will need an extra effectprocessor. i dont use it because we think it souds silly to hear a different kind of reverb on the guitar than on the rest of the group. i wish it had the jack input changed for a xlr-type with 48v phantompower (so i can, depending on the instrument, either use a two microphone setup or a combined piezo/microphone setup. i cannot imagine what to do with two jack inputs).
neither do i understand why they added a headphone out. if my amplified acoustic guitar is too loud i just switch the amp off.
with 60watts it has plenty of power for me.

in my search for an amplifier for classical guitar i have been trying out most of the stuff on the dutch market and i think, soundwise, the german AER is probably the only company on the right track. if you are looking for an amplifier for acoustic guitars forget about trace eliott, ashdown, fishman, mashall, fender, crate and the rest of them, they don?t even come near.
What I think is good about this amp is the fact that when I put my paulino bernabe imperial 2000 or my francesco santiago marin 1985 classical guitars through it, it sounds like that instrument. i use an audio technica pro 7a (lavaliere type) condensor microphone. the amp is able to amplify them almost without any change of colour. the sound can even be more natural if you use a better microphone, such as a schoeps mk4. than you will have a bigger risk of feedback though.
It even works well with my gibson chet atkins nylon string solid body. it has a three band equalizer with parametric basses witch is very effective in adjusting it to the hall we play in leaving the sound as natural as possible.
It has one 8? twin cone speaker and a tweeter. i think it is because of that tweeter why it sounds much better than the Compact 60 and the Domino that lack brightness and attack. I also find it sounding much better than the Alpha and the Acousticube wich is much more expensive.
You can set it to maximum volume with hardly any hum but i never do that because i don?t need that much volume and it will give feedback.

i only have it one month now so there is not much i can say about reliability
but it looks and feels like it is built to last and i would use it on a gig without a backup.

before i bought it, the dutch agent ron houben was very helpful supplying all information i asked for (as you all know, usualy sales people don?t know what they are talking about, but he does) but i mailed AER repeatedly both in the netherlands and germany to ask if it is possible for them to make the custom changes on the input stage i mentioned and a 12v dc power input, but i never got a reply. When i asked ron houben about it he said they may add those things to the next version but that is not likely to come soon. the warranty is three years.

it costs much more then the others on the market, but if you want something good this is your amp. and yes i would buy it again.
i would like a 12v dc power input so it could run on an external car battery (i tried the compact mobile but i found it not meeting the sound quality of the classic, besides i don?t feel like carrying an extra 7kg around as i usualy do not need batterypower).
also i would like it to come with a longer power wire (it comes with a cable of only 2meters, you can?t do much with that on a stage)
it weighs 9,5 kg so it can be easily carried in the added protective gig bag.