Fender Acoustasonic 30

Let me start by saying that I have had an AER compact mobile for 5 years and that I recently acquired the fender . I tried them simultaneously to compare.
Fender has more effects and gimmicks then the AER, but they are of a different quality all together
AER reverb is far superior then all the DSP of the fender and is pretty much all you need especially if you are dealing with a nylon string instrument.
as always LESS IS MORE

Here is where the difference resides
It doesn't come close to the AER
The acoustasonic like most acoustic amps I have tried adds an indesirable artificial quality to the natural sound of the guitar, Crate was the worst in that respect.
The AER doesn't and that's what you pay for, just accurate amplification of the instrument.
But if you can't afford an AER , for the price the Fender is a good value overall.
The problem is that contrary to an electric guitar which doesn't have an acoustic reference to compare to (really what is the acoustic sound of an electric guitar?) an acoustic amp's job is to faithfully reproduce the already existing sound of the guitar and just make it louder.
The Fender isn't bad it's just that if you hear an AER, the difference is obvious

Bought mine new in November 2006 from AMS. I use it mostly at church, usually with a Taylor 310CE and sometimes with my 1972 Martin D-18 (using a Fishman soundhole humbucking rare-earth pickup). I've messed around with all of the effects, but I don't use most them, usually just the reverbs, sometimes the delay. The chorus is OK, but I just picked up a Boss AD-3 for that purpose.

This amp seems underpowered to me. I play mostly flatpick styles, varying between heavy strumming and some light stuff. Sometimes it's hard to get the amp to cut through the other instruments unless I have it cranked pretty high, and especially dial up the bass, but heavy playing can start to distort or get muddy in the bass end. I should probably set it for the best sound overall, and then use a volume pedal....

I don't use this amp alone for gigs, but typically use it as pre-amp and line-out to the PA. This works pretty well for me, then I can set the amp controls and master to what works best and let the house mix me in with the amps signal. Because the speaker doesn't cut out when when the line-out is used, the amp them makes a pretty good monitor for me. Actually, when I have time to play around with stage placement for the amp and stuff like that, I can get some cool interactions between the amp speaker output, stage mics picking up some of it, and then with the line-out to PA speakers you get a bit of some natural delays. (Edge of U2 makes a science of that stuff btw...)

It sounds pretty good I think. It's great for small rooms, and when I use it where I am the only instrument along with vocals, then it sounds great on its own. But if I have to dial it up to cut through other guitars, then the sound starts to get crappy. Like I said before in that case I use the line-out and let the PA give me more power while I keep the amp set at what sounds good.

It's clean, and it does a great job with my Taylor (I have a newer 310 with the expression system). Of course, the Taylor would sound good plugged into almost anything that doesnt muck up the signal. My D-18 sounds great in the amp too, and I have a cheap Ibanez with Pishman piezos and that sounds pretty good too. So I guess that is the real test... Each of those guitars/pickups has a pre-amp so that is key. I wouldn't try to drive this amp with cold pickups, it just doesnt have the power.

I havent used the XLR input for mic yet. I have messed with using the XLR as the input for my Taylor (the Taylor has a balanced output). The amp XLR channel is a lot hotter than the unbalanced, so lots more headroom, but it is really noisy for use with a guitar, also it can sound harsh. It can work, but I get the sound I want on the amp's guitar input and the volume I want from the PA.

Had it 6 months no trouble so far. I use it at church without a backup... I guess if it took a dump during service I would just switch my guitar to a direct box.

no opinion yet

Overall I like the thing. If I had to replace it, I would probably stay with the Acoustisonic line but jump up the Jr, because it has more power and two bigger speakers. I think that would definately help. I like that it has some effects on it, they're not great, but good enough to flavor the sound a little. If you want more get some stomp boxes. The string dynamics control is nice to have, although it took me a while to find where I think it sounds best with my playing style. You gotta mess around with it a bit and listen while you play alone to find your sweet spot. I wish it had a balanced line out.

Enough features to meet my needs...but a stereo line out without the amp's speaker playing would be nice.

I play with a NP-15 Takamine and a Norman B-20 (with passive KK pickups and I was very surprised to get a better sound with the Norman! I also plugged in my Fender strat. and I got a nice clean soud !!!
You get distorted sound if you push the bass too much.

Five years warranty...first year fully supported by the dealer and after you deal with Fender...that's what my dealer said.

I chose this amp. for it's clean sound wish it had more power.

This amp has a great sound. (it's a fender!) The reverb is amazing. It features some weak chorus too.

Quality and .01 to 5 is the fender quality. If you have too much bass on it it will overdrive. The speaker is 8 inch which doesn't fit the 90 watts of power... maybe a bigger speaker would do the trick.

I haven't had any trouble. I've been playing electric (Semi hollow guitar) through it since I first bought it.

You want clean? This is it. Personally I don't like playing acoustic through ANY amp... I pefrer using a micraphone since I like the true sound not that weird sound... well you may know what I mean.

It's an 8. Get a twin reverb and you'll have a 10.

I play in a acoustic, rock band consisting of two acoustics and one electric. I've been using the acoustasonic 30 to power my Maton 325. As a simple set up the features are good. The delay and reverb effects sound, and the string dynamics is also a good talking point. The jack for a microphone came in handy for practises, but its lack power let it down.

Like I just mentioned i run the amp with my Maton 325. The style of music that we play is a play on emo rock with acoustics and without bass and drums. The counter the lack of bass both acoustics are tuned down to open c# to fill out the bottom end. This is where the acoustasonic fails. There simply isnt enough power. In a small room (i.e. bedroom) the tones are beautiful, warm and full. But as soon as you need the tiniest more kick it distorts. I find it distorts at very low volume, struggling to handle the full sound of the Maton.
To rate it i think for its sound under quiet volume is really good, but doesnt have any legs when more is needed.

I had to replace the fuse. Simple job. short ciruit. This was my fault, but it was hard to get to the fuse. It wasnt a quick simple job to find the fuse and replace it. It had to locate it and do too much un-screwing to get to it. Not very practical.

Overall, when i bought this amp i was quite happy. The sound was great, warm, rich tones, which i love. But as soon as i went to play with other muscians it drowned out through lack of power, and any attempt to raise the volume caused unwanted distortion.

I use the Acoustasonic in a trio of guitar, keyboard and violin playing ethnic, blues and American standards. It has plenty of volume for all but the largest rooms. Mostly I play straight acoustic guitar, flat- or fingerpicked, and the sound is natural and, more important to me, balanced right up into the higher volume.

My guitar is a 1957 Epiphone Texan. The pickup is a Fishman Matrix II. While this was being installed, I experimented with a friend's guitar through the amp. His guitar also had an under-saddle pickup, but without a pre-amp. What a difference! If you go for the cheaper, "cold" pickup, you will definitely regret it. With the Matrix II I have more than adequate volume, the amp's reception of (and sensitivity to) the guitar is greatly enlarged, and the level of special effects is deeper. There are more special effects than I will ever use, and there is a good deal of redundancy among them: there are for example "room" and "hall" reverbs that sound nearly identical (and kind of dopey), plus a similar-sounding "plate" setting. However, the "vibraphone" has a very nice shimmering, underwater quality, and the "echo" setting gives a repeated note, with three frequency-of-repeated-note settings. This one is quite nice for blues, especially as you can run the intensity of any effect from 1 to 10; this results in a lot of available subtlety.

Wood Brothers in Pittsfield, Mass. Very nice folks; they run the warranty out of their shop (they're 'first responders'). Warranty is for five years.

I've been playing for some years, and don't use any other gear except the Fender. I'd definitely replace it; if I had the money, I might go up one level. The one thing I wish it had is, instead of the redundant effects settings, a setting that would distort or perhaps slightly extend the note. Would be good for solos.

Purchased in 2000. Chorus, reverb, "string dynamics" 1/4" channel and XLR channel.

Play a 2000 taylor 310 CE and use the amp as a monitor as well as pre-amping before line-out into the house. The chorus and reverb makes a huge difference compared to going dry into the house.

Not too many fancy effects, but then there weren't too many of these back in 2000. Hardly use the XLR channel, but I need to turn the volume down to keep the noise from going into the house.

Been in the shop twice - once to calm the clicking noise from the reverb and the second time to fix power. Would gig without a back up but hate the weight. SOrt of double edged, it's rugged but can get banged around because it's heavy.

5 year warranty, brought it to an authorized store both times for warranty repairs.

If I were to shop for an acoustic amp again, would consider but would definitely look at smaller, less heavy ones as well (there are more choices now). Love the kick back design and the ability to use as monitor (i.e. plugging in the line out doesn't shut off the speaker), not all amp makers do this.

2005 model. Nice assortment of effects- I mostly use the chorus or chorus/delay. Keeping in mind that this is a practice unit, I wouldn't gig with it alone, I might mike it or use the line out and use it as a monitor.

I use a National Estralita with a Shatten passive reso p/up, K.Yairi with a Schatten active bridge p/u, Weissenborn Model 1 with a Fishman Rare Earth Blend p/u, all run through a LR Baggs Gigpro pre-amp, then I mike with a Shure sm57 and blen the signals. I also use a custom built 12 string mike only. I play finger style and slide. This little unit suits me just fine. I try not to drive it to the level of distortion. It has plenty of punch, but is gentle enough to deal with some subtlety. Good dynamic range.

Too new - never broken

No dealings with Fender on this one

I would take a step up to the 60 next time around, but I like the DSP. Low cost fun little unit.

How I use the amp: I'm a solo acoustic singer/songwriter and I play small clubs, sometimes larger venues. I have a Fishman pickup on my Martin. I run the guitar into an Aphex Acoustic Xciter then to a chorus pedal then to a volume pedal (softer for strumming, louder for fingerpicking) and then I run that into a Behringer UB802 mixer. I also use a SM57 to mic the guitar which I also run into a channel on the UB802. I sing through another SM57 and run that into the UB802. I then run a single line out to the "Acoustasonic 30" using the XLR input. I don't use the guitar input at all except for that rare moment when someone else wants to join in. I adjust the sound on the mixer and it sounds great through the amp WHICH I ONLY USE AS A MONITOR. I run a line from the line-out into the house PA system or into any larger PA that is available. It sounds great! On occasion when the venue is small I will set the amp on a small table and use it as the room amp and it also sounds good. With the vocal mic I use a FX-1 processor to get the right reverb effect. I would highly recommend this set-up, using the amp for a monitor.

Haven't had to contact support

The string dynamics is very good for adjusting a crisp tone or a more mellow tone. The mic input is good, however mine starts to scream if I turn the volume up past 4. I do like the equalizer for the mic. The chorus is very good but thats more due to taste. The reverb is pretty good.

I us a Takemine EG-334 and a low end Galveston. It make the Galveston sound really good. And of course the Takemine sound really good. I have had a problem when I turn the amp up to 9 or 10 it starts to sound distorted and kind of chunky. Another problem I have my Digitech GNX3 does not work very well with this amp. It causes the amp to scream or get really chunky and fuzzy. I also use an Galveston open body electric guitar which sound good through this amp.

I would only gig with this amp at small venues and by yourself. It is not loud enough if you are playing with a drummer. Other than that this amp is very reliable I've had mine for 2 year and have never had any problems at all.

Never had to deal with.

I've been playing for a little over 4 years, the only other amp I have is a little 15 watt Fender. If this amp were stolen, I probably would buy the larger version acoustasonic but only because the volume problem when I gig or practice with my band. The main thing i like about this amp is the sound it is one of the best acoustic guitar amps I have heard.

My Acoustasonic 30 is the non-DSP model. It is in like new condition. I play folk-rock mostly and wanted an amp to play acoustically thru and sing. The amp has 2 channels, 1 for guitar, 1 for voice (XLR-in). It has reverb which is nice...I think it is a spring reverb because I can hear it when I move the amp. It also has chorus which I don't care for. 3 band EQ is decent and string dynamics control is a bit of a mystery to me, might be more obvious at louder volumes. I use a ART tube preamp, one of those little ones with the meter on it and I found it greatly enhances headroom, lots more volume for my Gibson J45 with stock pickup. I wish it had seperate stereo outs...one for voice, one for guitar.

I waited a couple of days after I got the amp to post a review, as to be fair. I must say I love the sound of this amp! Everytime I turn it on it inspires, I tried a fancier Fender model about a year ago and thought it was awful and I was shocked at how much I liked this one. I never thought I'd love a solid state amp for guitar. I must add using my ART preamp with the amp with the chorus turned on makes some weird "quispey" sounds...but I have no-use for chorus so not a problem.

It is Fender, so I assume it will never breakdown. I have 3 others a 70's Champ and Princeton, and a early 60's (hurting) Bandmaster. The pots in these old amps don't even make static...I think Fender amps are the greatest!

No answer, don't really know.

I have been playing a long time...doesn't mean I'm any good...lol. It is a great hobby, I might play out again someday, but maybe not. I just enjoy playing music. I am glad I came upon this amp as I was actually drawn to a modestly priced Behringer ACX 1000, or whatever its called that I thought might be a good option...I didn't like the Behringer at all and as soon as I plugged into the Acoustasonic I was delighted. The only thing I wish this amp had was a bit more power and stereo/seperate outs. Buy one of you get the chance.

I have an older non-DSP model that I bought from Guitar Center as a clearance item. I like the simplicity of the features. The chorus on this older model is far better sounding than the new DSP model. If you can find a non-DSP get it. Plug in an SM58 through the vocal channel and it's all you need. Need more volume? Line out to the PA or mic it. This would be a great amp at twice what it costs.

I'm playing a Martin 000M with a Fishman Matrix active pickup through the Acoustasonic 30. It is virtually silent when plugged in. I use the chorus on about 1.5-2 and it is LUSH! The reverb is nice on the vocal channel but a little too much with both chorus and reverb on the guitar. I've played my guitar through just about every "acoustic" amp made and this little amp is the only one that doesn't sound like just a guitar through another amp. Flawless sound. I've been reading all of the "it's not loud enough" comments and yes it is not a Marshall stack but it gets plenty loud to do a small gig (with an attentive audience)on it's own or like I said...line out to the house system. It's the incredible sonic quality that sets this amp apart from the rest.

I haven't had it long enough to comment on this but hey...it's a Fender. I'm not too worried.

Once again...no opinion yet.

I've been playing for over 30 years and this is the only amp I've ever considered worthy of being called a true "acoustic guitar" amp. It blows anything else I've ever tried away for true sonic quality including it's big brother the Acoustasonic Jr. I don't know what or how Fender did it but this little gem is a treasure and it will be with me for a long time to come.

This is a 2004 Mexican made Fender DSP model. This amp is perfect for a practice amp and for smalls gigs. The digital effects on the amp are good. It would have been nice if Fender would have have given a "tap" control for the timing on the delay. Line 6 does it on their low end amps, you think Fender could do this too. The pre-sets are useable and they sound pretty good. The amp has enough power for me. I have noticed that this is one point that that this amp is criticized for. OK it is a small amp, if you need a big amp, buy a big amp. If you can get by with a small one. This is it!

I play a an Epi-PRE6 with the stock EPI Piezo pup and a Samick Cheyene SMJ-10 with an LR Baggs piezo. The amp is quiet anad clean. It can really deliver a plethora of sounds, I was suprised by how many. I mainly play finger-style guitar, Atkins-Travis style. I compared this amp to Crate and Peavey in the same size range. This was the best sounding amp to me.

It's a Fender. I have had good luck with Fenders for the past 30+ years. I have owned 5 this one makes 6. This unit seems to be very solid. Based on my past history with Fender, I do not expect anything different.

Never needed them. I alway try to buy from dealers who can support the equipment too. I know that this is not an option for some. If you can it is well worth it.

I have been playing for over 30 years. If lost or stolen I would replace it with the same amp. I love the sound and the flexibiilty this anp affords. I wish Fender would give time delay control to it's amps. Like I said Line 6 does it on it's low end models. Come on Fender, you can do better than that! That is my only complaint. Otherwise I give this amp a 10.

This review is for the 2004 model of the Acoustasonic 30 (the one with DSP effects). You can find most of the features listed on any vendor's site. The amp has 2 channels, instrument and mic (each with individual EQ and DSP effects). A minor disapointment was that the instrument channel only has an unbalanced 1/4" input. The mic channel on the other hand has an XLR input - but when I plugged my guitar into that channel, it was fairly noisy.

I used this amp to amplify my Taylor 710CE (with the expression system). The guitar sounded great through the amp. Just as good of a tone as much more expensive amps that I tried. The effects sound great too - great Fender reverb, delay is always fun to have, chorus - and even a neat vibrato (which I don't even think the higher-end SFXII has). Even with my guitar AND amp turned up all the way, there was very little noise and hiss - however, the simple reason for that is that the amp is WAY TOO QUIET! I disregarded most of the reviews I read stating that it wasn't loud enough. I figured that a 15 watt little elctric guitar practice amp got pretty loud, so a 30 watt amp should be plenty to be heard over drums and an electric guitar. Well acoustic and electric are quite different methods of amplification. So as much as I like the amp in terms of features and sound quality (not to mention it looks really cool), the loudness simply isn't enough for my applications.

It looks pretty dependable, but I didn't own it long enough to comment on this.

I called Fender before purchasing the amp, to ask them a few questions about the amp. The guy I talked to was very friendly, and also pretty sincere. In fact, even HE told me to think about getting a higher end model (the Acoustasonic Jr.), since he said this one is fairly quiet.

Don't get me wrong, this is a GREAT little acoustic gtr amp, but I would limit its applications to practicing by yourself, or at most playing in public in a very quiet environment. No store around me carried the Acoustasonic, so I never had a chance to try it out. So I ordered it online and hoped for the best. As I said, the sound quality is very good, and across the volume range there is very little background noise. But I simply would not be heard on top of our drummer and electric guitar, so I returned it and ordered the Acoustasonic SFXII. Hopefully it's 80x2 watts will be enough power.

Update to review below

I traded my Ovation S771 for a Mexican maple neck strat. Absolutely gorgeous clean tones out of this amp! The warmth of the amp combined with lush chorus, good 'ol Fender reverb and the string dynamics (!) are amazing. Another reviewer opined the string dynamics was some sort of compressor, and it does seem to add sustain. All I need now is a good distortion pedal..

Bought it Summer of 2002, and raved about it in previous review. I've lived with it for a while and changed guitars and I'm passing along my updated perceptions.. Lots of features for the money.

Originally I was playing an Ovation S771 Balladeer through it. That combo sounded great. The S771 has the OP24+ preamp in it, and that compensated for the low power of the amp. Not a transparent sound at all but a nice juicy, punchy acoustic electric steel string tone. Then I went and fell in love with an Ovation 6773 Country Artist, a nylon string guitar with the older OPX preamp. It sounds OK through the Acoustasonic 30 but as all you fellow tone junkies know, OK doesn't cut it. I'm currently shopping for something a little more transparent in an acoustic amp. Maybe a Trace Elliot, AER would be great, I hear they sound great w/nylon string guitars, but they are pricey.

Owned less than a year, have owned several other Fender amps, never a problem. Built solid, but rather heavy and awkward to carry.

No experience.

Great sound for steel string, super with Ovation OP24 series preamps. Very heavy for power rating, awkward shape. I'd keep it if I was still playing steel string and deal with the weight/transport issue. Makes a nice onstage monitor if playing solo in a fairly quiet hall or restaurant. Probably wouldn't work for a band w/drummer or solo in a real noisy bar/pub because you'd have to crank volume to the point of distortion (saturated tone) to hear yourself. I only play solo to church groups these days (have permanent tinnitis from playing in bands in front of a 100 watt Marshall!) and haven't had any experience in those environments so it's mostly conjecture on my part.

30 watt acoustisonic, instrument and vocal channel, string dynamics, chorus, reverb, line out. i would have liked an effects loop, the option of a reverb switch on the vocal channel, and also a mid pot on the vocal channel. phase switch is a bonus.

i use a 1984 gibson epiphone with a fishman bridge pickup, run it through an art dual mic pre into an art tube parametric eq, and split the dual outputs to board and amp respectively. i run vocals through a yorkville apex 430 condenser mic to the art mic pre and split the dual outputs to board and amp. the line out goes to the board to fill it all out. i play beethoven to nick drake, elvis costello to the zombies, and i find this amp works well for all. with a touch of rev and chorus, the guitar sounds warm and full and the vocals sound surprisingly good. the blend of both through the amp is very pleasing. the amp was a little weak when pushed to its limits in a noisey setting, but with the options available in my set up, a PA makes this irrelevent. the vocal channel distorts when pushed and is pretty hissy, but oh well. i like this amp alot.

so far so good. i bought it used, but fairly mint.

no dealings yet...

i've been playing guitar 22 years, drums 28 years. i own lots of gear. my favorites are a 57 les paul junior, fender 'the twin' amp, tannoy reveal studio monitors, my epiphone acoustic (a rare gem that, while not top of the line, sounds amazing!!!!!) and this little acoustisonic makes me smile. i would get another acoustisonic if it was stolen. i'd like more power, but this one sounds great and i like its portability (SMALL, if not quite light!) looks and sounds great, and i love the tilt back feature (not when carrying it...)

Many others have pointed out the features of this amp. But there are
some features this amp is missing. It doesn't have a jack for an
external cab and it doesn't have a switch to turn off the internal
speakers. The line out jack isn't that useful if you have to crank the
amp up to feed the PA. The tweed grille, wood grain face, and tan tolex
is very attractive. This amp is very heavy as the cabinet is made of
thick particle board.

An acoustic amp isn't supposed to have a warm creamy tone. It is intended
to be a linear reproduction of the input signal, like a small PA amp.
It has knobs on the front for equalization, but it isn't designed for
any particular instrument in mind. For guitars with built in eq, it is
best to leave the knobs at 5 and use the eq on the guitar. Since the
back of the amp is closed, it can delever quite a bit of bass for
an 8" speaker. The phasing switch is useful to avoid feedback. The amp
isn't very loud, so I wouldn't recommend it for use in noisy venues. It
does make for an excellent practice amp. The spring reverb sounds great,
but is prone to hum. The chorus is quite excellent, but the only control
it has is it's speed. The amp is prone to hissing, even with the
instrument cable completely disconnected. The hiss is even louder
on the line out jack. Hooking it up to a PA may result in unacceptable
levels of hiss.

It does come with a full schematic if you desire
to fix it yourself.

This amp is best described as an acoustic practice amp. It's low
volume and hiss on the line out limits its use in noisy places or with a PA.
It is perfect for home use or other smaller quiet places.

Brand new, made in Mexico, a wonderful country that doesn't have a jerk for a president. Great features, read about 'em in the other reviews. Chorus to die for, good 'ol Fender reverb w/spring. Plenty of power for me, if I want more volume it's cause I'm playing a big hall so then I run the direct line out into a 500 watt PA system. Like DUH!!

Crystal clear gobs of luscious creamy quivering (w/chorus) acoustic/electric tone. Best sounding acoustic amp you can buy, period.

It's a Fender. My seventh Fender in 35 years. Like DUH!

It's a Fender, like DUH!

Great amp. Compared with others, TA50, Marshall, SWR, blew them away.

30 watt acoustic/vocal amp, with chorus and reverb, and a phase switch.

this amp has brilliant, crystal clear sound. my singer uses it as a sort of monitor, and he left it in my studio. so i tried it out, and wow! great sound, killer reverb, good chorus. with an sm58, the vocal channel was awesome. even my tele sounded cool through it!

the problem? the instrument channel has no guts at all. the vocal channel is plenty loud, but even through a preamp the instrument could not keep up. sure it could be miced, but then you may as well skip the middleman and go direct. i doubt it could give enough juice for any gig or party, unless everyone was being very very quiet. if you just want something to practice with and use in a studio or whatnot, id give it a ten. if you want to take it out...get a bigger one.

n/a, not my amp

???

im seriously considering getting the acoustasonic pro after playing this. i love the sound, and the convenience, and if it had the power, id love it. ive had a ball just dorking around with it.

oh, and it is very heavy!!

New Fender acoustisonic amp from Mars Music. Came with a free cable(YIPPIE). I like it quite a bit. Got chorus, spring reverb, independent mic channel. The reverb is kinda too much, not good for chords. Usually keep the reverb at 3 or 4 because it just sounds like you are in a huge empty room. If it was reverb with a hint of cheers from the crowd, it might be better! <g> Phase switch is a godsend.

I have a Fender DG-20CE with a great fishman pickup in it. I play stuff like dave matthews and my own band's stuff. Works really good for that stuff. Plenty of tonal range with the preamp in the guitar and the stuff on the amp, you can get anything from really twangy treb to deep growling bass.

This amp weighs in at a whopping 46 lbs. That is heavier than hell. I bet you could run it over wiht a truck(not that anybody would want to do that with a 300 buck amp). I am sure it would stand a gig. probably not big enough for a live band type gig but deffinitely solo coffee house style gig.

Gosh, I dont know how long I have been playing it, um, Its a nice amp, plenty of power for my little room. If it got stolen I owuld cry. I dont think I will ever buy another acoustic amp, just not worth it, unless it had way more effects. I have no friends but its ok.

As you can read from below, this amp has 2 inputs, one for instrument, the other for your microphone. Got String Dynamics to cut down harshness of strumming, Chorus and Reverb. It's actually pretty heavy for what it offers, but a smaller version of the Acoustasonic Jr. I wish the second channel had both an instrumental and microphone input. And yes, the kickback feature makes it a pretty difficult carry. 30Watts in total, 35 lbs.

There's one thing about this amp, it's volume. I have a Peavey KB/A 30 watter and that drives about 4 times more volume than this thing. I have a Norman B20 active pickup and I had to put the volume at 6 in order to have some sort of pleasable sound. I remember the Acoustasonic Jr sounding tons better, but this guy didn't seem to have much volume at all. Even my KB/A 15 watter seemed to give more volume. Other than that, it is pretty clear, it sounds good but again, distortion and fuzzy at playable volumes.

I bought this amp, used it for about 3 days. I turned it on the next day and the lights would be on but no output. I couldn't believe my eyes! I almost cried, I spent enough on this baby and it didn't even last me 4 days.

I returned this amp immediately to the store I bought it from and well it's gonna take 3 weeks for my new one to come in. However, I've been given a temporary amp on loan, and I love it! It's only about 60 bucks more than the Acoustasonic, it's the Yorkville AM100, with tons of features, 16 effects, 100 watts and most importantly, it weights only 25 lbs! I think I'm gonna stick with the Yorkville.

I did a lot of research into acoustic amps and I found that they are pretty expensive, they're heavy and well, I thought the Acoustasonic 30 was perfect for me. It wasn't loud enough, and I don't suggest buying a 400 "practice" amp. It does sound good, clear, crisp, but man... if it had never died on me maybe I'd grow to love it. I guess I was one in those thousand that have a manufactured defect. OH wells.

Straight forward features for the analog player.

I play a Seagull with the LR Baggs and an Ovation 1860 Balladeer. The Ovation soundz good but I really like the way the Seagull sounds. I use the line out into a distorted amp to get two signals (acoustic and tubey) and this set up actually sounds great for my style. You wouldn't believe the nice feedback I get out of the distorted amp "even better than my other canadian guitar, a godin electric". Driven hard though I do get the "bad distortion" similar to the complaints you see for distortion coming from the vocal channel. Overall I would go for the next in line Junior because of the need for volume without distortion. But if you need limited volume, this thing sounds superb. I even don't mind the vocal channel personally. It sounds good but as mentioned, it will distort in a bad way if you push it. Fender told me that it was designed for cheap mics (sounds funny though) but anyway, to put a 60db pad in the front of the vocal mic (like a 1/4" female to male XLR adapter). That did seem to help some. And, the chorus on channel one, as you will read from some, sounds great.

If you have an idea how to upgrade to a better speaker, please e-mail me.

Have you ever tried to call Fender's 800 number? They make some great amps but if you can get through to this number without getting a "Try back later" you're doing good.

I've been at it for about 15 years. If lost or stolen I may go for a Junior or an SWR Blonde (which is more pricey however). Yes, the tilt back feature is cool and the amp reproduces well at low volumes. The line out feature works well into other amps or into a p.a. Not bad at all for the money!

Again, if you know a good speaker to upgrade to, pleeeease let me know.

Be cool! <>

Recent model year and date of manufacture 2000 (I guess). Features: Effects include chorus, string dynamics and reverb. Two channels one for an Instrument and the other specifically for a microphone. Also included is an input jack for an effects foot switch (which is a $40.00 option) and a line out jack.

I play an Ovation Balladeer S771. This amp and the other Acoustasonics models are a good match for the Ovation pickup. I listend to both Crate CA30 which I found to be a poor match (way too much pre-amp boost). The Acoustasonic has a very clean and natural sound through the Instrument channel and very loud. I have not tried the microphone channel, but from reading the other reviews it does not sound like it is worth using.

Reliability has been great so far. I have only owned the amp for 3 months, so my usage is limited.

Have not dealt with Fender. I bought the amp used and it did not come with a manual. Unfortunately Fender has not yet released a PDF version of the 30 manual on their website, as they have done with the other models in the Acoustasonic series. This is something I need to email them about (again).

My combined experience is about 3 years. I played acoustic and electric guitar during the sixties as a kid and just picked it up again (influenced initially by my kids who are now into it). It is funny how some thing have not changed all that much. The retro equipment is really "in", and as one would expect the electronics have just become increasingly better values through the years.
The Acoustasonic has been a good choice for my purpose which is jamming at home as a hobby, and occasionally with friends. I own an Ovation and a newly acquired Epi Les Paul Standard, which actually sounded pretty good through this little amp. If the amp were lost or stolen in the near future, I would probably replace it with a amp that would be better suited for both my Les Paul and Balladeer.

I purchased this amp in mid January, 2001 and I use it with my Martin DM (Fishman Acoustic Matrix Active Pickup). The amp's list price is $399.00, however you can find them new all over the internet for $279.00-$299.00, but no one seems to have any in stock. I wheeled and dealed with a local music store and I was able to get them to drop $100.00 off the list price and I was satisfied with the deal. The chorus and string dynamics are excellent and that eliminates having to use a separate chorus pedal which I like. I've used other amps with built in chorus, but I've always had to go back to the chorus pedal due to the poor sounding quality of built-in chorus effects, but this amp's chorus is the best that I've heard . . . actually better sounding than a separate chorus pedal. With the amp's chorus on, there's really no need to use the reverb on the guitar channel which allows me to use a bit of reverb on the mic channel and I like that feature. This amp is excellent for home use or for small gatherings, but due to the lack of volume from a 30 watt system, you really need to run the line out into a larger amp or mixer if playing for any size crowd. I mostly use this amp as a monitor and I love the kickback feature. The only real problem I have with the amp besides the low volume is the location of the reverb, chorus and phase switches. They're located right between the adjustment knobs and it's difficult to get to the switches without accidently moving one of the adjustment knobs. It would've been so simple to have had them located a half inch lower on the console panel (there's definitely room enough there).

I use my Martin DM with the added Fishman Active Natural I pickup. Overall, I'm very impressed and pleased with the amp. Over the years, it's been a pain to try to reproduce an acoustic sound through any of amps that I've used, but this one beats them all as far as I'm concerned. Personal Note: I'm a diehard Dylan fan and I was surprised to see that with the chorus and reverb off, I could reproduce the exact acoustic sound that Dylan used on his totally acoustic "Good As I Been To You" CD. Very impressive!

So far so good!

I haven't had to deal with that yet.

I've been playing acoustically for about 30 years now and so far this has been the best amp I've ever used. I'd replace it in a heartbeat, but if I were to replace it, I think I'd probably go with one of the larger Acoustasonics, maybe the Junior or the SFX. I chose this amp because of Fender's reputation and because of the reviews that I read. At the point of my purchase, I was debating between a Trace and a Crate. I feel like I made the right choice.

Check out other reviews for list of features.

The string dynamics control doesn't seem to do much for me. The instrument channel on this 30 watt amp is not very loud and I doubt it would hold up in a noisy coffeehouse if used without a PA. When jamming with friends, I had it turned up to its maximum and could barely hear the guitar. For this reason, I have returned the amp in exchange for something more powerful. The volume for the mic channel was adequate and I used it for vocals.

I play a Seagull acoustic with piezo pickup onboard equalizer controls. I play popular rock and classic rock songs, mainly strumming with occasional fingerpicking. The sound was particularly bright and trebly which I don't like but with a bit of tweaking I was able to get a good reproduction of my guitar's sound.

It appears well made and I would gig without a backup. I didn't have it for long so can't comment too much here.

Never dealt with Fender.

I've been playing 7 years. Other gear includes some strat copies and a Marshall Valvestate amp. Like I said earlier, I've returned this amp for something more powerful. Its not a bad sounding amp but I wouldn't buy it unless you only want a practice amp or if you want to use it as a foldback monitor going into a PA.

2000 model. I have purchased it a year ago. It has two channels one for vocals and one instrument. In my opinion they could have left the vocal off. It is pretty much a joke. The chorus and string dynamics I really like. I also like the kickback feature. I basicaly use it as a monitor. I run from the line out to the board, so I get a preamp and monitor all in one.

I play a Norman guitar with a Fishman pickup. The two seem to work very well together. I have used it to lead worship in churches and I have played with full bands. With it run through the board I can stand three feet from the drums having a great time. No problem. It handles high volume pretty well (remember it's only 30 watts). I have spent the last 8 years trying to find an accoustic sound I like and this is the happiest I've been while I still had enough money left to buy a set of new strings for my guitar.

I can't really give valid feedback. I've had it a year and no problems yet.

I haven't interacted with them at all.

I have been playing for 13 years and the sound,price and mobility of this amp really make me happy. If this amp were to get stolen I would probably upgrade to the 50 watt accoustisonic just for the extra umph!! but I would definitely buy another accoustisonic.

2000 Model. Two independent channels. Acoustic instrument channel has three band eq, "string dynamics" control, verb, and chorus. "Vocal" channel has two band eq. Reverb is assignable to either or both channels. Phase inversion switch changes amp phase 180 degrees. Front panel has 1/4 line out and footswitch for chorus.Power rating is 30 watts, and it is adequate for coffeehouse gigs, or may be uplugged into house p.a. and used as a monitor. The amp has a reasonable number of features for the price. I would have rather seen a balanced low-z direct out.

The amp does get a good acoustic sound out of both piezo and soundhole pickups (using Ovation and Gibsons respectively). My partner plays cello thru the instrument channel and her sound is better yet (mic'd). We have had the mic channel to "4" and obtain satisfactory volume. When singing for a short period of time, it was adequate, have not tested this aspect extensively.Reverb is typical Fender, and the chorus offers a decent range of control, lacking an intensity knob, but to me this is no big deal. This amp is certainly better than using a regular guitar amp or a p.a., and the features seem to be better thought out than those of the under $300.00 competion.

N/A Have only had the amp a short time, though it has been gigged with no problems. The fit and finish on the amp are superb, typical of Fender (no ragged tolex or saggy grill cloth as I have seen on other brands). Appears well built. At 34 lbs, the weight is managable, though the tiltback shape makes for a somewhat awkward carry.

Warranty is five years and transferrable. Some contact with Fender many years ago and they were helpful. Web site is a great source of information.

Been playing for many years and trying to get a good acoustic amplified sound, and feel that for the price I could not have done better.This sounds much warmer and vibrant than through a board. The sound is very good (it might be better with a fourth band of mid-eq or a five band equalizer. Great "warm look" that is in keeping with using an acoustic. I would definately buy it again. I wish fender had some "recommended settings" information like they do in their tube amp manuals. The manual, while adequate could be a little more descriptive and point out the potential uses of the product, such as settings with violin, or other transducers.

Nice features. String dynamics seemed to help my fiddle sound more "acousticy" The amp could use a 4 band instead of 3 band eq. Not quite enough power for me. I tried it in a cajun band (5 piece with drums, bass, guitar, accordion etc. and it just couldn't cut the mustard volume wise.

The amp sounds great with my fiddle and fishman pickup, however the vocal sounds suck severely. I tried an SM 57, SM 58, and AKG C1000S as vocal mics and I've got to give it a thumbs down. Every time I really sing loud, it would distort to hell and back. I don't think it's a problem with the amp itself, but the input. I could get it to distort with the volume set on 1!!

Didn't keep it long enough to tell you.

I called Fender to ask about the vocal mic problem. The help guy was nice, but the answer was basically "That's just the way it is." Bummer.

I've been trying out acoustic amps for about 1 year now and I've decided that I've just got to spend some more dough. This amp is good for very small gigs (coffee houses etc.) Don't expect to get any clean volume out of it. I do like the kick back design.