Fender Acoustasonic SFX II

I bought mine in 2004. First I tried a Crate CA120DG acoustic amp I bought on-line, but it blew it's electronics within a week, so I sent it back. Next I tried a Fender Acoustasonic Jr. that a local music store let me take home & try out. I was so impressed, that I took it back to the music store and upgraded to the SFX II. WOW - this is as good as it gets for an acoustic amp. The surround sound feature REALLY makes a BIG sonic difference. I love all the features on this amp except for the DSP effects. The only ones I usually use are the room and hall reverb, and they are very good. Really adds a great ambiance to the sound.

For live acoustic gigs I use a 1974 Gibson Dove with a soundhole pickup, a National Reso-Rocket with a bridge pickup, and use the mic chanel for vocals, and they all sound great through this amp. The surround sound feature really adds a whole new dimension for vocals. So basically I use this amp as a guitar amp and PA system. Pretty nice to have it all in one amp - even if it is somewhat heavy at about 55 pounds.

I have also used it with 2 microphones, as a vocal PA system with a 3 piese band. We play with a drummer and plug our electric guitars into a couple 15 watt amps, like a Blues Jr. or 40 Watt Blues Deluxe, and as long as you are playing to around 75 people in a medium sized club, the Acoustasonic does GREAT with the vocals.

No issues, even though I am gigging it. It's all solid state, and very well built! Should last at least a lifetime.

Never needed it with any of my Fender products (Strats, Teles and tube amps). They are all still going strong.

I have been playing for over 40 years, and have always loved the sound of an acoustic guitar, and this amp delivers excellent acoustic guitar sound, and nice warm vocals. If anything ever happened to this amp I would buy another one in a heartbeat.

not sure of year. nice features, not to big or heavy. about 50 lbs and the size of a hot rod deville amp. plenty of power for most coffee house,pubs and resturants wanting background music. I wish it had another XLR input but thats it. nice amp.

i play solo gigs using Ovation guitars USA 6 and 12 string and sounds great once dialed in. the mic channel is plenty loud enough once dialed in using notch filter and phase switch, oyu should be able to get the volume you need. dont expect this amp to have the power or the sound of powered mixer head and 2 pa speakers on stands but will do job beautifully in smaller venues without all the trips to and from the car or truck unloading and loading. I use a hand truck to wheel it in, a backpack on my back for the cables and what not, mic stand and the guitar and your done. This amp does require some break in time and you will know when its broke in. you will suddenly have a tad more volume and a fuller sound. it does get pretty warm after being on a while.

for what this amp is and does i give it a 10

The FX are very good and you dont need alot on the dial either

has not been abuse or gigged alot either but so far ok. its been very reliable for about 2 years or more since i got it

these are pretty pricey today so dont know if i could afford another if stolen. may stick with the traditional mixer 2 speaker thing which i have for larger noisier venues. it does look great on stage! not sure if its a good value for 1000 dollars now for a low wattage system but you make the call. if i owned a resturant i would however, buy one for the acoustic players to use. good value for that reason. it looks good and only gets so loud.

Stereo acoustic guitar amp with seperate input and channel for vocals.

I'm using a Taylor acoustic with this amp.
I got this amp in a trade for time at my recording studio Sonic Palace in Chicago.

I'd been using my Line 6 Flex III for my acoustic project and it had been doing the job at live gigs.
The Flex III also gives me the option to pull out my electric and crank out a bit, but thats also what I'm looking to get away from, so I picked up the fender.

I don't hear any noise other than when it cracked to 9-10, then there is some distortion. Otherwise, it sounds fantastic!
Can even compete with any drummer, I've played with some loud ones.

The amps has alot of effects, but I'm only using a mild chours/reverb setting.

I wish it had a better way to switch through fx like my Line 6, but I can live without it considering the sweet tone this amp delivers.

So far so good!

NA

I've been playing out for 20 years, and I own a museum full of gear (I also own a recording studio). Most of my gear is of good to top notch quality.

I picked this amp up because I want JUST an acoustic amp.
If I have the option of going distorted, my band will start cracking, and thats not what I want.

If it were stolen... I'd go back to my Line 6 just because I need other gear for my studio now.

I compared this prodect to my Line 6 and my other guitar players fisher that he paid $700.00 for.
The Fisher has a nice sound, but its NOT loud enough to compete with a live drummer.
I've also compared it to my Line 6 Flex III.
The Flex is very versatile and actually sounds pretty decent for an acoustic amp.
The Fender on the other hand stands out by far.
Gone are the honky mids, replaced by the sound of angels plucking a harp.
Did I mention this amp sounds GREAT!

Where doing acoustic jam band stuff and the Fender is a GREAT amp.

I just wish the mic input sounded better.
I know it wouldn't be able to compete with a live band, but come on, it just doesn't sound good even at a moderate setting.
I don't think it would be loud enough to even do a coffee house gig.

The amp on the other hand is loud enough to play ANY venue and can for sure compete with a full band!

If your looking for an amp that will enable you to play with a full band and NOT get drowned out, this is the amp for you.

If your playing coffee houses, I would get something cheaper and maybe with a better sounding mic section.

All the venues I play at supply a good PA, so this is not essential to me.

Lots of features. Instrument input with DSP. Mic input with DSP. RCA input for drum machine, cd player, etc. Look at www.fender.com for details on the features. I purchase it from eBay, in new condition. Very versatile amp for acoustic playing. I even tried out my Fender Strat, and it still sounds decent. Effects are decent, but not very "tweakable". I bought this amp to do some solo gigs. I don't want to lug around a PA. I record midi backing tracks onto my iPod, and plug it into the RCA input. Plug my mic and Ovation acousic-electric, and I'm off and running. Seems to have enough power, but won't know for sure until I actually gig with it.

I like the sound of this amp very much. The "surround sound" with the side resonating speaker adds so much depth. You can adjust how much of this effect you want. Picks up acoustic tone very well. There are a lot of adjustments on this amp. The combination of sounds is large. It really fills up the room with pristine sound. I haven't cranked it up too high yet, so I'm not sure how it will react. Effects are decent, but not too adjustable. This amp does a great job at amplifying the sound of the guitar, vocals and backing tracks. The bass drum kicks from the backing tracks (iPod into RCA inputs) are very deep, and rattle the floor. There is tremendous range with this amp. It handles the full spectrum very well. This is not just a guitar amp. It is a PA and a home stereo as well.

I play an Ovation acoustic-electric Celebrity Deluxe thru a Boss TU-2 tuner, straight into the amp. I am gearing up to do some solo gigs. Classic rock, Cougar, Beatles, Seger, Eagles, Buffet, etc. This amp is very quiet, even with all inputs active.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the quality of the sound.

I own a lot of fender gear, and I have never had problems. I would use it without a backup, no question.

I've played for close to 40 years. I currently play in a classic rock and blues band, but things are slowing down. I am going to start doing some solo gigs. I just picked this amp up from eBay, so I haven't had a chance to really put it thru the ringer. I own too much geat to list. My main gear is my Ovation Celebrity Deluxe acoustic-electric, Fender Roadhouse Strat, Fender Pro Twin, Fender Ultimate Chorus, Roland Blues Cube (I'm selling, any takers?), Fender Fat Strat, several pedals (Boss), etc. If something happened to this thing, I would definitely buy another, at least until something better comes along. This is a nice amp, especially for the price ($450 US from eBay). I always look at reviews to see what you guys think of your gear. Read several where many use this amp for solo gigs with much success. I can't wait to try it out. I think this amp covers everything I need for solo gigging. I just bring my Ovation, tuner, mic/stand, iPod and a few patch cords, and I'm ready to sound as good as anyone else out there.

2005 Fender Acoustic Amp. I traded a Epi Sheraton II guitar and $500. I was looking for something that would add some warmth to my setup. Features as follows: Solid State 2 channel amp (non-switchable)with instrument and Microphone channels each with individual Gain, EQ (treble, mid, & bass), Feedback Notch, Phase Switch and DSP Controls. String Dynamics control [(on instrment channel) to tame harsh treble notes](This works). Digital Signal Processing (DSP)of Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Vibratone. Don't buy this amp for these effects! Only marginally useable. 1/4" front panel inserts on each channel RCA inputs with level control (To jam with your mp3 player..no eq or effects here),& Master Volume. 2X80 watts into an 8" low-frequency Driver,High freq.Tweeter, and side-radiating 6" Speaker (Very Nice feature). Side speaker has seperate level control and can be defeated (button mute). Rear Panel:XLR line out with Level control and Ground lift.(XLR out is great). Left and Right insert/line out 1/4", & a 1/4" Tuner Output. 3 button footswitch for tuner mute, instrument effects (Channel 1), and Mic/Line Effects (Channel 2). Amp is very useable as you have a dedicated XLR output to the sound board with its own level control. It has plenty of features for a 10, but the quality & lack of adjustments of the DSP effects cause me to gig it a point.

I've had this rig for over a year so I'm not in the honeymoon phase now. I really got to say that I have a love-hate relationship with this amp. Although love-hate is maybe too strong, more like complacent. I use this amp for two purposes: To amplifiy my 72 Martin D35. This it does great! Then there is my "quest". To come up with a realistic acoustic guitar using an electric. (I'm developing wrist problems). I'm satisified here: line6 500 variax to Boss AD8 pedal to instrument channel of Fender Acoustasonic 2. This is as close to my Martin as I've ever heard, but it took MUCH tweaking. The amp is dead quiet and amplifies in a very pleasant way w/o the harshness that I've heard in most other acoustic amps. I love the side speaker. It makes the sound giant. The string dynamic control does a fantastic job of taming those "ice-pick in the ear" unnatural upper piezo harmonics. If I stopped here I'd give the amp a 10. But, there are a couple of things that stop this. The amp is rather heavy and bulky. The DSP effects are not of the quality of this amp. Some are hideous. They are accessed using a rotary knob. You select the effect and only can control the level. The only one I found even remotely useable is the delay. This causes me to use the insert for a chorus pedal, & I have a useable reverb on the AD8 pedal. The point I'm whining about is it makes for a complicated setup requiring several trips. I tried using it in various configurations with the Variax & Pod XT Live. The Fender colors the sound in a very pleasant acoustic way, but sounds nasty (not good), using anything electric sounding.

The first one I tried had a dead channel, and I was a bit worried. (The salesman said everyone and their brother had played through it).However, this one I've used for a year at home and in church without backup without any problem. Seems ok to me!

5 year warranty. Not had to contact anyone.

It's a keeper, but I'm always looking for the next "latest and greatest". I'd be excited if it had good effects.

Latest model of Acoustasonic SFX II purchased in early 2004. The only thing it lacks is a headphone jack, which would be unconscionable if the thing didn't sound so fabulous. I wish it were louder, but can't fault its' absolutely surprising vocal capabilities and excellent acoustic reproduction when used as a PA in small (under 100 seat) venues. It is equipped with both XLR and TS direct outs, so either premixed stereo or individual channel direct out makes it mighty nice as a personal monitor system either with a band or on a large festival stage. With many more features than I routinely use, it's a damn shame the thing wasn't 10 pounds lighter and minus some of the extra effects, although I have to admit, the SFX is perhaps the most surprisingly audible, and interestingly useful, effect I've heard.

I tour with an acoustic duo or as a solo performer, and the thing really shines as an extremely clean, almost silent, amazingly detailed reproducer of acoustic guitar and voice. I play mainly hillbilly country and blues on 12-string acoustic with a B-Band A3, UST-equipped pick-up and a Studio Projects studio condensor mic (equipped with a 1" gold diaphram condensor) in a variety of venues from country honky tonks and fairs to city coffee houses and roots clubs, and the SFX II is a surprisingly versatile, unbelievably detailed sounding device capable of the volume of a small PA and the detail of a larger system without feedback problems. When compared to small systems such as Fender's Passport (the 250 watt version) the Acoustasonic SFX II rules, and when faced with the additional lift and carry involved with a regular PA, well, maybe 55 lbs. isn't so heavy after all.

I've now owned 2 of these, and the 2nd has been so far, so good. The 1st one out of the box died within 15 minutes of being turned on, fortunately at rehearsal and not on stage. Impossible to say what the future holds, but the thing is now on the road, and I carry no backup. It's a Fender, and I bought it because of that fact, not in spite of it.

5 yr. transerable warranty that covers whatever any warranty does, which is likely not too much. Having said that, it's a Fender, and they've been here a while, so I'm not overly concerned. I also deal with a shop that I trust, so I tend not to be too concerned with the customer support thing, avoidance of the faceless corporation being my preference.

I'm a professional musician, have played since I was a teen, and I'm looking back at 40 now, much as do so wistfully. The truth is, this thing has been earning its' keep very well on a daily basis since I purchased it new earlier this year, period. It would be enormously improved with the addition of a headphone jack, but aside from that, it's more than versatile enough for a working stiff. I really enjoy both the vocal and acoustic guitar sound it puts out, and would heartily recommend it to anyone looking for a rig of this type for small (sub-100 seat) venues and/or a practice environment.