Genz Benz Shenandoah 150LT

This is the brand new 2007 model.

It is similar to other GB acoustic amps, but has a few important differences. It is a 150/200W model with a tilt-back cabinet. The cab is made of 9 ply Baltic birch and is covered in a rather thin but attractive looking cocoa vinyl. It has quality metal corners and a recessed design which offers plenty of protection to the front and rear panels. A metal grille on the front protects the speakers from all but the worst mishaps, and the rear ported design adds some bass response.

One of its best features is its weight. This amp ways just above 20 pounds even with its 12" speaker. The 9 ply birch cab and digital amplifier contribute heavily to the low weight. It would be even better if it included a neodynium woofer instead of the ceramic.

It has 2 totally independent channels--each with its own TRS and XLR inputs, phantom power, phase switch, 3 band EQ with parametric mids, line out, and effects level. This configuration is **almost** perfect for my needs.

The built-in Alesis DSP effects are pretty good, but I wish they had gone for quality over quantity. Instead of throwing in a ton of effects options, I wish they had gone for fewer effects with more flexibility in tweaking them.

I also wish they had included 2 separate FX loops instead of the single summed loop. The reason is I love the built-in hall reverb effects for vocals, but I want to use some chorus and/or delay on the guitar. I wish I could plug a multi FX into the loop and assign it to the guitar and use the built-in reverb on the vocals. No dice. I have to put a pair of pedals on the floor instead of the loop. Not the end of the world, but not what I want either.

I've played dozens of acoustic amps over the past 20 years. The ones I have liked the best have consistently been from Trace Elliot and Fishman. That is, until I heard this one.

I was exhibiting at the Dallas Guitar Show, and when it was over, I asked the guy across from me what I could do to make up for blasting him with our 100W tube amps for 3 days. He said I could try his acoustic amps. I sat down with an acoustic guitar and ended up buying the amp on the spot.

It has sound of the highest quality. Not necessarily better than my old favorites, but different in a good way. It is very versatile in its ability to deliver tones from warm and woody to chimey and reedy. To me, this amp is to acoustic guitar what I good 4x12 cabinet loaded with original greenbacks is to electric guitar. It just sounds right.

Having said that, I have one pet peeve about its design. It is a rear ported cabinet. IMHO, this is a bad idea in home theater (where there are walls behind the speakers) and a **VERY** bad idea in sound reinforcement applications. In my case, I play acoustic on a patio once a week. There is nothing behind the amp to refocus the bass response, so the bottom seems anemic. If I were playing indoors and could position it the right way near a wall or a corner it would be OK, but not outdoors. I'll eventually try plugging the rear ports to make it behave like a sealed design. If that doesn't work, I'll look at replacing the woofer with something a little beefier. But it has a great bottom in closed rooms, so I'm faced with a compromise depending upon venue.

I can't rate this one. It is too new.

Ditto.

Oh. Geez. I've been playing for 21 years. I own a lot of other gear including amps I build for myself.

I love the versatility and weight for such a low price. I would like more FX options and front ports, but those are minor complaints.

I compared it to every other acoustic amp I've played over the years and really like what I am hearing from it. A very good and versatile amp--especially at this price point.