Roland AC-60 Combo

Roland AC -60 amps (I have 2!) less than 6 months old each. Mini PA system in a small portable package. 2 inputs (one doubles as guitar/mic input) that allow a single guitarist/vocalist or 2 guitarist or split signal from one guitar. Each channel has main volume, eq, chorus, delay reverb available plus a feedback eliminator. So far the 60 watts are plenty (I doubt that I'll ever need more). Sounds great with my Takamine LTD 98 and my Parker Nitefly and with outboard effects processors.

Guitars I use are mentioned above and I use a Boss GT-6 or a VF-1 for effects (both run stereo and I use 2 AC-60s) with a JamMan for looping and the AC-60 not only fits my jamband folkadelic style of playing, they replaced a Tech 21 Bronzewood 60 AND Trademark 60 and I don't miss 'em a bit (although they had great tone in their own right)! I don't notice any unusual noise with the AC-60s that I haven't heard from the other amps I've owned over the years, in fact they are quieter than most (Tech 21, Line 6, Peavey, Fender). I expected the AC-60 to excel with acoustic guitars and it does. But it also makes an awesome electric amp as well (you only need to supply the overdrive). The tonal range is excellent, the response is immediate, and the on-board effects are very good, especially the reverb. I usually use out-board effects for delays, modulations, distortions, wahs, etc., but the chorus and delay on the AC-60 are both very good.

I own a bunch of Boss/Roland gear and havel't experienced problems so I'm confident in the AC-60.

Never needed to contact them yet.

Yeh, this guy rated everything a 10, but you know what? The AC-60 is a great guitar amp/PA. It sounds great, doesn't break your back, is reasonably priced, and carries the Roland reputation for quality. Use 2 and run 'em stereo and see/hear clarity. Whoa! I also own a Bose Cylindrical Radiatior Personal PA so quality of sound reproduction is important to me. I'm tired of hearing people rag on Boss/Roland stuff. They haven't been around for over 25 years for nothing.

2 channel, stereo, onboard efx, anti feedback, etc. Compact and comes with a great carrying case.

Use this with a Taylor 700 series and an Ovation balladeer. Play power pop. Amp is clear, fairly loud, and reliable. Very crisp, and suprisingly good at representing low mids and low frequencies for an amp this size. Use second channel with xlr in for vocal mic when playing small acoustic gigs where no pa available. Versatile for acoustic applications. On board efx are serviceable, but not great. However they provide enough flexibility that one can tweak to fit a variety of gig situations.

Amp is relatively new, but i have had no problems with it. Like every other piece of roland gear i have, i anticipate that this amp will be reliable and durable for my gigging needs (1x-3x per week). SOunds and performance have been consistent thus far.

Never needed a repair on this one, but roland has been great on the customer service side for a long time on other products i've owned.

Can't say i see myself replacing this anytime soon. I have recommended this amp to my fellow musicians. Great band for the buck. Worth every penny.

This is a relatively new amp on the market. I purchased mine from guitar Center Oct. 2004. See Roland's site for product details. I just sold my Fender Acoustasonic because I was tired of lugging around a 60+ lb amp. This amp sounds even better and is 1/3 the weight....amazing. Would be nice if you could assign reverb to each channel seperately...you can't. Otherwise, suits my needs well and comes with a very nice caryying case.

One of the cleanest amps I've ever played though for acoustic. I have several different guitars (tacoma's, carvins, ovations) and they all sound great through this amp with almost no tweaking.

Here's why I'm leaving this post. The first time I fired up this thing there was a buzzing or crackling sound coming from it - worse at lower frequencies. I first thought my guitar pre was screwing up and needed a new battery...but that didn't fix the problem. In fact, the problem was there for all my guitars, but it was worst with the ovation and carvin. Further investigation and listening found the noise was only coming from the right channel / speaker.

Before my purchase I had read others on this site reporting noise problems and others saying the thing was dead silent. The demo I played before buying was VERY QUIET! So, I took the thing back and am currently waiting on a replacement from Guitar Center.

Since the problem was only in one speaker, I'm hoping the next one will be gold....but given that others are having some 'noise' issues as well, I'm concerned Roland may have some bad speakers or other issue(s) with this realtively new amp.

I have a ton of Roland gear and have never had the first problem with any of it...so if you're watching these posts (Roland), you need to chase down these noise demons asap.

Since this item was brand new I just returned it to the store for a replacement. I've contacted Roland via telephone a few times in the past for other Roalnd equipment I own and I've never been on hold more than 5 mins before talking with a real human that was able to help me with my question(s). The telephone call isn't free however, and there's no contact support via the web. A use forum would be nice, but they don't have that either.

I'm leaving this blank for now until I find out if this 'noise' problem is a fluke or not.

awesome practice amp with everything you need built in a tight little box only 21 lbs with its own padded carying case . A+++++ hastle free take along fun !!!!!!!!!

awesome acoustic tone wtih great sounding effects . BUT!!!!!!!!! do not buy this amp with the intensions of playing out using it with or without a pa system .Their is a terrible distortion for moderate to aggressive pickers at volume half way up or more (sometimes less)and is VERY apparent though PA at any volume setting using the stereo outputs and DO NOT PLAY A NYLON STRING GUITAR AT ANY VOLUME THROUGH THIS AMP OR IT WILL DISTORT AT ANY VOLUME WITH ANY PLAYING STYLE .I have to assume the distorion is coming from the terribly high settings of the compressors built into the amp to prtect the little 6 and a half inch speakers . Overall i love the sound quality and effects of this amp for playing at home or for some small gatherings of friends and such .However if it was my only acoustic amp and I played out I would give this amp a minus 10 but for practice around the house id give it a plus 10 . vocals into the second channel sounds great as long as you dont get right up and the mic belting it out or they distort at any volume also . I got this amp awhile back and it has been a fantastic practice tool because its so easy to set up and play around anywhere .I find myself enjoying playing much more due to the ease of setup . I do not really like the chorus that much because it colors the guitar to much but the space setting in the chorus is fantastic . It's much more suttle and achieves the same stereo effect .delay and reverbs are awesome

A+++ no problems . great warranty . seems to be very solidly built

I wish the distortion wasn't an issue so I could really give this amp the 10 that it deserves or at least if it wasnt an issue on the outputs to the pa also . If you play a nylon string please do yourself a favor and do not buy this .The distortion is unacceptable and I cant believe a company like Roland would make such an oversight . At least they could have cut the compressor from the outputs to the PA .Overall you will love the sound and convienience of practicing with this amp .I am sure you will play much more like me because you dont have all the stuff to drag around . It is very pricey for a practice amp though but if your used to a high end pa system its hard to comprimise sound and effects on cheaper amps . I also enjoy playing my telecaster thought this and it sounds very good .It's my enclosed trailor load of pa gear in a 21 lb box .

Others have covered the features. I liked the mute button and the output for the tuner. I did not find enough adjustment on the treble. I continually wanted to turn it down further.

I bought it to use with a Godin Multiac Nylon.

Most of my review is based on the amplifier's performance with that guitar. Maybe it's just a bad match.

I found that the amp generally produced a rubber band like treble attack -- apparently a reflection of the attempt to reproduce the picking sound during strumming. I could barely get rid of it, even with turning treble down on both the guitar and amp. I also found the mids to be harsh and had to turn them down too. That left me with mostly bass and little defintion.

Overall, I found it thoroughly unpleasant.

On the other hand, I used the amp briefly with a steel string solid body Gibson L5S. The chimey, strummy sound was good in that situation.

I've given a rating of 4 -- too high for the Godin, too low for the Gibson.

Don't know. It looked well built.

Guitar Center took it back without difficulty.

I've returned it. I didn't find it useful for my situation. I simply couldn't stand the treble sound with the Godin.

I ended up using a Mesa Boogie instead. Not a typical choice for an acoustic guitar, but much better sounding than the Roland in my situation.

This was my first acoustic amp purchase and I hit the home run first time out.This amp is loaded with features, 2 channels (#2 even has phantom power for some tasty flavors of condenser mic.) Even with an acousticm I do like having the availability of chorus and 'verb. I go back to the days of the original Electroharmonix Bad Stone phaser and the MXR Phase 90, that was BC (before chorus was really popular for guitars) so I fell in love with the chorus on this bad boy as soon as I demo'ed it in a GC store. For its intended purpose, I think it is equipped perfectly and if you use this amp for any period of time, you'll probably end up availing yourself of most if not all the functions and in/outs it has. I use this amp doing praise and worship music (from contemporary to old standard hymns, I'm a pastor for 3 United Methodist Churches...circuit rider don't cha know!!) Even in my largest church that'll seat about 200+, it's got plenty of volume on its own (60 watts thru 2 6.5" drivers).

I'm using my first Martin (DCX-1E with Fishman Classic 4 electronics) and in the store that was what I played thru the AC-60. It is simply perfect for the style music I do. It is the best amplified acousic sound I've ever heard in a combo...you can spend a lot more and get less amp. The tone is clean and pure...just your acoustic only louder. Set up flat on the EQ's there is no coloration. In my experience , I've not found any noise problems and I've cranked it pretty good in some good sized rooms...no distortion either. You do have to watch the output from your guitar overdriving the channel 1 preamp section, but that goes for any amp right?? My Fishman can overdrive the front end if I crank it but I don't need to ever drive it that hard. You can go from purist "naked" unadorned acoustic to a thick chorus to a wide, open chorus with just a hint of reverb (one of my fave patches for running this into my home recording setup.)

I've owned other Roland gear over the years and this appears to be as solid as any I've owned. I've only been playing out with this for a couple months, but their track record speaks for itself.

As good as their gear is, their on-line stuff is lacking. Come on...is it that difficult to convert the manuals to .pdf and put 'em on the site? Cripes!! I can even do that on MY website. I think another reviewer hit it on the head...they really don't have a feel for the everyday gigging, small guys and making available some basic resources would go a long way in changing that perception. I've had a few dealings with their phone support and I'll characterize it as just adequate.

I've been playing for about 40 years. I have the Martin, '97 Strat, LP Gold Top reissue, Mexican Tele, a custom built Tele (I built it myself) with vintage electronics, a Jazz V Bass, an OLP Sting Ray copy, A Korg X-3 workstation plus my home studio (Fostex, Presonus, M-audio, Shure plus PC recording with Sonar, etc.) If it disappeared, I'd replace it. Even tho I have a Beringer ACX 1000...the Roland in its custom gig bag makes it so portable. Aside from the great tone and superb effects...it's got a MUTE button. That is indispensable for my church work. So nice to have that to shut down the guitar as I take it off and place it on the stand before I switch gears and begin preaching. I tried it side by side with a small Crate($150) and a Fender ($399)(don't remember the model #'s...cuz I forgot 'em both after deciding on the Roland). Not much I can think of to add to the unit. One thing that I find totally useless is the mounting pocket on the bottom for a standard diameter speaker stand. The controls are on top, so to have it low enough to get to 'em, who wants to fight the legs to get to it? I grabbed a $25 angled amp stand and it works for me perfectly. If you want to travel light and cover small to even some medium sized gigs with something that can handle your acoustic, do decently with a mic for vocals and even accomodate a CD input for accompaniment tracks...this is the one. Did I mention the tone??? Tons of it

Bought the amp new May 2004. I play acoustic guitar and some vocals, solo gig. By now you can read all the features in the other articles.
I will use this amp on small to medium inside gigs. Small being coffee house size to large being church size althou I dont play churches. Probably would work in a small gym but then you can plug it directly into the main PA also if needed.

My main guitar is a newer Martin D28, others include top end Ovatins, Taylor, and Martin nylon. The D-28 has a Martin Thinline Maxium under saddle pickup. I use a Sure 58 for vocals. My music is from finger style, to flat pick originals. Also older rock era if I play any covers at all. CSNY, Zeplin acoustics, what ever pops up. I dont hear any noises pops or hisses. Just very clean sounds both guitar and vocals. Im not a great singer and I can even tolerate my own voice thru this thing.

I have lots of Roland/Boss stuff. Never any problems.

Never used them for any of my equipment.

Ive been playing off and on for 40 years. Up to now Ive used a Fender 100w keyboard amp for acoustic guitar and shows. Boss pedals included. Smaller gigs a Fender Squire PA. Ive tried about every acoustic amp in this range. Last time I went shopping for a smaller setup ended up with the Squire PA as I did not care for any of the small amp sounds and the on board so called effects. I saw this thing sitting on the floor in the acoustic room at a GC store. Plugged in a Taylor as I think I know what it suppose to sound like. From floor level, Wow! Went home and got my GC card. No interest or payments for a year. What the hell. Like I really need another amp! I used it recently for a three day gig. What a dream. Walk in with "amp in a bag", guitar and a mic stand. A plastic milk crate for an amp stand and rock and roll. (I have tried a speaker stand as it has a speaker hole in the bottom but it sounds better coming off the floor tilted upwards or slightly above the floor to my liking anyways, plus the stand is just more junk to haul around) Have left the Fenders home and the assortment of stomp pedals. The onboard effects are very nice. They sound very much like my Boss pedals. I use medium reverb on vocals and guitar, medium chorus on guitar off and on which by the way you can add to vocal channel as well. For some songs if I want a delay slap reverb I simply reach over and turn the knob up. Same for extra stereo chorus. Then turn it back after the selected song. I tried the Boss foot pedals FSL and FS1 but found you have to hit them two times each way to turn the chorus off and on. Probably as they are set up to be used with the chorus AND reverb together. No big deal but for us older guys two stomps each way gets very confusing. I have a Tascam pedal I used for my old recorder punch in and out and it works fine with one stomp off and on. One fellow mentioned some clipping or something. I have not found this but anythings possible.
I usually play with a rack EQ, Alesis Quad something and Compressor but dont even use them with this rig. I do like compressors and have an Alesis Nano but just more junk to mess with. If I need to get that loud you can plug this into a house PA or I can go back to my Fender keyboard amp to blow the place away. I also plugged in a cheapo CD player into the RCAs for breaks. Great sound there also. Dont know about the sub-woofer option but for now do not seem to need it but could be fun. The only thing Roland didnt include with it is a set of wings or it would simply fly. If you do solo coffee house or party size to medium gigs and are tired of messing with some of the crapy PA setups and such at various places this amp is for you. You are now self-contained and sounding good.

As listed at Roland's website.

Tried it with steel and nylon, fairly aggressive right hand stuff, kinda rhumba flamenco with a pick. I do not like to color the acoustic tone with chorus, but I understand that to make a stereo amp apparent, stereo chorus is the cure. I think there is a compressor or something like it in the preamp of the amp. When you push the volume and drive signal into hard, it seems to break up. I not happy about this. The fact that there is an optional sub woofer says something by virtue of the fact that the option exists...not a beefy low end. I understand the portability factor is most likely the key reason for this but you should know, it does not have the roundness of an SWR Blonde Series, possibly due to the 6.5 inch speakers. Having said this, the Piezo in my SWR drives me nuts with it's sizzle.

I own lots of Roland gear, their stuff seems to be built very well. I have never had a problem

Roland has been very helpful. I have a GT-6 and GR-33, when I have data transfer issues, I went right down to the warehouse and their tech stuff were as helpful as you could get.

The break up really bugs me. I asked if there was a compressor in there, it really does clip when you drive it, either with alternate picking on lines or bold strumming. I love the portable aspect, that was the first hook but I'm finding I am living a bit of a compromise for tone and usage live.

This amp has all the features I would want - two channels, a great chorus, reverb and delay, line outs for both channels. I use this amp at home, for band practice and will be using it alone for small venues and as a monitor when patched through the board at larger venues. It would be nice if it could accomodate two mikes in the mike channel, however.
The nicest "feature" is it's size and weight. It's so easy to transport - just put it in its well-padded bag and throw it over your shoulder.

I play praise & worship music and folk, primarily. I use this with my Martin J40-M with a Fishman Natural II pickup. Finger picking is my primary playing style. I use a Shure SM 58 mike.
This is a very quiet amp, very clean and clear. The guitar sounds pure. As does the vocal. I absolutely love the sound of this amp. The sound is why I bought it.
After I had owned the amp a few weeks, I bought a JBL 10" powered subwoofer w/150 watt amp for a couple hundred bucks from a major home electronics superstore. It takes the great sound of the Roland and makes it even better! You can feel the bass in your gut!The "subwoofer out" jack on the amp makes it easy to hook-up.

I've had no experience in this category. But I bought mine from Daddy's Junky Music, so I know they'll stand behind it.

I've had no experience in this category.

I've been playing 41 years and have owned many amps, small and large. I have to say this is by far the best! I would definitely buy the same amp again if it were lost or stolen. I bought an amp stand to get the amp up off the ground - although it's not necessary, with the stand I don't have to stoop to make adjustments. I was also seriously considering the California Blond, but the tone was better on the Roland (and with the subwoofer I have actually a better bass than with the Blond), the Roland has effects and hey, there's just no comparison between lugging around 50 pounds and throwing 21 pounds 10 ounces over your shoulder.
Lastly, the amp looks great! Clean styling, precision knobs - you know, it's just a great visual experience, as well. I certainly would never buy an amp for its appearance, but with everything else it's got going for it, what's a little icing on the cake!

This is a great amp! Both channels are very usable and easy to understand. I should say how I am using it, though, since it may be a bit non-traditional. I am using it as a stage monitor/DI running a D-28 into channel 1 and an electric through a modelling preamp into channel 2. I am sending line out to the house (via XLR). It works wonderfuly in this capacity. I've been searching for something full-range to handle the modeller (Digitech GNX2) and this handles it very nicely at respectable volumes. Given this usage, there are a few features that I would love to see. First, I would like to be able to optionally bypass the EQ circuitry, at least in channel 2 (my line-in from the Digitech). As it is, I have to carefully shape the EQ to prevent too much additional coloration. Second, I would like to for the mono line out to be balanced (TRS). Third, an effects loop would be great. All things considered, though, these are pretty minor concerns - I love the amp.

Sound is what sold me on this amp. A previous reviewer said that the chorus was great. Normally I hate chorus on acoustic, but this I love. I'm sure I will over-use it and someone will have to remind me that not every song needs chorus.
I expected that it would sound great with acoustic (and it does), but I am particularly pleased with ho well it handles heavily processed electric (distortion, delay, other types of modulation, etc.) Again, that is what I have been searching for in a small package. I can rip off screaming solos (through the mains) and not blow out my ears on stage. I rarely rate anything a 10, but I really have no complaints at all about the sound. In fact, I cannot imagine (unless I send my bass through this) that I will ever need the Subwoofer out.
The EQ is pretty versatile, and the notch filter works fine. I do wish that the notch filter could be assigned to only one channel, but I guess I understand why it's not.

Not enough data to comment on long-term reliability yet, but I like the gig bag. Construction is good, nothing loose or rattling. Controls are reasonably well-protected.

Their website does not have the manual PDF for download. I find that irritating, but I have no direct experience with them.

I've been playing various instruments for 30 years. In all that time I have never purchased an acoustic amp. Given my most recent needs, this was near perfect. I looked at several competitors (Yorkville, Ultrasound, Crate, Trace) and nothing (in the price range) was as versatile or as small. Size matters!