Is it an electric guitar or is it an acoustic guitar? Fender still sells them, so does Ibanez and Kramer started the idea when they hooked up with Danny Ferrington.
These are the Stratocaster/Telecaster-shaped instruments with thin bodies and piezo pickups in the acoustic style bridges.
They play like an electric guitar (when set up properly) but sound like an acoustic guitar.
In 1988 Kramer enlisted the help of famed luthier Danny Ferrington to design a production model instrument known as the KFS or KFT or for the bassists it was the KFB. These instruments all had wooden asymmetrical bodies that were shaped somewhat like a Telecaster (KFT) or a Stratocaster (FBS). The bass model was shaped like a Precision bass.
The bridge and saddle were acoustic style, but did not have pins. Instead the strings were anchored to the bridge.
A passive piezo transducer was mounted under the saddle and the controls for volume and tone were on the upper side. Later models came with a 3 band EQ/volume control mounted on the upper bout.
The KFS-1 and FKT-1 had fancy shark’s tooth fret markers, while the KFS-2 and KFT-2 has rosewood fretboards with dot position markers. The KFB-1 came with a rosewood fretboard and rectangular position markers. The KFB-2 came with a rosewood fretboard and dot inlays. Many had the well-known Kramer banana headstock.
There was also a Strat-shaped 12 string model, the KFS-12 with shark tooth inlays on its rosewood fretboard. And the KFX model was an Explorer shaped guitar with shark-tooth inlays on rosewood. The #1, #12 and KFX all came with bound necks, while the #2 models were not bound. Later in production #2 models came with diamond position markers.
Brand new Kramer Ferrington’s sold for $550 to $700.
Kramer also offered the more expensive and better made Signature models. These were made of choice woods such as solid Sitka spruce tops. Bodies were made of Indian rosewood, Nato (mahogany) or American hard maple. The necks were bolt-on Kramer models, but not all were six-in-line and only one had the banana-style headstock.
These guitars were not based on existing guitar shapes, but were unique shapes designed by Ferrington. The SB model, named for Stephen Bishop, came with a rosewood fretboard with dot inlays. The body had a single Venetian cutaway. The soundhole was shaped somewhat like an offset guitar-pick. The headstock was 3-on-a-side. Bodies could be ordered in Maple, the least expensive, mahogany or rosewood, the most expensive.
The bridge and saddles were similar on all models. It was a rectangular understated bridge and there is a piezo pickup under the saddle which went to a 4 band EQ and volume control.
The RT model, named for Richard Thompson, was also an original Ferrington design. Once again the rosewood fretboard had dot inlays. The soundhole was an offset oval. The six-on-a-side headstock was a unique design.
The double cutaway solid Sitka spruce top body was offset, think Fender Jaguar. It had a small point on the upper side of the lower bout. Electronics and bridge were similar. The RT came with the same body choices and was more expensive.
The DS model, named for Danny Steve Ferrington, was similar in shape to the SB model, in fact the only thing different was the headstock, which was the traditional six-on-a-side Kramer banana shaped style. It came in maple or rosewood.
The JS Model, named for JD Souther, also had the same body shape as the SB and similar accoutrements, but this guitar had a unique 3-on-a-side headstock that was reminiscent of the Danelectro Coke-bottle shape. It came in maple or rosewood.
The SB Model was named for Stephen Bishop and came with more of a traditional 3-on-a-side headstock
The nylon stringed model C came with a deeper body and a rosewood back matched up with a cedar top. The soundhole on this one was of an oval shape.
Fender has been building its Telecoustic and Stratacoustic guitars back in 1991. This was an idea developed by luthier John Page, who gave us some great Fender guitars during his tenure with the company.
It was originally developed in Fender’s custom shop and came with a wooden body, but was very expensive. This was a transition period with Fender and about that time, Fender had no US production. Production was briefly moved to Japan.
Fender MIJ Telecoustic
There were 3 MIJ models (made in Japan) Telecoustics. The standard came with a 2 piece spruce top, a basswood back and sides, a maple neck with a rosewood fretboard and dot inlays, cream coloured tuning pegs and a black ebony bridge.
The deluxe model had a 2 piece spruce top, mahogany back, pearl button tuners, maple neck with a rosewood fretboard with dot inlays and an ebony bridge.
Fender MIJ Telecoustic
The custom model had a solid spruce top, Honduras mahogany back and sides, maple neck with a rosewood fretboard that had no inlays. The tuners were Fender/Schaller models with pearl buttons. The bridge was Pau ferro with laminated ebony and the electronics were active. The soundhole on all was an offset oval and the bridge had a very unique shape. Very few models were made.
Acoustisonic Tele
Fender has since issued several versions of the Acoustisonic Tele, the last was in 2010.
However the guitars that we are most familiar with are the Fender standard Telecoustic and Stratacoustic models. These guitars feature the standard Fender shape, but with an acoustic style bridge and compensated saddle that contains a piezo pickup combined with Fender’s B-3TN unit. The tops are made of laminated spruce. The neck is maple with a rosewood fretboard. The inlays are dot style. The back and sides are molded fiberglass. Both instruments sell new for around $350.
The current lineup features Fishman active electronics with a built-in tuner. Older models came with Fender’s 3 band EQ/volume set up. The soundholes have traditionally had an oval shape.
Fender’s latest run includes the Telecoustic/Stratacoustic Plus model that adds a USB output to connect with computers, tablets and smart phones. This model sell new for $399.
The Fender Premier line has all the features of the standard and plus, but with a flame-maple top. It sells for $449.
These guitars have been around since the mid 1990’s and for awhile were assigned under the Squier logo. The bridge designs have changed. Fender has generally used a pinned bridge.
In 2013 Fender introduced the Telecoustic Deluxe and the Stratacoustic Deluxe. This was an upgraded version of the standard guitar that came with a single coil neck pickup for electric sounds. The MRSP was a little high at $900, however the body was all wood. The top was laminated spruce, the back and sides were laminated maple. The neck was a tradition Fender maple neck.
They also produced the JZM model which was a Jazzmaster shaped acoustic electric. Some of these instruments came with a pickguard, while others did not. Like most of the line up it is made in China.
In the early 1990’s Fender introduced the Telecoustic HMT. (Heavy Metal Telecaster) This was part of their MIJ product. Several versions were produced. One was strung with steel strings and a SilverLace sensor pickup and a piezo in the bridge saddle. The controls were volume, TBX tone and pan and were mounted on the instruments top.
There was also a nylon string version with only the piezo. It had the volume and TBX tone.
Additionally a bass version was created in fretted and fretless versions. All models had a built-in preamp. The tops of the HMT series were spruce, the bodies were mahogany. The necks are maple with rosewood fretboards. They came in 3 color sunburst, black and natural finishes.
Ibanez has been offering the Talman for years. The body is wider than most of Fender’s offerings, the shape is different and the Talman is all wood.
There are several versions of this guitar, so pay attention if you are interested. Versions, the TCY10TBS, and the TCY10BK both have spruce tops and are blue burst and black, respectively. These guitars have piezo pickups, Ibanez’s AEQ201 preamp with a 2 band graphic EQ and volume control.
The TCY20TRS and TCY20VV have similar electronic features, but both have a figured Ash body and an abalone rosette. The former has a red sunburst finish and the latter has a vintage violin finish.
The TCM50VBS does not have a piezo pickup. Instead it sports an AP2 Soundhole pickup, right above the guitars soundhole. This guitars top is figured ash and the back and sides are mahogany.
It comes with the Ibanez AEQ200M preamp with 2 band graphic EQ and volume and comes in a brown sunburst finish. The updated catalog also offers the TCM50NT with a natural finish.
These instruments are bargains and run from $200 to $300 new.
Ibanez also offers an upscale version of the Talman called the TCM60’s Plus. These have different color finishes and Ibanez gold die-cast tuners. The electronics are similar to the TCM50VBS and these also come with the AP2 Soundhole pickup.
The TCM60's Plus models seems to be aimed at the ladies, since most advertisers favor the pink-burst model.
The Talman series was initially introduced in 1994 as a solidbody electric and discontinued in this form around 1998. For a few years this guitar was offered with a “fotoflame” finish. Although this sounded exquisite, it was in actuality a picture of a wooden finish that was glued to the guitars top to give the appearance of wood. Ibanez was not the only company that offered fotoflame (or gravure flame) finishes. They did quit the process a long time ago.
Ibanez currently offers the Talman only as an acoustic/electric guitar.
During a high school class field trip to New York City, I made a unannounced trip to Manny’s Music and some of the other music stores on 48th street. While I was at Rudy's I bought an off-brand “fuzz-tone”. I still have it, but it hasn’t worked for years. It was a knock-off of the famous Maestro Fuzztone. The downside of both units was the cheap built-in cords that would always short out.
Over the years, I’ve purchased a good many effect pedals, most of which go unused.
On a recent visit to a music store I came across a bunch of really tiny guitar effects pedals. I had to ask the salesman if these were the real deal or just models of pedals. They were the real thing; micro pedals I was told. Ain’t technology grand!
It turns out there are several companies that are offering these pedals for sale. One of them is Mooer Electronics. The company’s full name is Shenzhen Mooer Audio Co., Ltd.
They are headquartered in Shenzhen, China with a specialty in manufacturing and marketing electronic musical and audio equipment. Their current line-up includes 54 versions of micro pedals, including a tuner.
A California company called Xotic offers several micro pedals. These include the SL Drive, EP Booster and SP Compressor.
Modtone has created a line of 10 mini-pedals that include a clean-boost, chorus, compressor, delay, distortion, flanger, fuzz/distortion, high-gain distortion, overdrive and reverb.
These can be linked to their optional power supply. These are sold under the banner of SHS International, which distributes many brands of musical instruments and equipment.
Outlaw Effects also offers 10 mini-pedals with Western themes.
Nine are effects pedals that include Lock, Stock and Barrel 3 mode distortion, Widow Maker Metal distortion, Dead Man’s Hand 2 mode overdrive, Hangman Overdrive, Quick Draw Delay, 24K Reverb, Vigilante Chorus, Five-O’Clock Fuzz, and Boilermaker Boost.
Hotone Design Inspiration won Best in Show at this year’s NAMM. This company offers 14 mini pedals and a mini power supply. These include their Wally Loop Station pedal, which offers 15 minutes of looping time with limitless overdubs.
The line up also includes Grass overdrive, Fury fuzz, Verb, Whip distortion, Roto modulation, Trem, Blues overdrive, Choir modulation, Chunk distortion, Eko delay, Komp, Liftup, and Octa.
Hotone is also becoming known for their tiny amplifiers. They make look like little tube amps, but actually are all solid state, 5 watts and designed to mimic the sound of well known amplifiers.
The British Invasion is based on a Vox AC30, the Thunder Bass is based on an Ampeg SVT, the Mojo Diamond is based on a Fender Tweed amplifier, the Purple Wind is based on a Marshall Plexi, the Heart Attack is based on a Mesa Boogie rectifier.
These amps can be paired with the optional tiny speaker cabinet the company offers. This contains a 4.5” 8 ohm speaker.
Xvive Audio offers a series of micro-pedals. These include their analog pedals, AC Blend, Electry Fire, Multi-Voice, Singing Autowah and a digital series including Duet Looper, Sound Freezer, Maxiverb plus a mini power supply.
Their older lineup includes Delay, Fuzz Screamer, Metal, Distortion, Classic Rock, Phaser King, Tube Overdrive, Chorus Vibrato, Lemon Squeezer.
Electro Harmonix also offers a line up of Nano pedals including Dr. Q, Bassballs, the LPB-1, the Muff Overdrive, nano looper and the Switchblade.
The pedals that I saw at the music store were all made by Guyatone. They included M2 Micro Delay, the H2 Harmonic Distortion, MC3 Micro Chorus, the CB3 Cool Boost, the FL3 Flanger, the HD3 Hot Drive, the MO3 Micro Octaver, the MT3 Micro Tuner, the OD2+ Overdrive, The SS3 Sonic Shaper, the ST2 Compressor Sustainer, the SV2 Slow Volume, the TZ2 The Fuzz, the VT3 Vintage Fuzz and the WR Wah Rocker.
They also make two bass pedals, the BB2 Bottom Blaster and the BE2 Bottom Equalization. These pedals are all 2.75” x 3.875” x 1.5”. The Guyatone company has been in business since 1951.
When I was younger and wanted to play guitar in a band, you needed a fairly large amplifier. No one was miking their amps except in recording studios. A Fender Deluxe Reverb was a good starting point. If you cranked it up, you could be heard over the drummer. It belted out 22 watts through a 12” Jensen speaker. It weighed in at 42 pounds.
Even better was a Fender Super Reverb which cranked out a respectable 45 watts through four 10” Jensen speakers. It was bulky and weighed around 65 pounds.
The Beatles were started using Vox AC30’s, but moved up to Vox AC100’s to be heard over the screaming girls. The AC30 cranked out 30 class A watts and weighed about 73 pounds.
The AC100 Mk 1 put out 100 watts. It was a head only and weighed about 50 pounds. You also had to match this up with a Vox Mk1 speaker cabinet that contained four 12” Celestion/Vox Alnico speakers. It came with a tubular chrome plated trolley to help roll the heavy beast around, that is after you lifted it in and out a vehicle.
Then Hendrix and Cream, the Who and a slew of others discovered Marshall amplifiers; 50 watt JMP’s to be precise. Marshall originally, at Pete Townsend’s suggestion, packed the speaker cabinet full of eight 12” Celestion speakers. But soon found out this was way too heavy even for the largest of roadies. So Marshall devised the half stack; four 12” Celestions in each section.
Fast forward to today….
Much progress has been made in amplification. Some guitars prefer their tube sound, but solid state has really progressed and so has amplifier modeling. It is no longer necessary to lug around 100 pound amplifiers, when one can get a louder and more powerful sound through a much smaller amplifier.
Dr. Rick Jones
In 1999 Dr. Rick Jones, a telecommunications engineer who was also a bass player and was dissatisfied with amplification available at the time. In fact as far back as 1987 Jones became interested in improving amplification. He discovered Walter Woods’s amplifier heads and loved the sound.
Min Amp 1
Walter Woods was probably the first person to create a “mini amp” that was powerful. His first design was produced in the 1970’s and called the Min Amp 1. It was a one channel prototype and produced 50 watts.
Its design eventually morphed into the Mi 100. This amp was about as tall as a pack of cigarettes. It delivered 75 watts into 8 ohms or 105 watts into 4 ohms. The equalization frequencies are different for each channel.
Through experimentation Woods was able to enhance the harmonics, which kept down the level of distortion and gave the amplifier an exceptional tone. By the 1980’s Woods developed the Mi 225. This was a class D amplifier that put out over 200 watts. The original model was a one channel unit, but was upgraded to a 2 channel amplifier. This amplifier featured a very complex design.
In the 1990’s Woods improved upon his Mi 100 amplifier. The pre-amp was modified through the use of integrated circuits and mosfet transistors.
By the mid 1990’s Wood had come up with the Electroacoustic series. The preamp is similar to the Mi 100, but the power amp section makes use of digital technology.
These are also known as the M-450, which produces 450 watts into 8 ohms and 750 watts into 4 ohms or the M-800 which puts out 800 watts into 8 ohms and 1200 watts into 4 ohms, yet only weighs four pounds.
Dr. Jones studied these amplifiers and came up with his own version called the Coda R. It was designed as a class D bass amplifier and produced a warm, dry transparent sound with a flat frequency.
Bottom view of amp
It featured a downward firing 10” speaker. Essentially the speaker was at the bottom of the cabinet facing the floor to bounce the sound. The amp was also equipped with a 5” midrange speaker and a 1” tweeter. It only weighs 5 pounds, yet produces 300 watts of power.
Acoustic Image makes several versions of its amplifiers. The S4 Clarus comes as a head in either a one or two channel version. It is 600 watts into 4 ohm speakers. Jazz guitarist Pat Martino packs one of these for his gigs.
S4 TEN²
The S4 TEN² has one downward firing 10” speaker and another forward firing 10” speaker. It also packs 600 watts into a 4 ohm load. Other versions include the Corus and the Contra. All Acoustic Image amplifiers are light enough and small enough to fit in a gig bag and be carried over one’s shoulder.
Those amps are more for jazz players, but Matrix Amplifiers of the U.K. offers the Vintage British 800. This is an amp with some balls.
This little brute pumps 420 watts into 4 ohms or 150 watts into 16 ohms and sounds amazingly like a Marshall stack.
The preamp is tube or valve based. It utilizes digital modeling to achieve its Marshall quality tone through the use of class a/b mosfets (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors). This amp weighs in at only 4.2 pounds and easily fits into a gig bag.
Matrix offer several light weight speaker cabinets to match up with the amp. One comes with one 12” speaker and the other comes with two 12’s and both are light enough to carry with one hand. The amp sells for $749 USD.
You may have seen the ZT Lunchbox offered at your local music store. This amplifier comes in several different combinations. The most popular version cranks out 200 watts into a 6 ½ inch speaker while only weighing 9 ½ pounds. It sell for $299. You can get an optional gig bag.
There are controls for volume, gain, tone and ambience, which is mimics open back cabinets. It comes with a line out/headphone port, an external speaker output, and a switch to disable the onboard speaker. This unit sells for around $300 USD.
ZT offers the Lunchbox acoustic model. Instead of metal housing, this amp is enclosed in wood and comes with two channels. One is a microphone channel which enables this unit to be used as a small PA system. It too offers 200 watts of power into a customer ultra-high 6 ½ inch speaker.
The mic channel has an optional XLR input and a 1/4'” input. The instrument channel has a ¼” input and both have their own dedicated gain controls. The amp has a built-in plate style digital reverb. It has an effects loop and a phantom power supply. Like the original Lunchbox it has an external speaker output and a switch to disable the internal speaker. This amp sells for $399 USD and weighs a mere 12 pounds.
ZT Lunchbox offers a version of the original but with a larger 12” speaker. It also pumps out 200 watts and weighs 22 pounds.
AER is a German company that has been building acoustic guitar amps for quite a while. There are many artists that use these amps based on their transparent sound quality and size. Most of the amps weigh between 13 and 14 pounds and produce 40 to 60 watts of power into their internal speakers. The line-out allows the amp to be used as a monitor, while the signal is fed into the house sound.
Now recently AER has manufactured a line of amplifiers for electric guitars. The Cheeky D produces 200 watts of power into your choice of a 10” or 12” speaker (which boast 240 watts). The amplifier has an input for a clean sound and another for a distorted sound. It comes with 2 gain controls and a distortion control, a master volume control, equalization controls and built in effects (reverb, chorus, delay) and comes with its own padded gig bag and weighs about 35 pounds.
AER also offers a bass amplifier simply called Amp Two. It pumps 240 watts into a 12” speaker and a 4” midrange speaker. This amp features a compression control, 3-band equalization, a mid-cut/treble boost control. It comes with a padded cover and weighs about 52 pounds.
They also offer Amp One which is a bass amp with similar features that puts out 200 watts into a single 10” speaker. It weighs around 30 pounds.
AER’s upgraded version of Amp One is called Amp Three. It is very similar to Amp One, and pumps 200 watts into twin 8” bass drivers. It also weighs around 30 pounds.
Although the Pignose G40V amps are no longer in production, they can still be found for sale on the internet. This amplifier was designed by New Jersey amp designer and repair man Dennis Kager. The circuit is based on Fender’s Tweed - four 10 Bassman amp and it cranks out 40 very loud watts into a 10” speaker. The speaker is rated at 80 watts, so it can handle the load.
The control panel consists of volume, gain volume, treble, middle, bass and a presence control. For a small amplifier, it can really get loud. And if you like a distorted gnarly tone for playing Blues, this amp will get you there. And yet it only weighs 28 pounds. It has a solid state rectifier, but the preamp section consists of three 12AX7’s and the power amp section if two 6L6 tubes in a class a/b format.
This amp came out in the late 1990’s and at the time no one liked it because it was made in China. Today, many well known amp manufacturers are outsourcing production to China, so you no longer have the stigma.
Another amplifier that is no longer produced was the Crate PowerBlock. These can be found as used equipment on various web pages and sell for $150 to $200 USD.
The PowerBlock is rated at 75 watts stereo or 150 watts monaural. It is a 10” x 3” unit that weighs only 4 ½ pounds. I am told this is a clean amp. For distortion you will need a pedal.
Electro Harmonix produces an amplifier that looks like a guitar pedal. In fact it can be mounted on your pedal board. This is the 44 Magnum. This little pedal produces 44 watts of power into an 8 or 16 ohm speaker load. The effects are minimal; just a volume knob and a switch that toggles between a normal setting and a bright setting.
It sell for around $151 and fits in the palm of your hand. In fact you can put it in your guitar case or gig bag.
A newer amplification company out of Costa Mesa California called Quilter has come out with their version of the “PowerBlock” which the call The Tone Block. This minimalistic amplifier weighs only 4 pounds yet puts out 200 watts into 4 or 8 ohms.
The control panel features gain, contour and a Master knob that determines the output; 0 watts, 10 watts, 40 watts, 100 watts or 200 watts.
Quilter also markets a line of Micro Amps called the MicroPro 200 series. These amps are similar except for the speaker size. They all are 100 watts per channel or 200 watts when using both channels. They are ultra light and can be matched up with an extension speaker.
They can weigh anywhere from 19 pounds to 27 pounds depending on the speaker size. They come with an 8”, 10” or 12” speaker or as just a head that can be matched up to their 12” speaker cabinet (30 pounds for the cabinet). They have also come out with a second generation of these Micro Amps. All fit into a handy gig bag for easy transport.
Heriksen amplifiers are designed by Bud Heriksen and are small, light weight amps that pack a punch. The Bud will not be available until late February 2015. It comes in a 9” x 9” x 9” cabinet and produces 120 watts of analog power into its built-in speaker and weighs a mere 17 pounds.
Jazz Amp 110
The Jazzamp 110 and 110 ER can produce up to 160 watts into a 4 ohm speaker load. It comes with a built-in 8 ohm speaker and cranks out 120 watts. The controls are a single volume control and five controls for equalization. It has built-in reverb. The amplifier is 14” x 14” x 8” and weighs only 23 pounds. The ER version includes a small tweeter speaker to bring out the highs.
Jazz Amp 112 ER
The Jazzamp 112 and 112 ER are similar to the 110 model but come with an internal 12” speaker. The controls include volume, a 5-band graphic equalizer, reverb with on/off switch and wet/dry mix control. This amp too is 160 watts into a 4 ohm load, and 120 watts into the internal 12” speaker. Once again the 112 ER versions include a small tweeter.
I’ve seen some local players using the JazzKat “TomKat” amplifier. This little amplifier produces 200 watts into its internal 10” woofer and 1” dome tweeter. It is fully equipped with external speaker jacks, send and return jacks, a headphone/line-out jack, and an array of digital effects. It weighs a mere 16 pounds.
Lately there has been a real boon in small, but powerful bass amplifiers. This trend was started by Gallien-Krueger as far back as 1969 when Robert Gallien began work on the GMT 226A, a small bass amp, housed in a metal enclosure.
It was the most powerful bass amp of the day.
Next the GMT 200G became the first guitar amp with channel switching. The GK 400B became the first bass amp with a contour control. The GK200RB became the first rack mountable guitar amplifier. Then came the GK800RB, which was a hit in the 1980’s.
But it was the GK 250ML put 100 watts of stereo power into a lunchbox size housing that showed guitarists that an amp did not have to be large to be powerful.
Recently GK has come up the rack mountable MB500. It weighs a mere 4 lbs, but delivers 500 watts of power and tone in a compact unit. It comes with 4-band active equalization and a contour control. This amp has an XLR direct out with pre/post EQ selector and a ground lift. It has a tuner out with a mute, FX loop, headphone/line out and dual speaker outputs. This little beast pumps out 500 watts into 4 ohms or 350 watts into 8 ohms.
Fender has not lost anytime in reducing their bass amp into a small package. Weighing only 5 pounds, the Rumble 500 delivers 500 watts into 4 ohms or 350 watt into 8 ohms. This single channel amp includes an overdrive circuit and a 3 button voicing section that provide bright, contour and vintage sounds. It comes with four tone controls and two speaker outs. Additionally it has a XLR out.
Then Ampeg’s design team came up with the SVT amp. This was the ultimate in bass power, but it was huge. The head weighed 80 pounds and the eight – 10” speaker cab weighed a back-breaking 165 pounds.
But now Ampeg has shrunk their amp head to a 14” unit that weighs only 11 pounds, yet it delivers 500 watts of class D power and they call it the PF-500. The tone stack on the PF-500 provides an extensive array of tone controls for shaping your sound. Bass, mid, and treble controls come standard with a 5-position mid switch for finding the perfect midrange level for your sound. Ultra Hi/Lo boosts add even more on-the-fly options, and it is equipped with an onboard compressor.
The optional speaker cabinets weigh anywhere from 45 pounds to 73 pounds. These PF cabinets give you option to attach your amplifier to the top and when the gig is over, the top flips over and provides storage for your amplifier inside the speaker cabinet just like the original Ampeg Portaflex amps.
TC Electronics has a great series of micro bass amps with tons of power. The BH250 Micro head cranks out 250 watts of power yet weighs a mere 4 pounds. This amp has a built-in tuner and the unique Tone Print feature. This allows you to download dozens of free artist-created effects via apps on your iPhone, Android or computer by choosing the app and aiming the device at your guitars pickups. Within seconds the tone is now on your Tone Print knob. The rear panel features a plug n’ play input that can be connected to an iPhone or Android to play along with prerecorded tracks. There is also a speaker mute and an XLR out. The optional floor pedal allows you to access up to two Tone Print effects.
BH800 top and BH550 bottom
The BH550 is a 500 watt version while the BH800 is an 800 watt version of this amplifier both amps come with 2 Tone Print knobs. So you can store twice as many effects. Both of these amps only weigh 9 pounds, while the BH250 weighs 4 pounds.
The TC Speaker cabinets come in different options and weigh around 40 pounds.
I used to have a Kustom 50 watt amplifier. It was study, dependable and big. The amp was enclosed in black tuck and roll naugahyde. The head probably weighed around 25 pounds.
This was produced in the era when Bud A. Ross of Chanute Kansas owned the company. Kustom amps were solid state done right.
In the 1980’s The Hanser Music Group of Kentucky acquired the brand. For several years the company produced the original tuck and roll amplifiers only these were tube based amplifiers. The company is now part of JAM industries.
Kustom has dramatically changed. They still produce a variety of combo and bass amps; some even have tubes, but Kustom has come up with a light weight bass amplifier that delivers up to 450 watts in a 5 pound package. This is the KBX 500. It comes with a full array of features including an effects loop, tuner send, balanced line-out and ground lift pre and post EQ.
Kustom also offers the KBX 200HR. This amp delivers 200 watts. It has a 6 band equalization and only weighs 14 pounds.
In 2013 Fender introduced the Telecoustic Deluxe and the Stratacoustic Deluxe. This was an upgraded version of the standard guitar that came with a single coil neck pickup for electric sounds. The MRSP was a little high at $900, however the body was all wood. The top was laminated spruce, the back and sides were laminated maple. The neck was a tradition Fender maple neck.
