Mixdown’s Top 5: Busking Acoustic Amplifiers
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Mixdown’s Top 5: Busking Acoustic Amplifiers

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Acus Oneforstreet

Based in Italy, Acus has developed a unique range of acoustic instrument amplifiers aimed at staying true to the instrument’s natural resonance and tonal characteristics. The Oneforstreet model has an in-built battery option for performances in public, where mains power may not be a possibility. It can also run off mains power, so it can also be a regular gigging amp, however you do not lose any performance or power
 when running from the battery. The battery also lasts up to seven hours of operation when fully charged, so it can survive a full day at the office for a busking musician. On the portability side, it weighs around 15kgs and is quite compact in size, allowing you to tuck it away with ease on a small trolley. 
 

Marshall AS50D

Sometimes busking musicians have to sacrifice portability for elite tone. This is where Marshall’s AS50D comes in. Designed for a variety of different acoustic instruments, the AS50D has a range of input features, so it can accommodate instruments with magnetic pickups, piezos and microphones – passive or condenser. The on-board effects are clear and don’t interfere with the signal, allowing for studio-quality guitar and vocal tones pretty much anywhere. The downside is it isn’t battery powered and can be quite cumbersome, so it can be a bit of a pain to travel with. However, the overall tonal quality surpasses any other acoustic amplifier on the market, and is a must-have for acoustic guitarists.

 

Roland CUBE Street EX

The Roland CUBE Street EX is the ultimate travelling amp. Weighing under 6kgs, it is a battery-powered marvel that’s ready to travel fast. Roland’s CUBE Street EX is known for its amazing sound and its capability of high-volume output thanks to two high performance neodymium speakers onboard. Don’t judge this amp by its size, its grunt defies its physical dimensions. Best of all, it can run for up to 15 hours on just six AA alkaline batteries.

 

Laney A1+

The A1+ is designed to give the discerning acoustic player an amplified acoustic performance to match the tone and dynamics of the top acoustic instruments on the market. Laney manages to achieve this whilst containing everything in a compact, dual position wooden cabinet that is coated in a ultra-durable polyurethane, so it’s built with the travelling muso in mind. The A1+ features two completely identical but independent instrument/mic channels, perfect for the acoustic guitar and mic setup. 

 

AER Compact Mobile

The Compact Mobile is based on AER’s heralded Compact 60-3, therefore you can expect the same immaculate sound quality but with the luxuries of portability and battery-power. Built to meet the highest demands and standards of acoustic players, this 60-watt, twin-channel amp can last for about four hours of use without mains. This might pose as a problem for the 9 to 5 busker, but it won’t really matter after you’ve collected your day’s worth in such a short time due to its pristine sound quality.