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Beginner amplification
https://www.stickist.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=11776		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  iditastick [ Tue Dec 20, 2016 12:52 am ]
Post subject:  Beginner amplification
Hey Folks - I am a newbie to this Forum and considering purchasing a 10-string Stick. I am coming from an acoustic music background and have no experience yet with pre-amps, guitar amps, bass amps, and other gizmos on the electric sound side. I would appreciate any equipment recommendations for getting started. I am just looking for a home system for practicing - something that is not overly expensive (after I get over paying for the stick), but will do the job for awhile.

I'm also considering getting a midi pickup installed and would like to interface with GarageBand and other tools, but I can take this one step at a time...

My first experience with a Stick was seeing a college band back in the mid-80's and it is one of those things that left a lasting impression. I had no idea there was this thriving community until a few days ago. Very cool and fun to learn about! Thanks, Win
Author:  willowhaus [ Tue Dec 20, 2016 9:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Beginner amplification
Very good question. I can speak in some general terms, but I'll leave it to the more experienced Stickists here to comment on specifics.

As a Stick covers far more range that a guitar, smaller practice amps for guitar may not really be up for the task (or at least would be pretty unsatisfying). You could, I guess, get a pair of small practice amps too - one for bass & one for guitar - and that would probably work pretty well.

Another way to approach it might be to find a used keyboard amp, which would have multiple inputs so you could plug in the bass & melody sides separately, blending them on the amp, and is usually designed to cover a broader frequency range. You can find these for around $100 and up, usually.

Alternatively, you might find a small, powered stage monitor to be a better investment. Again, these are usually designed to handle a broader frequency range, and might serve your needs when it comes time to perform out. These often have only a single input, though, so you'd probably be plugging in mono (not that this should be a problem).

Myself, I have a small home studio with some decent monitors so I'll probably run through that for the time being. I also have access to a keyboard amp, but eventually I'd like to get some dedicated amplification for each side of the Stick.
Author:  earthgene [ Tue Dec 20, 2016 11:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Beginner amplification
Much of this topic has been covered quite well in this thread.

Guitar Center has a 30 day return policy, so keep that in mind. I go the Craig's list almost every time unless I KNOW that I am going to keep the gear for a long time (Big Sky, Temple Audio board, etc.).
Author:  Skydiver [ Tue Dec 20, 2016 11:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Beginner amplification
I am a big fan of amp/cab simulators.

I have no idea what amp or cabinet will sound good... so I like the idea of being able to scroll through all the different simulations... and even models that don't exist in the real world.
Author:  Jayesskerr [ Tue Dec 20, 2016 12:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Beginner amplification
Skydiver wrote:
I am a big fan of amp/cab simulators.

I have no idea what amp or cabinet will sound good... so I like the idea of being able to scroll through all the different simulations... and even models that don't exist in the real world.


This is actually a pretty smart way to go; One of the reasons I went with a Boss GT100 was so that I could go from a portable PA, to a Keyboard Amp, to a DAW interface to guitar amps even, and have some consistency.

Everyone is different, too so what works great for me may not be someone else's cup of tea.

Good luck, man!
Author:  Gusset [ Tue Dec 20, 2016 12:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Beginner amplification
This response assumes you've got passive pickups (ie PASV4 or Stickup)...if you're running an ACTV2, impedance matching is simpler but the generalities are the same. If you've got a Railboard, I'm pretty sure you can discard my thoughts here because that's a different sort of beastie. :-)

If I lost all my gear except my Stick in a fire or via theft, and needed to get back to where I could practice and had no money to speak of, I'd get a mixer to combine the two signals, one instrument cable (to connect mixer to amp), and a cheap amp.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Mackie/VLZ4 ... t-Mixer.gc
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Behringer/U ... -System.gc

There are other mixer options...this is just the one I use now. I like it for its small size, and it has two instrument inputs (read: high impedance), which is a must if you're plugging your Stick directly in. IMHO a mixer is the cheapest route to a Stick setup. Lets you use any amp, cheap or spendy.

I'd probably actually go on craigslist for a cheap amp, but this one is nice. (It has multiple inputs and you could technically plug a Stick directly in, but I think the inputs are all low impedance so it would be weak, and the tone would leave a lot to be desired.)

Anyway, ~$300 (plus cost of a cable) new, less if you go used. Simple setup that will get you started and let you enjoy and learn on your instrument, and it can grow with you if you want to dive into effects and such. The mixer can be considered a long term investment.
Author:  iditastick [ Wed Dec 21, 2016 12:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Beginner amplification
Wow - thanks everyone! I am very impressed by the response on this forum. A bit like drinking from a firehose! I read through the post and links and have a much better idea where to head now. The stick I will be ordering will have PASV-4 pickups and MIDI on the melody side. I like the pre-amp and monitor options recommended above. I was wondering if this Steinberg would be a better choice with the USB and MIDI connectors for working with the GS-3 and a Mac or iPad (eventually!)?

https://www.steinberg.net/en/products/a ... mples.html

Thanks again, Win
Author:  WerkSpace [ Wed Dec 21, 2016 1:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Beginner amplification
I've been using the UR44 for almost a year. I love it.
It's powered by 12 volts DC, oddly enough so is my car...
iditastick wrote:
Wow - thanks everyone! I am very impressed by the response on this forum. A bit like drinking from a firehose! I read through the post and links and have a much better idea where to head now. The stick I will be ordering will have PASV-4 pickups and MIDI on the melody side. I like the pre-amp and monitor options recommended above. I was wondering if this Steinberg would be a better choice with the USB and MIDI connectors for working with the GS-3 and a Mac or iPad (eventually!)?

https://www.steinberg.net/en/products/a ... mples.html

Thanks again, Win
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