Has anyone compared the Compact 60 to the Roland AC-60? Just curious. I got to hear the AC-60 yesterday and it sounded great, so I'm wondering if the Compact 60 is better. Or more accurately, is it $500 better?
The AC-60 has some feedback control too, which is attractive. Anyone?
Thanks,
Adam
Comments
Honestly, to my (admittedly untrained) ears I can't tell which is better. In my opinion, they are both on the warm and muddy side and its hard to get a whole lot of treble out of them. I've heard an Aylward/bigtone combo through a Compact 60 and thought it sounded like total crap. On the other hand, most of the performers at DjangofestSF were using them and they all sounded great.
Now I play through a Unico and that smokes both of them, but it is, after all, built for the pickup.
I bit the bullet and bought a Compact 60. After playing through the Roland amp, I can say without hesitation that the Compact 60 sounds significantly better. The best way I can explain it that the Compact 60 sounds warm and accurate where the AC 60 sounded thin. It's also ever so slightly smaller. Not a cheap little amp, but definitely worth the extra cash.
V-dub, I don't find it to be muddy at all, but I have a different pickup (Schatten) and I use a Baggs preamp. I know the Schertler amps mate perfectly with their pickups, but I wonder if others have found the pickups to sound muddy with the Compact 60.
I have both a 30 & a 60 that I use with my jazz box and the BF model is the cat's meow. For such a tiny, cheap package, these things are great, so I figured I'd ask.