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Some considerations with older battery-powered amp models is that they probably use sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries. Those are heavy, they discharge when not in use, and have a shorter lifespan. If the amp is over 5-7 years old, chances are that battery is probably due for replacement. I recently did a job replacing the batteries in a Mobile AER and they definitely didn't make it easy: I had to special-order the batteries and take the whole thing apart to get access.
If you want something with removable/easily replaceable batteries you really can't beat the Roland stuff, which runs on AAs. I've actually been been impressed with the volume and tone of the Mobile Cube, which only weighs 5.5lbs. There are some Hawaiian steel guitarists that play through it exclusively!
Also throwing the Yamaha THR series in the mix, I've seen folks use them and they seem to work great and are VERY compact:
https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/guitars_basses/amps_accessories/thr/index.html
I've had a few models of the Yamaha THR, and love them for practicing and as an actual audio interface into my computer. I have the THR 30ii, but I would say the other models aren't loud enough for live situations. I love that it has direct outputs and you can go into a pa. I did try to use it while busking (with a digital accordion), and it wasn't quite loud enough.
I just came across these and they look interesting: https://shop.eliteacoustics.com/collections/acoustic-amplifiers-lithium-battery . Not sure how they sound though!
I like my Roland Cube Street 5W battery operated amp and they also make a Cube Street EX 50W, which I haven't tried. I get some nice Manouche tones with the Roland and a Krivo Nuevo single coil pickup.
I spent a bit of time on this a while ago and ended up buying the Bose S1. I was wanting the cleanest, least coloured sound I could get to play solo nylon-string stuff. This speaker with a LR Baggs preamp is just beautiful to my ears. All portable, two leads and great sound.
I wanted to revisit this thread as I hunted down and tried many amps this last month. TL:DR - I ended up with the Bose S1 Pro with the matching (and expensive) backpack case. It's not perfect, but it was the best option.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I ended up trying:
Requirements:
Nice to haves:
Why I went with the Bose S1(the pros)
The cons (or not so greats)
[It’s kind of expensive and “another thing to deal with” but, it’s worth looking at a Jackery separate battery power supply (or something similar). I have the Jackery 1000, it can simultaneously provide power for multiple devices including your favorite smaller amps, iPads, fans, lights, and jump your car in a pinch. Just floating this option because you don’t need to pick from the limited crop of battery powered amps if you go with a standalone battery. It’s also awesome for van-camping if you ever want to do that]
Have you used the Bose S1 with a condenser mic like a DPA 4099? I heard one recently and was impressed. I was thinking of picking one up to have as a backup and also just in case I need vocals for something.
fun thread.
there is also this amp by fender. Two XLR channels with phase select. Maybe the eq is more friendly than the Bose. Be interesting to compare.
Fender Acoustic Junior Go - 100-watt Acoustic Amp with Rechargeable Battery | Sweetwater
DPA 4099 is the industry gold standard and sound great for gigging! Even for studio, pairing one with an AKG 414 or a Neuman KM184 or U87ai!
I actually do use the Bose S1 Pro with an AT831b mic. Using mic's are possible, but you'll have to deal with a few issues:
For me, I've been able to deal with all these. The only gripe I have is that my tone could be better with a D.I. or good tone-shaping pre-amp... but those are also more stuff to lug around and more potential points of failure. And for a live show that doesn't have pro sound, I'm willing to sacrifice some tone.