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#255893 - 02/07/09 12:32 PM Fishman
babylon Offline
Member

Registered: 03/25/05
Posts: 63
Loc: Saline, Mi.
Anybody heard of or use the Fishman amp (Bose ripoff) at half the price?

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#255894 - 02/07/09 12:39 PM Re: Fishman
Dnj Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/21/00
Posts: 43703
If you would have done a SZ search on this product we have discussed it in detail a while back.
http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/017774.html
http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/018614.html
http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/018704.html



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 02-07-2009).]

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#255895 - 02/07/09 12:44 PM Re: Fishman
Jerryghr Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/14/02
Posts: 1497
Loc: Buffalo, NY
Quote:
Originally posted by babylon:
Anybody heard of or use the Fishman amp (Bose ripoff) at half the price?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/document/fishman/soloamp?doc_id=104287

Jerry

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#255896 - 02/07/09 12:49 PM Re: Fishman
Jerryghr Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/14/02
Posts: 1497
Loc: Buffalo, NY
Quote:
Originally posted by babylon:
Anybody heard of or use the Fishman amp (Bose ripoff) at half the price?


Here are some user reviews:

Reviews

Want to tell other customers about your experience with Fishman SoloAmp PRO-AMP-SL1 Acoustic Guitar Combo Amp? Please read our product review guidelines then write a review for others to read!
write a review »

Average of 7 User Ratings
Overall Quality
Features Value


Holy Crap This Thing Rocks!!!!!!!! Overall
Experience w/product I own it Features
Reviewer's Background Active Musician Quality
Reviewer's Play Style Roots/Rock, Americana Value
I have never written a review for anything in my life but I feel compelled to write about this thing. I've been performing for over 20 years for a living primarily as a solo or duo acoustic act throughout Asia & the States. I have played through every P.A. known to man and I can tell you that the Soloamp is BY FAR the BEST sounding pa/rig I've EVER played through! I use a Gibson Songwriter Deluxe & a Shure Beta87A. I can't get over how crisp and accurate the vocals are through this amp. Of course the guitar sounds great, it's a Fishman for God's sake... If you tour or play for a living then you owe it to yourself to step up & get one of these. 2 min setup time & less trips to the car & it's only 35 lbs..... Posted by acousticstevieb from All Over on Jan 29, 2009



Really Love This Amp! Overall
Experience w/product I own it Features
Reviewer's Background Professional Musician (40+ years) Quality
Reviewer's Play Style Acoustic fingerstyle folkrock, Caribbean-style Value
Tired of hauling my powered JBL Eons and Mackie board for solo gigs, I sought options. After trying the Yamaha Passports (good sound & price, cheesy effects) and the Bose L-series (too expensive, too heavy, I found the SoloAmp. LOVE IT! The sound was warm, even, distinct and LOUD as I needed for both inside and outside gigs, but I found that without my 1st-generation SansAmp Acoustic DI, my guitars sounded too brittle. The Fishman's anti-feedback feature is quite effective. The built-in reverbs are lovely, but I would have liked to see a chorus effect included. When I first got the amp, there was a disturbing, intermittent low-frequency buzz; I was preparing to send the unit back when I discovered that one of the four screws holding on the top plate had nearly fallen out and the other three were very loose! I fixed this and my problem disappeared! (I informed Fishman tech of my discovery and suggested tightening up the QC as well as the screws!). The SoloAmp's bag is fine (if not a bit inconvenient with the attached, bulky stand bag) for gently carrying in the car, but won't stand up to the rigors of flight. I am exploring other case options (golf-bag flight cases, perhaps?) for my airline needs. My duo partner purchased a SoloAmp after hearing mine and she's thrilled with it, too. We especially like the "Monitoring" feature. Overall, this is a great product and really meets my needs and I would recommend it to any solo acoustic guitarist/singer. Posted by Dr. Easy from Berkshire County, MA on Jan 20, 2009



Really terrible bag design but Great Sound Overall
Experience w/product I own it Features
Reviewer's Background Performing Songwriter, Sound Tech. Quality
Reviewer's Play Style Americana Value
The SoloAmp would be a solo artists dream if you didn't have to move it on the wheel/bag system provided. The wheels are so close together that the unit keeps flopping over when you pull it. The added stand bag when attached makes it top heavy and awkard to handle. As far as the sound quality, volume and controls I can not find fault, it does just as advertised. I have not given top ratings because of the bag issues, again nothing but praise for the SoloAmps performance. Posted by Dan Chavers from Bend Oregon on Jan 2, 2009



Kinda like the Bose L1 Overall
Experience w/product I own it Features
Reviewer's Background Active Musician Quality
Reviewer's Play Style acoustic fingerstyle Value
Most of my gigs are outdoors. My main gig, I run a cable to the inside house PA. I wanted this capability even of the house did not have a PA, so I thought this Fishman would be portable enough and hook into my Bose L1 (model 1,no bass module, but use an Alesis mixer) to do this. Well, to check it out first, I used it at my main gig. The first day, both the owner and I were not impressed - it didn't sound like the Bose. But since it was loadd in my car, I used it again the next day, same gig. I was a quite a bit happier the 2nd day, but near the end of my gig, the owner came up to me and said that I actually sounded better through the Fishman than the Bose. Setup is actually much quicker than the Bose, and it's lighter, too. There are no "presets" on the Fishman, which I like. Sure the sound is not as pure and clear as the Bose, but it sure is a great alternative. I haven't used the Bose for 2 months now. I might even sell it. Posted by Nash Rambler from Central Florida on Dec 18, 2008



Look Out Bose Overall
Experience w/product I own it Features
Reviewer's Background 40 yrs plus active musician Quality
Reviewer's Play Style Pop, jazz, blues, ethnic Value
I wanted a small PA for jazz standards and smooth jazz, solo guitar, vocals, some bass/drums track, so I demoed this in the store. The Fishman is beautifully voiced for my archtop acoustic and voice. The sound is crisp, crystal clear, carries extraordinarily well and the tweeter is very sweet sounding. I Plugged in a looper with some bottom heavy slap bass and drums and was drop-dead astonished, (along with everyone else in the store including my audiophile sax man/recording engineer), at how tight and punchy the bass was coming from such a narrow array.
Every wiring config you could possibly ask for. Not a lot of manual sound tailoring, but then the three band channel eqs are voiced so nicely I haven't really needed it.

Setup and level tweaking is ridiculously simple, roadying is a breeze, the carry bags are as high quality as the unit itself. This is a truly great product for small venues.

Posted by GeezerGuitarGuy from Reading, PA on Nov 29, 2008

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#255897 - 02/07/09 01:34 PM Re: Fishman
Diki Offline


Registered: 04/25/05
Posts: 14182
Loc: NW Florida
Just remember, a solo OMB is NOT a solo guitarist. It's a whole band, without even the benefit of onstage amps and live drums to lessen the burden on the PA...

I would crank this sucker to loud bar standards, and play a hard rocking or heavy dance/disco number before I assumed that it could handle it.

Unless all you EVER do is whisper quiet cocktail gigs with no need for decent lows and dancefloor volumes, I'd be pretty skeptical about reviews, especially from solo acoustic guitarists
_________________________
An arranger is just a tool. What matters is what you build with it..!

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#255898 - 02/07/09 03:59 PM Re: Fishman
babylon Offline
Member

Registered: 03/25/05
Posts: 63
Loc: Saline, Mi.
Thanks for all the feed back. I guess that was what I was relly wondering if anyone had used an arranger keyboard thru one of these, or perhaps two of these (stereo for less than the price of one bose!)

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#255899 - 02/07/09 09:41 PM Re: Fishman
Bill in Dayton Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 08/23/04
Posts: 2202
Loc: Dayton, OH USA
This pretty well covers it...(A reposting of my original report on demoing the two systems side by side...)

Tried it out today here in Dayton...

I actually A-B-ed it against the BOSE L1 model 2...

The Fishman after I played with some EQ's, really didn't sound bad...

It had strong mid ranges, decent high but weak lows (as advertised...)

Volume was ok, but when pushed by a psr arranger, it buckled, crackled and sonically yelled "uncle" at me...

Adding a powered sub made a huge difference. It was quite a bit better than without it, but output was still a little weak. (For me, I could use it for most of my nursing home jobs and it would be perceived by my clients and audience as fine volume wise.)

I do think if I daisy chained two Fishman Solo Amps to each other and added a small powered sub, it would sound pretty darn good...

***The tower on its own merit, using an arranger kb and vocal mic through it I'd give an score of 65 / 100 (Not usable for me in any circumstances...)

***The tower with a sub wooofer, same set up-I'd give a 75 / 100 (It helps noticeably, but it doesn't blow me away...)

***My current set up, (Yamaha box mixer, digitech vocal harmonizer, two Behringer 15's PA speakers I'd give a 95 / 100 (Loud as hell, clear, has a nice sizzle to everything, its great but heavy...)

***I'd give the BOSE a 90 / 100...just under my current set up, but after I really set it up properly and tweaked it to my liking, I'm confident the BOSE would surpass the current rig easily...

Comparing the Fishman to the Bose...No contest...There's nothing to really think about whatsoever. It would take 2 Fishman tower and a sub to begin to approximate the single bose tower and sub. It would not be quite as good, certainly not better, no way...

Cost...

Bose tower model 1, 1 sub inc - $2500

Fishman Solo Amp $1000 each...(Since I'd need two of these and a sub to get in the same neighborhod as the bose...I'm quickly in the same price range but having to transport 2 fishman systems plus buying a sub, which is something else to carry...)

Two BOSE towers connected would be insanely loud...I could easily do any solo or duo venue I currently have with the single tower bose and its sub. I'm unsure though, how the quartet would translate through it for a 300 person dance. I have no doubt 2 towers and a sub would handle it just fine...Actually, for a quartet like mine...it wouldn't break a sweat-so maybe a single would suffice...

If I purchased something today-it would have been the bose...I would not have bought the tone engine...I'm happy with my current yamaha mixer and digitech processor...I'd run a balanced signal from the yamaha board to the input on the base unit of the bose and go from there...

Again, the clarity of a decision once you have adequate information is so often very easy. Reading other peoples experiences, researching online, etc. gives you one perspective, but nothing beats hands on.

We'll work this puppy into the old budget and figure out how to get her done.

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Bill in Dayton

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Bill in Dayton
_________________________
Bill in Dayton

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#255901 - 02/08/09 05:32 AM Re: Fishman
Bill in Dayton Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 08/23/04
Posts: 2202
Loc: Dayton, OH USA
Sorry...it was late when I posted that...

I bought the Bose and am happier than I even thought I would be. IMO, the Fishman is NOT appropriate for an arranger guy.

I should add, that I spoke to Fishman tech department a while back and even they said for an arranger/kb application, the Fishman is not well suited.

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Bill in Dayton
_________________________
Bill in Dayton

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