“Enough energy, oodles of tone, and a huge easy lug”: Fishman Loudbox Micro acoustic combo amp review

Whether you’re severe player or maybe you’re correct after a straightforward entry into acoustic amplification, the Loudbox Micro shall be correct what you’re after.

The Fishman controls are entirely uncomplicated. There’s a microphone channel with quantity, bass, treble, and reverb controls; there’s a guitar channel with quantity, bass, mid, treble, and reverb controls plus a variable, two-squawk chorus. You may perhaps perhaps perchance also scurry anything into this channel: for this review, I historic 6- and 12-string guitar, mandolin, dobro, and banjo. However I no doubt contain a friend who uses a Fishman amp for flute, and one other who performs fiddle via hers. There’s furthermore a grasp quantity and a phase swap. On the wait on panel you’ll salvage a DI, a headphone out, an Aux in, and a energy port for the exterior energy offer. And it weighs correct four kilos!

The Fishman Micro became once built for guitar so, naturally, that’s our first option. Plugging in a Maton MSH-210 with an AP5 intention, the tone became once prosperous and rapid. The 40 watt ceiling wasn’t a difficulty at all; there became once masses of energy, all of it with neat headroom. Even at paunchy quantity, which became once annoyingly loud, there became once no destroy-up or fuzzy treble. I notion the primary field may perhaps perhaps perchance be an absence of bottom discontinuance, on condition that I’m conversant in a Loudbox Mini or a Loudbox Performer. And whereas there became once no longer as mighty bass – it’s a smaller speaker in a smaller cab, in spite of all the pieces – the bass became once no longer underwhelming and, for fingerstyle, worked in my favour. 

Playing with a band, the more focussed fluctuate of the Micro no doubt came into its private. The build, with elevated amps, the bass and low mids tended to be swamped by other instruments, the Micro’s more contained point of curiosity let those notes push via the combine with a animated definition. I may perhaps perhaps perchance hear those low notes relatively clearly. Thinking this became once an aural illusion, I switched wait on to my Mini and folks low notes had been a bit laborious to listen to over over again. Again to the Micro… and there they had been.

The mandolin and banjo sounded correct – very certain and staunch. However the dobro became once so at home, it became once luxuriate in the amp became once reason-built for resophonic guitars. It no doubt voiced the guitar’s honky-ness correctly. Ought to you play a 12-string, you’ll like the treble and better mid jangle. Add a trail of reverb and you’ll be Eight Miles Excessive in no time.

Again to the six-string, the inner chorus circuit adds a nice softening carry out. The carry out might also furthermore be dialled in for relatively more depth however it doesn’t swamp the guitar tone luxuriate in most chorus results can attain. I are inclined to add correct a trail to sweeten the tone by accentuating all those animated overtones. And right here’s an concept: scurry to your jazz guitar (I historic a Godin fifth Avenue) for a paunchy-fluctuate tone that will refresh your pointers on what that guitar can sound luxuriate in.

Ought to you’re typically playing though a nice PA intention, this Micro is all you wish for a private guitar note and to absorb your stage space with some sound that doesn’t spill into the viewers. You may perhaps perhaps perchance also even flee a line-out, from your primary intention, into the input of the guitar channel (or either channel no doubt) and contain the Micro be a powered note wedge, carrying guitar and squawk – correct a notion. For the singer-songwriter, the Micro shall be a blessing with its immense sound and slight measurement.

The Fishman Loudbox series is built for musicians, and the Micro is a nice addition. It has enough energy, it has oodles of tone, and it’s a huge easy lug. I’ve had my Fishman amps for over 7 years and they also lend a hand finest on working, so it’s nice to see a compact amp with that more or less create quality.

Specs

• PRICE: $299.95 | AU$849
• POWER: 40W, Bi-Amplified
• CHANNELS: Two: Instrument and microphone
• DRIVERS: 5.25 ride poly cone woofer; 0.8 ride gentle dome tweeter
• EFFECTS: Reverb and twin-purpose chorus
• AUX INPUT: 3.5mm
• OUTPUTS: Balanced XLR D.I. Output; 3.5mm headphone output
• DIMENSIONS: 8.1″ x 10.4″ x 9.5″ / 206mm x 264mm x 242mm
• WEIGHT: 4.1kg (9.1lbs)