Acoustic accordions and amps?

[hummingbird]

So...for the first time I'm playing in a band that plays Irish music--so not exactly rock and roll, but everyone is amplified. I'm getting a pickup installed for my accordion by my accordion guy.
But what kind of amp?
I just talked to a friend of mine who plays violin, and he told me it took him almost 40 years to find the right amp that actually made his violin sound like a violin; also that most amps are made for guitars, which generally doesn't work for an acoustic instrument.
Those of you who play in an amplified situation, what kind of amps do you suggest? Weight can be an issue--I already have an accordion to deal with!

 

[Zevy]

So...for the first time I'm playing in a band that plays Irish music--so not exactly rock and roll, but everyone is amplified. I'm getting a pickup installed for my accordion by my accordion guy.
But what kind of amp?
I just talked to a friend of mine who plays violin, and he told me it took him almost 40 years to find the right amp that actually made his violin sound like a violin; also that most amps are made for guitars, which generally doesn't work for an acoustic instrument.
Those of you who play in an amplified situation, what kind of amps do you suggest? Weight can be an issue--I already have an accordion to deal with!

I bit the bullet a number of years ago and bought an amp made by Acoustic Image. It has a really clean sound and it is very light. It feels great walking into a venue with an accordion in one hand and this small amp in the other. Unfortunately, the CEO just died and the company is closing down.

 

[hummingbird]

I bit the bullet a number of years ago and bought an amp made by Acoustic Image. It has a really clean sound and it is very light. It feels great walking into a venue with an accordion in one hand and this small amp in the other. Unfortunately, the CEO just died and the company is closing down.

Well jeez!

 

[hummingbird]

I bit the bullet a number of years ago and bought an amp made by Acoustic Image. It has a really clean sound and it is very light. It feels great walking into a venue with an accordion in one hand and this small amp in the other. Unfortunately, the CEO just died and the company is closing down.

I just looked them up and apparently there are places that still sell them until there are no more. But there are different models. Which one do you use? They do look as though they are specifically made for acoustic instruments.

 

[debra]

I have tried many things over the past decades... and finally settled on the Bose L1 model 2 (plus tonematch engine). Very characteristic about these amps is the "pole" with small speakers inside. When you watch performances you will often see that characteristic pole that tells you the performers are using the Bose. These poles are also used a lot in public rooms for lectures, funerals, etc.
The "model 2" has now been replaced by three products: Bose L1 pro8, pro16 and pro32, with different levels of power, for smaller or larger venued.
The typical use of this amp is to position it behind you, not in front. Because the pole with speakers projects the sound angled to the left and right the sound actually travels around you and you don't go deaf.
The tonematch engine has an "accordion" preset that does not sound great when you are standing close to the speakers, but actually for people listening from a distance it sounds more natural than the "neutral" (bypass) preset.
I have no commercial ties with Bose in any way. I'm just posting this here because this is the one and only product I know that really works!

 

[losthobos]

Watkins Songbird.....made specifically for accordion....UK build ...

 

[Dingo40]

Watkins Songbird.....made specifically for accordion....UK build ...

See here:

Songbird Amps

 

[Ventura]

the pickup you are getting installed is critically important

the best ones available use Sennheiser elements and reject
off-axis sound best (to resist feedback)

assuming your accordion already has "the sound" you like
and want, then the only job an Amp has is to make it LOUDER

and

NOT
to act as a big fat tone control

so ANY amplifier that gives a generally flat response in it's specification
will work, but it is nice to have some Tone Control to "compensate" for
(low, mid, high individual tone control knobs)
the tonal deficiencies of a given venue, and a nice high quality Reverb/FX
section built in (not a delay, cheapo echo circuit) is also handy

it might also be handy if the amp has a "line out" for larger jobs
someday when there is a House PA system, so your amp processes your
sound and then acts as your Monitor on stage, but the House system
makes you loud

there are some more modern, modest priced but fairy powerful battery
powered amps available now as well.. enough for busking and small pubs
and ensemble work.. that means zero setup time and freedom of placement..
several of us use (battery) Roland Street amps of various types (several versions/sizes)
but many other brands are now available too

there are also small inexpensive wireless systems that work well if you and the Amp
are close to each other at all times, the built in batttery giving a couple hours of run tiime
and freedom from being wired is nice to have

here is one Prime day deal/model that i actually use in the Studio just for convenience
with the Roland's mostly, but should work with any Mic system with a volume control

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BVTJJMT3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

more expensive wireless systems that use AA or 9 volt batteries and allow for movement
and distance from your Amp/reciever are more reliable in professional use, but if your Amp
stays near your chair the little one is fine

depnding on the mic and jack installation, i often leave one of these on my
accordions so that a wireless is in a more convenient and safe place, moving'
the jack from under the grill to up along the grill
(using black wire ties slipped under the grill work to hold it in place)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F4JBMH3?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

finally, there are some kinds of handy medium loud Battery operated
with built in Dolly/extending handles small PA systems sometimes called
"Tailgaters" that also have Bluetooth built in
(for playing along to tracks on your smartphone for instance)
that you might find more versatile for solo work

ION and PYLE are 2 brands in this genre, with SAMSON offering a
more professional/expensive version

 

[jozz]

in a personal amp situation I use an Acus One 8 - they have completely flat eq

whatever you end up buying - get one with direct out in case you need to pass thru to a house system

 

[JeffJetton]

The general consensus here is correct. You don't want an "amp" so much as a powered speaker or small PA system.

I haven't done any accordion gigs yet that weren't either acoustic or had house sound. But for keyboard gigs, I use a (now-old) JBL Eon 15. Built like a tank and works/sounds great. Very basic--just a few inputs and a volume knob.

Which works fine for a keyboard (no additional processing needed), but for amplified acoustic accordion you'll probably want EQ and maybe reverb, etc. While you could use a separate mixer or pre-amp "stomp box" for that, something like the Bose systems Paul mentioned would give you more of an all-in-one solution. I heard a violin/cello duo with one of those in a small bar awhile back and it sounded great.

(While a line out would indeed be nice, in a pinch you can get a separate DI box for that.)

 

[EMan]

I use the "Thump 15" in conjunction with an equalizer. Amps these days seem to have only 2 inputs and since I sing I need two for the accordion ( stereo output) and one for a microphone. The equalizer gives me a much better range of control using 3 inputs. The thump is not overly heavy and really produces a nice clean sound. If I were working with a group that had a dedicated sound system for vocals, I might rethink the amp issue, but given that I play only solo these days, this set up works well for me.

 

[NickC]

I just talked to a friend of mine who plays violin, and he told me it took him almost 40 years to find the right amp that actually made his violin sound like a violin;

I believe it. But, don't fret....amplifier technology has come a long way in 40 years. There are a lot of good options that are available today.

 

[John M]

I have tried many things over the past decades... and finally settled on the Bose L1 model 2 (plus tonematch engine). Very characteristic about these amps is the "pole" with small speakers inside. When you watch performances you will often see that characteristic pole that tells you the performers are using the Bose. These poles are also used a lot in public rooms for lectures, funerals, etc.
The "model 2" has now been replaced by three products: Bose L1 pro8, pro16 and pro32, with different levels of power, for smaller or larger venued.
The typical use of this amp is to position it behind you, not in front. Because the pole with speakers projects the sound angled to the left and right the sound actually travels around you and you don't go deaf.
The tonematch engine has an "accordion" preset that does not sound great when you are standing close to the speakers, but actually for people listening from a distance it sounds more natural than the "neutral" (bypass) preset.
I have no commercial ties with Bose in any way. I'm just posting this here because this is the one and only product I know that really works!

I'll second all the above. I have the Bose L1 Compact and the T4S Tonematch that I use with my Roland FR-8X. I always loved that Hammond and Leslie sound. In series with the 8X, I have a MicroVent 122 that perfectly simulates the Leslie 122. The 'Spool up" of the rotors is even adjustable. The small speakers on top of that pole really duplicate the rotating Leslie Treble horn.

 

[hummingbird]

the pickup you are getting installed is critically important

the best ones available use Sennheiser elements and reject
off-axis sound best (to resist feedback)

assuming your accordion already has "the sound" you like
and want, then the only job an Amp has is to make it LOUDER

and

NOT
to act as a big fat tone control

so ANY amplifier that gives a generally flat response in it's specification
will work, but it is nice to have some Tone Control to "compensate" for
(low, mid, high individual tone control knobs)
the tonal deficiencies of a given venue, and a nice high quality Reverb/FX
section built in (not a delay, cheapo echo circuit) is also handy

it might also be handy if the amp has a "line out" for larger jobs
someday when there is a House PA system, so your amp processes your
sound and then acts as your Monitor on stage, but the House system
makes you loud

there are some more modern, modest priced but fairy powerful battery
powered amps available now as well.. enough for busking and small pubs
and ensemble work.. that means zero setup time and freedom of placement..
several of us use (battery) Roland Street amps of various types (several versions/sizes)
but many other brands are now available too

there are also small inexpensive wireless systems that work well if you and the Amp
are close to each other at all times, the built in batttery giving a couple hours of run tiime
and freedom from being wired is nice to have

here is one Prime day deal/model that i actually use in the Studio just for convenience
with the Roland's mostly, but should work with any Mic system with a volume control

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BVTJJMT3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

more expensive wireless systems that use AA or 9 volt batteries and allow for movement
and distance from your Amp/reciever are more reliable in professional use, but if your Amp
stays near your chair the little one is fine

depnding on the mic and jack installation, i often leave one of these on my
accordions so that a wireless is in a more convenient and safe place, moving'
the jack from under the grill to up along the grill
(using black wire ties slipped under the grill work to hold it in place)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F4JBMH3?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

finally, there are some kinds of handy medium loud Battery operated
with built in Dolly/extending handles small PA systems sometimes called
"Tailgaters" that also have Bluetooth built in
(for playing along to tracks on your smartphone for instance)
that you might find more versatile for solo work

ION and PYLE are 2 brands in this genre, with SAMSON offering a
more professional/expensive version

I agree about the pickup. My accordion guy suggested the Sennheiser (I'm pretty sure that was the one) but my budget is more limited. So he is installing less expensive one but setting it up if I want to upgrade later.
How do you use the transmitter that you referenced on Amazon? Did I mention that I am a complete ignoramus on this electronic stuff? I've always played acoustically.
I like the idea of something I don't have to plug in. Usually their gigs are a couple of hours.

 

[hummingbird]

I had no idea this whole amp thing was this complicated! I feel like a hillbilly musician walking into a world of space alien musicians who fly to Mars on a routine basis.

I so appreciate all your advice, even if I can't understand a lot of it. I have to reread the comments and start figuring all this out.

I've clearly entered the world of guys... apologies if there's a woman in here somewhere!

 

[debra]

I had no idea this whole amp thing was this complicated! I feel like a hillbilly musician walking into a world of space alien musicians who fly to Mars on a routine basis.

I so appreciate all your advice, even if I can't understand a lot of it. I have to reread the comments and start figuring all this out.

I've clearly entered the world of guys... apologies if there's a woman in here somewhere!

It's really not complicated, but it becomes tricky if you want the amplified sound to sound just like your accordion, but louder. There are many amps that give reasonable sound for guitar, drums and other instruments, but sound terrible with accordion.
As for pickups, the best advice is to get something built in with as many mic capsules as you can afford. The Italians often use a kit with 3 Sennheiser mics on the treble side (and one on the bass side. The capsules are good, but you really need more capsules to get an even spread of sound pickup over the entire length of the keyboard.
I recently tried a setup from "Caverna Eletrificações" with 5 treble mics (plus one bass mic). Harmonik also uses 5 treble mics and AZS uses 6 treble mics. Any of these will do nicely. Earlier I used the Microvox 420 which has 4 capsules and is mounted on the outside of the grille. That was also nice. It's not complicated: it's just a matter of "the more capsules the better".

 

[Ventura]

if you were in the area, i would just invite you to visit the Studio..
one local girl was here today actually getting experience with MIDI
and the Rolands.. some of these things are so much easier to show and tell
than just words.. here i have literally dozens of audio combinations of
Amps and Speakers and wireless and all the accompanying stuff to choose
from for any Gig that i take, so i have the luxury of choice always, but
trying many combinations allows the "newbie" to sort of filter down
to what really would work for them

so once the Mic's are installed, just visit some local music stores and
commandeer a soundproofed room and keep asking to "try another one"
until it starts to make sense for you

in my friends case from today, she is getting closer to knowing what
Software and Hardware is going to be fruitful for her skills and desires

but it is sure easy to spend a lot of money and time down the
wrong rabbit hole !

be patient and sift through everything.. you will get there.

 

[hummingbird]

It's really not complicated, but it becomes tricky if you want the amplified sound to sound just like your accordion, but louder. There are many amps that give reasonable sound for guitar, drums and other instruments, but sound terrible with accordion.
As for pickups, the best advice is to get something built in with as many mic capsules as you can afford. The Italians often use a kit with 3 Sennheiser mics on the treble side (and one on the bass side. The capsules are good, but you really need more capsules to get an even spread of sound pickup over the entire length of the keyboard.
I recently tried a setup from "Caverna Eletrificações" with 5 treble mics (plus one bass mic). Harmonik also uses 5 treble mics and AZS uses 6 treble mics. Any of these will do nicely. Earlier I used the Microvox 420 which has 4 capsules and is mounted on the outside of the grille. That was also nice. It's not complicated: it's just a matter of "the more capsules the better".

It's really not complicated, but it becomes tricky if you want the amplified sound to sound just like your accordion, but louder. There are many amps that give reasonable sound for guitar, drums and other instruments, but sound terrible with accordion.
As for pickups, the best advice is to get something built in with as many mic capsules as you can afford. The Italians often use a kit with 3 Sennheiser mics on the treble side (and one on the bass side. The capsules are good, but you really need more capsules to get an even spread of sound pickup over the entire length of the keyboard.
I recently tried a setup from "Caverna Eletrificações" with 5 treble mics (plus one bass mic). Harmonik also uses 5 treble mics and AZS uses 6 treble mics. Any of these will do nicely. Earlier I used the Microvox 420 which has 4 capsules and is mounted on the outside of the grille. That was also nice. It's not complicated: it's just a matter of "the more capsules the better".

That makes sense. When I can afford it I'll get a better pickup.

if you were in the area, i would just invite you to visit the Studio..
one local girl was here today actually getting experience with MIDI
and the Rolands.. some of these things are so much easier to show and tell
than just words.. here i have literally dozens of audio combinations of
Amps and Speakers and wireless and all the accompanying stuff to choose
from for any Gig that i take, so i have the luxury of choice always, but
trying many combinations allows the "newbie" to sort of filter down
to what really would work for them

so once the Mic's are installed, just visit some local music stores and
commandeer a soundproofed room and keep asking to "try another one"
until it starts to make sense for you

in my friends case from today, she is getting closer to knowing what
Software and Hardware is going to be fruitful for her skills and desires

but it is sure easy to spend a lot of money and time down the
wrong rabbit hole !

be patient and sift through everything.. you will get there.

Yes, I think I'll take my accordion down to the local Guitar Center and try out different acoustic amps. Unfortunately every one I looked up on their websites didn't have an actual one in their stores. Very annoying. But at least I can get a sense of what sounds good and what I should be looking for.

 

[Dingo40]

but everyone is amplified. I'm getting a pickup installed for my accordion by my accordion guy.
But what kind of amp?

Your biggest problem will be hearing yourself playing .
Everyone will be turning up their amplification to the max in order to hear themselves so whether you're even amplified or not may become moot?
Your best bet may simply be a good set of earphones connected to your internal microphones , so you can hear yourself play ?.

 

[Zevy]

I just looked them up and apparently there are places that still sell them until there are no more. But there are different models. Which one do you use? They do look as though they are specifically made for acoustic instruments.

I believe the model that I have is the CODA. They are meant for use with acoustic basses, but I have used it for quite a while. I often play with a violinist who has one as well, so we both sometimes show up with our matching amps!