Acoustic guitar 'rig' for country player

[Jack]

Hi all,

 

Unusual request, just looking for some advice please. I've joined a jam band with an old friend and we're at the point where we're going to start shopping for gigs. Out of the 5 of us, 2 of us (me being one of them) have played in plenty of gigging bands before and we have hundreds if not thousands under our belts between us. The drummer and the singer haven't gigged before but they are sorted. The issue is with the acoustic guitarist. He's a nice fella and a great player but never left the bedroom. Currently they own a nice selection of acoustic guitars and that's it. No stage gear to speak of. I even had to show him how to plug into the amp at the rehearsal space, no joke he had the instrument cable from the guitar in the speaker output of the head.

 

Have any of you ever played acoustic guitar in a band or been in band with someone who has? Advice for what gear you need to be able to actually do that? I would lend him my Fishman Platinum Pro, but once I've done that once I'll be doing it at every gig and I don't want to start a precedent. 

 

We have a full pa setup so he could go ampless and then rely on the wedges I suppose. I get the impression that most acoustic guitar amps are relatively flat anyway? Or do nice-but-mid-range acoustics benefit from some tone sweetening? So is it just a plain DI box then to get the guitar into the mixer? I think that all of his guitars have built in preamps and tuners, so just a passive DI would work. But then wouldn't it be nice to have some eq and feedback fighting options on the floor? Or a better tuner? Do the inbuilt ones on guitars work on loud stages under bright lights? What's a good budget acoustic guitar amp? Or preamp pedal? I have seen the Sonicake ones that look alright but they don't have a tuner. Do multi effect pedals work well with acoustics? It occurs to me that something like a Mooer/NUX/Valeton 'hx-stomp-alike' might be a good solution to this? I don't even know how to ask an intelligent question on this as you might have guessed. I own an electro acoustic and if I had to play it live I'd just plug into the quad cortex or the aforementioned Fishman, but that's because I already own those solutions and I'm not an acoustic guitarist by trade. I'm trying to remember back to when I've shared a bill with acoustic guitarists or when we've worked weddings and I've had them through my desk and pa as the first acts. I think most of them have had some sort of pedalboard, mostly with looper pedals, but I guess that's not appropriate for a band.

 

I guess what I'm asking is: for a player who has been playing for a long time but who is brand new to playing live (and who is on a tight budget) should we go amp or pedal board? If so what are some good cheap options in those categories? Is there anything else here that I haven't thought of?

 

Thanks in advance. 

[casapete]

The Behringer AD121 pre amp/modeller is maybe an obvious choice for dipping your toe in the water. Useful bit of kit,

and worth the £22 new price for the DI capability alone. A friend uses one to bring his electro acoustic to life, and it works very well. Regarding amps, Fishman have a good range although if you keep a watch on the small ads you can find some tidy s/h Trace Elliot acoustic combos for not a lot of dosh. Lots of features and well made, as you’d expect from TE. 😊

 

[tauzero]

I play at several open mic nights where most of the guitars are acoustics with pickups. They get run straight into the mixer. Same for the singer's acoustic with my second band, which he just uses on a few songs.

 

It would be an idea to get a feedback blocker - a disc that fits into the soundhole and reduces feedback issues. https://sygnusguitars.com/best-acoustic-guitar-feedback-busters/

[pete.young]

A basic DI box  into the PA will get you going. The ADI 21 is a good way to try some tone shaping, but worth buying just as a DI box even if you don't turn it on.  If you have reasonable stage monitors, that's all you need. 

 

Depending on how loud you are, and if you don't have any on-stage monitoring from the PA, a small acoustic guitar combo might be worth considering. I have a Roland AC60 which is now discontinued but can be found second-hand. There's also a 30W version, the AC30. It has an anti-feedback filter and other effects such as reverb and chorus, and best of all it can be stuck on a speaker pole so it is at ear height and he'll be able to hear himself. 

[Matt P]

i play a fair amount of acoustic (i started as a guitarist) my go-to solution is a T-rex Soul mate acoustic, it gives me tuner, eq, chorus, reverb, delay and a looper in a single unit.  I mainly use the tuner and the reverb, it's also got feedback rejection and a boost function (very useful when swapping to fingerpicking from plectrum)

 

I do own a little trace acoustic cube for when i don't have foldback but I've not needed it much.

 

they're not a cheap item but i know that there is one for sale locally to you (and me) by a basschat member on facebook. I've lent mine out and they went out and bought one for themself.  I'm running a very nice guitar (£3.5k) into it with a good quality pickup and onboard preamp (AER) and the Di output from the t-rex is excellent. if you want  to try mine out let me know. I can PM you the sellers name if you can't find it.

 

Matt

 

Edit - ive just re-read your original post and i'd missed the part about budget, the t-rex will run you somewhere around the 300-350 mark, even used, I've also put together mini acoustic pedalboards for the guitarist to use in our band (we often both play acoustic at the same time). the Micro board is Tuner - eq - chorus - reverb - Di, mostly with tc electronic and ENO pedals and a radial Di at the end, I'll see if i can get a photo tonight. with some canny shopping around this should be a bit cheaper but possibly not that much cheaper when all the parts are taken into consideration, again i'd be happy enough to bring kit over for you (and the guitarist) to test and play with.

 

 

Edited Monday at 15:40 by Matt P
extra section added

[SimonK]

As others have said a basic DI into the PA is fine (and a sound hole cover isn't a bad idea to control feedback). Most guitars have a bit of onboard EQ that does the rest of the job, otherwise the desk can EQ it fine. As acoustic guitar amplification is more about amplifying the instrument itself (in comparison to say an electric guitar) I don't think a separate amp is needed if you have foldback. I've used this setup hundreds of times without any problems.

 

Of course if you want to start playing with toys adding a Fishman Platinum Pro and then a Strymon Cloudburst to make things more fun (as one of the other guitarists I play with has), although I would go for pedals before getting an amp every time if expanding.

Edited Monday at 15:42 by SimonK

[lemmywinks]

Fishman Platinum Stage or Pro, probably more economical to grab a used Pro given the current prices and you can nick it for bass if he loses interest due to the switchable eq. They're basically Swiss army knives for guitars (both 6 string and proper ones) and have an especially useful feature set for acoustics. Can DI to the PA and/or go straight into a powered cab.

 

 

[Jack]

Thanks for the help all. That's at least two votes for the passive di, two votes for the Behringer ADI, no votes at all for any kind of amp, several mentions of soundhole covers and even a recommendation for a piece of gear I already own and specifically ruled out in the OP.  Seriously, there is a consensus and I really appreciate it. I think the direction is to stick with a passive di for now and see if a cheap preamp comes up or maybe have him buy the Behringer further down the line. Oh well. I am surprised the inbuilt preamps and tuners are actually useful on gigging stages, but hey, that's why I asked! Possible side quest for a sound hole cover but I know he is not interested in buying gear and I'll bet this is one those "don't need it until you do" things that people won't be convinced on until it's too late.

[tauzero]

I would suggest just using an instrument lead between guitar and mixer and then working out whether there's anything more that you need. Can't get much cheaper than that.

[chris_b]

A lot of the acoustic players I've gigged with use AER amps.

 

https://www.aer-music.de/

 

 

[lemmywinks]

Is he buying this himself or are you purchasing it for him? If it's the former just get him to buy a Fishman of his own, problem sorted. Seeing as you already have PA and monitoring an amp is a bit pointless IMO.

 

If funds won't stretch to a Fishman then this might work, still has a notch filter for mid set feedback busting and is only £36 with the BLACKFRI20 code.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/315171151745

 

Does have a 10 megaohm impedance but no mid freq and a single treble control, you can dial out piezo quack and harsh high end at the desk though.

 

 

Edited 18 hours ago by lemmywinks

[Jack]

7 hours ago, tauzero said:

I would suggest just using an instrument lead between guitar and mixer and then working out whether there's anything more that you need. Can't get much cheaper than that.

I figured but then I also know that what works in a rehearsal studio doesn't necessarily work at a gig. Good to know that in this case though it pretty much does, weight off our mind.

 

 

3 hours ago, lemmywinks said:

Is he buying this himself or are you purchasing it for him? If it's the former just get him to buy a Fishman of his own, problem sorted. Seeing as you already have PA and monitoring an amp is a bit pointless IMO.

 

If funds won't stretch to a Fishman then this might work, still has a notch filter for mid set feedback busting and is only £36 with the BLACKFRI20 code.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/315171151745

 

Does have a 10 megaohm impedance but no mid freq and a single treble control, you can dial out piezo quack and harsh high end at the desk though.

 

 

Oh he's buying but it's been stressed that he's on a budget. Not my business past that. Thanks for the other suggestion, that's the one I mentioned in the op and I'm with you, I think it's the budget contender at the moment.

[SimonK]

A couple quid on a sound hole cover (I think £6 on Amazon) would make the quickest and most cost effective improvement to sound in a live context (you could even make one for free if you wanted), and as mentioned then a lead into the mixing desk, albeit personally I would add a DI in between (the £26 Behringers are fine for many contexts). So yes, £32 (excluding leads) would be money well spent!

[bass_dinger]

For myself I have managed with a small Ashdown Acoustic Radiator - very powerful for the size.  There are a few on eBay for around £130 right now, and Ashdown happily service them. Avoid anything with damaged speakers, as replacements were no longer available when I last contacted Ashdown.

 

Some Acoustic Radiators have a DI out, so your guitarist could just turn down the amplifier and use the DI out and stage monitors if he is feeling bold. However, given his lack of on-stage experience, I would not recommend it. 

 

He can also use the Acoustic Radiator at home, to get used to the concept of stage volume, of adjusting the sound of the amplifier, and of identifying and removing feedback. 

 

Add to that a tilt-back amplifier stand to point the sound at his ears, and a chorus pedal to soften the sound a little.  Cables in various colours (so that your guitarist can easily set up: "the long orange one from the guitar, into the chorus pedal; the short green one from chorus to the amplifier.")

 

Maybe a breakfast-bar stool, if he wants to sit down.

 

A guitar stand for the guitar, because it's important to set it down without laying it on the floor, or for when he swaps out instruments. 

 

As for which guitar to use, let him test them all with the band first. It may be that (for example) his hand-made custom shop twin neck acoustic is less stage-friendly than a cheaper Tanglewood. He will also want to learn that the rich bass and soaring trebles of his guitars when played solo, may not be necessary in a band setting. 

 

Let us know how he gets on!

 

Robert 

 

Edit. He will require a footpedal tuner, even if he has a tuner in his guitars. That's because the footpedal tuner can act as a mute switch, to ensure that the guitar's sound can be switched off to the PA, not just when tuning but to kill sudden feedback, or to swap out guitars.

Edited 5 hours ago by bass_dinger

[pete.young]

On 30/11/2025 at 18:12, Jack said:

 I think that all of his guitars have built in preamps and tuners, 

 

From the original post. So there is no need to consider impedance mismatching, or a foot-pedal tuner to switch off the sound because these are already built-in to the on-board preamp.

 

I've just done live sound for an event which involved several bedroom acoustic players. The biggest issue I had was people leaving their tuners switched on , and not realising that it mutes the signal from the guitar. A talkback mike might be worth considering for the PA guy.

[Matt P]

if you want a really cheap option the  i've got a couple of the Behringer ADi 21 pedals in my pedal stash and i'd be willing to part with one cheap, I've swapped over to the Studiospares EQ/di units and the Behringer's aren't being used anymore. (the studiospares unit would also be a good shout if you can find one but since they were discontinued the supply seems to have dried up as everyone is holding on to them.)

 

Matt

[Jack]

1 hour ago, pete.young said:

 

From the original post. So there is no need to consider impedance mismatching, or a foot-pedal tuner to switch off the sound because these are already built-in to the on-board preamp.

 

I've just done live sound for an event which involved several bedroom acoustic players. The biggest issue I had was people leaving their tuners switched on , and not realising that it mutes the signal from the guitar. A talkback mike might be worth considering for the PA guy.

There's no need for a talkback mic for the soundguy, I'll just lean over on stage and talk to him.  

 

28 minutes ago, Matt P said:

if you want a really cheap option the  i've got a couple of the Behringer ADi 21 pedals in my pedal stash and i'd be willing to part with one cheap, I've swapped over to the Studiospares EQ/di units and the Behringer's aren't being used anymore. (the studiospares unit would also be a good shout if you can find one but since they were discontinued the supply seems to have dried up as everyone is holding on to them.)

 

Matt

That sounds nice, thanks Matt I'll float that with him. As for the Studiospare I know what you mean, I'm not selling mine either.  

[bass_dinger]

1 hour ago, pete.young said:

So there is no need to consider impedance mismatching, or a foot-pedal tuner to switch off the sound because these are already built-in to the on-board preamp.

Thank you for sharing that.

 

I am so used to bass guitars and my Boss TU2 footpedal, and my 30 year old acoustic guitar without an inbuilt tuner, that I hadn't realised that acoustic guitar technology had moved on.

 

 

@Jack ignore my anachronistic comments about tuners.  But i think that the guitarist should go old-school with a 1970s beard, and a silver jumpsuit. 

[ezbass]

I used to play acoustic guitar in a band, decades ago. The best thing I bought was a dedicated acoustic guitar amp, the difference it made to my/our sound was amazing and it wasn’t expensive, a Carlsboro Sherwood IIRC. Used as normal backline, I didn’t need to worry about feedback, with it being behind me and, raised up, it was a great monitor. Something like this might be just the job, especially as it has a DI out (1/4” jack though 🤔). https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/171019315741004--laney-la30d-combo-acoustic-amp

[Matt P]

until about 10 years ago my go-to was a Marshall AS50, bought when they first came out, they do work really well as on-stage monitoring as well as having a very good Di output for feeding the desk/PA. I've found that on-stage monitors and IEM's  have got better recently though so slimming my kit down to just a Di/multi fx unit makes load in/out so much easier (one guitar case and a bag)

 

I still own the AS50 and have even used it as a mini PA for very small rooms, the Acoustic cube is as a personal monitor really, it can be screwed onto a mic stand to get it up to ear level so the volume can be very low.

 

when i'm playing with the band i'm often doubling on u-bass or EUB as well so using the provided monitors is so much easier than carrying amps (i've also just built a combined board that i can plug both instruments intro, with 2 eq pedals, A/B pedal then tuner and a single radial Di at the end (one feed to the PA trhat can then be set flat with all the volume and tone shaping done at the pedalboard.)  when i'm playing in church it's just the T-Rex Soulmate Acoustic required ( we use IEM's) and this fits into a bag with a couple of cables etc.

 

Matt