AMPLIFICATION FROM THE BEGINNING

AMPLIFICATION FROM THE BEGINNING

by

John McNicholl

Anyone who plays an instrument with some degree of commitment eventually imagines himself on stage captivating thousands of crazed fans. I do. I think fantasy gets sold with a guitar. When I began playing electric, I checked out several amplification companies. At this stage of my musical development, I really didn’t need equipment that was big, heavy and powerful. So, I began to investigate companies that were making equipment specifically for those of us who weren’t quite ready to jam with Eric Clapton.

There are several companies that make equipment for my kind of musician. They concentrate on building systems that produce high acoustic output, which is what good sound is all about. What their products lack in RMS wattage, they make up for in efficiency and excellent sound reproduction. Plus, they’re all very portable.

Marlboro Sound Works manufactures equipment exclusively for, as they call it, “beginners/students/semi-professionals.” Some especially good models include the G20R amplifier (very compact, powerful little unit), the 2000 amplification system for bass guitar and the PA612 total sound system. All but one of their speaker systems features the Piezo Super Horn, one of the most revolutionary concepts in horn design and performance in the sound industry. Aside from the excellent quality and versatility (Marlboro can be used with guitars, keyboards, vocals, bass), the prices are great. Marlboro amplifiers start at $80 and range up to their biggest sound system that goes for around $800. Marlboro seems to take interest in you, the customer, as all of their equipment comes tagged with a booklet, Sound, Not Just Wattage, which goes a long way in helping to select a system or amp, and definitely worth reading before you buy.

Unicord seems To have a winner in their Stage line of amplifiers. Like Marlboro, Stage features a variety of effects controls on their models, which are important to the musician trying to improve his technique. The line features guitar amps (the 720), bass amps, PA systems and a six channel mixer.

What all this leads to is a recognition on the part of amplification companies that super power equipment is not required by everyone who plays an electric instrument. If you’re looking in this price range, or sound range, all of the companies mentioned are definitely worth checking out. Their equipment gives musicians like myself power enough for great sound that we don’t have to pay through the nose for. I like to think of their equipment as a starting point on the way to the big time.