Greetings everyone,

I've been playing amplified acoustic for only a couple years now and being a gear junkie from my electric days I can't help but start looking heavily into various acoustic gear such as pick-ups, DI boxes and amps.

Back in January I thought I was going to treat myself to a high quality \acoustic amp and I sourced out and bought an Acus One of Strings 8 from a reasonably local retailer.  When I took it out of the box, I was really impressed with the look and size.  I was playing two guitars, both with K&K pure Mini.  I had a Radial PZ Pre and some Boss pedals to use with it (DD8, TU-2) that I'd experimented with many different routings etc.

My initial impression was this amp is not very loud...at all.  Second, the tweeter hiss was very loud where I felt it took away from the reasonable enjoyment of the experience.  The tone itself I thought was good and I did have a few moments where I was impressed overall.  For the cost difference, I thought I should have gotten the Strings 10, which was 240 watts and my thinking was if volume and/or gain didn't have to be so high maybe I wouldn't hear so much hiss, plus I'd have the volume I was looking for.  I exchanged it for the Strings 10.  I played it for a couple days and it did not feel like a $2000 CDN experience...just as hissy and volume was not much more substantial...also the volume didn't seem as usable as it got rather boomy.  I returned it and just kept with my EL Cheapo set-up for now.  I felt I exhausted different inputs, preamp, no preamp, pedal combinations and at the end of the day, It was rather disappointing considering the cost.

I came across many glowing reviews of the AER Compact 60 and the Schertler amps.

It is my understanding that Acus was some people from Schertler that left to start their own company and the amps are very similar in sound.

Does anyone have any experience with Schertler Jam and a K&K compared with an Acus?