New Amp and Review Comparison of Shen Jr. v. AC-60

[LawDogStrgsAttach]

Just acquired a used Genz Benz Shen Jr!  Very impressed.  My Roland AC-60 is off to its new owner, but I though a brief comparison would be nice for those of you interested in affordable professional quality amps.  I say both these amps are "professional working amp" as far as class.  That would be mid-grade.  Above this class would be HiFi and tube acoustic amps (Acoustic Image, AER, Riviera, and GB Pro).  Below it would be good quality, but lower grade circuitry amps (Crate, Fender, AR Acoustic, Laney, Behringer).  This "working professional" class would include Ultrasound (the low/mid grades) in addition to most of GB and Roland.

The test: Used a Larrivee LV09e (Fishman Matrix II) and a Larrivee LV03 (after market K&K Mini).  Used a Boss CS-3 compressor at times, not other tone alterations.  As an aside, the test furthered my opinion of the strengths of the two pickups:  the fishman is more feedback resistant while the K&K is more acoustically true, though has a bit more sensitivity to feedback.  I played enough to get a feel for all controls and range of tone.  Bias is slight toward the GB since I have not played the AC-60 in a few days (off to new owner).  The following categories contain my judgment of the winner with relevant thoughts.  Both amps are two channel.

Tone: GENZ BENZ.  Do not get me wrong - NEITHER has bad tone.  WHen I mean tone, I speak to clarity and LACK of tone coloring.  THe GB wins.  It is more faithfully acoustically.  It has a fuller and woodier tone.  This may be because of the 10' speaker and tweater (whereas the Roland has two 6.5"s) that allows greater bass and treble separation.  The GB still wins even when utilizing an external out for a sub with the Roland (which is a nice feature btw).  The larger box with GB no doubt helps develop the bassier tone.  EQ seems equivalent - 4 bands with GB v 3 with Roland BUT the Roland has separate eq's per channel.

Volume: TIE.  THe Roland is 60 watts BUT 30x30 (fairly sure).  The GB is 35.  THe GB may be a bit louder, but neither has so much more to declare a definite winner.  The GB tone is capable to deeper depths, which may make it appear louder.  Given the small size of the AC-60, it is quite impressive with its volume capabilities.  Both perfect for small gigs/coffeehouse scene, but may need larger amp for anything bigger.  Both have adequate line outs.

Effects: ROLAND - though VERY close.  The effects on the GB are certainly more varied (the 5 reverbs are nice) but you simply cannot beat Roland/Boss chorus and delay.  You might get 15 effects with the Alesis powered GB, but it is all about tone, and the Roland wins here, albeit slightly.

Build/Appearance: GENZ BENZ by a landslide.  Personal preference, but I like the brown tolex with black accents.  There is also a metal grille guard (like it or not, it is more durable) and corner covers. The amp feels solid - no fears with gigging.  The Roland, though lighter, required more care with its thin cloth cover and lack of corner protection.

Other features: ROLAND.  Two words: MUTE BUTTON!!  Man, that was a great feature!  The Roland also has a sub out, multi input jack, and a gig bag!  It definitely has the bells/whistles.  GB has a cool blue on light and good looks, but te Roland wins for extra neat features.

Final word: Genz Benz - though not by much.  It came down to tone for me.  Roland has better tone in effects, but the soul of a good acoustic amp should be its faithful reproduction of the guitar.  They tie in volume, but GB is better built while Roland has more neat features.  If I had put a number on it:  GB - 87.5   Roland - 85.

Thoughts and comments:  The above review fails to factor value.  The GB is about $100 cheaper at new street price.  When you figure this, I think it makes the GB about 91 and Roland stays at 85.  Roland stays at 85 since I believe it is a fair new price...it's just that the GB is a bit of a bargain!  I also got the GB for the larger speaker, as review say it can handle (with surprisingly good results) electric amplification - the Roland is not quite capable (I tried).  Overall these are two great amps - just ask yourself what is more important:  Tone and looks (GB) or Features and Utility (Roland).  Neither fail at their respective weak areas, they just excel in the areas I mentioned.  Both had VERY faint hiss - but only perceptible at high gain with ear to speaker.  Ultrasound would be the likely contender to these two guys (AG50) - the USound will probably prove to be the MOST faithful in acoustic reproduction (of that I am fairly sure - according to my older AG30), but may flounder with looks, power, and other features.

[Randy_R]

thanks for taking the time to write up your thoughts on these amps. it always helps to get independent opinions from real users.

[LawDogStrgsAttach]

Thanks, Randy.

Now that I have had more time to play it, the more I enjoy and prefer the GB's tone.  It is more acoustically transparent and captures more of the woodiness, if you will.  The four band eq is quite powerful (as it is active, I believe the Roland is passive).  Now that I tweaked with the EQ - I can arrive at tones that literally are "my guitar, only louder."

Plate reverb is really nice, too.

[Calvin]

I like the Roland AC-60, it's very natural sounding with good bass for a small package (or was the the AC-30?). I do think it's on the expensive side for what some other products on the market offers.  I'd like to try the GB some day.