good amp for midi accordion?

[Ganza]

Ive got an old massive fender Guitar amp that i used to use with electric guitars in a band.
now i want to trade it in for a smaller amp, more suited to my acoustic accordion which has midi fitted.
i also have an expander so would need an amp with 2 inputs.
It isnt really for gigging, but more just for practising.
Do you have any recommendations? Even as to what brand, specs etc?
Thanks

 

[JIM D.]

Hi Ganza: As you may very well know, there are different types of amps on the market today, and they include - Public Address - DJ - Guitar - Bass - and Keyboard Amps. By all means the Guitar type amps should be eliminated as they are designed to work with instruments that produce a Hi Impedance signal such as the solid body Guitar. A Keyboard amp is the logical choice for you as it is Low Impedance and will work best with Low Impedance instruments such as Acoustic & Midi Accordions, Keyboards, Roland "V" Accordions, and Microphones. I would suggest no less than (3) inputs as inputs (1) & (2) can be used to - separate acoustic & midi - treble & bass - yourself & another musician - and still have an input (3) for a microphone. I would recommend an amp with no less than 100 watt true output. And be careful here, as today most amps on the market are listed with and unrealistic "Peak Output" rating . As a rule of thumb an amp advertised with a 200 watt "Peak Output" will only be a 100 watt output amp. A 100 watt "Peak Output" amp will only be a 50 watt output amp. If your thinking of picking up a used amp, try searching for a good used Peavey KB 100 or a used Roland KC 500 as they will fit the bill and can be found for 1/3 of their original price. There are many new Keyboard amps on the market today and they can be had for $500 to $750 USD. {} :tup: {}

 

[Ganza]

excellent info Jim, cheers!

 

[Glenn]

I second the Roland KC series.
The KC-350 is also big enough for most events.
A bit cheaper and more portable.

 

[DigitalSteve]

I am a really huge fan of the QSC amplifiers.

I have a single QSC K10 that I plug my FR-8X into via a mono input. The K10 is small and weighs only 30 pounds. It is extremely maneuverable and at 1000 watts it can get very loud. There is a DEEP Switch that when enabled will rattle your windows. I use the acoustic bass on the left hand and it literally shakes the house. They run around $600 and have a 10-year warranty. Solid company and a solid product.

I have no affiliation with QSC. Just a product that I really am glad I was turned on to.

Steve

 

[debra]

I have tried many things over the past 30 years or so, mainly for accoustic accordion. I have come to the conclusion that in the end only the Bose (I have the L1 model 2 but even the compact should be fine) reproduces a true accordion sound and most any other sound you can get from a midi accordion as well. We have also used it with a Roland V-accordion. It is very good. Alas it is also expensive.

 

[CelticLady]

I have the Roland KC110 AND kC350. Both produce good sound.