This was a bit of kismet! But it sounds so good, and is so versatile I thought I’d share it.
My main amp is a Two Rock Bloomfield. I hope I’m not hurting its feelings lest the amp gods come down and take revenge:) But i picked up a Spark 2 amp several months ago, partly because I had my first chance to play several shows live with a group and have been practicing a really wide range of music, from rock to blues to jazz and love songs! The Spark amp is so seamless and convenient. You just talk into the AI tool – e.g., Patti Smith, Dancing Barefoot, or Bob Dylan, Things Have Changed – and boom it gives you 4 reasonable models. Don’t like em? Hit the refresh button and you get 4 more suggestions. The thing has a built in looper and metronome. And you can play a backing track through the same device.
The models are decent, but of course it limited by the speakers, so I thought what the heck, I’ll try the 150w cab. The Spark 2 is plug and go, but there are 2 additional input channels for a keyboard or mic or…as it turns out, an acoustic guitar.
The second truly fortunate part of this story – I picked up a PRS SE Hollowbody guitar with the LR Baggs piezo (acoustic) pickup. My ES-335 1961 reissue is crying in the corner. So the PRS has two jacks. You can either play it with one cable to an
electric amp, in which case you can use the knob to dial in acoustic sound from the piezo. Sounds ok as long as you don’t go more than 2 or 3 on the knob.
Or you can send one cable to an electric amp and one to an acoustic amp – the Spark setup is prefect for it. You can either play all acoustic or all electric, or you can mix. So I’ve been playing Put Your Lights On." I can play the Everlast acoustic intro with my buddy and then just turn the acoustic down and the electric knob up and play the Santana lead part. In one set I played Melissa out of the acoustic amp and then turned the knob for Cinnamon Girl!
I’m sure any amp that has a second clean channel would work well. Note that the Spark cab has been criticized for having way too much low end, which is true. But as I’m plugging the piezo into it, I just use an LR Baggs Para acoustic DI which has a great equalizer.
Anyway, just thought I would share. I used to have a Taylor T-5Z. But it doesn’t do either acoustic or electric well. The PRS can be a regular PRS hollowbody – which is awesome! But it also does a reasonable job as an acoustic (its not going to replace your Martin, but is effective in a group setting).
Lots of fun to be a guitarist these days!