Oncle Archibald gypsy jazz

Some months ago, this site published the review of a piezo transducer made by Marvinpickups, a small German company. The product was very interesting, albeit a couple of improvable features. The guy behind the company read with much interest my review and went on to modify those details I felt needed some upgrade. He also sent me a new improved model of the pickup (named MPU-2 Doublehead-Pickup) which I checked out right away.
As you can see the sensors’ surface is now perfectly flush with the protective sheath, therefore guaranteeing the total adherence of the whole sensor’s area.

Furthermore, the sturdy jack connector has been fitted with a practical hanging loop, that attaches to the strap pin button of your instrument, enhancing the functionality and ease of use of this pickup system.

Last but not least, the company set up its own web site (in addition to the already existing Myspace page) where one can buy their different models (with single sensor, double sensor and even triple, no less!).
All products that, given the care and skill involved in making them, are a real bargain for their price!

Alessandro Arcuri

This post is dedicated to all the people who ask me why I changed the amp I use with my Gypsy guitar.Clearly, what I’m going to describe here is my personal experience!

Like all acoustic guitarists I, too, have tried a large number of transducers, microphones, piezoelectric pads and, of course, amplifiers.
Until recently I had an AER Compact 60, an acoustic guitar amp with a flawless sound and negligible weight (and therefore extreme portability); and yet it had some problems.

Especially when playing indoors -be it in large or small venues- some microphones (tipically the condenser and also my wonderful DPA) caused uncontrollable feedback. I consequently had to mic the guitar only in a certain way, I had to keep the volume down and I had place the amp far away (from myself and also from the bass). Despite that, sometimes it wasn’t even enough.

Then I tried the SR JAM 150 plus! I immediately sold the AER, bought a JAM 150 and my psychosomatic illnesses disappeared.

What’s so special about it?
What struck me, aside from its sound (which I prefer to the AER’s), its versatility and portability (it weighs a bit more than the AER but not too much) was its resistance to feedback. The mics did not howl with feedback anymore and I could crank up the volume and put the amp wherever I wanted. It was fantastic!

This was the main reason why I bought it, and it was more important than all its other features… which by the way are quite a few: 120 watts RMS, 8″ bass reflex woofer -plus tweeter-, 6 channels mixer, effects loop, internal Alesis effects, phantom power, XLR line out, EQ on every channel, every possible input connector… just look at SR’s tech specs on its site and you’ll see everything.

Basically for me the SR JAM 150 PLUS is a workorse, with a wonderful sound and a robust construction, it’s versatile, not too expensive and, above all, very reliable.

I just have a single remark to make, and a funny one, too: my JAM 150 has a black moquette finishing and once the amp is inserted into its transport bag (an optional accessory) you get a kind of “Velcro effect” which makes it tricky to get the amp out of the bag, if you do it by yourself. We usually do it like this: Alessandro holds the bag firm and I pull out the amp! No big deal…

Massimo Valvasori

Oncle Archibald