Peavey Review: Ecoustic 112

History:

Purchase: When I first set out to find an acoustic amp, I tried many models from Fender, Roland, Crate, Peavey and others. I was impressed with the acoustic sounds of most models I tried and with so many good acoustic amps out there, I found it difficult to choose one over the other since they all had a certain quality and appeal of their own. I found this unit at Ezzy's in Van Buran, Maine, and paid $479 + tax. Needless to say, for the price, acoustic sounds and tone, I ended up getting the Ecoustic 112. I needed an amp that I could use for vocals and acoustic guitar simultaneously and this amp performed great. Other models sounded good as well, but I and others who participated in the experience all agreed that the Ecoustic 112 was THE BEST, so to speak.

What I Like About This Peavey Ecoustic 112: First, lets talk about front panel attributes. As previously explained the Ecoustic 112 features 2 channels. The first channel has one 1/4" instrument jack. There is a passive/actice switch to allow for greater dynamic range and a phase reverse switch to help reduce feedback. One volume instrument level knob, 5 band active equalizer, frequency sweepable notch system to help eliminate acoustical instrument feedback, and a reverb knob. The second channel has one XLR jack for vocals and one 1/4" jack. Peavey calls this channel the “Microphone Channel.” Both input jacks on this channel can be used simultaneously as well. If you add a second mic for vocals you will need an adapter for the 1/4" jack. This jack can also be used for other sources such as keyboards, drum machines or a tape deck...whatever you want. There is a mic volume level knob to control the overall volume of the “Microphone Channel.” Also included is the 5 band active equalizer and a reverb knob. To continue on the list of featured knobs, there is a Master Reverb knob to control the overall Reverb signal and a Master Presence knob to boost extreme high frequencies in the overall tone. The back panel features a very neat ground switch that can also help minimize audible humming or noise coming from the speaker. Also included is a very nice transformer balanced direct output (low Z balanced XLR jack) that allows you to route the signal to a mixing or recording console. In addition, there is a pre/post EQ switch to select the signals you wish to send to the direct out jack, either the instrument channel or both the Instrument and Microphone channels. Also on the back panel are the following 1/4" jacks: a preamp out, power amp in, mic effects send and return, instrument effects send and return, and one remote switch jack for a foot switch that you could use to defeat the effects loop on the Instrument Channel only. It could also be used to remotely mute the amp. This all adds up to one very versatile amp.

What I Do NOT Like About The Peavey Ecoustic 112: NO MASTER VOLUME KNOB!

Peavey Ecoustic 112 Quality Rating: This acoustic amp looks fantastic. It is portable enough to carry around at 50 lbs. It is equipped with one very nice 12 inch Blue Marvel speaker.

Review Summary: This is a great sounding acoustic amp. I play a Yamaha APX10 and I simply love the sound of my guitar through this amp. On the vocal channel I use an SM-58 and the sound I get is truly awesome. This is an amp for those who want clean, warm acoustic tone. The sound is very loud and full. A great package for the money!

Rating of this Peavey product: 5

This Peavey Ecoustic 112 Guitar Amplifiers Review Submitted By: vanwarp

Review Date: 2001-11-05