Though the Mini’s bass response was
regularly impressive, the treble response
didn’t always have quite as much bloom or
complexity as they might in a larger, more
powerful amp with increased headroom. Using
a flatpick with both the Yamaha and the
Taylor 312ce sometimes drove the amp toward
fairly compressed territory in the higher
frequencies. But it was easy to dial in a bit
more dimension and life for the trebles with
a touch of reverb. And a slight roll-off of the
bass always seemed to even the compression
effect across the EQ band.
Players given to strumming will find a lot to
like about the Mini. In fact, it often seemed
much more balanced in a strumming, high-volume
environment where the slightly compressed
highs made complex chords a little
airier and better defined. A percussive take
on the Who’s “Overture” from Tommy—which
combines fast, heavy strums, flatpicked runs,
and a delicate arpeggio section—revealed
not only the Mini’s punch and definition when
hit with a Townshendian flurry of strums, but
its dynamic range as well. And the amp went
from a relative roar to a hush without a significant loss of detail or tone.
To test the Mini’s full gigging potential, I
plugged a vocal mic into the Mic channel
and summoned a nicely balanced guitar
and vocal blend—complete with a dollop of
digital reverb for my voice—that would work
well for a small, not-too-loud café or house
concert. I even had some fun cranking the
reverb and chorus on the Instrument channel
and the reverb on the vocal mic to do a
little Neil-Young-via-The-Twilight-Zone set in
my living room. It’s probably not what Larry
Fishman had in mind for the Mini, but the
amp performed gloriously anyway—maintaining
harmonic balance, tonal integrity, and
that impressive bass bloom throughout my
experiments with its digital effects.
The Verdict
If you’re an acoustic player who rarely gigs
out of the comfy confines of a coffeehouse,
small restaurant, or bookstore, the Fishman
Loudbox Mini may be the only amp you
need. It’s surprisingly loud, projects well,
and responds to a dynamic touch at high
or low volume. The amp’s bass response is
exemplary. And though fingerpicking and
flatpicking styles that emphasize single notes
can highlight the amp’s tendency to compress
high frequencies, that same tendency
can work well for strumming and pounding
out complex chords. Whatever your musical
style, the Fishman Loudbox Mini is an exceptional
acoustic amp that sounds bigger,
richer, and more expensive than its size or
price would suggest.
Buy if...
you play small venues and need a
high-quality, rich-sounding acoustic
amp for a rock-bottom price.
Skip if...
you jam with a loud band or play larger
venues where you can’t count on a PA.
Rating...
