At a Glance

The Specs:
Two channels (Guitar with ¹/₄-inch input and Mic/Line with XLR and ¹/₄-inch inputs). 30 watts stereo power (15/15) using AC adapter; 20 watts stereo (10/10) using eight AA batteries. Two five-inch speakers. Digital Chorus and Reverb/Ambience effects. Bass, middle, and treble controls on Guitar channel; bass and treble on Mic/Line channel. Digital looper with 40 seconds of recording time. Antifeedback switch. Two footswitch inputs for looper and effects. Weight (without batteries) 10 lb. 6 oz. Made in China.

This Is Cool:
Battery power and looper.

Watch For:
Foot pedal for looper not included.

Price:
$558.50 list/$399 street.

Maker:
Roland Corp.: (323) 890-3700; rolandus.com.

Roland AC-33 Amplifier Review

For a performing guitarist, a good-sounding acoustic amplifier has almost become a necessity. And a lightweight, two-channel amp is especially appreciated by singer-songwriters who need to amplify both a guitar and vocal but don’t want to arrive at the gig breathless from lugging heavy equipment around. Because some performance environments may not have a nearby AC outlet, battery power can be helpful. Roland’s new AC-33 acoustic guitar amp, a smaller version of the company’s AC-60 and AC-90 acoustic amps and part of an extensive line of battery-powered units recently introduced by the company, fits all of these requirements.

Lightweight with Power Options

When you pull the Roland AC-33 out of the box, the first thing you notice is its light weight, just a little more than 10 pounds (without batteries). The amp has a nice, clean appearance and subtle design features, looking like a slightly smaller version of the AC-60. All of the controls are easily identifiable and laid out logically, making navigation simple. There are two input channels on the top, one with a ¹/₄-inch input for guitar and one with an XLR or ¹/₄-inch input for a vocal or guitar; on the back panel, there are stereo aux inputs (with level control) for connecting an iPod or portable CD player. The back panel also includes right and left ¹/₄-inch line outs, DC input for the included AC adapter, and footswitch inputs for effects and a looper. An arm stand is built into the bottom of the unit, allowing you to tilt the unit back so the sound from the speakers is easier to hear if you have to set the amp on the ground. When you pick up or move the AC-33, the arm stand does not spring back on its own, however, and needs to be folded back manually.

The AC-33 can be powered by the AC adapter, but for more portability, you can install eight AA batteries and enjoy approximately eight hours of continuous use. I used the AC-33 in my teaching studio, where conditions aren’t as intense as in a performance context, and was able to get just over ten hours of battery life. The battery-powered option would also be incredibly useful for a solo or duo performing at a café, small venue, or the local farmers’ market. Using batteries lowers the stereo power output to ten watts per channel instead of 15, however, and the dip in power is noticeable. The no-outlet option is probably best for solo or duo performances. In a small band situation, a larger venue, or playing with a drummer, the additional power provided by the AC adapter is a must. I used the AC-33 with battery power for a four-piece band rehearsal in a tiny room, and it was able to cut through just fine. I used it again in a performance environment with the same four-piece band, using the AC adapter this time, and routed my signal to a PA, turning the AC-33 into a monitor. The venue, a restaurant, was a large room filled with noisy patrons and staff, and I needed a preamp to boost the sound above the din—and I’m not referring to the band!

Clean and Natural Sound

The overall sound from the AC-33 when using acoustic guitars (steel- and nylon-string) is clean and natural. I mostly used a nylon-string acoustic with a spruce top and a Fishman pickup. The tone controls (bass, middle, and treble on the Guitar channel and bass and treble on the Mic/Line channel) help you make any necessary and desirable adjustments when trying different guitars. The nylon-string guitar I used has a bright sound, so I boosted the mids and bass a bit. When I plugged in a Fender Telecaster electric guitar, I added more highs to the sound, especially when I dialed in some of the chorus effect.

Effects, Antifeedback, and Looper

The amp comes with two effects, chorus and reverb/ambience. The chorus is employed with the flick of a switch and has two settings: Wide and Space. The manual describes Wide as a stereo chorus processed by three independent bands. The Space setting is a chorus produced when the sounds from the left and right speakers mix, creating a wider spread. The chorus sound is sweet, which will be no surprise to those familiar with Roland products, and it can help separate the sounds of two guitars if you’re running both through the AC-33. I had a student plug into the Mic/Line channel, to which we applied the chorus effect (wide setting) and kept my guitar input (in the Guitar channel) clean. The separation was quite good considering the speaker size. The second effect, reverb/ambience, is manipulated with one knob that controls a warm and natural, spacious-sounding reverb and an ambience setting that provides more spatial depth.

The AC-33 also includes a front-panel antifeedback function, which is easy to use. In a performance setting for guitar and vocals, I was impressed with its effectiveness, even when the volume knobs were near capacity. That’s a big plus for singer-songwriters or guitar/vocal duos.

Providing 40 seconds of recording time, the AC-33’s built-in looper is easy to operate, and it’s fun to create multiple overdubs for improvising or even songwriting. However, the amp does not come with a footswitch (Roland’s FS-5U and FS-6 footswitches are recommended options), which would be helpful and ensure that the looper’s stop button engages without recording a delay or hesitation in your phrase. It is worth noting that what you record in the looper will be erased when the AC-33 is powered off.

Portable Performance Partner

The Roland AC-33 is an impressively lightweight, portable amplifier. For a singer-songwriter or working duo, this compact package will provide a clean, acoustic sound that can enhance any small-venue performance. The addition of warm-sounding chorus and reverb, as well as the creative possibilities of the looper, will likely be impressive enough to encourage passersby to toss a few more coins into your guitar case.

Ruth Parry is a guitar instructor at the String Letter Music School in San Anselmo, California, and performs as a guitarist/vocalist throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.