Roland

ZT Lunchbox Acoustic
Let’s do lunch
For: Portability, tone, awesome spec
Against: That plastic handle!
✮✮✮✮✮
SUMMARY
TG says: Chock full of tasty treats
✮✮✮✮✮
For: Simple design, angled cabinet
Against: Not as inspiring as some
SUMMARY
TG says: Nothing fishy going on here
“YOU’LL BE TAKEN ABACK BY THE
SHEER AMOUNT OF TONE AND OUTPUT
THE ZT LUNCHBOX ACOUSTIC OFFERS”
At a glance
TYPE: Acoustic amplifier
OUTPUT: 200 watts
SPEAKER: 1x 6½”
CONTROLS: Master
volume, gain, bass, level,
reverb, headphone/line out
volume, phantom power
SOCKETS: Guitar in,
headphone/line out, mic
inputs, auxiliary input (1/8”
stereo jack), effects loop
W E I G H T: 5.4kg
DIMENSIONS: [HxWxD] 192
x 249 x 196mm
C O N TA C T: Aria UK 01483
238720
WEB: www.ztamplifiers.
com
At a glance
Fishman Loudbox Mini
TYPE: Acoustic amplifier
OUTPUT: 60 watts
SPEAKER: 1 x 6½” woofer,
1x 1” tweeter
CONTROLS: Instrument
channel: low, mid, high,
reverb, chorus; microphone
channel: low and high,
reverb; master volume,
feedback phase switch
SOCKETS: Guitar input, mic
input, aux in, DI out
W E I G H T: 8.9kg
DIMENSIONS: [HxWxD]
305 x 349 x 247mm
C O N TA C T: John Hornby
Skewes 01132 865 381
WEB: www.fishman.com
ZT Lunchbox Acoustic
127
■฀Speaker
The Mini is the only amp
in this test with a top end
enhancing tweeter
■฀Power
This 200-watt amp
is powerful yet still
amazingly portable
■฀Controls
Like the other amps, the
Mini has onboard chorus
and reverb effects
Cabinet ■
We like the angled
cab that points the
speaker toward you
Handle ■
We don’t like the
cheap-looking plastic
handle. Sort it out, ZT!
Speaker ■
The Lunchbox is packing
a single 6½-inch speaker
that offers great tone
£389
£449
Y
ou won’t find a tuna
sandwich and a
hard-boiled egg rolling
about in this Lunchbox.
Instead ZT has packed a
smorgasbord of features into its
toaster-size acoustic amplifier,
including two channels, reverb,
feedback buster, enough
inputs and outputs to cover
any performance or recording
scenario, and a stonking 200
watts of output.
ZT has already shown its
expertise with diminutive
amplifiers with big voices. The
electric Lunchbox proved you
don’t need a huge amp to make
an impact. That said, you’ll still
be taken aback by the sheer
amount of output and tone that
the Acoustic version delivers.
Plugging in, the tone has a digital
quality to it – almost like hearing
your guitar played back to you on
CD – and there’s some serious
twang in the lower end. In fact,
only the Vox AGA70 came close
to matching it. There’s enough
output for small gigs but you
have the option of running the
ZT through an extension speaker
if you start pulling bigger crowds.
Conclusion: The ZT Lunchbox
Acoustic wins the top prize
because it’s a brilliant concept
that has been executed well.
Clearly someone has put a lot
of thought into the specification.
The cheap plastic handle lets the
side down a tad, but it’s no deal-
breaker and the amp excels in
every other way possible. There’s
bags of headroom and excellent
bass response on offer. It’s
amazing that what at first glance
looks like a snack is actually a
tonal feast. Yummy!
W
ell known among
guitarists for its
acoustic pickups,
Fishman should
know a bit about acoustic amps,
too. The new Loudbox Mini
backs that up with little touches
including an angled cab that
point the speakers to your ears.
The simple control layout is
perfect for guitarists who don’t
want to spend too much time
finding a good tone.
There are two speakers: a
six-and-a-half inch woofer and a
one-inch tweeter. We’re so used
to seeing tweeters in acoustic
amps, we were surprised the
Fishman is the only model here
with one. The tweeter adds
some top end sparkle to the
tone. Sure enough, plugging in
produces a well balanced tone
with some beef from the lower
strings and a bit of sizzle in the
top end. The Loudbox Mini works
great for fingerstyle guitar, too.
Although we prefer the bass
response from the ZT, it’s tough
to imagine an acoustic player
who couldn’t make the Fishman
work for them.
Conclusion: The angled
cabinet and tweeter of this
no-frills gigging amp indicate
a manufacturer that really
understands what an acoustic
guitarist is looking for. While the
tone on offer is well delivered, it
didn’t stop us thinking about the
ZT. Still, if you don’t need all the
goodies the Lunchbox Acoustic is
packing, the Loudbox Mini should
be high up on your ‘must try’ list.
ACOUSTIC GIGGING AMPS GROUP TEST
Fishman Loudbox Mini
Angling for your dosh
TGR211.gear_test 127 1/4/11 9:24:41 AM