Busking amp

["G." <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Seeing Tom's amp reminds me of something I spotted the other day.

I've occassionally wondered about getting a busking amp (besides my Honey
Tone !!!!), but found the professional battery operatted amps out there are
pricey.

I use the Harp Commander most of the time, so even a moderately powered
solid state amp would do the job so long as it can take an instrument
signal.

Anyway, theres an acoustic guitarist around whos becoming a regular on the
city streets.   For a long time he's battled away against the ambient street
noises with his battered old guitar - and just recently I saw he had a
homemade amplifier with him, and had plugged his guitar pickup into it.
When I saw the "amp" from behind it all made sense.

He has a single 8" speaker cabinet like you'd get with a cheap Taiwanese
mini stereos,  sitting on top of it he has a 12volt rechargable battery, not
unlike the ones you can buy from Electronic hobby stores.  And the key to
what made it all work was a tatty second hand 100 watt CAR amplifier, the
sort you fit under the driver's seat or in the boot of the car .... AH!  of
course, They're designed to run off a car battery.

I'm not sure of the cost of the bits, but I'm sure a scout around pawn shops
and second hand stores should get the bits you need, then just build a
simple cabinet around them...  I don't know much about car amps, but I have
a feeling they can take a stereo line signal which is fine for the Harp
commander - and I run the Harp Commander on 3x 9volt NiMH rechargable
batteries which I get at least 4 hours out of a go, and have two packs so I
can use one while the other one's batteries are being charged on a couple of
charges I bought for the purpose.

The "busking amp" setup would work well with a POD so long as you supply it
with a 12volt DC charge within the specs of the unit.  I'm sure something
could be rigged up for the likes of a V-amp, RP300 or whatever tone
generator you choose.

Thought some of you might like to know about the idea.

Excellent amp Tim!  :)

Best
G.