Fishman Platinum Stage

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2017
G
igging can be one of
the best experiences in
the world. It’s also an
opportunity to open a
whole can of worms if you’re
not prepared with the right
gear. And that doesn’t mean
spending a lot, but more
choosing the right gear for your
needs. Electro-acoustics can
off er a range of controls on
their preamps – some are
comprehensive, some
streamlined and in the case
of those using retro-fi tted
soundhole magnetic pickups,
there will be no onboard EQ at
all. A preamp pedal can help
to fi ll in the gaps between
guitar and PA, giving you a
combination of a DI box with
more control over shaping your
tone and troubleshooting issues
like feedback. And these options
off er four distinct approaches
to do that…
ACOUSTIC PREAMP PEDALS
102
F
ishman has a great reputation for
electrifying acoustics, so expectations for
its latest entry-level analog preamp are
high. The Stage comes with a detachable belt
clip but the metal shell feels rugged enough to
go on the ground and it packs in a lot, too.
EQ modes for guitar and acoustic bass,
three-band EQ with a useful mid frequency
control that’s good for tweaking your tone
to hear yourself and be heard. A switch on the
side can give your volume a boost, a phase
toggle helps deal with feedback, along with
post /pre DI to give you the option of stage-
only EQ. Street prices are closer to £150, too.
F
irst impressions here are positive with a
metal chassis, user-friendly layout plus
footswitchable mute and boost switches,
with the latter off ering a useful volume hike
should you need it. The notch controls also
allow you to eliminate unwanted feedback on
specifi c frequencies. There’s also a wealth of
inputs and outputs – an eff ects loop and input
for your mic with the ability to mix it with your
pickup sound or use it as a dedicated
microphone preamp. The three-band EQ
delivers so what’s the downer? There’s a
constant background noise when the A
Station is activated (and we tested two units).
Fishman
Platinum Stage
WE’RE HOOKED ON THIS ONE
Hotone
A Station
NOT QUITE AN A-GRADE
£229
£129
TH
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FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
BEST BUY
AWARD
TGR292.gear_pedals.indd 102 29/03/2017 09:38