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To understand what the Fishman company has done to influence the sound of music, a time travel trip back more than 40 years is needed. The year was 1980 and a cool cat named Larry Fishman created a prototype acoustic pickup in his basement -- the original BP-100 Upright Bass Pickup.
Fishman became involved in music at an early age. An accomplished player, he studied acoustic bass at N.C. State and Boston’s celebrated Berklee College of Music.
In the late 70s and early 80s Fishman encountered challenges amplifying his acoustic bass to find a spot in the mix on stage with electric pianos and guitars. Not wanting to give up his acoustic bass for an electric equivalent, he started working on a pickup system for the bass. Thus, the BP-100 pickup.
Fishman fully intended to be a professional musician. However, with his flair for engineering and the success of his first prototype pickup, fate was in the air.
By 1981 Fishman had received orders for pickups from the Guild Guitar Company. The following year C.F. Martin Guitar Company called to order Fishman pickups. The rest, as they say, is history.
Now a multi-million-dollar company based in Andover, MA, the Fishman company manufactures acoustic and electric instrument pickups, amplifiers, preamps, and accessories.
5 Great Fishman Amplification Products for the Acoustic Player
Fishman AG-Series Undersaddle Pickups
A classic undersaddle ceramic guitar pickup, AG-Series pickups do not require a battery and can be plugged directly into the amp of your choice. The AG-Series pickups’ performance can be enhanced with the use of an impedance-matching preamp such as the Aura Spectrum or Platinum Pro EQ.
Cost = $109
Fishman Classic Series Pickups for Mandolins, Banjos, Resonators, Violins & Bass
Fishman's classic line-up of tried-and-true acoustic instrument pickups, including the original BP-100 Upright Bass Pickup - the one that started it all. These pickups are cost-effective and have stood the test of time. The 100 series are internal mounted pickups designed to preserve the natural sound of your instrument. Your performance can be fine-tuned with the use of an impedance-matching preamp such as the Aura Spectrum or Platinum Pro EQ The 200 series are the same great pickups… designed to external mount on your instrument.
Cost = $180 to $260 (depending on instrument and series)
Fishman Aura Spectrum DI Preamp
The Aura Spectrum DI features award-winning Aura Acoustic Imaging technology that enables players to mix studio-mic’d sound with the signal from their undersaddle or soundhole pickup. Housed in a professional quality, all-metal case, the Aura Spectrum DI features a 3-band EQ, one-knob compressor, automatic feedback suppression with up to three notches, a chromatic tuner, effects loop, plus a high-quality balanced XLR D.I. The included Aura Image Gallery software provides access to an ever-expanding list of instrument images recorded using the most sought-after microphones.
Cost = $399
Fishman Loudbox Mini-Charge Amp
The Loudbox Mini Charge is a portable, battery powered amplifier designed to faithfully reproduce the sound of acoustic instruments and a diverse assortment of vocal or recorded accompaniments. With the Bluetooth® wireless connectivity, you can easily add backing tracks or other accompaniment to your performances. Features include: Rechargeable Battery Power (up to 18 hours), 60 Watts of Power, 2 Channels (1/4” Instrument Jack and XLR Microphone Jack), plus Digital Reverb & Chorus.
Cost = $499
Fishman SA330X Performance Audio System
Need to fill a bigger room? The Fishman SA Performance Audio System is the ideal solution for solo acoustic performers and small combos. Tuned beautifully for voice and acoustic instruments, the SA330x, alone or as part of an expanded system, offers plenty of power to fill a small to medium sized room, corporate event, or other similar sized venues with great Fishman-quality sound. Features include: 330 Watts, two Mic/Instrument channels with combo ¼ inch / XLR inputs, high-quality preamps, 3-band EQ on each input channel, 48V phantom power, feedback-fighting phase and notch filters, four digital reverb effects with channel reverb level control, unique monitor I/O for improved onstage ensemble monitoring, and channel mute.
Cost = $850
With 25+ years of experience in the acoustic music industry as The Chapmans, our goal is to provide you with the best customer experience possible so we can be your music store for life. Voted NAMM Top 100 Dealer for 8 years in a row (2015-2022) & Top 3 Emerging Dealer in 2017, 2018 & 2019.
For more information, give us a call at 417-720-1223, shoot us an email at info@theacousticshoppe.com, or stop by our showroom at 1913 E Seminole St. in Springfield, Missouri.
