Sound:
My small acoustic trio (2 guitars and a Cello) are looking for a small venue amp to balance the power of the Cello and add a little to our voices. I'm a fairly experienced player of 25 years and currently own a Princeton Chorus. Listening to my friend an excellent guitar player fly through some classic folk songs I was impressed with the clarity and power. Even when we had half volume with a ridiculous amount of sound pressure coming out of the little box we heard every nuance of the guitar.0 distortion even when aggressively attacking the music or slapping.We were very impressed and a little disappointed as the less expensive models we looked at (Laney, Beringer) sounded muddy (god awful)in comparison. My friend is going to purchase the 60 as the 90 has more power than we need. I suggest players go to a dealer who can let them try a variety of amps starting with an AER model to establish a baseline. I felt the Rolland matched the Aer products for less money still I think both are overpriced.The Marshall AS50D (I haven't tested)looks promising as a less expensive alternative.
Feature:
It has a line out for a sub woofer meaning if you want to add a bass or Cello to your group you can really use the full potential low range of these instruments.
Anti feedback is a mystery to me except to say it worked flawlessly.
Mute button so you can tune or others can tune without adjusting the volume down which means you set it and forget it.
Ease of Use:
Great playable sound was as easy as plugging in and turning on. However there are a lot of options and features yet to be explored.
Quality:
Fit and finish are flawless. This is a discreet box. No one will notice it except for the great sound.
Value:
Relative to the industry standard AER it is well priced I guess.
Manufacturer Support:
Never dealt with after service.
The Wow Factor:
Discreet powerful, silent ,no buzz or hum when not in use.If I can convince the misses I will purchase the 90 as well as the cheaper 60.
Overall:
Not a long term owner. After testing our band ordered the smaller 60. I might add illuminated controls , with an on off switch for dark venues. Your instruments and hard work need to be played through a proper amp save your money and invest in a decent amp. Listen to a variety of amps within minutes of each other with similar settings on your guitar.
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Sound:
The sound of the AC 90 with piezo pickups on acoustic guitars is excellent. Still sounds like an amp, but MUCH better than traditional guitar amplifier sounds with acoustic instruments. The quality of running "voice" through it is yet to be determined.
The reverb and chorus effects are so-so.
Feature:
Lots of features, but ONE huge DRAWBACK: the Aux-in inputs located on the rear panel cannot be routed through the line-out jacks. So, if you want to mix an IPOD connected at Aux-in with your live guitar playing, for example, that works, BUT, you cannot route that complete mix through the line-outs. So, if you're playing with such a mix onstage and want to send your AC90 feed to a larger PA or house system: won't work. VERY disappointing and surprising. Shouid be modified in newer generations of these amps.
The carrying case is quite good: very sturdy and durable: Roland did NOT cheap out on the quality of this case. Also has some side pockets.
Ease of Use:
Easy to use... pretty straightforward, including the feedback control.
But, a pole mount underneath the amp is 1 1/2", so, must have the right diameter speaker stand post for it, or, get an an adaptor. However, placing this amp on the shortest possible pole minimally raises the control panel to a height of close to 5 feet above the floor. You can't sit down to perform and manipulate the controls if the AC90 is pole-mounted.They're out of sight and reach. I will use an collapsable amp-stand instead, to raise the unit about 2 feet off the floor while I play live.
Quality:
Almost everything seems very good, EXCEPT the front grille cloth: it's quite literally 'cloth', and will tear easily if you 'catch it' on something. It's a nice acoustic idea, but, eventually it's going to get ripped...
Value:
I paid $599.00 for the unit in May 2010. This dealer and others have, as of June 2010, upped the price to $699.00. It's still a very good value compared to the AER series (comparable AER model is over $900,with nowhere near the versatility of features), if you need an excellent sounding amp for acoustic guitar.
Manufacturer Support:
Already contacted Roland about the Aux-in feature not routing through the Line-outs. Their rep on the phone was not aware of this drawback. Courteous and patient service, though.
The Wow Factor:
It's 'sexiness' to me is diminished by the price and the drawback regarding the aux-in not routing through line-outs.
Overall:
Too early in my ownership to tell..I suppose I might NOT have bought it if I'd know about the Aux-in not being able to be routed to Line-out, but, obviously, it's not a complete deal-breaker: The amp sounds terrific with my piezo pickups (gypsy jazz guitars plus traditional acoustic flattops).
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