Samson Airline AG1 UHF Guitar/Bass Wireless with Right Angled Plug

Move freely on stage with the Samson Airline AG1. This wireless system features a remarkably small transmitter, diversity receiver and ultra-high frequency.

Overall User Ratings (based on 84 ratings)
  • Overall:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
(84) (see rating details)
Submitted February 1, 2012 by Chad V in Moose Jaw, SK

"Perfect affordable solution"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Purchased this unit about 12 months ago, and I couldn't be happier with it. We've never had any issues, and the price was better than I could have hoped for a decent wireless system.
Sound
Sound is very transparent. No hiss, no hiccoughs, no problems with delay or dropped signal. I play mainly in church, and this unit allows me to stand in the foyer 80' away without the slightest issue. Much better than trying to roam with a cord!
Features
As has been said, what features would you want? It does its job. It would have been nice if they had included a power supply, but I just daisy chain the supply to my pedals, and it's fine.
Ease of Use
This was a primary consideration in buying this unit, as we have many guitar players of varying skill levels who would be using it. Plug in, turn on, you're done. How much easier could it be?
Quality
The transmitter seems to be more than adequately built. I have heard people complain that the transmitter doesn't sit tight, but I've never had that problem (I suspect that has more to do with the poles in the jack than the transmitter anyway). The receiver is pretty cheaply made, and likely could have used a more solid metal casing instead of the plastic one. The design makes it look like you could stomp on it to mute it or something like that (which would be a nice feature, now that I think about it), but I wouldn't do that if I were you, since the place you'd step is actually the battery compartment. Overall not bad, but could have been tougher. Having said that, the system does work very well, and I have no issues with the electronics at all.
Value
Excellent value for the money. We couldn't afford a good Senn or Shure system, and this one suits our need to a T for a very reasonable cash outlay.
Manufacturer Support
Never had to deal with them, which says something good, I think.
The Wow Factor
I love the size and design. Having this on my pedalboard is fantastic, and makes the whole system well worthwhile. Being able to just plug in the transmitter without messing with any kind of cable or lead is awesome.

Musical Background:

Worship Pastor, sound tech for 30 years. 1977 Profile acoustic with LR Baggs Active Element, custom built electric.

Musical Style:

Rock, Christian, Folk, Industrial
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Submitted June 16, 2011 by a customer from sulphursheetmetal.com

Samson AirLine UHF Guitar Customer Review

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Sound
I am extremely pleased with my Airline UHF bass guitar wirless. It did not change the tone or volume of my instrument in the least and the ease of use, portability and range is unbelievable. Wish I had one back when I was still young enough to really boogie when I played.

Musical Background:

Musician, band and recording

Musical Style:

Variety
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Submitted December 8, 2006 by a customer from musician.org

"You'd never know I'm not using a cable!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
So far, I love the product. As long as it works like it works right now, I'll be thrilled with it.
Sound
Maybe there are different quality units out there, because I read alot of the reviews that say that there is noise or bad sound. I read one review that said that when his lead singer walks between the transmitter and the receiver that he loses signal. LOL My unit has none of these problems. It sounds great. I can walk out of the room where the receiver is, walk down the hall, around the corner, down the stairs to the basement and walk to the far end of the basement and you could not tell that I am not standing right at my amp using a cable!
Features
What features would you want. It replaces a cable which has no features.
Ease of Use
I just plugged it in and started playing. I didn't even read the book for a week. There are a few setup instructions to follow to get the right level to the receiver, so follow those and you'll be fine.
Quality
The transmitter is very light and made of plastic. The quality is good, but not great. It is working fine now, but it is just plastic.
Value
Wireless with no belt pack, great sound, no problems setting up. I would say it's worth the price.
The Wow Factor
Of course, it could be even smaller, but then again, I never thought they could make one this small.

Musical Background:

Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Rock, country
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Submitted September 5, 2012 by Ed Barclay in Cedar Lake, IN

"Helpful Sales people"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I decided to go wireless, and thought I had narrowed my choices down to a low-priced unit. So I called and spoke with a sales engineer at zZounds. He walked me through the differences between the units I was looking at, and after discussing my needs steered me to another unit. It was more than I wanted to spend, but soon realized that there's a time to save money...but not for everything. Thanks to him, I now have an excellent unit that was easy to work with and works great! Thanks!

Musical Background:

Since I was 8 yrs old. So that's 56 years. I happy to jam at home these days.

Musical Style:

Rock/progressive slight jazz/electronic influences
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Submitted March 8, 2012 by Terry A

"So far - real Good! and Not for Just Guitars"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I am a Sax and Guitar player and I wanted to have a wireless set up for my Akai EWI 4000. I wasn't sure how it would work but it woks great on the EWi (AG1 has got a perfect profile for it). The AF1 would probably work but I thoudght it would 'stick out too much. The Sound is real good once you set the receiver gain. What I like the most is that I can 'hot swap' the transmitter between the guitar and EWI after I set the -15 db switch. Very little noise guys! I will be using this at the Penasco 2012 St Patrick's day Palooza in Rocky Point MX. Great job Sanson!

Musical Background:

Sax, Guitar, Vocals and other woodwinds

Musical Style:

Acoustic, Jazz, R&B, classic Rock
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Submitted September 5, 2006 by a customer from swtrucking.com

"Cool idea but doesnt last very long."

Overall: 3 out of 5 stars
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Not very happy with the longevity of the product.
Sound
First of all, I have to say that this is not a terrible produc. I play bass in a cover band with an average of 4 gigs a month. I love being wireless and this unit does the job. Sound wise I did not notice any difference between cable and this.
Features
Definitely use the power adapter. the AAA battery doesnt last very long. otherwise you would have to change it after every gig.
Ease of Use
Real easy to use.
Quality
This is my main problem with these units. I have owned 3 of them and they have all stopped working after a period of time. One has a switch problem and the other just does not transmit anymore. Very frustrating as i love the concept of these units.
Value
Not worth the price based on the ruggedness of the transmitter. Needs to be sturdier.
Manufacturer Support
Never dealt with them. Samson's website is pretty weak.

Musical Background:

Cover band part time

Musical Style:

Rock ,funk ,blues
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Submitted November 19, 2007 by a customer from aol.com

"Beware! Deceptive packaging. Not a diversity receiver!"

Overall: 1.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I will continue to lobby AKG to reissue the PR40, but this unit won't be replacing anything anytime soon.
Sound
This unit has two antennas, BUT IS NOT A DIVERSITY RECEIVER! I discovered this too late. This seems horribly deceptive in retrospect. Two antennas, but one of them apparently is fake. The sound of this unit is fine... when it isn't chirping or dropping out. I've used it live, where the hiccups aren't too bad, but it was too problematic to use for a show we were taping for a DVD.
Features
The stomp box sized receiver is solid enough, but the transmitter swings wildly on the guitar unless you duct tape it down, a problem AKG guitar bugs have solved. Gain adjustment on the tranmitter is easy enough. Squelch adjustment on the receiver works well enough.
Ease of Use
Sound is good from the start not counting the dropouts, but again, the transmitter has to be taped down or it swings around and gets in the way. The antenna on the trasmitter is WAY too thin and cheesy, tends to curl up, and I had to re-solder it's connection inside once already.
Quality
Transmitter antenna is cheesy, pad switch on transmitter is too easy to bump while playing (I taped it over to prevent this), the battery door on the receiver tends to pop open. this thing just isn't roadworthy. May be fine for infrequent club use.
Value
First and foremost, the two antennas are a lie. This unit is NOT diversity, and drops out with a "CH" sound. My band has been using AKG guitar bugs with PR40 quad receivers which work GREAT, no dropouts and crystal clear sound. AKG has discontinued the PR40, so I tried this unit as a replacement. Big mistake. It's as expensive as the AKGs, but not half the quality, unless you like products that require duct tape to function properly. But the dropouts render this unit worthless to me.
Manufacturer Support
Ha ha. Try to get Samson on the phone. Under Service and Support on their website, it lists the user manual, so problems must be YOUR fault.
The Wow Factor
If you are a part time clubber and can get one cheap, maybe this would be appealing. But nothing is LESS appealing that chirpy dropouts during a ripping solo.

Musical Background:

Touring professional musician

Musical Style:

Rock
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Submitted April 3, 2006 by a customer from prodwest.com

"Ocassionally Useful"

Overall: 2.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
overall this isn't the worst thing i've owned but not the best either i'll use it until i can afford to upgrade or util it stops working completely, i'll try my luck to send it in for replacement if i don't have to pay for it, i doubt i'd buy another one though if it was lost or stolen.
Sound
I didn't notice any changes in my tone using this as compared to going wired, but i don't have a real good ear for anything less than drastic sound changes
Features
it doesn't have a lot of features but then it only needs to do one thing I suppose it could have differnt frequencies that one could select. it's kind of cheap feeling though, made out of plastic for the most part, seems like it could break real easy but using metal might not be a good material to use for transmitting UHF signals i don't know
Ease of Use
extremely easy to use when it want's to work
Quality
like i said it's made mostly out of plastic, i've had it for a couple of years but i've tried to use it about 10 times it only actually worked about 4 or 5 times out of the 10, the battery wire connector thingy broke off once so i fixed it myself easy enough, opened it up, not much to it, I can never depend on it so i always have spare instrument cables i may go with something a little better in the future but time will tell i've never had real good luck with wireless stuff of any kind
Value
It's a little pricey for the quality, but i've never had another wireless guitar setup to compare it to, so it's hard to say if it's worth it or not, it worked half the times i used it but worked pretty good when it decided to work!
Manufacturer Support
I haven't dealt with these guys yet but i'm sure the day will come.
The Wow Factor
It looks cool, great idea, just needs to work better

Musical Background:

Hobbyist but play in a band

Musical Style:

Rock
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Submitted July 27, 2011

"Built to use with ease, and last for a long time"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I ended up replacing it with a Sennheiser g2 that I've had nothing but problems with
Sound
Never a problem. I actually thought it added quality to the tone
Features
The best feature, it had no features.
Ease of Use
Plug and play, what else can i say?
Quality
ok, here's the thing that sells me. I had one for over 20 years. It actually was in a flood, it went on tour. It went from use, to non-use, to heavy use and never a problem. To me, that's quality.
Value
Seems priced right for the market place
Manufacturer Support
Never needed it
The Wow Factor
So compact you can throw it in your gig bag...the upper compartment. That's nice

Musical Background:

Active Musician

Musical Style:

Rock
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Submitted May 2, 2010

"Exceptional device that still has room for Continuous Improvements in Quality"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I hope to be satisfied for a very long time as long as the device holds up mechanically.
Sound
No problems with sound or sound quality. The product performed excellent!
Features
No accwssory support was required. I also purchased the AC Adapter.
Ease of Use
No learning curve. Product is evtremely intuitive.
Quality
The 1/4 inch plug appeared to be undersize and was looser than I would like it to be. However, my biggest problem was the durability of the POWER SWITCH. Samson has to make that slide switch more robust because after only one year of use the transmitter started shorting out and my problem was traced to the power ON/OFF slider.
Value
Great value. I purchased anothe N Channel frequency device
Manufacturer Support
By the time I needed support from Samson the product with U Channel frequencies was obsoleted by the N Channel frerquency products, hence, there was no help there.
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Submitted December 9, 2008

"Excellent"

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
Pros: -reliable, working well after 2 years of heavy abuse -Inexpensive -uses AAA instead of 9V (for transmitter) -Smaller, more convenient transmitter -Rugged receiver -Good quality sound for price Cons: -transmitter is easy to loose -transmitter battery must be new for acceptable normal operation -AC adapter not included (12 VDC)
Sound
It has average quality transmission (good for price, average compared to higher end models). The sound quality significantly degrades as the battery weakens, so I never use the same battery for two gigs. The range is limited to general stage use. So if you plan to run off stage and run to the back of an auditorium, you will find that there is a noticeable delay by the time you get halfway back. I'd estimate about a ms, which is more than enough to be very disrupting (but most people never get that far off stage).
Features
Very simple features. -15 db switch on transmitter is very useful for hot pickups, usually necessary to avoid distortion. Flexible gain knob on receiver allows user to level out signal to a good level for the audio tech. No frills, but you shouldn't want any extra knobs or buttons on a wireless. One gripe was that it did not include the AC adapter. But, the fact that the transmitter uses AAA batteries instead of a 9V is a huge bonus. Significantly decreases operational costs.
Ease of Use
Very straight forward use, just need to set the main gain knob and plug in to use.
Quality
Rugged enough but I don't suggest leaving it by your pedals, even though that's where it is intended to be placed. I always step on mine on accident, and I'm sure I'd eventually destroy an antenna.
Value
For the cost, I think it is the best choice at the moment. Paid $50 more for mine at the time, and I think it was worth it then. It is more compatible with a guitarists setup than most units. If you don't have a rack case for your head, effects, conditioners, etc. (and the bankroll that is associated with that setup) then I recommend this as an inexpensive reliable option. Otherwise get a high end rack mount unit and spend 6 times more.
Manufacturer Support
Never had to contact Samson.
The Wow Factor
practical, not sexy

Musical Background:

Active Musician

Musical Style:

Jam, Rockabilly
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Submitted July 15, 2004

"KIK ASS PRODUCT... just dont lose it"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I love(d) it... unfortunately, i lost the reciever (go figure, i didnt lose the little bug tho) Im gonna call samson n see if i can get a new one, I'll let u know how that works out
Sound
sounds great, don't wanna give it a ten though cuzz I havent tried any others
Features
it doesnt have many, but it doesnt need many. It'd be really awesome if they made the airline systems with selectable frequencies
Quality
Solid. the guitar bug doesnt move around or fall out, like i heard it wud... and i jump all over the place and stuff, always worked great; never fell out once
Value
Its comparably priced with other uhf wireless systems, but it's much more convenient
Manufacturer Support
havent dealt with em yet... I'll get back on that, i plan on it
The Wow Factor
its so sexy... nice and small. not to mention solid

Musical Style:

rock, pop rock, metal, watever sounds good
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