Kemo Sabe - Posted - 04/06/2011:  17:26:23

I am using the WA30 (Washburn WA30 Acoustic Amp) .... ( and I don't have a manual for the thing).  Three specific questions:

1. The specs I see on several web sites (music stores) say the WA30 has a Headphone Jack.... I don't find one on my WA30.  Can anybody see a Headphone Jack on a WA30 they use and tell me where it is located?

2.  There is a 'Mic Input' (1/4 inch jack) and an 'XLR mic input' on the left side - then further to the right there is a (1/4 inch) 'guitar input'.  I have a fisher (sp??) pickup in my banjo.  Can I choose to use either one of the 1/4 inch jacks going from my banjo to the amp?  If I use the 1/4 inch 'mic input' will I still get use of the various 'Equalizer' adjustments such as 'bass', 'treble' etc.?

3.  Is there a switch to change from 'mic input' to 'guitar input' for the amp.

Any help or comments will be appreciated.  Thanks.  Phil

Edited by - Kemo Sabe on 04/06/2011 17:27:32

kirbonite - Posted - 04/06/2011:  18:21:08

I am not familiar with the amp but maybe you have a fishman pickup.

Little confused but you should be able to run the 1/4 from the banjo to the amp and use the controls howeverr; with this kind of pickup most people run it through a preamp  like and LR baggs gigpro or a fishman preamp.   These pickups give off a really "hot" signal so the preamp helps balance the sound from the pickup to the amp.  I know I'm not exactly right and someone will surely correct me but you get the ideal.

K.

Grumpy1 - Posted - 04/06/2011:  21:13:22

  You might be able to download a manual off the amps web site.  It sounds to me like you have a combo amp.  This is set up so you can play your vocal mic through the XLR connection and your instrument through the line input where it says "guitar.  You can run a mic through the guitar jack instead though if you don't have a pickup in your instrument.  I use a Shure SM57 mic  for banjo and passive pickup for guitar, through the instrument jack.  If you do not have an XLR cable then you can run through the 1/4 jack on the mic side for your vocal.  I don't know your particular amp but mine has separate controls for each channel.   Take a close look.  If there is a physical separation of the equalizer/effects from one compartment then it usually only works for the one channel.  They all have their own ways of doing things though so I could be somewhat off base.  As for the headset jack that frequently is on the back side as is commonly  RCA jacks for external CD.  Just fool with it and try things out.  You won't hurt it as long as you keep the gain and volume low.  Many amps have phantom power for passive pickups.  That's what I use also and it seems to work well.  I recently acquired a Gigpro preamp and it does smooth it out more though and speeds up instrument switch over without the usual hiss and pop of disconnect if you don't turn the amp off.  Good luck with it, it's fun to fool with them.  

Kemo Sabe - Posted - 04/07/2011:  12:24:36

Thanks kirbonite and Grumpy1 for the suggestions and comments.  I have discovered it is in fact a Fishman pickup I installed in my banjo a while back... it is a great pickup and does not need a preamp.  I talked to Washburn and there is no manual on the web site for the WA30 Amp.  After fooling around with the amp for awhile this morning - here is what I think I now know:

1.  There is no headset jack on my WA30 Amp.

2.  I can choose either jack for my banjo input to the Amp.  If I choose the 'Guitar 1/4 inch input' the 'Equalization' Adjustments [Bass, Treble, etc] work just fine (duh!).  If I choose the 'Mic 1/4 inch input' for my banjo the output is just fine but the 'Equalization' Adjustments do not affect the output to the speakers.  The output is about mid-range for each of those equalization adjustments and is not adjustable.  That is OK with me and sounds OK to my ears.

3.  There is no switch to change from 'Mic input' to 'Guitar input' for the amp. 

Thanks again for the suggestions above.  Phil

Oh...and thanks to Eric for this new forum ..... dummies like me who don't like manuals can get some good ideas and answers.  My next Tech Talk subject will probably be about interfacing this WA30 Amp with the AVIOM monitor system we have at church....I am using this WA30 and that monitor system now but I am not totally understanding some pieces of it.....  

Edited by - Kemo Sabe on 04/07/2011 12:35:02

Grumpy1 - Posted - 04/07/2011:  22:26:06

3.  There is no switch to change from 'Mic input' to 'Guitar input' for the amp. 

Thanks

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  # - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

My apolgies, I did not explain clearly.  I did not mean a switch but merely when I switch instruments as I go back and forth from banjo to guitar or uke.    Sounds like you have it well under control.  Have fun!