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Fishman SA220 Solo Amp
Summary: Compact and weighing in at just 25 lbs., the SA220 Solo Amp is an ideal PA solution for the solo acoustic guitarist/vocalist, but it’s versatile and loud enough to be used as a PA for a band (if you have a couple of them). Pros: It may not have the Bose name, but I’d put this up against the L1 Compact system any day. With built-in, independent, 3-way EQ, and a variety of other features, if you’re a solo acoustic artist, you owe it to yourself to check this unit out! I got it set up in less than a minute! Cons: None Features:
– Six 4″ mid-woofers, patented dual gap, high excursion design, neodymium magnets (200W) Price: $999 Street Tone Bone Score: 5.0 ~ Talk about ease of use! As I mentioned above, I got the SA220 set up in less than a minute! And my Yamaha APX900 sounds absolutely killer through this, not to mention the great clarity of the vocals. This is a winner, folks! |
Year over year, I play between 100 to 150 gigs a year, with about half of them as a solo acoustic act. My solo gigs have consisted mainly of my weekly restaurant gig, but I do lots of weddings and special events throughout the year as well. Of late, the restaurant I gig at moved my act outside in a public patio area as the weather is gorgeous.
To make a long story short, even though the restaurant has a decent PA system, I ended up bringing my own PA last week, which was the first week we did the outdoor show. That worked pretty well, and my PA has a great sound. But it also made me realize that the old mixing board, and big 300 Watt speakers was just too much gear to haul around. Even if I ended up using the restaurant’s PA, which is a nice one, I’d still have to lug the board and speakers and stands down from the office upstairs. Enter the Fishman SA220 Solo Amp.
Plug It In and Go!
I finally received my SA220 today after having to wait for a couple of weeks for it to arrive (had to be ordered). So when I got home, I knew I had to try it out to see how it sets up, and of course, to work out kinks before I gig with it. There’s nothing worse than fighting your rig or sound DURING a gig – especially when you’re solo.
The guys at the shop assured me that Fishman’s claims of easy setup were true. I am now a believer! I had the SA220 set up in exactly 42 seconds!!! That didn’t include hooking up my pedal board, guitar, and microphone, but I had the system on its tripod stand and plugged into power, ready to go, in that short amount of time. That just blew me away! Plus, everything you need to get up and running fits into a single carrying unit that consists of two bags: One for the array/PA, and one for the tripod that buckles to the main bag. Talk about convenience! Fishman really had the solo artist in mind when they built this!
How It Sounds
For my audition, I just plugged my guitar into the SA220 directly, and hooked up my microphone. All I can say is that the sound is spectacular! I was actually concerned about the bass response of the unit, but apparently Fishman distributes the bass response among the six main mid-woofers. It may not get boomy with the bass, but the sound is absolutely rich, and vocals are clear and full. Normally, I use a DI to go into a board – and will probably do the same with this unit, but my guitar sounded clear and natural and full plugged in directly without those annoying high-end transients and flattened tone that is so annoying with plugged in acoustics. Admittedly, the ART system in my Yamaha APX900 has quite a bit to do with that, but Fishman really knows how to condition sound.
At first, I had a bit of a problem with feedback, but setting the phase switch and tweaking the anti-feedback knob (it’s a variable frequency notch filter designed to subdue a resonant peak – just turn it to where the feedback gets reduced or eliminated – very cool), and attaching the rubber sound hole cover on my guitar took care of the feedback problem.
Luckily no one was home when I tested the SA220. I set it up outside so I could see how it performed. Damn! Even with just 220 Watts, the SA220 is LOUD!!! I had the Master volume set at around 10 am, and that will be enough to fill the large patio space I’ll be playing in tomorrow! It’s not a stretch to say that the SA220 can cover a lot of venues.
As far as listening angle is concerned, the SA220 disperses the sound incredibly well! Even at extreme angles, where I was almost even with the array, the sound was clear with good volume. Of course, narrower angles are better, but this unit will have no problem playing in the open space I’ll be playing.
Talk About Bang for the Buck!
The sound is great, but I have to tell you, I was ready to get the Bose L1 Compact, which is a great unit, but the mere fact that if I wanted more EQ control and other features, I’d have to spend another $499 really soured my taste for the unit. On the other hand, Fishman has packed all sorts of features into the SA220 that make it hands-down the better value. Independent 3-band EQ for each channel, phase and anti-feedback control, 4 types of digital reverb, a mute switch (that is REALLY handy!), independent balanced XLR outs to go into a board, and my favorite feature: independent effects loop for each channel! You just can’t argue about with what comes built-in on this unit!
Overall Impression
It’s hopefully obvious that I love this unit! For me as a solo artist, it’s a true game changer! It’s light and versatile, and the sound is spectacular. What more could I ask for?
Guitar Gear 
Hi goofydawg,
Thank you for your review. I am both, a solo performer and in an band. I bought the Bose L1 and have to say, the Sound is superb. I bought 2 L1 Model 2 turrets and a Mixer and it Works Ever so well with the Band. My Plan was to use only One L1 turret for my solo Gigs. BUT: ( and that is only my Personal opinion) i Found it still too Heavy and Bulky to take to my solo Gigs. Mind, i also have to bring my Irish bouzouki, my bodhrĂ n squeezbox and stuff As well. And i mostly go by Public Transport. The Other Day i saw The fishman Standing in a Music Shop and as i remebered looking at it on the Web alrady and Found fishmans Solution really smiling at me, especially the apparent Ratio Sound/transportability, i am going to try it out in the Next days. Will keep you postet on my Experience. Smiles, David.
I’ve had my SA220 for a couple of months now. I’ve used it about 3 times and it’s worked great every time. I used to have a Bose L1 model II with 2 subs and I like this Fishman as well or better. It’s quicker and easier to set up. It does not have quite the depth the Bose had, but the Bose had 2 subwoofers. I see Yamaha has a 10″ powerd sub and I’m considering buying one to hook up to the Fishman. Has anyone tried something like that?
Haven’t tried a sub with the Fishman. But I’m playing my guitar through an amp now to get the lows, and using the Fishman for vocals and keyboard.
Hey Doug did you ever try or know of anyone using the SA220 with a powered sub? If so what were the results and which sub and how did you hook and set it up. I think that would tweak any missing bass and equal or come very close to the Bose. Waiting to hear from anyone who has done this and the results before I buy the 220.
Thanks
David
i use the yamaha sub with two fishmans and it works great.. gives you some thump to your blues licks etc
Hey doc,
What yamaha sub are you using?
Doug
[…] Review 2 […]
I haven’t got to try it yet. Fishman said they have and don’t like it for guitar, but I think it will work good. I’ll hook it up to the monitor send. I’ll let you know when I try it.
you can take the feed out of your board to the sub then out to the fishman(s).. or go direct to the sub and then stereo out to the two inputs, or fold back via the monitor.. they all work.. but I like to use a mixer and then out to sub.. better control over mix..
So you plug directly into the mixer, then output to the via an Aux output on the mixer, then out to the Fishman with the stereo outs?
I currently use two Sa220s with two Pinnacle dual 12 isobaric loaded 600 watt subs and a 12 channel Mackie board for our blues band. I covered the woofers with ozite and screwed on small casters, metal corners, and handles. They are about 18″ cubes. I use a small pole mount on top so the Fishmans attach to it saving more stage space. I made 30ft cables with two XLRs and line voltage so there is no more tangle of wires like our old PA. I stuck the mixer in a Road Runner top mount case with six spaces below. I have a power conditioner, electronic crossover, and a two space drawer for the cables in it. We do not even take monitors out with us anymore as the Fishmans image like crazy when placed even with the band. The crossover is set at 125hz so the 220s never see that last octave or two and this results in no low bass distortion as well as extremely high system SPL. I play a BSX Allegro and an old p-bass through a Phil Jones Briefcase and use the pre out verses the DI into the board which gives me EQ control from the amp. This has eliminated the 4X10 Ampeg rig I used to haul around. Our guitar player has also downsized to a little DrZ with a mic in front of it. We can play in a club with 500 people and larger venues have their own systems anyway. We do not send a dedicated drum mix on our normal shows.
The sound quality is killer. The size is amazing. I constantly get compliments on the quality of the sound and also “Where is it all coming from”. The only drawback to the Fishmans is the residual hiss that everyone complains about. It’s weird too as one is worse than the other but they both have it. It is not noticeable in a live venue but can be annoying in rehearsal. No big deal, just kind of surprising of Fishman. I can now put our entire set up including drums in a VW Eurovan. We can set it all up in maybe 45 minutes.
Steve, what an awesome setup! Wow! Thanks for sharing! I’ve noticed the hiss as well, but I think it’s because the SA220 really isn’t meant for real high SPL. The loudest I’ve ever turned mine up is about 1pm, and it’s loud. I’ve also noticed that the SA200 is pretty sensitive to the stuff you put in front of it. I’ve got some pedals that I just cannot put in front of the amp because they’re really noisy (happens with all my non-true bypass pedals). I’ve been able to solve this by using true bypass pedals and also running my effects in the loop.
I leave the 220s EQ flat or roll the highs back slightly and keep the volume level around 10 and the gain around 12. I run low impedance into the channel 1 input and use the reverb in the board. It helps with the noise. I use a relatively inexpensive MOJO electronic crossover and adjust high and low frequency levels relative to each other then use the board as the master. It works well to minimize the noise. Occasionally I will also use the subwoofer out on the crossover into an M&K thx 150 subwoofer that I used to use in a big theater system. That woofer really has serious low end. It has a push pull arrangement with dual 12s and high power. I also covered it with ozite and added the wheels, corners, and handles. The mixer sits on top and the system takes up almost no stage space. I use a shorter speaker tripod with the Phil Jones Briefcase on it as my bass monitor / mixer. It kills. The only problem is that the M&K is heavy. I really.freak people out as most think all my sound is coming from the Briefcase.
Steve, I am having feedback issues with my two Solo setup. We are Acoustic guitar and two vocals. MIcs and guitar have pre maps for sound, so they bump up the sound a little bit. I was running at around 5+(12oclock) on master and same on ind gains. I was unable to place the Solos to the side R&L of us at 45 degrees so we could hear clearly, You say you have yours even with the band, are you slightly in front of them to the side? and how loud is your band. We were in a bar and it was packed 130 people, loud young people. I could hear them as loud as we were. Any thoughts?
thanks
Hey Steve any chane you can post any pictures of your set up? Sounds great!
I don’t have it any longer.
I will try to post a picture today, I have not tried to do it yet. I have changed it a bit also. I took two Cerwin Vega passive 18 cabinets and added 500 watt class d plate amps from parts express for that last bit of extreme low end. It has come in handy as we have started to play larger bars.
Steve
MeanGene
Just purchased a Fishman SA220, and love it! The sound is great, but I needed a little more bass for my sequences. I use the effects send with a Nady active crossover. I use two 12 inch subs, resulting in a totally awesome sound. I also use a 12 channel mixer with this setup. My back is happy, and the rest of the band does as well. It won’t cover concerts, but works well for medium and small venues. Thank you Fishman!
Yup. For small to medium venues, the SA220 works fantastic! This year, at my restaurant gig, I used the SA220 as a wireless instrument, using my Sennheiser G3 body pack to the effects send, then hooking up the base station to the restaurant’s PA. Worked like a charm!
If you don’t mind me asking….what subs are you using? Could you list out the exact crossover as well? I really want a sub to go with my SA220 and saw that EV makes a small powered sub….only 45lbs….which I was thinking of trying but would love to explore all options first. Thanks!
Jared,
I begin with my Yamaha MG8/2FX mixer. I run it into the two 1/4 inch inputs on the SA220 (Channel 1 and Channel 2). The MG8/2FX has effects, so I never use the effects on the Fishman. I run cables from the SA220’s Effects Send to a Nady CX-22SW 2-Way Active Stereo Crossover’s Left and Right Inputs. The Nady’s High Frequency is crossed over at 250HZ, the lowest frequency setting. I then run cables from the Nady’s Left and Right High Outputs to the SA220’s Channel 1 and Channel 2 Effects Return. I also run cables from the Nady’s Left and Right Left and Right Low Outputs to the Inputs on a Yamaha YST-SW215 subwoofer. I turn the frequency on the Yamaha Sub to it’s highest setting. The result is an awesome sound! Everyone in the audience during our New Year’s Eve performance would come up and look at this Fishman/Yamaha/Nady setup, asking me where I purchased it, and for how much. The were really amazed at the sound of the jazz I played through it on break (Return to Forever), and were constantly commenting about the great sound. Hope this helps…please free to contact me for more info.
MeanGene
Jared,
I forgot to mention this was a different setup than the first I mentioned at this site. I really like the original setup, using the two 12″ subs, but the subs were not powered like the Yamaha YST-SW215, requiring me to bring along an amplifier. I like the 12 channel mixer, but did not need it–the Yamaha MG8/2FX was able to do everything I needed. The SA220 and YST-SW215 were loud enough for the medium size room (capacity of 225 people) we played in.
MeanGene
Hi Mean Gene, thank you for all the great info you have given regarding the Solo Amp and Sub Woofer. I have a question regarding the Yamaha yst-sw215.
The Sub shows regular RCA inputs on the back, how did you convert from 1/4″ to RCA, and isn’t it a different line level/IMpedence?
Your response is much appreciated. I will be doing this setup, I just ordered my second Solo, I usualy play with just a singer, but I am now forming a band and want to use the great 220 sound for Vocals and acoustic guitar and maybe mic my amp as well.
thanks
David
Sulkes Band
Hey guys, I’ve been doing some research on a sub to use along the solo and I’m really not wanting to lug around a 90lb powered sub so I just found that EV makes a killer 12 inch powered sub with a built in cross-over that’s only 45lbs and kicks! It’s a bit pricey at $600 but I feel like it’ll be worth it. No need for an extra amp to bring since it’s powered. If I get one I’ll let you know how it is but it’s called the EV ZxA1 12″ powered sub. Check it out!
Can you use the hose subs with the fish man?
Hose? 🙂 Or do you mean the Bose subs? To be honest, I really don’t know, but I imagine you can use the monitor out to feed into a Bose sub.
Can you use the Bose L II subs with the fishman sa220?
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I need help, my solo map just died in the middle of my performance, no power at all……how serious is my problem?
Wow! But what do you mean by “just died?” It could be attributed to a number of things. Did you try connecting to a different power source? I once had a situation where I didn’t have the power cord plugged into the SA220 all the way, and eventually gravity pulled it out enough where the whole unit seemed to die. But I plugged it in all the way and it worked just fine after that.
My SA 220 has “faded’ on me a couple of times during gigs but turning it off and on has quickly solved this problem each time. This anomaly occurs so infrequently that I haven’t bothered to get it looked at.
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I bought my first Fishman 220 in 2011. I play between 100 to 200 gigs per year on it. In 2014, it began to fail… sounded like a short or something. I sent it in to Fishman for repair twice, but the problem kept coming back… I’d be in the middle of a song, and the amp would just drop out (no sound at all), and then it would come back until finally, it just quit. Since Fishman was unable to fix the problem, they offered me a new one at a deep discount ($600) and I took them up on it. That was in 2015. But now, in February 2019, the new one is beginning to do the same thing. This unit has great sound and portability, but beware… for $999 it seems to only last about 4 years.
Jen, I’m so sorry to hear that! I’m in my 9th year using the SA220 and mine’s still operating perfectly. I don’t gig with it nearly as much as I used to (from when I got it in 2010 through 2017, I gigged with it just about the same amount as you), but I just did a couple of gigs with it last week, and it’s still performing flawlessly.
One thing that I have always done with that amp – or any rig I play through – is to use it with a power conditioning strip. The one I use in particular is the Rockn Stompn power conditioner (http://www.rocknstompn.com/). It’s not cheap at $299, but with its two ferrous-oxide filters, it can handle all sorts of dirty power sources that are common at small venues.