The first guitar most people ever picked up is an acoustic guitar.
You can find decent ones at very affordable prices, and lots of good used models are available for less than $100.
Unfortunately, an acoustic guitar has limited sound potential – especially when playing with a band. An acoustic guitar preamp solves that problem.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Acoustic Guitar Preamps
Table of Contents
What is an Acoustic Guitar Preamp For?
Unless you are playing in an acoustically perfect setting, your acoustic guitar cannot be heard over an accompanying band. The sound just does not carry far enough or produce a loud enough tone to be heard over a sizable audience. The solution is an acoustic guitar preamp.
A preamp amplifies your sound without diminishing it. Every note sounds and plays just as well amplified as it does acoustically. An acoustic guitar preamp requires either passive or active pickups to amplify the sound. A passive pickup does not have a power source. It gets it from the signal path going to the amplifier. A preamp with active pickups provides its own power and gives you more gain.
An preamp also lets you adjust your tone. It might have a couple of controls for treble and bass. Or it might have a small equalizer built in that lets you sculpt your tone for your preferred playing style. Acoustic guitar preamps come in many types and brands. The following should help you to better choose the ideal one for your guitar.
How to Choose an Acoustic Guitar Preamp
If you have an acoustic guitar in its rawest form, you will need an appropriate preamp to work with an amplifier. The first thing you need is a pickup to translate the strings’ natural tone into a digital signal that winds up at the amplifier. You want that signal to make it all the way through without degrading or otherwise suffering ill effects. You want your acoustic guitar’s natural tone to come out in the amplifier. The best preamps do exactly that.
External Preamp and Phase Inverter Controls the Tone
Among choices is an external preamp box that lets you plug in your acoustic pickup and relay the signal to the amp. The best ones will have some type of equalizer that lets you sculpt and control the sound. Another necessity is a phase inverter, which helps you to control and either use or completely eliminate feedback. Most acoustic players prefer doing away with feedback altogether. Otherwise, they probably would be playing a solid body or semi-hollow body.
Cost and Construction Count
As always, cost is a critical factor. You need a preamp that does a good job without breaking your bank account. It needs to be sturdy, process your guitar’s natural tone accurately, and enhance your playing. If it does not, you have the wrong preamp for your acoustic guitar.
Comparison of the Best Acoustic Guitar Preamps
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Review of the Best Acoustic Guitar Preamps
When it comes to quality, effectiveness, durability, and cost, the following preamps are our picks for the best of the bunch. Each offers subtle variations that might make it particularly useful for you. To help you better decide, here is a closer look at several of the best acoustic guitar preamps on the market.
Best Overall:
LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI
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PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
The LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI is a highly respected and venerable preamp that is used in studios, on stages, and in professional players’ homes for many years. It takes the full potential of the best acoustic guitars and accurately relays it to the amp. So long as you have a good amp, the sound will sparkle.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The ability to properly and accurately translate acoustic notes into an amplified sound makes it a perfect preamp. That you can adjust the gain, control feedback, and dial in the perfect tone. Eight controls that affect low end, midrange, treble, presence, “notch,” and volume. Outstanding sound control and adaptability make it the industry standard.
Who Will Use This Most
Pro players, recording studios, and stages everywhere are equipped with the LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI. That is because it is the absolute best in the business. You can get one too, for a surprisingly affordable price. That is especially true considering it is the industry standard and beloved by professional acoustic guitarists around the globe.
Bottom Line
This is an outstanding preamp that lets you sculpt your sound to exactly how you want it. It is highly adaptable and will work with any quality amplifier.
Runner-up:
Fishman Aura Spectrum DI
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PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This is a great preamp and tuner that does a lot. It frustrates many who do not take the time to understand how to download images that help adjust settings to get the perfect tone. You can narrow the preamp to the specific instrument, mic, and amplifier used for perfect sound reproduction and amplification. Once you have it down, no other pedals are needed to deliver the ideal sound.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This is a very well-designed and well-built unit that you can use to get the perfect tone from nearly any acoustic guitar. While the price is high for many players, the additional benefit of a chromatic tuner makes this a truly all-in-one acoustic guitar preamp.
Who Will Use This Most
Anyone who does not mind paying a decent amount of money for an excellent preamp will appreciate this most. The chromatic tuner makes it a truly great preamp for any player of acoustic guitars. Those who take the time to learn to use the Acoustic Imaging Technology will get the best value and use from this preamp and tuner combination.
Bottom Line
So long as you have the money and desire to learn how to use it, this is a truly great preamp for any acoustic guitar. A quality acoustic requires quality sound reproduction. That is exactly what the Fishman does.
Best for the Money:
Behringer V-Tone
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PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This fantastic preamp works well with acoustic or electric guitars. Models include several styles of amplifiers and a simple two-band equalizer that lets you adjust the bass and treble. Other controls take care of the amount of drive and level.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This very compact and user-friendly preamp does a good job of mimicking popular amplifier styles when played through a PA system. You get a fantastic deal on a truly great little preamp at a truly affordable price.
Who Will Use This Most
Budding acoustic guitar players will enjoy the price and all that it delivers for a lot less than most other alternatives. Even experienced professionals will enjoy all that it provides for such a low cost.
Bottom Line
Just about any acoustic guitar player would benefit from having one of these on hand for practice, recording, or performing. The plastic construction is sturdy and keeps the price very affordable.
Best Acoustic Guitar Onboard Preamp:
LR Baggs iMix Onboard Blending System
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PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
The LR Baggs iMix is an outstanding system that works great with X-braced guitar bodies, which is a standard construction for acoustic guitars. The iMix creates a perfect tone and works well with amps or house sound systems. That helps you to get double duty from a great preamp.
Why it Stands Out to Us
It is an exceptional system that is priced low but does just about everything you could hope for in a preamp. The proprietary pickups mean you can convert any quality acoustic into an amplified guitar.
Who Will Use This Most
The LR Baggs iMix has a lot of technical features that might intimidate novice players. Experienced acoustic guitar players will thoroughly enjoy all that it can do to amplify their guitars without changing the sound or tone.
Bottom Line
Performs very well and is ideal for those who love to tinker with cool gadgets. Once you learn how to use it, you get outstanding sound reproduction at all times.
Best Acoustic Guitar Preamp DI:
Di LR Baggs Session-DI
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PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
The Session-DI is fantastic for live gigs. Its saturation control adds warmth and thickness while playing. It controls overly high notes and blends them with very low ones to give you a more useful sound. The notch control eliminates feedback, and the onboard equalizer helps to level out your sound.
Why it Stands Out to Us
It provides exceptional tonal quality with a tube-like analog warmth added to your playing. You can fully control feedback and sculpt your tone while making it a lot easier for the audience to hear you. You get a lot of bang for your buck.
Who Will Use This Most
If you want to amplify your acoustic and maybe add some effects pedals, this is a perfect choice. The analog circuitry helps provide a lush tone that works great with tube amps. That makes it an ideal preamp for gigging acoustic guitar players who want to rock out a bit more.
Bottom Line
The LR Baggs Session-DI is a dynamite preamp that is relatively compact, fully controls feedback, and gives you lots of potential tonal variations. You even can add effects pedals.
Best Acoustic Guitar Preamp Kit:
LR Baggs Venue DI Preamp Bundle
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
The LR Baggs Venue DI is an outstanding preamp that is very easy to use and comes with a lot of great additions. The chromatic tuner and effects loop make it an especially functional preamp that works well with most effects.
Why it Stands Out to Us
You get exceptional build quality and phenomenal sound output that make it as good as any acoustic guitar preamp. It has a high price range that is much more affordable when you factor in the chromatic tuner, equalizer, and effects loop.
Who Will Use This Most
Any acoustic guitar player who wants to go electric and have some rock-like tones produced with potential effects will love it. The tuner makes it a real winner, and its great looks and sturdy build add to its value.
Bottom Line
You cannot go wrong with this preamp. The price might be steep for some, but it really is worth every penny you spend on it.
Best Mic Preamp for Acoustic Guitar:
Grace Design m101
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
The Grace Design m101 outperforms similar products that often are regarded as the best. It makes cheap microphones sound much better and provides superbly clean sound reproduction.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The Grace PreAmp provides spectacular sonic control for your voice or your favorite amplified instrument. It has exceptional gain control and truly brings out the best in your sonic capabilities. While it is designed as a microphone preamp, it works exceptionally well with many different instruments, including the electric guitar and electric bass.
Who Will Use This Most
Gigging and studio musicians will find this to be a very useful tool. They can use it on their microphones or patch in their amplified instruments and gain superb tonal control. Its entry price is the highest of the bunch but worth the investment. You get the cleanest possible sound output.
Bottom Line
If you sing vocals, this could be an outstanding addition to your rig. Otherwise, you can find better values for acoustic guitar preamps.
What Do I Need to Know Before Buying?
A preamp only will work if your acoustic has pickups. Many acoustic electrics provide that portion to work well with preamps. If you have a fully organic acoustic with no pickups, you need to find a preamp that provides one or more for sound reproduction. Then, you need to make sure it accurately reproduces your guitar’s sound without degrading it. If you want some rock effects to go with it, you can find preamps that will enable that.
How to Use Your Acoustic Guitar Preamp
The guitar preamp is a relatively simple concept to grasp. Instead of relying on the sound vibrations produced by your acoustic guitar strings for volume, a preamp will pick up the vibrations and translate them into an amplified signal that works great.
If your guitar has one or more pickups, you can just run the signal from the guitar to the preamp. Otherwise, you need to add one or more pickups, and then run that signal to the preamp. From there, you can send the signal to the amplifier or the soundboard and use the house PA system.
Conclusion
If you want to play live with an acoustic guitar, you need a preamp to really make it sing. Anything less and you likely will get drowned out by louder instruments and singers who have the benefit of amplification helping their performance.
People Also Ask
The acoustic guitar preamp does essentially the same thing in all its versions. Although there are some commonly asked questions. The following are answers to many of these.
Do I Need an Acoustic Preamp?
If you have an acoustic guitar and want to boost the sound so others can hear, then, yes, you need an acoustic preamp.
Can You Use a Preamp Without an Amp?
Yes. Many work well with public address systems and can patch straight into a soundboard to use the house sound system instead of an amplifier.
Does a Preamp Improve Sound Quality?
A truly good acoustic guitar does not need its sound quality improved. Instead, it needs to preserve and amplify it to deliver truly remarkable, accurate sound reproduction.
Where Does a Preamp go in the Pedal Chain?
A preamp, when used, goes between your guitar and the amplifier. If it has an effects loop jack, you can add effects pedals and run them through the amplifier’s effects loop.
Can You Use a Regular Amp For an Acoustic Guitar?
Only if you have a preamp to process the signal. Otherwise no sound will get to the amp.
