AER
means Audio Electric Research, a brand that is
extremely highly regarded. This model, which comes with its own amplifier cover, has been described as producing 60 watts of
unadulterated RMS wattage through an eight inch (200mm) double cone
speaker. It has two channels, the first
of which is for guitar (phono jack), having a push button for “low” or “high,”
(we prefer to be high), a gain control (so you can gain control), and then
three rotaries for bass, midrange and treble, each with a center detent which,
in the land we come from, means “active electronics.” Then you have a plus that thoughtfully can
take either a microphone or a phono plug.
The second channel has a “line”/”mic” push button, then “gain,” “bass,”
“treble” rotary controls, then a rotary for “eff. Pan” and “Return.” In between those two self-explanatory
controls is a push button for “Select” followed by a vertical display of five
LED lights for battery power. Finally
there is a “Master” control and below that two LEDS – one for “Low Bat” and one
for “Charge,” – the first having to do with spelunking and the second for
military maneuvers. Lastly on Line 2 is
a rotary control for “Aux Return.” In
my father’s mansion there are many controls. We are advised that the “Eff. Pan” control
allows the user to choose a variety of preset combinations of flanger and
reverb. This can be great fun.
And then there’s the back,
which starts with red and white RCA plugs for “Aux In,” so you can plug your CD
player into it, three female phono jacks for “Phones,” “Tuner” and “Line
Out.” Then a male DIN plug for “DI
Out.” Lastly there are female photos for
“Send,” “Return” and “Footswitch.” We
need to tell you that this amp didn’t come to us with a Footswitch and so none
is provided. At the bottom of the back
is an electrical input for “12v DC Only” and we didn’t get that cable either, a
“DC On-Off” switch, an unlabeled AC On-Off Switch with the AC jack (it does
come with that). This unit feels extremely solid and
durable. It lifts up from a single black
permanent handle on the side.
We are advised that the
manufacturer states that the amp can be played without electricity for 3 to 4
hours (we haven’t tried it and can’t say whether that’s true or not, but that’s
what the manufacturer says). We’ve been
told that this amp sounds very much like the revered AER Compact 60, producing
a sound that is clear and strong. We are
told that when the batteries begin to flag a warning sound is produced and the unit
acts on behalf of the owner to make sure that the batteries do not completely
run down When brand new this model
typically sells for $1669. All the more
cause for celebration, then, that we offer you a small sampling of Nirvana on
Earth (without some of the cables or the box it once came in) for much, much less.