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Kustom Sienna 16 Acoustic Amplifier

 

Review of the Kustom Sienna 16 Acoustic Amplifier by The Man in the Jar

This little Kustom amp revels in its charming tweedy retro looks, who says an amp has to be a black box? The Kustom's brown leatherette livery, coffee coloured corner protectors and dark brown grille cloth make it an attractive addition to any guitar room. It's not very big either, being loaded with an 8 inch Celestion driver.

The caramel coloured varnished wood control panel is recessed into the top of the combo. From left to right we have two inputs, one for microphone or line in and one for your electro-acoustic guitar. These are followed by two dedicated Volume controls, one for each input. Next comes the Active Equalizer section comprising four knobs, Low (cut or boost at 60 Hz), Low-Mid (cut or boost at 350 Hz), Hi-Mid (cut or boost at 2.5 KHz) and High (cut or boost at 8 KHz). Next along is the Reverb control followed by Headphone output and the on/off switch. The on/off switch has a light next to it which illuminates when the amp is on. But why, oh, why, on a lovely biscuit-coloured little amp does this light have to be bright blue?

The back of the amp has the AC inlet and an external speaker socket. This allows the use of an external 8 ohm speaker cabinet and automatically disables the onboard Celestion Super 8 that can be seen through the open-backed cabinet.   

 

Sounds of the Kustom Sienna 16 Acoustic Amp

A good acoustic amp delivers the true acoustic sound of the electro-acoustic guitar you are using and provides EQ for you to sculp that sound. I've used the Sienna 16 to review several electro-acoustics of varying quality and price range. Running flat (all EQ centred) the Sienna delivered what the guitar was producing, warts and all in some cases. I found myself making minor adjustments to the guitar's onboard EQ and then relying on the Sienna's quite extensive EQ to coax the best out of the instrument.  

 

Overall impressions of the Kustom Sienna 16 Acoustic Amp 

This is an affordable and flexible little solution for you acoustic amplification needs, and although rated at 16 watts, the Celestion is efficient enough to make it sound a whole lot louder. Although the Sienna is happier accompanying the un-amplified voice, you could probably push it to take on a small gig. It's a nice looking little amp with extensive EQ options and delivers great value for money.  

Buy the Kustom Sienna 16

Note: As with all amps equipped with headphone sockets, turn the Master Volume to zero before plugging in the 'phones.

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