Hughes&Kettner ERA 1 black

9

Acoustic Amplifier

  • For steel string guitar, classical guitar, accordion, strings, keyboard, zither etc.
  • 4 Channels
  • Power: 250 W
  • Equipped with: 8" Custom made speaker + 1" dome tweeter
  • High resolution
  • Direct and unadulterated sound reproduction
  • Large headroom for a dynamic feel
  • Exact mapping of the entire frequency spectrum
  • Channels 1 and 2 identically and equally usable for two instruments or instrument and vocals or two voices, each equipped with high resolution mic and instrument input (XLR / jack combo jack - phantom power switchable)
  • Switch: -10 dB / Shape / Mute Gain control 3-band EQ with two modes (e.g. for steel string and nylon string)
  • Channel-specific FX engine with 16 programs - Reverbs, Chorus, Flanger etc.
  • Channel 3: AUX In 3.5mm stereo input, adjustable, for an external audio source
  • Channel 4: FX-Return 6.3 mm stereo input, adjustable, usable for devices with line level
  • Master section with volume and notch filters for suppression of resonance
  • 5 Outputs: DI, Line, Tuner, Headphones, Digital Out S / PDIF Toslink
  • FX loop: 6.3 mm FX send
  • 35 mm tripod flange
  • Weight: 10.75 kg
  • Dimensions (W x H x D): 351 x 285 x 290 mm
  • Colour: Black
  • Includes tilter (25° / 35°) and padded protective cover
  • Made in Germany
  • Suitable foot switch: Hughes & Kettner FS-2, article number 548114 (not included)
Available since July 2017
Item number 415879
Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
Power in Watts 250
Speaker size 1x 8", 1x 1"
Channels 4
Reverb Yes
Effects Processor Yes
External FX Loop Yes
Microphone Input Yes
Line Input Yes
Battery Operation No
Footswitch connection Yes
Incl. Footswitch No
Weight in kg 10,8 kg
£699
All prices incl. VAT
In stock
In stock

This product is in stock and can be shipped immediately.

Standard Delivery Times
Delivery free of charge expected between Wednesday, 3.04. and Thursday, 4.04.
1

The dawn of a new acoustic era

Does the world really need yet another acoustic amplifier? “Yes” is the simple answer - after all, someone has to do the job properly, and the manufacturer now taking up the gauntlet is Saarland-based Hughes & Kettner. Present one of the most renowned amp designers in Germany with a highly pragmatic requirement profile and the result is the Hughes & Kettner era 1 amplifier – a powerhouse that can comfortably compete with the best in the industry. Four channels, a 250-watt output, and a weight of just ten kilograms are features that simply cannot be ignored, particularly when the resulting sound is also something special.

Features, features, features...

The Hughes & Kettner era 1 is a 250-watt amp which features an 8" speaker together with a 1" dome tweeter and has been specially designed for acoustic instruments. It offers two identical, extensively equipped channels as well as two further inputs with a level adjustment facility, with one acting as an effects return. Signal processing takes place on an entirely digital basis, with the result that when the three-band equaliser is adjusted, for example, a whole host of complex processes, which are all optimised for acoustic instruments, are carried out undetected. The effects section is also optimally integrated, delivering well-known spatial and modulation effects, and lavishing a beautiful sound quality on acoustics and vocals alike. Since an amp of this calibre should not be placed directly on the floor (that much is obvious!), the era 1 also features a stand-mounting flange on the underside as well as a tilting stand built into the robust, black housing.

The perfect complement for piezo pickups

With the era 1, Hughes & Kettner has created a thoroughly professional product which is lightweight, compact, and extremely powerful, and is compatible with all manner of acoustic instruments, although some compromises do have to be made in terms of sound when amplifying acoustic and double basses. Boasting a clear, natural, and powerful tone, the era 1 can also hold its own in louder environments and will prove a suitable companion for even the most discerning professionals. Unlike many other amps, which fall by the wayside in this respect, a striking feature of the era 1 is just how well it works with piezo pickups, delivering a surprisingly natural sound from appropriately equipped instruments, even if the guitar does not come with a preamp.

About Hughes & Kettner

Hughes & Kettner is one of the largest German suppliers of guitar and bass amplifiers. Founded in 1984 by Hans and Lothar Stamer under the name Stamer Musikanlagen GmbH, the manufacturer from St. Wendel in the Saarland can boast of its numerous innovations. For example, its first venture into the field of guitar amplifiers, the ASR64 from 1986, was the first programmable amplifier in the world. Thanks to its compact format, the Cream Machine of 1987 can be counted among the very first mini tube amplifiers. Equally influential were the Red Box analogue speaker simulation, the first six-channel amplifier (the Triamp), and the ZenTera, which used modelling technology in an integrated amplifier even before Line 6.

Flying high

An inherent feature of an acoustic amplifier is that it amplifies acoustic instruments when they are too quiet, for example when used in combination with other instruments or when filling a larger room with sound, and this makes the era 1 the proverbial stage hog. However, to make sure the sound of the amp is projected at sufficient height for the band and audience to hear it properly, it will need to be sufficiently elevated using the integrated stand-mounting flange, where it can then be used as the sole amp for a singer/guitarist in smaller locations while still keeping a further two inputs free for samples and playback tracks.

9 Customer ratings

4.6 / 5

You have to be logged in to rate products.

Note: To prevent ratings from being based on hearsay, smattering or surreptitious advertising we only allow ratings from real users on our website, who have bought the equipment from us.

After logging in you will also find all items you can rate under rate products in the customer centre.

quality

features

sound

handling

6 Reviews

F
Transparent and strong
Frednugent 11.08.2021
This amp is relatively light and give out what you put in.
If you use a nice acoustic guitar pickup it will sound a nice acoustic guitar. If you use a bad pickup it will sound like a bad pickup. This amp is honest and transparent.
I tried with a bad old pickup into a cheap guitar and it sounded honest. That actually wasnt good for my current set-up. I need that bad guitar to sound good, so I'll continue to run it into my electric guitar amp.
Vocals sound great through this amp. It has phantom power for your mic. Very nice. And the FX sound decent on voice. I tried with a Neumann km105 and it sounded really suprisingly clear and good. It sounded like the mic!
There is a decent eq section and a bunch of FX that can be individually set per channel.
It's relatively light and the handle is made smart so it's easy to carry.
*If you're looking for a transparent acoustic amp that gives out when you put in, has phantom power, FX, EQ and is well thought out, this is a great option.
quality
features
sound
handling
1
0
Report

Report

B
Not a fan
Babaky 05.11.2019
I've had this amplifier for about a year and I must say that I'm not a fan. It sounds okay, lots of feedback issues even with the notch feature, and an annoying hiss that is always audible.
quality
features
sound
handling
2
0
Report

Report

google translate de
Unfortunately there was an error. Please try again later.
KH
Alles dran am ERA 1
Klaus-Dieter H. 25.09.2023
Zur Verstärkung meiner hochwertigen Westerngitarren mit diversen PU-Systemen habe ich mich für den Hughes & Kettner ERA 1 entschieden. Dieser kleine Akustikverstärker bildet die Sounds, die aus den Gitarren kommen, sehr genau ab; und darauf kam es mir an. Denn was bringen teure und sehr gute Gitarren mit aufwendigen Tonabnehmersystemen, wenn die Verstärkung den Klang verformt und damit verschlechtert. Im Idealfall soll der Amp den Gitarrensound lediglich lauter machen. Mehr nicht. Und genau das macht der ERA 1 vorbildlich. Je nach Gitarre und Tonabnehmersystem kann man über den EQ eine Feinabstimmung vornehmen und bekommt immer und schnell ein super Ergebnis.

Ich möchte hier gar nicht auf die vielen Features, die der Amp so liefert, eingehen. Das kann man nachlesen, oder im Internet auch hören, was da alles so geht. Nur soviel: auch insoweit ist der ERA 1 eine Klasse für sich. Da ist praktisch an alles gedacht und sehr gut gelöst.

Momentan nutze ich den Zauberwürfel für kleinere Locations und bin absolut happy. Neben der Gitarre kommt auch der Gesang sauber rüber. Die Effekte nutze ich dabei sehr spärlich. Meistens ein wenig Hall und das wars.

Ganz viel Freude bereitet mir der Amp auch beim Spielen zu Hause. Dabei stelle ich ihn auf die Lautstärke der Gitarre ein. Dazu ein wenig Hall. Das ist dann wirklich ein Genuss für die Ohren; und mein Gitarrenspiel ist dadurch viel dynamischer, da ich mich besser höre und mehr Fülle habe.

Im Laufe der Jahre habe ich schon einiges an Akustikamps gespielt. Der Era 1 ist da nicht so schnell zu toppen. Allenfalls ein AER 60 IV, den ich lange Zeit gespielt habe, ist von der Soundausbeute konkurrenzfähig. Der ERA 1 ist jedoch für meinen Geschmack ein wenig lebendiger (auch wärmer). Möglicherweise liegt es am Hochtöner, den der AER ja bekanntlich vermissen lässt. Darüber hinaus ist das Preis- Leistungsverhältnis beim ERA wesentlich besser.

Als Fazit kann ich den ERA 1 absolut empfehlen. Und ein Tipp an alle, die mit dem Gedanken spielen, sich einen Akustikamp zuzulegen: Denkt daran, was ihr für Eure Klampfen bezahlt und spart nicht am Amp. Denn es wäre doch schade, wenn der edle Klang einer guten Gitarre durch eine kompromissbehaftete Verstärkung verschlimmbessert würde.

Danke an das Thomann-Team für die fachkundige Beratung und tadellose Abwicklung der Bestellung.
quality
features
sound
handling
0
0
Report

Report

google translate es
Unfortunately there was an error. Please try again later.
FF
Excelente amplificador: calidad de sonido y ligero para el transporte
Fernando F. 18.11.2019
Lo ha comprado para hacer bolos con guitarra ( Recording King RD 227 con cuerdas metálicas 0.12 y Yamaha SLG 200 NW con cuerdas de nylon) y cantando con un micrófono AKG.
En los ensayos ya me cautivó el sonido que ofrece. Las ecualizaciones permiten recrear el sonido deseado y los efectos (rever, nivel 5) se comportan de manera muy natural.
En directo la potencia es más que suficiente para locales de tipo medio. Cuando he querido aumentar la presencia he conectado desde la line out con una PA, y el resultado no defrauda.
He utilizado hasta ahora un Marshall AS 50 D, con muy buenos resultados, pero el aumento de potencia ( de 50 W a 250 W) y los 5 kgs menos no dejan ninguna duda. Es más caro, pero sus prestaciones son notablemente superiores.
Muy satisfecho con la compra. Ah, y me llegó rápido.
quality
features
sound
handling
3
2
Report

Report

YouTube on this topic