I was just thinking about amps on Sunday, due to the use of one at Surf Camp. They told us that "they" would take care of the campfire, so I decided not to haul the big amp out there, but then I thought I'd better have something, just in case, so I brought the little battery powered Peavey that my dad bought me (which I used at the Santa Clause house last Christmas). It worked surprisingly well, I just plugged in my wired mic, even with the 1/4" jack, and it was plenty loud for "announcement" use. And I jacked the guitar in for the perennial favorite, "I'm an Indian Princess" (and, by request, "Cum By Ya" (which, by the way, sounds great if you play it in G, with 320033 for G, x32033 for the C, and a standard D).
They did have a kind of small amphitheater, with a plywood stage and backdrop, so the sound wasn't as lost as it usually is, and the group was smaller than usual (since it was one of the Expensive Events), so the little amp got a bit of a break, but I was glad to have it. Still, I got to thinking how ideal the big Carvin Stagemate amp is, for various purposes, and how lucky I am to have access to it. Fortunately, Acacia still has three years of Princesses to go, so I won't have to worry about replacing it for a while. When I do, though, I can't think of any other device I've seen that would do as good a job, so I may end up with one just like it. It's just so darn handy not to have to find power, and it's never yet run out of juice on me -- I have no idea how long it can actually go.
