Shire King SK120
acoustic amplifier

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Soundcheck.dk, Denmark

The acoustic sound

The market for acoustic amps has been very quiet for a long time. A couple of models has ruled this world and has been some kind of defacto standard. But now things are starting to changed. Headway has their new, And long awaited Shire King ready for the Danish market. We are the first to test and review this amp.

Basics

Shire king 120 is a two channel acoustic amp that also takes a mic. It's very advanced with a lot of possibilities. We’ll get back to that later. If we look on the control panel it's placed on the top of the amp like VOX. In this case, it's a clever choice, because there are a lot of knobs to handle. If we start with the jack input section; you can choose between; Active, Passive, Hi Imp and Very Hi Imp. So can connect every kind of acoustic microphone system to the Shireking 120 and get a great result. With all these possibilities you should be covered.

To the left of the input section you find the Gain control and the EQ section. You have Four band EQ on channel one. Left for this, you have the Notch filter section. You can switch it on or off with a little switch. The filter has two controls; a Notch-Q control and the Notch frequency. When you learn to use this filter correct, you can remove any feedback problem and you can do it without disturbing your sound. Infact you can use it as an alternative EQ for special filter effects. This is by far the best Notch filter I have ever tried.

Under the filter section you have the master control, FX level, FX programs. There are 16 different effects, so it’s ok. And they sound very good (The chip is from Alesis) You can always argue about the effect types chosen and with two channels and the possibility to put a microphone to the amp and that way use it as a complete PA I would have liked two separate effects. So you could have guitar effect on channel one and vocal effects on channel two. You can although use the effect loop for this.

On channel two you have three band EQ and gain control. There is a stereo input, phantom power, instrument input and Microphone input. The power amp deliver 120 watt and you can get an extra active 60watt speaker so you can use it as a complete PA system. More about this later.

The Speakers

Headway Shireking 120 has a 10 inch woofer and instead of putting a normal Piezo horn treble unit in, John Littler has chose a more hifi conventional diaphragm tweeter, and it sounds GREAT!!! The section from the woofer to the tweeter is much more smooth and gentle and it sounds equal over the full frequency range.

The back

On the backside you'll find the output section and again here you have lots of possibilities. You can send balanced signals from both channel one and channel two, separate. You can send a "dry" signal without effects or a "wet" signal with effects, there are line out, effect loop with send and return, connection for external effects and headphones. All in all a very clever output layout. The Headway Shireking 120 can be used both with 115 v and 230 v and as a little extra detail underneath the power connection there is a fuse box with an extra fuse. This is neat so you don’t have to play with aluminum foil or other stupid things. Details like these shows that there has been a very good R&D in this amp and there is a lot of attention to the detail.

The Sound of an acoustic guitar and much more

The Headway Shireking 120 sounds awesome and it plays very loud. We gave it a rough test for a couple of weeks and we used acoustic guitars, Dobros, and for fun a double bass and we used it as a full Pa system. It can take a lot of abuse. If you want a bass amp there will be a bass model later this year, but with a little work on the EQ you can get a very good bass sound from it as well. The Shireking sounds like any other Headway product nearly irritating neutral. If you have a lousy guitar you'll get the sound of a lousy guitar just louder. You can of course get a little help from the EQ and the effects but basically it's a "Shit in – Shit out" amp. It does, what I believe, should be the finest goal of every amp to do: take the input signal and make it louder. This the Shire King does to a Straight A. It sound clear loud and neutral.

I have talked about the speakers before and they deliver a very equal frequency response, and the absence of the Piezo tweeter is very nice. In our band we talked a lot of the needs of an extra amp, and another case to carry. Then we plugged a microphone in, and for a couple of songs used it as a full PA system. And that settled the case. You can in fact use the Shireking as a full PA system. Of course you have to work with your EQ but with a good microphone (we used Shure Beta 58) we got a very nice sound. We decided to use as a full Pa system on our summer tour to Dublin.

Are you a sing and song writer, performing a one man act this is the perfect amp. (We need to add a little mixer to control a couple of microphones) And the sound is more than OK. Of course it’s not like a full-blown large format PA system, but when you look a size, weight and versatility this is a very good answer to the prayers for a new modern acoustic amp. With the possibility to connect the extra 60 watt active speaker you have in fact a good sounding loud, clear and compact system that really deliver the Headway sound, ideal for any acoustic instrument.

Conclusion

With the Headway Shireking 1200 John Littler has once and for all nailed his name on the wall of fame when it comes to acoustic amps. His opponents are Fender Acoustasonic, AER and maybe a couple more. But I think that he wins the battle with Shireking 120. Because Shireking 120 is a very good sounding and versatile amp, that delivers no matter what you plug and play. It can reproduce the sound of a fine guitar, very neutral but it can also help you on your way with a nice EQ and some good effects, but this is not the reason you should buy the Shireking 120. You shall buy it if you play a lot of gigs, record a lot of acoustic guitar (it's great in the studio as well) if you are a sing and song writer and don’t want to carry a lot of gear but still want the good sound. That’s reasons why you should buy the Shireking.

The Shireking 120 has a lot of possibilities in both the in and output sections. And the fact that you can add an extra active 60watt speaker and turn it into a very loud stereo set-up or use it as a compact Pa system is what I think makes the Shireking a very nice modern acoustic amp. I can’t find anything bad to say about this amp so I guess I’ll give it: Full House:

Soren Korsgaard

Editor Soundcheck.dk Denmark

Headway HE1/G2.FEQ
acoustic guitar transducer
Stage & Studio, Poland. Feb '05

"Fishman transducers were, for a quite long time, the most well-known guitar pickups on the market here. But it seems that a strong competition is arising, which may change its domination around.
Test impressions
In each and every case I obtained the guitar sound with a wide frequency spectrum, without unpleasant upper middle frequencies boost, so common for a cheap piezo pickups.
These impressions were confirmed by a spectrum analysis of the guitar music recorder and by the opinions of listeners, who commented positively the broad, orchestra-like sound of the HE1.
What should be pointed here is a very good acoustic sound of the guitar alone, but the sound coming out of the monitors wouldn't be so fine without the high class pickup the instrument was equipped with. In every case, the guitar part recorded sounded excellent and clear.
Summary
The Headway HE1/G2.FEQ is an excellent sounding acoustic guitar pickup system. It enables the player to obtain a high quality sound despite the lack of any sound controls.
I did not noticed any negative features of the system
- Robert Lewandowski

?Fired Up, the Alchemist has a wondrous sound. Gain?wise, it packs a positively Tysonesque punch...The pre?set tone curve is beautifully natural, endowed with a piano like attack & a sustain that rings out effortlessly. It?s a great sound that needs little or no outboard re?EQing. The more I hear what those guys at Headway are coming up with, the closer I reckon they?re moving to Piezo?system nirvana...a positively stratospheric accolade for its powered pleasures.? ? J. Uwins: The Guitar Magazine (May 2000)

?As far as the pickup is concerned, the Headway system is probably the most accurate and natural sounding piezo set-up that I?ve encountered, so expect an amplified tone that matches the acoustic output in rather an agreeable way.? ? (review of Fylde Alchemist Guitar) Matthew Wig: Guitarist (June 2000)

?It?s pretty much good news all round. The Headway System is well balanced across the (nylon) strings and packs one helluva punch gain wise, yet unless you take the EQ ranges to near maximum, the sound remains impressively natural and classic like?There?s none of the glassy brittleness you sometimes get with piezo powering...Another distinct benefit when compared with a traditional classical electro?acoustic is the instrument?s near total resistance to feedback...? ? Jerry Uwins: The Guitar Magazine (Nov 99)

?...Headway?s multi?directional cable type pickups seem to be uncannily good at retaining their host guitar?s essence...it allows this Yairi to respond remarkably acoustically when amplified, with far less of the typical piezo performance gripes...5/ 5: Sound.? (The Snake on K Yairi Isaac Guillory Signature Model) ? M. Wig: Guitarist (Nov 2000)

?This HE1/ B1.C Pickup system by Headway certainly achieves its purpose to reproduce acoustic bass characteristics... providing the desired acoustic tone and resonance with vastly increased headroom and balanced string output. Even better, the range of sounds on tap provides the player with many opportunities to find a sound that is compatible with any number of situations.?
? Roger Newell: BASSIST Oct ?99.

?Plugged in, the Headway (HE1/G2.FEQ) system does a fine job for the (Fylde) Magician...and I?d say you?re pretty much guaranteed a great sound with the minimum of outboard tonal twiddling ? reasons why Fylde now install Headway systems in preference to other makes.? ? Jerry Uwins: ?The Guitar Magazine? (Aug 99)

?...So what can I say? I?m getting some! They are pricier than some cheaper things but so what? I want to get the best sound out of my instrument and I look forward to getting some of these fitted and going through an amp.?
? Lu Edmonds of Billy Bragg & The Blokes: Folk Roots Magazine (Nov 97)

?...the Bouzouki (Headway HE1/Bz1) was actually sounding more acoustic, with no extraneous noise than the acoustic guitar...using a blend of magnetic and microphonic sources (Guitar using Mimesis Blender pickup: ?400)?you?ll really appreciate the quality of this system...And you can sweep your emphasis from orchestral and mellow, to Byrds jingle?jangle too...you get all the subtleties of an acoustic instrument combined with all the power of real rock ?n? reelability...so get one before Headway realise what a huge bargain this is...? ? Robb Johnson: Rock ?n? Reel (Oct 97)
?The first notes confirmed all my hopes; the guitar sounded exactly as it always had done, nothing altered except for the increased volume. I must say I was delighted. This is an excellent amplified sound, simply the best I?ve heard.?
? Chris Kilvington: Classical Guitar Magazine (Mar 98)

?The first thing I noticed was it was definitely quieter in the Trace Elliot than the Fishman had been, and there was no annoying scratchy squeaks or rubbing noises...the sound coming out of the amp was as close to the acoustic sound of ?Shug? (Tobin Bouzouki) I had ever heard. I was duly amazed ? going over the top am I?? Well it really did knock my socks off, and when I recorded it, there was a definite warmth to the instrument, without losing that bite that a good Bouzouki has. In fact it was so good that I decided to put ?The Snake? on my Guitar (Martin 00018). The result was a really sweet sounding guitar that drew comments from anyone who heard it...? ? Davey Steele of The Battlefield Band: ?Living Tradition? (late 98)

?I like it, it?s got all of the tones up and down the neck. It?s nice and deep. There?s plenty of body in it, which you don?t get with most pickups...This thing rings, it really picks up the resonance. It?s much better than everything I?ve tried so far.?
? Rossa of KILA: Irish Music Magazine (May 97)
?...spurred on by the thought of an appearance at the huge Glastonbury Festival, Martin Carthy had his venerable Martin 00018 & 1974 Fylde Falstaff fitted with Headway Pickups and was delighted with the results.? - Folk Roots (Aug 97)
?...It really lives up to its maker?s claims...and has turned a reasonably good (Yamaha) guitar into a really great guitar to play.?
? Brian Healey: Traditional Music Maker (Feb 98)
VIOLIN PICKUP REVIEW

VIOLIN PICKUP REVIEW

Shire Folk No.77. April 2003.

?THE BAND? by Headway

??the easy and unsticky method for attaching this pickup to the instrument gave it a head start over anything I have used before?You fit it together with Velcro and it?s a good firm fit that doesn?t shift about. I liked it a lot, it gave plenty of gain yet avoids the scratchy harsh sound that many of these devices make?With a much better quality and more sensitive fiddle I got a far brighter sound plus plenty of lift that separated the fiddle sound from the rest of the band and no trouble mixing it. Overall, it?s far and away the best pickup I?ve used at a gig, because it?s easy to manage, sounds good and you can rely on it?. very highly recommended? - Chris Mills - Editor

?At low volume, I thought the pickup was producing practically no signal, until I realised a lot of the sound I thought to be acoustic was the DI sound; turning up to a dominant level, you realise this pickup?s tone is uncannily natural. Imparting only minimal piezo sheen on the natural acoustic sound, this system?s warmth dynamic range and generally excellent performance is very impressive...and the artful effects of the mid?cut (FEQ), and bass roll off work almost invisibly. The Headway HE1/G2 is ideal for a solo guitarist seeking a straight forward, piezo route to a stunning live sound?a bargain. 5/5: SOUND. All else: 4/5.? ? Matthew Wig: Guitarist (Feb 98)

?What does the thing sound like? The answer is, pretty damn good... this system powers the Hathway most sympathetically, bringing out, rather than submerging its natural timbres...Just as impressive, though, is the system?s smoothness and tonal transparency. A balanced maturity is immediately evident...the system does sound extremely good (and natural) and the price is well on the case.?
? Jerry Uwins: The Guitar Magazine (Dec 97)

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