So what about amplifying the acoustic guitar? Both in the studio and on stage, we'll have to deal with capturing the sound of our acoustic guitar. Technology has come a long way in this area; today we have truly versatile preamps that give us plenty to work with when running our acoustic through a line signal. When we start experimenting with mics, EQ settings, brightness and so on, we realize that the acoustic guitar can display dozens of tonal colors.

We can go from one extreme to the other, from metallic to soft, from harsh to subtle. This is where today's guest comes into play. It offers many more possibilities than a good preamp and, besides giving our acoustic 100W of power, it lets us shape its sound truly however we want, for every situation.

First impressions, unboxing
The box arrived. A small gadget, judging by its size. I still didn't know which model it was. It was an assignment: review this "little guy." When I opened the box I got good vibes. I really liked the look; a very appealing combination of vintage flavor and acoustic style.

Finish
The warm, exposed-wood finish caught my attention. Apart from whatever acoustic resonance and sound-control properties it may lend the amp, I found its appearance especially pleasing. I suppose feeling comfortable with your amp and having an "aesthetic attraction" to it also has its charm.

Design
Beneath this natural wood look sits a set of especially effective switches and pots. We'll go over them later. The point is that its design, finishes and colors are very much in line with this big (in power and quality), small (in size and handling) amplifier. Rounding off the details that surprised me at first glance, add the handy built-in strap. Given its size and weight, this strap lets us sling the "beast" over our shoulder without any trouble. Comfortable, and with the same vintage guitar vibe, since it's made of darkened leather. A really good-looking amp, to be honest.

Before moving on to other sections, I should say that my eyes went straight to the inside of the combo's grille. Those tweeters look like they mean business. Eager to plug in...

Jack to jack, guitar to amp. Let's plug in
When I switched on the Radiator1 (I still didn't know its wattage) I heard that thick pop of a powerful amp being turned on. It sounded beefy for something so small. This looks promising: dual tweeters with magnificent high-frequency dispersion and round lows. Here we go.

Indeed. 100 watts of power with great low-end muscle (if we want it) and extreme definition. It's reminiscent of hi-fi. When you're after the sparkle and nuances of your acoustic... how good it sounds! What a wealth of detail.

Control panel
After tinkering with the Radiator1 for a good while, you see how effective it is and how impressive its acoustic performance is. Let's go over the controls it offers.

Front panel
1. Master output volume control.
2. Reverb. Switch to select hall or plate type. Short/long selector switch. And a pot to blend the reverb with the dry signal. Reverb on/off switch.
3. Notch. A control already familiar from preamps and acoustic amplification. Designed to cancel excessive body resonances. Controls feedback and varies the density of our tonal color.
4. Phase Switch. A phase-inversion switch. Since, depending on our position relative to the amplifier, one phase option or the other may suit us better, the switch lets us choose the most appropriate setting. Besides changing cancellations or possible feedback, we also change the tone and density.
5. SHAPE. A switch that adds a touch of bass, cuts the mids and gives the highs a boost. It is (depending on taste) appealing for strumming and fingerpicking styles.
6. EQ. There's little to say about equalization that you don't already know, except for its excellent response in the lows and highs. Body and definition at will, as needed.
7. INPUT section. With this control section, once the EQ, reverb, phase, shape and other settings are done, we can (and should) optimize our guitar's input signal level. To do so, we use an input-level pot and a handy LED. We should aim for a good signal-to-noise ratio, and to achieve this we'll keep the LED lit green more or less constantly. That way we'll avoid unwanted noise levels (caused by not enough "meat" in the signal).
8. INPUTS. We have two channels. TRS ¼" inputs, plus XLR on one of them. We can also supply phantom power (via a switch) to the XLR input. Handy for condenser mics or devices that require it.

Rear panel
1. Power switch
2. Direct output, XLR D.I.
3. FX RETURN
4. FX SEND
5. LINE OUT (¼" jack)

A rear panel perfect for live applications and direct connections to the mixing console and PA systems. Suitable for the studio, for effects sends and returns, for connecting external tuners, and so on.

Conclusions
My final impressions can be summed up by saying it's a little gem. It's a great treat for anyone who uses acoustic setups as their main rig. For a reasonably moderate price, we get access to a great acoustic amplifier. Great because it's very easy to handle, because it has plenty of power (100W), because it gives us firm control over the signal and because its sound quality is faithful, precise and powerful.

Very carefully crafted details, both in its looks and in its technical design. Live, it will help us shape the sound perfectly and avoid unwanted feedback (something like a good preamp, but on steroids). In the studio, we get a great toolbox. Total control over timbres, tones, colors and frequencies; in short, we can make our acoustic guitar sound exactly the way we want (without changing, of course, its intrinsic properties; in other words, if it's a lousy guitar, it won't sound like a high-end Martin).

If you're crazy about acoustics and want to treat yourself to something special, try this gem, but be warned: you might just get hooked.