Reviewer	Jeff Chrabaszcz
Experience	3
Review date	February 02 2004
Manufacturer	Acoustic Image
Model	Clarus 1 400IA
Price	$580
Item owned for	Less than 1 month

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Dimensions	10" x 9" x 2.5"
Weight	6 lbs.
Power	200W @ 4 Ohms, 300W @ 2 Ohms
EQ	4 Band: Low, Mid, High, Bright
Other	Amazing sound comes standard with purchase

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Background is always a good place to start. My performance amp immediately prior to my current setup was an SWR Workingmans 4004 atop an Ampeg SVT-410HLF. I play in a number of different settings, form small-time recording work to a few shows at the college, and that amp is what always went with me. Recently, I replaced my SWR with the afforementioned Clarus, and the different has been exactly what I was looking for. The nuance of my playing comes out, and I can fully appreciate the differences in character of the instruments I play. The Clarus won't change your sound, so no massive tone-shaping, but you will hear your instrument as it was meant to be heard. The notch ficlter/high-pass filter is a great addition, and the direct out serves its oft-overlooked purpose. In my opinion, this amp would be ideal for praise & worship, jazz/blues, etc... essentially anything that doesn't require amazing amounts of power. Conversely, it would be great to power a monitor or use in conjunction with a modeling effect due to the neutrality of the preamp section. In any case, the amp is rugged, convenient, sounds great, and it incredibly versatile, sounding equally good with electric, electric upright, and URB w/ pickup configurations.

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Construction	100%
(Immaculate worksmanship)
Clarity	98%
(A hi-fi amp without being sterile)
Versatility	100%
(Does pretty much anything and everything)
Volume	95%
(Not a full stack, but incredible for its size)
Customer Service	98%
(AI answered a few e-mails very promptly)
Value	100%
(Amazing product for the money)
Overall	98%
(Highly recommended)

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