“In my early years of gigging, I wish I had a portable setup that could gig anywhere”: Ed Sheeran grows his gear brand with the Sheeran Busker – a portable PA for aspiring street performers
The singer-songwriter kick-started his career by busking on street corners, and now he's developed a purpose-built PA to help aspiring players follow in his footsteps
(Image credit: Sheeran Loopers)
Ed Sheeran has expanded his burgeoning guitar gear brand by unveiling the Sheeran Special Edition Busker PA speaker.
Earlier this year, the chart-smashing singer-songwriter embarked on his first gear business venture when he debuted Sheeran Loopers – an all-new outlet that sold purpose-built looper pedals.
It was a nice full-circle moment for the Lowden acoustic guitar loyalist, who has made the humble looper a core part of his live act – be it intimate pub gigs or record-breaking stadium shows – throughout his career.
Likewise, the new Sheeran Special Edition Busker PA represents a similarly fitting release for the guitarist, who spent much of his early career performing to passers-by in city streets long before he became the global sensation he is today.
It further shows Sheeran’s commitment to revisiting his roots and giving aspiring players the tools he needed to develop his craft and become the artist he is today – with a few premium twists, naturally.
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(Image credit: Sheeran Loopers)
(Image credit: Sheeran Loopers)
This 200W PA features a 6.5 inch woofer and a one inch tweeter, and is designed for ultimate sound projection “from street corners to live stages”. It also offers Bluetooth streaming for playing along to backing tracks, and a battery that can last up to 24 hours, depending on the mode it's in.
For sound-sculpting, there is a three-channel mixer for dialing in the two instrument channels and the Bluetooth audio channel, as well as built-in effects from Alesis – reverb, delay, flanger, chorus and more.
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The rear panel otherwise offers a Main Volume parameter with phantom power, Record Out jacks and a Mix Out XLR, as well as a ‘Speaker Use’ section that supports a variety of practical applications, as well as a USB outlet for charging devices.
There is also the possibility for attaching an upright stand, meaning the Sheeran Busker can be used as a floor wedge monitor or raised PA.
“One thing in my early years of gigging I wish I had was a portable setup that could gig anywhere. So much of the shows relied on other people and other equipment,” Sheeran wrote on social media. “When I set up Sheeran Loopers I wanted to make an on-the-go loop pedal with all the functions I used in a live show.
“But I thought why not create a portable PA speaker for it too, so you could do shows anywhere. The idea came from wanting to just do pop up shows in the city centres of places I was touring.
“It’s brilliant, portable, get up and go, and perfect for beginners who wanna just practice in their room, or experts who wanna take a live show anywhere in the word.”
The Sheeran Special Edition Busker PA is available now for $349.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
