Accustic 260 mini stack sounds tinny and distorted

[harley_biker]

I'm a beginner horsing around for about a year. Play with an Epiphone, Les Paul, 4 string. My amp is an Accustic 260 Mini Stack. Just changed the strings and still have this tinny, metalic sound that's almost distorted. Play at low levels and things just don't sound right. Is there anything I can do? Headphones sound great. Any recommendations on an amp that isn't a monster that will sound natural?

Thanks,

[SurferJoe46]

ALL amps 'color' the sounds, but I've played quite a few of those 260s and they aren't at all like you are saying.

I find them mellow, old school and although they are in no way a giant killer, they can hold their own against many practice amps. The operative here is 'practice amps'.

I own almost everything Acoustic makes by now except that 260, a B-200H and anything of theirs in a Neo version.

I just don't see a need to practice on one amp and play out on another - that's not my style.

Neos to me sound too bright - but it might just be the smaller cabs where the sound just doesn't come out as I would like it to.

I'd take the 260 back and trade up to a B-450 and prepare to hear a very good amp at a low price and obviously one with that old school thump and boom tone.

If you turn ON the horn in the 450, it will break glass - so you can use that to temper your sound even more toward a modern, glassy tone - not MY idea of a good bass sound, but you may like it anyway.

BTW: What strings are you using?

[GaryLC]

The 260 should not sound tinny & distorted at all, something is wrong....

[harley_biker]

The notes sound fine on open EADG. Higher notes and others sound off or tinny. Using an electronic tuner that's inline. Tried both the passive and active inputs and both resemble the same sound issues. Just seems the notes are off or way out of tune even though the tuner shows "tuned."

[SurferJoe46]

'In tune' and 'distorted' are totally different situations.

The amp has absolutely NOTHING to do with the tuning - that's the strings and their relative tension, length and adjustments which the amp cannot influence.

[harley_biker]

Let me put it another way. I did not say tuning the guitar caused distortion. When the guitar is tuned or out of tune the sound is a bit weird and somewhat distorted. Headphones sound great across the board. Not sure if its the amp or the speaker or something inline. Have a TU-2 chromatic tuner. Maybe the amp needs to be replaced. Using cheap cables. Maybe replacing them will make a difference.

[SurferJoe46]

Well - cheap or defective cables are always suspect - and that may be the whole problem.

Right now there are too many variables with which to contend and you need to start with the cable first, IMO.

Do you know anyone with another amp/combo/cab you can try? How about taking your bass to GC and plugging into their amps and listen to it? Be sure you bring YOUR cable to try it too.

[harley_biker]

I ordered some new mogami gold cables from ebay. I'm confident this is probably the issue. Thanks for your input

[SurferJoe46]

Will be watching for a resolution to this problem.

[Ric5]

Perhaps your bass needs a setup and it is fretting out on the higher notes.

Try raising the bridge.

[harley_biker]

Removed the cheap cable and TU-2 guitar tuner. No more distortion . Wish I would have done this sooner. Not sure if it was the cable or the tuner as the new cables haven't arrived yet. But at least it sounds like a bass not a telephone voice changer!

[SurferJoe46]

Glad to hear it wasn't the amp/combo.

As far as the tuner being a problem - if you ever get around to getting effects - the first one to buy is the MXR Bass DI+ unit, as it has a parallel OUT for your tuner so it's not in the signal chain going into your amp.

That'll keep any insertion losses or noises out of what the amp gets to process.

As far as the cable goes - chuck it or chop it up after the hack off the 1/4" ends for future repairs - toss them in a goodies box for the future.