my old acoustic 320

[johnk_10]

i just dug my old Acoustic 320 out of my storage unit the other day. i powered up the AC with my variac just to be safe, since i haven't used it since 1985. it needed to have all of its pots/sliders/switches/jacks cleaned, so i did that with some deoxit. tested it with my el whappo jr. cab and was actually quite surprised on how good it sounds. this one is a 1981 model, so it's rated at 225 watts at 4 ohms, and 300 watts at 2 ohms. i remember it having quite a bit of power thru the 4x15 408 that i used to run with it, but i sold that cab years ago. thru the 4 ohm whappo jr., i was impressed by how much power it's 225 watts feels like. surprisingly, it sounds about as loud as my SVT's. before i got this one, i had a 361 and a 371 back in the 70's, and now i remember why i liked this 'series 3' version, as its eq is alot more flexible.
if i run across a 408 cab, i just might pick one up, if not only for nostalgia's sake, but i do have plenty of cabs that, IMO, will sound great with it.

here's a pic of it:

[waleross]

Nice Pic. makes me think of my Acoustic 150 I had in 1977......

[Jim C]

Hmmm; my 370 hasn't been turned on for years either and assumed it wouldn't have enough a$$ through the standard 1x15 cabinet I use now; have to give it a try

JK, how important to use a Variac for power up in your opinion?

[Mooblar]

I've been using my 370 acquired from TB'er Wileee and have been impressed with it's power. 4 Ohms is respectable, but 2 Ohms, hearing protection IS required!

[johnk_10]

Originally Posted by Jim C

Hmmm; my 370 hasn't been turned on for years either and assumed it wouldn't have enough a$$ through the standard 1x15 cabinet I use now; have to give it a try

yeah, that's one of the reasons that mine sat idle for so long, but it makes me think that they must've rated it very conservatively, since it feels as loud as my Eden WT550.

Originally Posted by Jim C

JK, how important to use a Variac for power up in your opinion?

if its been sitting a really long time, IMO, it's always a good idea to slowly bring up the power on an old amp.

[will33]

If that pic is your own amp, I must say, great job of taking care of it, the think looks practically new from here.

[bottomend!]

A well designed and great sounding amp!