Are the new acoustic amps that bad?

erock138 · #1 06-28-2011, 11:08 PM

I've heard such great things about the vintage acoustic cabs and heads, I've played one once, and loved it. But I hear quite frequently that the new ones are just awful, and made very cheaply. Just looking for someone else's opinion.

recreate.me · #2 06-28-2011, 11:11 PM

From what i hear as well is that its not the same brand. The new Acoustic is the guitar center brand. So that means cheaply made, cheap price. The sound is opinions. I have heard great things about the tones outta some of the practice combos the B20 i think.

But I am pretty sure you are comparing two different companies, just happens that the name is the same.

erock138 · #3 06-28-2011, 11:24 PM

I've heard it's a guitar center brand too, I just wasn't 100% sure because of the identical lettering and coloring.

JimmyM · #4 06-28-2011, 11:34 PM

GC Acoustic is OK, and in the case of the B20 practice amp, not bad at all, but it's all kind of cheaply made.

skychief · #5 06-28-2011, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erock138

But I hear quite frequently that the new ones are just awful, and made very cheaply. Just looking for someone else's opinion.

Oh they are. A friend of mine gave me a B20 he bought for his son. The kid didnt like the way it sounded. I must agree...it sounds awful-- no definition, WAYYYY to muddy, the metal corners arent centered on the cab correctly,,,Typical made-in-China P.O.S. But i love it!! hah hah... gets decent volume and very portable.

Buzter · #6 06-28-2011, 11:49 PM

I've had the b200h and the b115 cab for almost 2 yrs. NO complaints. Warm tone even for solid state. Just wished they made a 2x10 cab to go with it.

Konigstiger22 · #7 06-29-2011, 12:00 AM

I had a B200h that blew within the first 3 weeks I had it. Took it right back to GC and exchanged for another one. This one has lasted me almost a year and is running strong. Paired it with the 115 and it has a nice tone. Btw this is my gig amp since it's pretty cheap and has a good warranty. Basically anything happens to it in 3 years just return to GC.

johny martin · #8 06-29-2011, 12:19 AM

Ok I have the GC (even though I got it at Musiciansfriend) B600h and two 4x10 cabs, and love it, it is my only amp think the tone is great, but they are made in china.

Also I was on the phone with the owner of Acoustic U.S.A. today for about 45min to an hour talking about the diffrance in the two comanys and things of that nature, he's not that impressed the the GC line,so im gonna try and get my hands on a new 360 usa to compare, may take awile there $5000 compared to the $1000 I payed for my full stack.
But im sure that the U.S.A. brand is much better and closer to the "classic" Acoustic than GC's .

But BOTH company's have ppl. working for them from the org. company Acoustic control corp. ,so it's not like the GC Acoustic brand (the one I have) is crap, it's just the US ones are prob. better built , and sound better. wich would be the point I supose.
But for the gigs and practices im having and the price I think I got the best amp for my money.
I love Acoustic,just would love a U.S.A. modle better lol

irishpride28 · #9 06-29-2011, 12:30 AM

I have the B200 combo and it's a hell of an amp for the money (as long as you're not lugging it around all day and night)

rdwil191 · #10 06-29-2011, 09:37 AM

bought my B100 last Nov, use it about 6 hrs a week & transport it at least twice a week. is very solid & sounds good. bought a B115NEO cab 2 wks ago for a stand-alone with my 370 head & also tried it with the B100. seemed well built, but sounded awful. I think the main qc problem with these is the connections inside (easily fixed, but I don't think I should have to tear into a brand new piece of equip especially since I have a 3yr no fault warranty). Took it back to GC & swapped for the B210NEO... haven't fully decided to keep it yet, however, MUCH better sound, fuller lows, and very loud, but haven't cranked it to reach it limits. still can make it fart on hard e-string playing at lower volume, but this particular cab is miles ahead of the 15 I first used. I guess the quality control for GC branded Acoustics is a crap shoot. Like Nick 901 says, save your money and go buy an Acoustic USA 360. I will someday....anyone got $5K they're not using..ha ha!

Mojo-Man · #11 06-29-2011, 10:21 AM

I thought the Micro 260 was kind of nice.
That 1x10 was very big sounding for a single 10.
Different tone than the Ampeg Micrp VR. (More bottom, Round)

**Old Joe** · #12 06-29-2011, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erock138

I've heard such great things about the vintage acoustic cabs and heads, I've played one once, and loved it. But I hear quite frequently that the new ones are just awful, and made very cheaply. Just looking for someone else's opinion.

I am in the process of "resurrecting" a B450 that had a cracked frame and I can tell you, it's cheaply made. Very weak particle board, thin clips holding the whole thing together, not enough padding inside, weak hardware (except the handles). The amp (head) looks like it's cheap too.

That said, I really liked the sound of it. Clear, loud, throaty. I'd say that this may be the closest a modern solid state amp comes to a tube amp sound without the use of tubes in the preamp.

skulletwhip · #13 06-29-2011, 11:02 AM

I have the 200h head and the 115 cab. I dig. I bought the head as a backup and low and behold, my main head took a dump, so I am glad I bought it.

My name is Mudd · #14 06-29-2011, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

...in the case of the B20 practice amp, not bad at all..

I had a B20 for two years...NICE little amp for the price.

BigOldHarry · #15 06-29-2011, 11:03 AM

You get what you pay for.

seamonkey · #16 06-29-2011, 01:09 PM

It's actually the same with many other brands, the current label has nothing to do with the old company.

GC seems to be standing behind this house brand. They have good exchange policy.
The cabs are not for me. Being made of MDF. So are many brands that you wouldn't think. They seemed to be the same designed for looks formula, some appear to not be big enough to support the driver. Sound wise, MDF, plywood are going to sound the same brand new. MDF is more like Ikea.

Chuck King · #17 06-29-2011, 01:44 PM

From what I've gathered, both from owning a B20 and reading a LOT of commentary on them, the new amps are really pretty good sounding circuits. To have them hit their price point, certain corners are cut in production. People who get good ones seem to be quite happy with them. Not everyone gets a good one, but, that's where the GC warranty/exchange deal comes in. Hopefully within 3 years any inherent problems with an amp will manifest themselves, and the owner can end up with a decent one. Some people find that process distasteful. But, the end result appears to be good-sounding amps at a very low price.

OllieDox · #18 06-29-2011, 02:08 PM

Here's my experience with Acoustic:

Our hard rock/punk band opened for a similar group. Their bassist had the 200 watt head going into an Ampeg 610. It sounded great. He said that he got it used off of Craigslist and has had zero problems.

It made me want to check out the brand for myself so I played through the 115 and the 410 cabs at Guitar Center while trying out a few different amp heads. The 410 had a blown speaker and the 115 rattled. Not necessarily unexpected for a GC floor item - but it was strange that both on the floor had obvious problems (and that was what the salesmen choose to plug me into). They were also pretty heavy compared to other cabs I checked out. However they did look cool and were very inexpensive...

SurferJoe46 · #19 06-29-2011, 02:26 PM

Well inot my second year with the B-450 and except for the internal connections screw-up by the factory - this is a solid piece of equipment.

No - I would NOT go on a world tour with it - it's not really gonna live long tossed into the back of a truck and dropped onto the freeway at cruising speed - but for me this is a great piece of gear.

It's not that I dislike SVT/Ampeg or GK (although I DO dislike Orange) - but to say the sounds it amplifies are old school, and it is right where I want to be.

I have no problems with the MDF - it hasn't quaked apart, gotten soft or started to flake away at the corners. The braces are well-glued and unless you play it exposed in a tropical rain forest, I don't foresee any problems with MDF falling apart either.

No rattles - although floor coupling is a very real thing that happens at volume.

I run at near 80% on my B-600H on a B-810 or a pair of B-410s, (but I cannot push the B-115 too hard or it farts and complains at relatively low power settings).

Alas - heavy they are. I don't have any real problem with that as I have wheels on everything - but I need some help since I am older and weaker than I used to be when I was 64.

The warranty makes a great deal of difference to me. Just carry or wheel your broken part to GC and get another on the spot and if you get the extended Pro-Coverage, you're golden.

Adam Bomb · #20 06-29-2011, 02:42 PM

Picked up the 115 as part of a beater rig for the space, and basically *tried* to blow it, because the warranty/return policy is so great. Fail! (I didn't try *that* hard, but I still failed.)

Two hundo out the door for a new cab that sounds decent, can be exchanged for any reason, and won't cause me to lose sleep if I leave it somewhere is actually a little bit more than I paid for, IMO. Haven't ruled out that 210 combo one day, either.

--Bomb

p.s. Can't speak to the heads, except to say that those "200 watt" and "600 watt" designations are not at 4 ohms and thus strike me as somewhat misleading.