Tweaking a cheap combo (Acoustic B10)

souportugues · #1 12-08-2011, 12:05 AM

So, I recently picked up a bass and amp for a song, one of the perks of living in Music City. The bass ran me $40 (seperate post worthy), and the combo is an Acoustic B10.
While it's nothing to write home about, per se, the amp hits all the points I was looking for: it's small, simple, reliable and makes sound. What I don't like is how quickly it starts to break up, and how not-very-loud-at-all it is. Let me temper this with the following: it's a 10W solid state amp with a 10" speaker. My expectations ARE NOT high. Still, I'd love to squeeze a few more db out of it, as I'm giving it (and the bass) to my sister's kids in ND, who will be competing with a drum kit and guitar (practice) amp right out of the gate. Furthermore, ND is a magical and relatively uninhabited place, where things like amp-techs and craigslist are about as foreign a concept as vehicles with air conditioning (my truck came from MN, I now live in TN).

So....

Has anyone ever swapped the 10" speaker out on one of these, or tried to port the box itself? If I had a bit more time, I might try to swap out a xformer for something else, even if only for grins, and see if that helps, but I think the boat is gonna sail before I'd even identify parts and get 'em shipped.

What say you, mighty TB forums? Any suggestions other than the obvious (being, why don't you get a different amp)?

BillyIVbass · #2 12-08-2011, 12:14 AM

I put some padding inside my B20, it definitely helps focus the amp, but I'm not sure if that equates to volume or just clarity. Also I noticed it had an odd 6ohm speaker. Maybe a 4 ohm speaker would give it a little more?

I gigged and jammed a few times with drummers using the B20, maybe there's a chance with the B10, good luck!

James Judson · #3 12-08-2011, 12:37 AM

I don't think 10 watts into any speaker combination will keep up with a drummer.

YMMV

T-Bird · #4 12-08-2011, 01:18 AM

Hi.

Anything short of a 215 or 810 won't be able to hold its own with an inexperienced (read LOUD) drummer with just 10 advertisement watts. With heavily overdriven tube amp that'd be possible, but the tone probably wouldn't be to their liking.

Since folks polish turd for a hobby (google it if You don't believe me), I won't be quoting Mr. King anymore in that regard, but what You're trying to acchieve just isn't very practical. Nor is it economically feasible.

Sure, You can substitute the existing speaker with a better one, say Eminence Gamma for about $35 IIRC, and sure, you can port the box for "optimal" performance of that mismatch with WinISD, but to what end?

You'd still have an amp with no real resale value, and still wouldn't be able to compete with a drummer or a guitar.

You may take the Randall Smith approach (for **it & giggles if for nothing else) as well, and squeeze something like Eminence DeltaliteII in there, accompanied with a 100W or so class-D power amp, just using the pre-amp section of the Acoustic to make a "Music City Boogie B100".

Not very feasible either, but it'd be different for sure

.

Regards
Sam

Stumbo · #5 12-08-2011, 01:23 AM

Your light bulbs put out more power than your amp.

I suggest picking up at least a 100 to 200 watt used amp with a couple of 12s or 15s if you want to play with a band or have a sound that doesn't distort at a reasonable volume.

sad_katz · #6 12-08-2011, 01:49 AM

A single ten box will go nowhere far from solo bedroom practice.

T-Bird · #7 12-08-2011, 02:18 AM

Hi.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sad_katz

A single ten box will go nowhere far from solo bedroom practice.

You'll get a different opinion from SWR WM10 users for example.

I'm one of them

.

Regards
Sam

darius8 · #8 12-08-2011, 03:12 AM

If the 10" speaker is 8 ohms, switch it with a 4 ohms. You might get xtra db's that way.

Found the user manual for it:
http://www.acousticamplification.com...B10-Manual.pdf

darius8 · #9 12-08-2011, 03:27 AM

I just cheched the schems on it and the speakers are already 4 ohms.

sad_katz · #10 12-08-2011, 04:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T-Bird

Hi.

You'll get a different opinion from SWR WM10 users for example.

I'm one of them

.

Regards
Sam

They do? Cool! Didn't pay much attention to SWR since the tone is not what I'm looking for. Is it discontinued/same with WP10?

ADD:
BFM Jack single 10's are also quite loud, so yes my last statement was quite incorrect. Though the Jack 10 is quite big for a 110 cab.

wcriley · #11 12-08-2011, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stumbo

Your light bulbs ~~put out~~ consume more power than your amp puts out.

Light bulbs, like speakers, do not "put out" watts. They consume watts.

T-Bird · #12 12-08-2011, 08:27 AM

Hi.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wcriley

Light bulbs, like speakers, do not "put out" watts. They consume watts.

Splittin' hairs perhaps, but not entirely true.

A light bulbs efficiency, 3-5%, means that the majority of the energy that's consumed is transformed into heat, which can be measured in watts.

The efficiency of a normal MI speaker falls roughly in the same region BTW.

Regards
Sam

souportugues · #13 12-08-2011, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by souportugues

Any suggestions other than the obvious (being, why don't you get a different amp)?

Part of the reason I got this amp is that it's small, and I can take it with me all the way up to Grand Forks, which includes 16 hours in someone else's car, and a 6 hour run on the Amtrak. I'd try to get something up there, but the market on used gear is slim at best (have you looked at the Craigslist and Ebay ads for Fargo?). So, for $25 it's a starting point, but no, I don't expect them to gig with it, they're still learning to play the darn thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by T-Bird

Sure, You can substitute the existing speaker with a better one, say Eminence Gamma for about $35 IIRC, and sure, you can port the box for "optimal" performance of that mismatch with WinISD, but to what end?

You'd still have an amp with no real resale value, and still wouldn't be able to compete with a drummer or a guitar.

Again, not concerned about resale, but you are most likely right about competing for db. Just kinda annoyed by an amp that breaks up around 3, but then again, it was $25.

BassmanPaul · #14 12-08-2011, 10:32 AM

The way I look at it is that you simply cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!

It is what it is and is not worth investing money into that could be put towards something meaningful.

Cristo · #15 12-08-2011, 10:41 AM

Rather than wasting time and money trying to make this little practice amp into something it's not, just get a better one.

A little 10 watt practice amp is just that. For bass it does not have enough guts to go up against a drum kit.

christw · #16 12-08-2011, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by souportugues

Again, not concerned about resale, but you are most likely right about competing for db. Just kinda annoyed by an amp that breaks up around 3, but then again, it was $25.

Don't be mad about the amp, it didn't buy itself. I'd never tell anyone I know buy a practice amp. There are too many 100w combos floating around in the $100-200 range for me to let them waste their money.