Vintage Acoustic 450 UPDATE: NAD

CnB77 · #1 08-26-2011, 05:49 PM

Is $250 a good price for one? Pots are a little scratchy. From what I've read they're good amps, but do alert me if you think otherwise.

I'm going to run it through a Hartke 2x10, not sure what the ohm/wattage rating is though. Is that a bad idea? I've heard these are loud amps and I'd hate to blow the speaker.

Mr. Foxen · #2 08-26-2011, 06:03 PM

Should be great if it is working right. If it isn't working right, don't try and force it, take it to a good tech, they are old and some components might be dicky, get it running tip top before anything else breaks.

CnB77 · #3 08-26-2011, 07:13 PM

Sounds good. Any other opinions?

CnB77 · #4 08-26-2011, 08:00 PM

I have discovered that the cab is a Hartke 210XL, which is 8ohms and 200W. I've read that the Acoustic is 175W into 2 or 4 ohms. Does that mean it won't work with the Hartke?

ETA: Wait, it looks like the Hartke's stock have aluminium speaker cones. The ones in what I'd be buying appear to be paper, so presumably those numbers are incorrect.

Mojo-Man · #5 08-26-2011, 08:12 PM

The 450 is nice, I used back in the 80's with a 405 cab. (2x15')
To me, what makes the old Acoustic's sound good are their cabs.
The Heads are good, the cabs are better.
Together, you get that Acoustic sound.
Try to find an original cab.

Webtroll · #6 08-26-2011, 08:16 PM

the cab advice may be spot on. i loved my old Acoustic (don't remember the exact model but a lot like a 320) and it shined paired with a 1X18 and separately with a 2X15 (neither of which were Acoustic cabs, but no 10s and horns either)

CnB77 · #7 08-26-2011, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojo-Man

The 450 is nice, I used back in the 80's with a 405 cab. (2x15')
To me, what makes the old Acoustic's sound good are their cabs.
The Heads are good, the cabs are better.
Together, you get that Acoustic sound.
Try to find an original cab.

Definitely something I'd like to do, but acoustic cabs are pretty big and I don't really have the space. It's also unlikely that I'll find anything local soon, but I'll keep my eyes peeled. I'm gonna try for a different cab than the Hartke though; it sounds like it's not really suitable as a lone cab.

bottomend! · #8 08-26-2011, 09:40 PM

A 450 will work with any 2-10 but it likes bigger and older and more efficient cabs much better. I've plugged my 320 into 2-10's at practice spaces and regretted it. It was weezing to keep up with a fender twin but plugging it into the cab it's designed for (4-15) and seismographs are getting destroyed down under.

As far as the 405 is concerned, it's a real workhorse amp and it also sounds fantastic for guitar as well, which is something you cant say about ANY current bass amps (!). A poster above mentioned the 405 cab is a 2-15 cab, but he actually ment to say 402 or 406. The pairing of a 450 and 402/406 is a glorious sound, and you'd be stunned at how easy it is to move the 2-15 402 cab when it's loaded with stock speakers. Much much easier than a 4-10 any day of the week. A 406 is bigger and probably not your cup of tea if you're looking for portability.

250$ for a working 450 head is a good deal. Buy it and play it - you wont be disappointed!

CnB77 · #9 08-27-2011, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bottomend!

A 450 will work with any 2-10 but it likes bigger and older and more efficient cabs much better. I've plugged my 320 into 2-10's at practice spaces and regretted it. It was weezing to keep up with a fender twin but plugging it into the cab it's designed for (4-15) and seismographs are getting destroyed down under.

As far as the 405 is concerned, it's a real workhorse amp and it also sounds fantastic for guitar as well, which is something you cant say about ANY current bass amps (!). A poster above mentioned the 405 cab is a 2-15 cab, but he actually ment to say 402 or 406. The pairing of a 450 and 402/406 is a glorious sound, and you'd be stunned at how easy it is to move the 2-15 402 cab when it's loaded with stock speakers. Much much easier than a 4-10 any day of the week. A 406 is bigger and probably not your cup of tea if you're looking for portability.

250$ for a working 450 head is a good deal. Buy it and play it - you wont be disappointed!

Thanks for the help! Going to grab it this morning. I may just buy it without a cab for the time being until I can find an appropriate one.

CnB77 · #10 08-27-2011, 10:00 AM

I have it in my possession now along with an Ampeg SVT15EN. How's that?

Also, where can I get a manual for the acoustic? Any tips on how to clean it off, it's a tad dirty
Also also, the blue stripe is pretty much all worn off. Should I try to repaint it or just leave it "reliced"

CnB77 · #11 08-27-2011, 11:55 AM

Mr. Foxen · #12 08-27-2011, 12:07 PM

Meths/denatured alcohol is the cleaning thing of choice for anything near electrics, cuts through grease and doesn't short circuits. Might take off numbers and things though. Cosmetics is totally up to you.

CnB77 · #13 08-27-2011, 05:46 PM

Thanks!

It looks like I need to clean the pots and the EQ sliders. Anybody have guidance on that endeavor?

Mr. Foxen · #14 08-27-2011, 05:48 PM

Servisol. Or Peavey Funkout, latter probably better for the sliders.

Oren Hudson · #15 08-27-2011, 09:07 PM

Deoxit comes highly recommended by others and also from my personal experience. Cleans and lubes. Order it or sometimes can be found at Radio Shack.

BTW - Bottomend makes some good points. I have a 450 that I've used with an Acoustic 106 - that's the smaller 2-15 cab - and more than filled up my church's 600 seat sanctuary.

CnB77 · #16 08-28-2011, 09:17 AM

So do I have to disassemble the amp to use those? Some people say you can spray it right down the shaft...

I'm pretty lost here.

BillyB_from_LZ · #17 08-28-2011, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CnB77

Thanks!

It looks like I need to clean the pots and the EQ sliders. Anybody have guidance on that endeavor?

TV tuner cleaner from Radio Shack if they still sell it (it's been a few years since I set foot in The Shack). It cleans and lubricates!

Also, PM sent.

BillyB_from_LZ · #18 08-28-2011, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CnB77

So do I have to disassemble the amp to use those? Some people say you can spray it right down the shaft...

I'm pretty lost here.

It's best to take the chassis out. Pretty simple, some screws on the bottom and IIRC, you have to remove the handle on the end (it's been some years since I had a 450 but recall I had to remove the handle on the 370 I had too).

Before you do that, unplug the amp and leave it unplugged for a while so that the power supply capacitors discharge.

Best to spray the cleaner/lubricant in the opening under the solder terminals and then rotate the shaft back and forth until it loosens up. For the EQ sliders, just tuck the tube from the can inside the front of the slider, give a little spray and then slide it up and down until it feels really good... (Oops...what were we talking about here?

)

While you have the amp out of the case, use a pencil eraser to clean corrosion off of the contacts on the input and speaker jacks. You can also apply some rubbing alcohol to a Q-tip and clean the inside of the jacks out too.

The 450 is a great sounding amp, both clean and dirty!!!

CnB77 · #19 08-28-2011, 02:42 PM

Where are my manners? I haven't posted a pic yet!

bottomend! · #20 08-28-2011, 04:55 PM

The amp looks very different without the blue stripe. It's not totally offensive to me so if it's too much hassle to restore it, I'd say to just leave it as it is.

When you clean the pots on this head take the amp out of the wood case and spray the cleaner INTO the pot from behind. You'll see a little hole directly in the center so you can just stick the little tube in there and squirt. Twist the pot a dozen times through it's full travel and then move on to the next one. I would wait awhile before powering the amp back up so all the solvent will have had a chance to disperse.