Acoustic 301 too loud?

[cass misri]

Hey everyone, I’m considering picking up an Acoustic 301/370 combo, but I’m not sure if it’s really appropriate for what I will be using it for most of the time. I would mostly be using it just to practice, and from what I hear, the 301 seems like a very loud cab that should be heard from a distance. I also don’t want to annoy my neighbors too much. I don’t have a whole lot of knowledge overall on amps and cabs, and this would be my first time buying either.

So, is it worth it to buy a 301 for the novelty of having a famous rig, or should I settle for something much smaller?

 

[bottomzone]

That's a serious rig for just practicing and I would imagine is going to shake the walls and annoy your neighbors. You should probably get a nice combo amp.

 

[Marko 1]

If you like it, and it would inspire you to practice/play, then I'd go for it.

They have volume knobs, they'll go as low-volume as other smaller units but maybe sound better.

 

[etoncrow]

Like the man said, it has a volume control knob and can be used for more than just practicing.

Edit: I practice with a Euphonic-Audio iAmp 500 and two Wizzy 12's. That's also my gig rig.

 

[Wisebass]

Hi cass misri

I’m considering picking up an Acoustic 301/370 combo, but I’m not sure if it’s really appropriate for what I will be using it for most of the time. I would mostly be using it just to practice, and from what I hear, the 301 seems like a very loud cab that should be heard from a distance.

Well that's a fabulous amp cab combo! It's not what I would call a practice amp.

It's not only mighty loud it's also big!

I also don’t want to annoy my neighbors too much.

Do you rent? If so move your amp in by night!

I' ve seen folks who were annoyed when they saw a big bass rig, before they even heared it. (not kidding)

I don’t have a whole lot of knowledge overall on amps and cabs, and this would be my first time buying either.

You should try this rig before you buy it! And find out more about this amp and cab!

It's a nice piece of rock history. Some love it some don't.

It's vintage gear (old can die every day => you really have to know and love old gear to enjoy it)

So, is it worth it to buy a 301 for the novelty of having a famous rig, or should I settle for something much smaller?

IMO in your situation you should go for an amp with a headphone output and a aux input

=> no stress with your neighbors and you can jam with your favorite band 24/7!

There are great practice combos out there for every taste.

greetings

Wise(b)ass

 

[Redbrangus]

IMO in your situation you should go for an amp with a headphone output and a aux input

=> no stress with your neighbors and you can jam with your favorite band 24/7!

There are great practice combos out there for every taste.

^ This. It's a cool piece of history, I guess -- personally, I've always disliked them -- but an improbable practice amp. And I emphatically don't subscribe to the theory that they're loud at a distance but quiet up close. But they ARE seriously bulky, IMO.

 

[Wisebass]

And I emphatically don't subscribe to the theory that they're loud at a distance but quiet up close.

Yep! Another urban legend that has been debunked a looong time ago!

 

[john hennessy]

I’d get it, if the cab is overkill you can replace it with a nice 1x12 or 2x8. But I’ll take an old school heavy head over a combo for my practice rig any day

 

[Element Zero]

I practice with my 410, 115, and 112 cabs plugged into to my 800w head all the time. Even at 3 am I’ve never woken up my kids or wife who are 40 ft away in other rooms. Volume knobs are a wonderful thing. You’ll be fine.

 

[6thplanet]

And if that amp has an effects loop, you can insert another volume control there to further increase the low volume control of the actual volume control.

 

[azureblue]

the 1 -18" W cabinet is designed to project bass. Up close, it isn't that loud, but about 12 feet away it "speaks' loudly. I used to have a pair(!) for club gigging in a funk band, and, on stage, and 3 feet away, I could barely hear what I was doing, but the rig rattled tables. So it won't be good for practice in a room smaller than a night club .. I eventually swapped them for the 2 -15" cabinets.

 

[Killing Floor]

Do it.

Serious question, why do you want an “amplifier”? If you don’t want your bass to be heard there are some very nice headphone amp options. Right?

Great sounding kit. Let ‘em know a bass player lives next door.

 

[EdO.]

Hey everyone, I’m considering picking up an Acoustic 301/370 combo, but I’m not sure if it’s really appropriate for what I will be using it for most of the time.

Had one "back in the day" as my gig rig. The 301 cab is designed for projecting the sound out into a room, back in the days when all the sound came from stage amps and the PA only handled vocals. Old School stuff. If you're wanting to gig in a loud rock band type setting they're great. In a small room at low volume you're not going to get out of it what it's designed for.

And if that amp has an effects loop, you can insert another volume control there to further increase the low volume control of the actual volume control.

The 370 head has no effects loop and no headphone out so not a option. The 370 is a classic amp head on par with an SVT, I'd own one today if 1) mine hadn't finally blown up 20+ years ago after 20+ years of use, 2) I actually used an amp today (all digital and IEM now), and 3) if I could find one in good enough working order. If you do decide to get it buy another small speaker cab (single or double 10" would be perfect) and save the 301 for gigging.

If you'll seldom be gigging out in the foreseeable future the suggestions for a small practice amp with an effects loop, headphone out, and an input for an mp3 player etc would be the way to go and would be probably a much smaller investment. Having a huge classic amp/cab setup would be way cool but for your stated usage is impractical as hell. Go with what you need, not what your ego says you want.

 

[60bass]

As someone who has played bass for over 50 years and not only played through that exact same rig for about three or four years. I also worked at a music store where we sold those amps. I can tell you that it will most definitely be overkill for practice. Unless you are practicing in a great big giant warehouse.

You will have no issues with the head. It will have plenty of power and those heads have great tone. Where the problem comes in is in the design of the cabinet. Those big W box folded horn cabinets were designed to project bass guitar at huge volumes in outdoor arenas and indoor concert arenas. This was back in the day before they had huge super efficient PA systems like they have nowadays. The W boxes start Developing and unloading their waveforms at around 30 or 40 feet in front of the cabinet and then they just keep getting louder and louder the farther away from the speaker cabinet you are. I played many outdoor gigs with a 370 head and one or two 301 cabinets and never once did I need to be mic'd or run a line into the PA. In a small practice setting the rig will be HUGE overkill. In fact, if you're in a smaller room where you're standing very close to your rig you might possibly have a hard time hearing yourself.

That said, if the price is right on the rig. Go for it. Then just snag a modern efficient bass cab and use the 370 head. Keep the W cab for any large or outdoor gigs.

 

[MegaSwing]

It’s only too loud if you make it too loud. And practice is just practice. Consider the costs vs. the benefits, then decide what’s appropriate for your situation. As for myself, I would only have that cab if it stayed in one spot.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

Yep! Another urban legend that has been debunked a looong time ago!

Mine was loud up close and even louder further away. Not quiet up close, but the dispersion was far from even as you moved away.

The 301 did like a minimum volume to get a good sound as I remember, which may be too loud for the OP. The head could always power an Elf 1x10, or 2x8 or any tiny cab that sounds full at low volumes.

My home office practice rig is any of my heads, including an 800 watt TT-800, on an Elf 1x10 under my desk. It sounds great at very reasonable volumes.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I use my rig for home practice with no issues. It's a Genz Benz Shuttlemax 12.0 into an Epifani UL210 and a UL112 putting out 750 watts. Like others have said, it has a volume knob.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Hey everyone, I’m considering picking up an Acoustic 301/370 combo, but I’m not sure if it’s really appropriate for what I will be using it for most of the time. I would mostly be using it just to practice, and from what I hear, the 301 seems like a very loud cab that should be heard from a distance. I also don’t want to annoy my neighbors too much. I don’t have a whole lot of knowledge overall on amps and cabs, and this would be my first time buying either.

So, is it worth it to buy a 301 for the novelty of having a famous rig, or should I settle for something much smaller?

Having owned that rig, assuming you know where to find the volume knob and it is functional, judicial usage of it will prevent your neighbors from be irritated. Cool rig.

 

[chadds]

This is an "it depends" issue. If you want your practice to be where the dynamics of your playing are represented well without disturbing everyone go for a smaller front loaded cab. It depends on your practice space size. I've used 2x8s live on big stages and the same combo gives me big torqued cranked force at very modest volumes when practicing.

I had a 360/361. I also had a tweed champ. I preferred to practice through the champ because there was no tone up close with that Acoustic big box in a house room. You had to turn it up to get that "resistance" that we call punch. Turned up was too much.

I had a Marshall Major head on a flatback SVT. It felt like the cab would hang on every note. You could feel and hear note bends. Yes it was loud. At the same time I had a Sunn 2000s on a V4B cab. 2x15 clam W/box. It made a "bahhh" sound like you were blowing out candles with your mouth wide open. Not the tone the Sunn made on a front loaded 2x15 JBL cab. When I used them all together it was as if the Sunn and V4B were sound reinforcement.

Car analogy incoming. I've had a Mini Cooper S. I've had a 450hp awd Euro coupe. If I drove the 450hp car like I drove the Mini it wouldn't have been fun and I would still be in jail.

Again it all depends on what you want and how your touch is. IMHO. YMMV.

 

[Luigir]

Hey everyone, I’m considering picking up an Acoustic 301/370 combo, but I’m not sure if it’s really appropriate for what I will be using it for most of the time. I would mostly be using it just to practice, and from what I hear, the 301 seems like a very loud cab that should be heard from a distance. I also don’t want to annoy my neighbors too much. I don’t have a whole lot of knowledge overall on amps and cabs, and this would be my first time buying either.

So, is it worth it to buy a 301 for the novelty of having a famous rig, or should I settle for something much smaller?

For practicing I'd rather suggest some smaller with headphones out and maybe some effects and modelling.
Boss Katana 110 comes to mind:
BOSS - KATANA-110 BASS | Bass Amplifier

I'd rather not deal with the hassle of vintage gear not talking about their weight and size and I'll buy something modern with lots of feature.