Acoustic 301 too loud?

[Carl Hillman]

Acoustic 301 too loud?

Acoustic 301? Too loud!

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

Best sounding rig and bass I had was a 360 and Pbass. At one gig, we played the same stage with Procol Harem and the bass player (chris copping?) said this the best live sound he has heard and asked if he could use my 360. Of course I said yes. Volume and compression are your friends.

 

[40Hz]

Used to have a 371. I still have a 301. It can get loud. But it doesn’t have to. Only drawback is it’s a big and fairly heavy rig. And it doesn’t exactly match the decor in most homes.

I used to practice at home with it back in the 70s without any issues. Watch your levels and there shouldn’t be any problems.

 

[Johnny Fingers]

To get the best sound out of the 370 you need to use two 301s. Not needed for home practice though.

 

[Short4since64]

Trying to crack drywall? Those folded horns are directional, too soft on stage, blowing the weed out of the papers in the parking lot. Great amps, worked with a bassist using a 360/361/361 while I was playing B-3 in the LOUD LOUD days, useless in small areas. I use a monster for practice at the studio (LH1000 bridged into 810) but that can be turned down. That 18 will shake whatever it's pointed at, whatever the volume. Folded horns are only good for large venues.

 

[basted]

I owned that same system back in the 80's. As others have said , you won't be able to use it at its true potential. At lower volume you will be able to hear it fine but you would be better off with a modern amp that has a headphone input and an aux input. The Acoustic puts out 240w with one cab.
I had an extra cab with a 15 inch speaker that I would take to practice so I didn't have to take the big W bin.

 

[brianrost]

I used to play through a 301 and a Sunn Sonaro 50 watt tube head owned by the guitarist in the band in his practice space. It sounded great.

I wouldn't recommend buying a 370 stack just for practicing, though. I have no problem using a stage rig for practice but I always use the smallest one I own.

 

[JacklegBass]

When I'm noodling at low volume in the garage with my 370/301 I can't ever remember wishing I had something smaller. YMMV

 

[Panek]

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?

Don't read any of the other comments. Just buy it!

 

[Auer]

Go for it.

acoustics sound great.

This thread needs more pics.

 

[micguy]

The best practice amp is a real amp with the volume control turned down. If you have one very capable amp, that's enough. Actually, in my present state (all ampless gigs), one capable amp is more than enough.

 

[TheReceder]

Cool rig... but... why not get something that won't break your back if you opt to eventually gig with it?

I owned alot of Acoustic gear, the only reason I'd buy any again is for nostalgia. There's so much better out there that doesn't require a roadie and a minivan to haul.

 

[RandomKaren]

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

Not really, the fact is that sound you assume isn't that loud when you're sitting right by it thinking you're being reasonably quiet might be travelling a whole lot further than you think, especially bass frequencies and especially if you are in an apartment. Sound propagation through building structures i.e. architectural acoustics is a whole other subject.

I'd still get the 301 though.

 

[jamro217]

Use it at low volume with a long speaker cable. Place the cab in the next room so you are the optimum distance away. Hope this helps.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

Acoustic 301? Too loud!

My Acoustic 408 also had that sticker. Of course, it was often down with at least one of the internal 15's blown, at which times it was quite quiet. ;^)

 

[Plain Old Barry]

Go for it.

acoustics sound great.

View attachment 5278124

The 406 was the best bass cab Acoustic made, hands down.

 

[EdO.]

When I'm noodling at low volume in the garage with my 370/301 I can't ever remember wishing I had something smaller. YMMV

Damn, I just wanna see more detailed photos of your avatar rig setup. Looks like you've pretty much cornered the market of vintage Acoustic gear.

 

[JacklegBass]

Looks like you've pretty much cornered the market of vintage Acoustic gear.

Turns out if you spend a couple of decades smart shopping/bargain hunting then, wham, before you know it you've got a garage full of stuff. I've already started thinning the herd -- sold off the 220 and 320, and I'll soon be giving the 2x15" 402 cabinet to my son. A lot of the amps need some work, and who knows, maybe I'll even get around to it someday.

 

[tvbop]

The wave form from that bin will coalesce in ur neighbours lounge. Just sayin.

 

[D.M.N.]

I love mine, and you'll never have to worry about not being heard. I use mine at practice, but I also often use a Sunn 2000s, so they aren't usually the quietest rehearsals. You can always use the head with a smaller cab, I'll often pair it with a 4x12, but the head and cab combo do have a certain sound, and it's fantastic. Can use it with a smaller cab at rehearsal, and bust out the cab for gigs.