Acoustic 360/361 News

[One Drop]

Well over a year ago, in thread that ended up getting locked, I offered to give an honest evaluation of the sound. No one took me up on the offer. (Other than one person via PM.) Instead, I was called a liar and a shill, even though I'd made it clear that they weren't my cuppa' (and had received several emails from George complaining about things I'd already written).

As a result of the treatment I received, I swore I'd never again discuss Acoustic USA on TB. I've softened my stance a bit now that the stuff is finally shipping. But.......

You want to know how they sound? Spend the money and find out for yourselves. Mine was a one-time-only offer.

Why didn't you just give your opinion rather than 'offering' to give it?

Dropping $5000 and paying shipping to Europe to try something out is simply not going to happen. I'd rather wait to satisfy my curiosity until I can hear an act that is using them. Even if this rig perfectly fit my needs I'd still wait until I could hear it before going the Buy, Try and Maybe Return route, sorry.

I do want to know how they sound but I can't imagine going back to a situation where I get all my volume from the stage, and the attendant problem of having every one else turn up accordingly. I don't even mike my SVT anymore, usually just use it as a gorgeous stage monitor while getting most of the tone to the PA with a VT pedal.

I just waded through the threads on the Acoustic USA forum for the first time, and what I take from it is that the new amps are designed as an 'instrument' whereby the head and cab are designed to work together to create a sound, as in the day of yore. I love that concept but it crashes headlong into the problems of getting that sound out to the public without blastingly loud stage volume.

Rock stars can afford to drop $5000 on a stage monitor but is it really a solution for getting the sound to the audience? is Flea to mike these cabs for his tone, or will the FOH be an entirely different feed?

I'm not trying to stir it up here; I love the idea of an amp designed without much cost compromising, designed to sound as great as possible and to be able to fill a room, I just can't see how to make the thing work in this era of PAs.

Yes, I'm aware you can hear apparently hear these new ones better than the originals up close, making them more useful on stage than the old ones, but are they a good option to use with a PA, with the attendant phase issues, etc? Is there even a way to get the whole sound out to the FOH using a PA?

Again, not trying to stir it, just wondering in this day and age who can really benefit from an amp designed this way.

BTW, I do like the new websites, they look good and give an idea what these things are designed for and what to expect from them. Best of luck to George and everyone involved, hope the company makes enough to stay in business (I pissed myself when George said you should pre-order these instant collector's items quickly as you never know how long the company might last, or words to that effect. Hope it isn't prophetic)

 

[wcriley]

Why didn't you just give your opinion rather than 'offering' to give it?

Because that particular thread had degenerated into a bash fest calling the entire Acoustic USA enterprise a fraud and a hoax. I was reporting on what I'd seen and disussed with George while visiting the shoe store. As an aside, I offered to also comment on what the different rigs sounded like. After being called a liar, I left the thread and it was locked shortly after that.

There are several things stopping me from giving a review now:
1. I'm not sure how good my memory would be about an amp and speaker cabs I haven't heard for over a year.
2. The drivers seem to have changed since I last played through them. The website says the 15s are neo; the ones I saw and heard had ceramic magnets.
3. The crossovers may have changed. There were obvious signs in the "shop" that someone was modifying generic Emi crossovers.

 

[Hifiguy]

Last Friday I was out at the house of an old friend - a drummer I haven't seen in years. A mutual friend of ours was back in town and is recording some of his new tunes. The drummer has a quite nice home studio, and the bass amp is an Acoustic 370 driving a massive old Peavey cab with what look like two JBL 15s, likely D140s or something similar.

That was one of the most amazing sounding amps I have ever heard. The Acoustic was, if not exactly tube like, one of the best sounding SS amps I have ever heard - warm, incredibly powerful and just plain gorgeous sounding with my hot-rodded Jazz bass. I want one!

 

[derridiandrift]

That's it? No comments about the tone, or anything else?

Is anyone who plays these things sworn to secrecy or something, or only allowed to say they are the greatest thing ever without any details?

I understand your frustration. I'm not trying to add to it.

There's been a great deal of hostility on TB about this amp. I'm trying not to completely hijack the thread but still answer the OP's questions. A complete review of the amp probably belongs in new thread.

The OP wondered whether the amp is loud. It's loud. I played the 360/361 and 361m cabs in a relatively small space that prohibited me from really getting it steamed up for extended periods of time. I didn't have my SVT set up next to it in order to compare them. I'm confident that no one would have trouble hearing themselves at a gig with either cab.

 

[One Drop]

Because that particular thread had degenerated into a bash fest calling the entire Acoustic USA enterprise a fraud and a hoax. I was reporting on what I'd seen and disussed with George while visiting the shoe store. As an aside, I offered to also comment on what the different rigs sounded like. After being called a liar, I left the thread and it was locked shortly after that.

There are several things stopping me from giving a review now:
1. I'm not sure how good my memory would be about an amp and speaker cabs I haven't heard for over a year.
2. The drivers seem to have changed since I last played through them. The website says the 15s are neo; the ones I saw and heard had ceramic magnets.
3. The crossovers may have changed. There were obvious signs in the "shop" that someone was modifying generic Emi crossovers.

Thanks, wcriley.

 

[One Drop]

I understand your frustration. I'm not trying to add to it.

There's been a great deal of hostility on TB about this amp. I'm trying not to completely hijack the thread but still answer the OP's questions. A complete review of the amp probably belongs in new thread.

The OP wondered whether the amp is loud. It's loud. I played the 360/361 and 361m cabs in a relatively small space that prohibited me from really getting it steamed up for extended periods of time. I didn't have my SVT set up next to it in order to compare them. I'm confident that no one would have trouble hearing themselves at a gig with either cab.

I'm sure this is a good a place as any, I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd love to hear some level headed comments about the amp.

I'm sure it's very loud as well, I'm just put off by the messaianic zeal and, yes, hype put forward by some of the people involved, and the 'you're with us or against us' mindset that seems pervasive amongst fans and the creator of this company, bless his enthusiastic cotton socks.

I'll be happy to see what Bass Gear has to say about these when the Sept. issue comes out. If I understand correctly they are devoting an issue to Acoustic, old and new.

BTW, I'm more curious than frustrated. I'm really happy with my gear and if I think a TC RH750 or a Streamliner would suit my needs better, regardless of price.

 

[lfh]

Using the published data (FWIW), the nominal max SPL can be calculated as

Lmax = 103 + 10*log10(400) = 103 + 26 = 129 dB @ 1 m

Assuming 1 dB of power compression (not more; this is a horn loaded system), we're looking at 128 dB.

 

[miller_l]

Using the published data (FWIW), the nominal max SPL can be calculated as

Lmax = 103 + 10*log10(400) = 103 + 26 = 129 dB @ 1 m

Assuming 1 dB of power compression (not more; this is a horn loaded system), we're looking at 128 dB.

holy math, batman

 

[Nick901]

There are several things stopping me from giving a review now:
1. I'm not sure how good my memory would be about an amp and speaker cabs I haven't heard for over a year.
2. The drivers seem to have changed since I last played through them. The website says the 15s are neo; the ones I saw and heard had ceramic magnets.
3. The crossovers may have changed. There were obvious signs in the "shop" that someone was modifying generic Emi crossovers.

Your point #2 is incorrect. I double-checked. The 15" is and always has been a custom neo 15. Even on the prototypes.

 

[wcriley]

Your point #2 is incorrect. I double-checked. The 15" is and always has been a custom neo 15. Even on the prototypes.

You may be correct on later prototypes, but........

In May of 2010 there were two piles of Emminece OEM drivers in the front corner of the shoe store. (I assume there were 50 of each size, which would be Emi's minimum for an OEM order.) Both the 15s and the 18s had big ol' ceramic plates on the back. I did not see a neo driver anywhere in the shop. So, although it's possible that the cab I auditioned had a neo driver, I highly doubt it.

If I remember that part of our conversations correctly, George said he didn't want to use neo drivers. I'm glad he changed his mind.

(Hmmm...maybe I should stop by and ask if he'll sell the unused drivers at a discount.)

 

[lfh]

Not that it really matters, but perhaps the two piles of drivers you saw were actually all 18:s? It's not so easy to tell 15:s and 18:s apart at a glance in this case, since the raw drivers in such piles are sandwiched tightly and partly protected with cardboard.

 

[wcriley]

Not that it really matters, but........

It's quite easy to distinquish between 15" and 18" drivers...even if they're in unopened boxes...when you see them side by side. After handling and examining (not just glancing at) several of each size driver (out of the box), it's even easier to tell the difference.

I'm outa' here.

 

[lfh]

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you! I'm just curious you know. Perhaps, then, said Ferrite drivers are intended for another model. (Seems odd to me to have 50 OEM drivers built and not use them...)

 

[Nick901]

You may be correct on later prototypes, but........

In May of 2010 there were two piles of Emminece OEM drivers in the front corner of the shoe store. (I assume there were 50 of each size, which would be Emi's minimum for an OEM order.) Both the 15s and the 18s had big ol' ceramic plates on the back. I did not see a neo driver anywhere in the shop. So, although it's possible that the cab I auditioned had a neo driver, I highly doubt it.

If I remember that part of our conversations correctly, George said he didn't want to use neo drivers. I'm glad he changed his mind.

(Hmmm...maybe I should stop by and ask if he'll sell the unused drivers at a discount.)

Wow, I'm really confused. I was there in February 2011 to pick up my 360 and two 361's. I checked out all the equipment that was there (I was curious) and I swear the 15's were neo's. Perhaps there is a parallel universe after all. I can't figure this at all.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Wow, I'm really confused. I was there in February 2011 to pick up my 360 and two 361's. I checked out all the equipment that was there (I was curious) and I swear the 15's were neo's. Perhaps there is a parallel universe after all. I can't figure this at all.

I don't see any cause for confusion. They tried ceramic drivers during the prototype phase, and nearly a year later, they had decided to go neo. Big whup.

 

[Ric5]

That must be the whole production run.

There is a guy here in Denver who has one of the new 360/361 bass amps. You can run 4 cabs from one head. Even with one cab it is really loud.

My favorite cab that the old acoustic used to make was the 301 cabinet. I recently played through one with my ampeg head, and the tone was to die for. I would like to see someone make this cab again.

For clarification the 301 cab was the same folded horn as the 361 cab but it was a traditional speaker cab in that it had no power amp built into it. The beauty here is that you can use any bass head with it, and for me that would be an ampeg head.

 

[Jeff Scott]

The original 360 preamp had four outputs, also, but I think most guys liked the look of having a preamp on top of each cabinet.

 

[Tube]

I finally found one in Italy Acoustic 360/361 vintage.
1969 is completely original.
I only have one question, it sounds as loud as a Ampeg SVT 300/8x10?

 

[Tube]

it is normal that there are two screws on the power button?

 

[Nick901]

it is normal that there are two screws on the power button?

I can't make out any screws. There were none when it was built. Here is some info and pics:
Link Removed