Acoustic brand bass amps

[garya]

Does anyone own/use Acoustic bass rigs? What is your opinion on the Acoustic brand amps? I tried an Acoustic 4x10 cab with a 200 watt amp and I thought it held up good and sounded good even at very loud levels in the GC store. I was thinking of a 4x10 cab with a 600 or 800 amp. Maybe two 4x10 cabs since they appear to be 8 ohm cabs and two cabs will get it down to 4 ohms and then the amps will put out their higher wattage. I also thought of maybe putting in 4 Neo 10" speakers (for a 4 ohm cab) as an upgrade and then use the 600 watt amp for full output. I used acoustic bass amps back in the early 70's in a hard rock band and they worked just fine.

 

[10cc]

Not the same as the Acoustic you knew from the seventies. I'd pass on the Guitar Center brand.

 

[jj4001]

^Troof

 

[garya]

Not the same as the Acoustic you knew from the seventies. I'd pass on the Guitar Center brand.

I respect your opinion, but can you back up a broad statement by please explaining why you feel that way and some facts. Have you gigged with any Acoustic amps to form an opinion or are you just basing it on what you may have heard from other people? Are the newer amps not holding up at all? Failing on the first gig? Do they sound different or built different from the 70's gear?

 

[B-string]

They are a cheaply built imported "house brand" made to "look" like the old Acoustic Control Corp. that went out of business in the early 1980's.

They work well as beginner or starter pieces but are NOT the pro equipment that was built by ACC in California. Their sound bears little to what ACC produced.

 

[garya]

They are a cheaply built imported "house brand" made to "look" like the old Acoustic Control Corp. that went out of business in the early 1980's.

They work well as beginner or starter pieces but are NOT the pro equipment that was built by ACC in California. Their sound bears little to what ACC produced.

B string, built different as in how? Who has actually used the newer stuff to confirm that it sounds so different that it cannot be used for paying jobs, which is what professional means. And will not hold up for all paying jobs, big and small?

 

[B-string]

Acoustic Control Corp never used particle board, OSB or MDF for speaker cabs or head cases. The amp heads were designed by folks that went on to develop brands like Eden, SWR, AMP. When the engineering team is not there it just becomes a "name". I believe in Europe the line is Hartley Benton (sp) in different clothes.
Information HERE. Other sources are easily found with a simple search.

I played a 360/361 for many years and the Guitar Center brand did not come close in performance. They were thumpy which is okay, but note definition was missing and the cabs blow pretty easy if try to push them.

 

[garya]

Acoustic Control Corp never used particle board, OSB or MDF for speaker cabs or head cases. The amp heads were designed by folks that went on to develop brands like Eden, SWR, AMP. When the engineering team is not there it just becomes a "name". I believe in Europe the line is Hartley Benton (sp) in different clothes.
Information HERE. Other sources are easily found with a simple search.

I played a 360/361 for many years and the Guitar Center brand did not come close in performance. They were thumpy which is okay, but note definition was missing and the cabs blow pretty easy if try to push them.

Thanx, I understand. Especially the particle board stuff. I have seen cabs like that break easily from a drop.

 

[LeatherDaddy]

Schematics aren't published for these amps either so if it breaks good luck getting it fixed. They were made to be disposable. I've heard of people with broken ones walking them into Guitar Center and getting a straight swap for a new one. They know what they're selling.

 

[B-string]

Last I heard if you have a cap fall off a knob, your only way to replace the knob is exchange the unit? Schematics, not that I have ever heard of?

 

[Olde Axeman]

They're actually pretty good when viewed in the context of entry level equipment. I had one of the earlier GC Mk I B200H heads & a B115 cab and was surprised at how good that pairing sounded. I used it for outdoor parties (we seem to do a lot of them) because we never knew how effective our overhead rain protection would be and I didn't want to put my better Aguilar gear at risk in an outdoor venue.

I would classify the sound as being "decently adequate", just not stunning. The head is somewhat better than the cab, which is only rated for 250 watts. I thought the B200H head sounded a little better through a Peavey Headliner 115 that is rated for 500 watts and costs only a bit more than the Acoustic B115. The Peavey was ported, had rat fur, and was less rain-resistant though.

The B115 cab itself is made of MDF, covered with Tolex, so it offers a somewhat better degree of rain protection than a wood/rat fur cab. I never had any problems with the MDF construction. It is also a sealed cab which gives it some really nice low end. A Jazz bass sounds particularly good through it IMHO because of the high-end clarity inherent in the J-bass.

The B115 cab has a tweeter that offers little or no sound improvement, and often just rattles. However, it does have a tweeter defeat switch that I believe most people (myself included) use.

Other than being moderately heavy, the B200H head gave me zero problems for the 3 years I owned it. Plenty of EQ options, active & passive inputs, and supports two 8-ohm cabs. I paid $200 for the head & cab (used) and got more than my money's worth out of it. Again, it's entry-level equipment but works as well or better than some other brands at the same price point. I gave mine away to a friend who decided to take up bass and he loves it.

Bottom line is you have better options for more money overall, but the newer Acoustic gear is fine as a first rig or for an inexpensive backup.

 

[billgoodwin]

I had a G-C B200 combo for a good while , along with my vintage ACC gear and it worked well for me in small gig /practice scenerios. Sound of that amp had great tone, but everyone's ear if different. All in all not bad sound, but G-C did skimp on the build. Still doesn't hold a candle to the real ACC ...then ...nothing does. Acoustic Control Corp - "The mother of all amps".

 

[backin82]

Does anyone own/use Acoustic bass rigs? What is your opinion on the Acoustic brand amps? I tried an Acoustic 4x10 cab with a 200 watt amp and I thought it held up good and sounded good even at very loud levels in the GC store. I was thinking of a 4x10 cab with a 600 or 800 amp. Maybe two 4x10 cabs since they appear to be 8 ohm cabs and two cabs will get it down to 4 ohms and then the amps will put out their higher wattage. I also thought of maybe putting in 4 Neo 10" speakers (for a 4 ohm cab) as an upgrade and then use the 600 watt amp for full output. I used acoustic bass amps back in the early 70's in a hard rock band and they worked just fine.

I own and have gigged a B600H (head) with the B410 cab. It worked ok, but wasn't anything special. I sold the head, because it didn't do much for me, but I still have the cab. The cab sounds a little bit dark, but can sound good with the right EQ. The cab really came alive with my Hartke 3500. My personal experience would be to avoid the head units. Mine always seemed muddy with no clarity whatsoever. It got kinda loud, but it was never a nice enough tone that I wanted to hear it!

Basically, it is relatively cheap, but both the head and the cab seemed to be of solid construction and never failed me. But I'm not a gear snob, so I'm probably the wrong person to ask.

 

[The Chuck]

Try the Hartke 410XL with a HA3500. They are a solid great sounding 8 ohm cab that you can find used for a very reasonable price.

 

[backin82]

Try the Hartke 410XL with a HA3500. They are a sold great sounding 8 ohm cab that you can find used for a very reasonable price.

I'm a HA3500 fanboi. Its a great amp for the $$$.

 

[yakmastermax]

As a poor college student I've had a decent amount of exposure to the new Acoustic brand stuff. It is unfortunately true that the new Acoustic stuff essentially boils down to guitar center's house brand. AFAIK both companies are owned by the same people.

I've owned a B100 1st generation, a B450 first generation and now a B115 both the 1st generation and the MKII. As far as price point and product lineup go their new cabinets are a terrible value. Across Acoustic's entire product offering the cabinets are certainly a weak point. The new price of their cabinets is hardly justified because you can get much better tone, weight, power handling and reliability at the same pricepoint buying a used cabinet or at a 125% price point increase you can get new. Sometimes their used cabs come in at $100-$150 and depending on your financial situation that can be an option but you're forewarned that these are not PRO cabs by any measure. They distort readily, are not voiced well, are very heavy and are not durably built.

The amplifiers are somewhat better. You certainly get a lot of power for the money but once again their new prices are hardly justified. When not on one of GCs ubiquitous "sales" the entire Fender RUmble lineup is the same price if not cheaper as new Acoustic combo amps. The decision is a no brainer. The fender rumble stuff has a much better tone, is much lighter and is built to a higher standard while being the same price. The used prices of the two product lines speaks volumes. For example a brand new B450 MKii is between $500-$600 depending on the mood of the GC execs and a fender rumble 500 is $549. A used B450 Mkii can be found for between $325-$425 while a Rumble 500 cannot be found used because no one is selling theirs

IMO Acoustic is for people on a seriously tight budget (it is literally some of the cheapest gear) who also are in situations where they need gigable loud gear.

Bottom line skip on all their gear at the new price. So much of it gets pushed onto teenagers at GC the used stock of new made Acoustic is huge. Second, skip on their cabinets entirely. If you can get one of the heads cheap then go for it but with the saved money get some decent cabinets (Carvin cabinets new is very reasonable, good value for my budget).

Good luck! Shop used if you're on a budget! Be Patient!

 

[Bugeyed Earl]

I've read some positive owner reviews of the B600H & B800H, enough to put them on my list of heads to buy if a used one turns up reasonably cheap. Would I buy a new one? Not a chance.

Interestingly, I was looking for a small practice amp for living room jams with a guitarist, and tried a pair of Acoustic combos (a B40 & B100 IIRC,) I thought the manufacturer was really optimistic on the specs, they sounded much smaller than advertised.

 

[yakmastermax]

The only combo of their's worth it's used price is the B450 Mkii.

B100 is too loud and heavy for the bedroom but will distort something nasty before you can play with a drummer.

The B200 Mkii would be solid except used they're the same price as a used Fender Rumble 200.

I'd grab a B800h as a backup if it were cheap enough.

 

[backin82]

I've read some positive owner reviews of the B600H & B800H, enough to put them on my list of heads to buy if a used one turns up reasonably cheap. Would I buy a new one? Not a chance.

Interestingly, I was looking for a small practice amp for living room jams with a guitarist, and tried a pair of Acoustic combos (a B40 & B100 IIRC,) I thought the manufacturer was really optimistic on the specs, they sounded much smaller than advertised.

I do not recommend the Acoustic heads. I had the B600H and got rid of it as soon as I could. I think the cabs are decent.

 

[Bugeyed Earl]

I do not recommend the Acoustic heads. I had the B600H and got rid of it as soon as I could. I think the cabs are decent.

Thanks for sharing your experience backin82. I'm not in any rush to own one, but if one turned up for $100 or so, I'd probably give it a listen. Maybe I'll come to the same conclusion.