Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Do people not like Acoustic amps.
- Thread starter pica
- Start date
I <3 my B200! The only legit complaint I have is that it does not have a headphone jack. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the B100 & 450 do.
- Oct 18, 2012
- 6,683
- 5,538
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Fender, Spector, Ampeg, Curt Mangan, Nordstrand Pickups, Korg , Conquest Sound
I like the original Acoustic Brand but it went out of business in the 1980s. The company which now builds them has nothing to do with the original. I have a real problem with manufacturers who buy the rights to a name that is no longer in business and then tries to pass off the brand as the same as the original. I would feel differently if Acoustic had remained n production and someone else bought them out. That happens all the time. I haven't paid much attention to what they are offering now because I am very happy with my Ampeg gear.
After 40 years of playing bass, and owning 2 Ampeg B15s, a Trace Eliott combo, and a 15 inch SWR, I can say that I love my little Acoustic 260 mini stack with its 100 watts. I love the sound, it's portability and its simplicity. The low price was a bonus. No more heavy, 15 inch cabinets for me. This little thing sounds great.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
The Acoustic USA stuff looks great, but I worry that it won't last too long.
I have had a 360m for a little less than a year now, and that's not very long in the grand scheme of things. But, it has been dropped out of the back of my van while unloading, caught in a driving rainstorm when we were loading in, and generally schlepped all over the place on a regular basis. It gets thumped up and down staircases regularly, and when I say thumped, I mean that I haul it myself and it isn't always as gentle as it could be. A year isn't indicative of what happens in 40 years, but based on my experience so far and what I know about cabinetmaking, I'm pretty sure this thing will be blasting away sometime after Armageddon. Screw the rapture, I'll be playing bass right here on earth because it sounds good. I generally have no PA support for the bass, so being able to project is important to me. Playing outside or in a funky venue somewhere is a whole lot of fun, and that's where both the original and the new one come into their own. I had an issue with the original 360 interacting weirdly with a hollow stage once. Moving the cabinet and doing a little tweaking solved that problem. The only other issue I have ever had with the long throw was playing in a VA hall that had concrete block walls way to close and parallel to the front of the stage. I did a bunch of tweaking but never quite dialed it in the way I wanted. It didn't occur to me to skew the cabinet a little. That probably would have solved the problem. Live and learn. Those are the total of issues I have had playing with the old stuff and the new GPG Acoustic. Not bad considering I'm an old fart.
As far as image, there are people who assume it is from Guitar Center, and there are people who look at my old ACC rigs and assume they are from Guitar Center. I don't really care what they think. If the sound I get convinces people to buy stuff from Guitar Center because they just don't know, so it goes. Acoustic Control stuff has been my personal brand loyalty for a long time. The new USA amp lives up to the standard of the old stuff, at least to my ears. I have no loyalty when it comes to specific basses, but I do when it comes to amps. The reason is that the basses all have somewhat different voices, and I have been able to get the most out of those different voices over the years with the amps I use. The point is that they are transparent when I want them to be, or shaded when I want them to be. If there were a specific "sound" I was going for all the time, my behavior might be different, but I like the freedom to sound different depending on my mood and the circumstances.
I gotta say - I just had my 4th rehearsal at the local Guitar Center using a B600H head and the B810 cab. Without a doubt the worst sounding amp I have ever played through 
Today I brought the Tech 21 Para Driver I just bought and was able to salvage a useable tone.
Today I brought the Tech 21 Para Driver I just bought and was able to salvage a useable tone.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
I don't think the GC stuff has anything to do with the originals in any way. But the USA version was designed by the same engineer who designed the original. It is essentially what an original 360 could have evolved into with new technology.
I watched a GC salesman talk a buyer out of a used older 400rb in lieu of whatever 200 watt acoustic head. He even hooked them both up to a/b them. I watched and waited as the 400rb kicked a$$ in tone, eq versatility and grind. Then watched him dial in a total junk tone which he kept, before handing the bass to the customer for a/b-ing. This kid had no chance. He was totally clueless about working an eq, and fell into the "wattage" trap..."well, the 400rb is only 130 watts at 8 ohms, and the acoustic is 200, so it'll be much louder...". Not to mention this was through an acoustic 1x15 which I think was never going to give that rb much chance to shine. "well nobody biamps anymore, so you would be paying for a feature that you'll never use." (maybe a bit right on that one) and "These old 400rb's aren't as reliable as these new acoustics..." That's when I sighed very loudly and walked away shaking my head. The kid bought the acoustic, for 100 bucks more than the rb was. I almost bought the rb just to give it to the kid (it was priced at $120, decent price IMO), who, by the way, was really good, just knew nothing about gear. That ruined me forever on the (new) brand, just hearing the junk salescrap being fed to people about them by the staff.
Thankfully.. no one helped me..i used my ears and no regard fopr sticker price..And..Thankfully GC Acoustic is probably the most affordable in the store...
In 2009, I brought my ZON in to test ALL bass amps in G C...especially COMBOS.
Every..EVERY...EVERY amp ...failed my B-STRING..EXCEPT the B-200 combo..SOLD.
Sure..the MARKBASS had a sweeter tone.. but only a 12 inch..which could not handle low B AND for $1000 MORE??... A 1x15 would have been unaffordable to get what I would have wanted from that brand, so G C Acoustic is fine with me...
AND BY NOW...EVERYONE..knows that GC Acoustic is ACOUSTIC in name only; Grexa could not afford to fight them when GC bought rights to the the name.
Acoustic U S A ..PRICEY?? Without a doubt..but I imagine any pro level touring bassist can easily afford one and take it as a tax write off...so I would not recommend for a hobby bassist, either. BUT...Have you priced BFM Designed folded horn cabs? Thgose cabs alone are pricey..Lighter in weight?? AGREED, but sell me (2) old school folded horns and I will have $$ left over to hire a hand to assist this old man to load in/out...and yet only one vintage Acoustic cab would more than suffice...
Love your GK'S..Ampegs..Markbass??..You are more than welcome to enjoy them and I want you to continue....I will not dispute your love nor personal endorsements of those fine products.
My Product Loyalty??..GUILTY AS CHARGED..but only because my guitar stack-eating.. 40 year old 370 head is still performance ready ...[ I expect it to love beyond my years and I am 60]...and my G C Acoustic amps ate ALL the competition by my ears..and have served me well also.
In 2009, I brought my ZON in to test ALL bass amps in G C...especially COMBOS.
Every..EVERY...EVERY amp ...failed my B-STRING..EXCEPT the B-200 combo..SOLD.
Sure..the MARKBASS had a sweeter tone.. but only a 12 inch..which could not handle low B AND for $1000 MORE??... A 1x15 would have been unaffordable to get what I would have wanted from that brand, so G C Acoustic is fine with me...
AND BY NOW...EVERYONE..knows that GC Acoustic is ACOUSTIC in name only; Grexa could not afford to fight them when GC bought rights to the the name.
Acoustic U S A ..PRICEY?? Without a doubt..but I imagine any pro level touring bassist can easily afford one and take it as a tax write off...so I would not recommend for a hobby bassist, either. BUT...Have you priced BFM Designed folded horn cabs? Thgose cabs alone are pricey..Lighter in weight?? AGREED, but sell me (2) old school folded horns and I will have $$ left over to hire a hand to assist this old man to load in/out...and yet only one vintage Acoustic cab would more than suffice...
Love your GK'S..Ampegs..Markbass??..You are more than welcome to enjoy them and I want you to continue....I will not dispute your love nor personal endorsements of those fine products.
My Product Loyalty??..GUILTY AS CHARGED..but only because my guitar stack-eating.. 40 year old 370 head is still performance ready ...[ I expect it to love beyond my years and I am 60]...and my G C Acoustic amps ate ALL the competition by my ears..and have served me well also.
I just got my 140 head back from the shop and matched it up to my 2 Bergantino 12's, and it sounded great.
I know the Bergs are not the ideal cab for it, so I may pick up a 4ohm 15 or a 15/6 Carvin to have a full range low cost rig.
I did see a Peavey Black Widow 18 cab locally for sale, but think an 18 may be too woofy in more ways than one. I am only using the amp at home, but at full range, it sounds good for it's age.
I know the Bergs are not the ideal cab for it, so I may pick up a 4ohm 15 or a 15/6 Carvin to have a full range low cost rig.
I did see a Peavey Black Widow 18 cab locally for sale, but think an 18 may be too woofy in more ways than one. I am only using the amp at home, but at full range, it sounds good for it's age.
