NAD! Acoustic B50C.

[bordinco90]

I've been ampless for awhile now. I've been practicing through some PA speakers that I had, but I wanted a little bass amp to practice on. I've been wanting to try the Acoustic B50C, so I bought one as a Christmas present to myself. Well it arrived today and I'm impressed! For context, I've owned many combos over the years (ELF 1x10 combo, Fender Rumble 60, 100 and 500, Ampeg RB112, Bugera BXD15A, Markbass CMD112, 115, and JB115, and lastly an Acoustic B200 combo). This B50C sounds really nice with my Ibanez basses. It gets really loud and does not distort like some of the above mentioned amps I've owned. I love the kickback feature and I think it will do a great job at rehearsals with my band. The amp is also very clear and articulate, something that the Rumbles and Ampegs are not IME. My second bass combo amp was a used Acoustic B200 combo and it sounded great and was REALLY loud. I'm glad Acoustic is still giving a lot of bang for your buck in terms of overall loudness per watt. This little box puts out some volume, and still sounds good. Very impressed!

 

[bordinco90]

Let me know what you think. Does anyone else have any experiences with this amp?

 

[gtirard]

Let me know what you think. Does anyone else have any experiences with this amp?

I didn't even know Acoustic was stilll in business. I see a lot of people talking about the legacy amps with nostalgia, but never saw anybody talk about their current offering. How comes?

I've visited their website, the whole product range is interesting.

 

[iagtrplyr]

Let me know what you think. Does anyone else have any experiences with this amp?

Hi B90! I also have the 50 and like it very much. I agree with you, there’s a clarity in the mids that makes it musical. I do wish it had DI so I could record without a mic, but for the bucks it’s a no-brainer. Glad you like it!

 

[bordinco90]

I didn't even know Acoustic was stilll in business. I see a lot of people talking about the legacy amps with nostalgia, but never saw anybody talk about their current offering. How comes?

I've visited their website, the whole product range is interesting.

I think it's because they are now a Guitar Center/Musicians Friend exclusive brand. Plus they are not made in the USA anymore. The combo I have is built well and sounds great.

 

[bordinco90]

Hi B90! I also have the 50 and like it very much. I agree with you, there’s a clarity in the mids that makes it musical. I do wish it had DI so I could record without a mic, but for the bucks it’s a no-brainer. Glad you like it!

Thank you! Yeah IME, Acoustic stuff has always been nice and puts out more volume than one would expect. I think it sounds better than the Rumble 40.

 

[nixdad]

I've been ampless for awhile now. I've been practicing through some PA speakers that I had, but I wanted a little bass amp to practice on. I've been wanting to try the Acoustic B50C, so I bought one as a Christmas present to myself. Well it arrived today and I'm impressed! For context, I've owned many combos over the years (ELF 1x10 combo, Fender Rumble 60, 100 and 500, Ampeg RB112, Bugera BXD15A, Markbass CMD112, 115, and JB115, and lastly an Acoustic B200 combo). This B50C sounds really nice with my Ibanez basses. It gets really loud and does not distort like some of the above mentioned amps I've owned. I love the kickback feature and I think it will do a great job at rehearsals with my band. The amp is also very clear and articulate, something that the Rumbles and Ampegs are not IME. My second bass combo amp was a used Acoustic B200 combo and it sounded great and was REALLY loud. I'm glad Acoustic is still giving a lot of bang for your buck in terms of overall loudness per watt. This little box puts out some volume, and still sounds good. Very impressed!
View attachment 7112371

The Acoustic combos are excellent, and are highly underrated. I used the previous Acoustic B50C model for the first several years with my band (everything runs through the P.A.,) then later upgraded to the B100C. The kickback style cabinet is a great design and very versatile.

I've since changed my live amp and now just use the Acoustic at home, but it remains a great sounding, solid piece of gear.

Thank you! Yeah IME, Acoustic stuff has always been nice and puts out more volume than one would expect. I think it sounds better than the Rumble 40.

I agree. I gave the Rumble amps a shot a few years ago (and even bought one,) but returned it at the time for the Acoustic B100C.

 

[iagtrplyr]

I think it's because they are now a Guitar Center/Musicians Friend exclusive brand. Plus they are not made in the USA anymore. The combo I have is built well and sounds great.

From what I’ve heard, this version of the brand (which original Acoustic Control owners dislike immensely the name being used) was designed by former Crate engineers and built in Asia. Feel free to correct me if that isn’t true.

If you watch their YT videos for this series there’s a guy name Carl playing the role of spokesperson. He was a former salesman at our Quad Cities GC a few years back and sold me equipment. Small world, huh?

 

[nickpc]

I have a B50c as well and my only complaint is that music played through the line-in feed isn't as clear as I would expect. Every other amp I've used this feature on has sounded decent to listen to music through, but this one does not, reminding me of an AM transistor radio. Not the biggest deal for me - I just play along to the rack stereo system in the same room instead.

 

[bordinco90]

The Acoustic combos are excellent, and are highly underrated. I used the previous Acoustic B50C model for the first several years with my band (everything runs through the P.A.,) then later upgraded to the B100C. The kickback style cabinet is a great design and very versatile.

I've since changed my live amp and now just use the Acoustic at home, but it remains a great sounding, solid piece of gear.

I agree. I gave the Rumble amps a shot a few years ago (and even bought one,) but returned it at the time for the Acoustic B100C.

I've owned the Rumble 100 probably 3 times now and sold them after a few months. The QC was bad on every one and each one had a rattle coming from the speaker. I almost got the B100C, but couldn't justify the extra power due to me going ampless for gigs.

 

[bordinco90]

I have a B50c as well and my only complaint is that music played through the line-in feed isn't as clear as I would expect. Every other amp I've used this feature on has sounded decent to listen to music through, but this one does not, reminding me of an AM transistor radio. Not the biggest deal for me - I just play along to the rack stereo system in the same room instead.

Oh wow. I probably won't use this feature, but that sucks that it sounds bad.

 

[bordinco90]

From what I’ve heard, this version of the brand (which original Acoustic Control owners dislike immensely the name being used) was designed by former Crate engineers and built in Asia. Feel free to correct me if that isn’t true.

If you watch their YT videos for this series there’s a guy name Carl playing the role of spokesperson. He was a former salesman at our Quad Cities GC a few years back and sold me equipment. Small world, huh?

Wow I've never heard that before. That's cool that you know the spokesperson!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I didn't even know Acoustic was stilll in business. I see a lot of people talking about the legacy amps with nostalgia, but never saw anybody talk about their current offering. How comes?

I've visited their website, the whole product range is interesting.

Not “still in business”. They went out of business and the brand has been resurrected in various guises. A brief search didn’t show me who owns the name now, but it’s definitely not the same company as the original.

 

[B-string]

Not “still in business”. They went out of business and the brand has been resurrected in various guises. A brief search didn’t show me who owns the name now, but it’s definitely not the same company as the original.

Exactly, Acoustic Control Corp is sadly long gone. The "look and name" has been perverted for a "House brand" budget line, not "bad stuff" understand. Those like myself that owned and gigged the original Acoustic (ACC) just for some reason find it offensive when they blatantly live off the old name in their advertising blurbs.

 

[bordinco90]

Exactly, Acoustic Control Corp is sadly long gone. The "look and name" has been perverted for a "House brand" budget line, not "bad stuff" understand. Those like myself that owned and gigged the original Acoustic (ACC) just for some reason find it offensive when they blatantly live off the old name in their advertising blurbs.

I've never owned an original ACC stuff. I heard it was awesome!

 

[shoot-r]

I've been ampless for awhile now. I've been practicing through some PA speakers that I had, but I wanted a little bass amp to practice on. I've been wanting to try the Acoustic B50C, so I bought one as a Christmas present to myself. Well it arrived today and I'm impressed! For context, I've owned many combos over the years (ELF 1x10 combo, Fender Rumble 60, 100 and 500, Ampeg RB112, Bugera BXD15A, Markbass CMD112, 115, and JB115, and lastly an Acoustic B200 combo). This B50C sounds really nice with my Ibanez basses. It gets really loud and does not distort like some of the above mentioned amps I've owned. I love the kickback feature and I think it will do a great job at rehearsals with my band. The amp is also very clear and articulate, something that the Rumbles and Ampegs are not IME. My second bass combo amp was a used Acoustic B200 combo and it sounded great and was REALLY loud. I'm glad Acoustic is still giving a lot of bang for your buck in terms of overall loudness per watt. This little box puts out some volume, and still sounds good. Very impressed!
View attachment 7112371

Not long ago I got the opportunity at a local GC to A/B, side by side, Ampeg's RB112 combo, Fender's Rumble 112 combo and GC's Acoustic 112 combo.

All were 100 watts with a single 12" driver in a front ported cabinet, no horn/tweeter. All sounded good in their own voiced way, build quality seemed good on all three, Ampeg was the highest priced followed by the Fender then the Acoustic, cosmetics on each was good and followed that brands past appearance.

After spending some time going back and forth with a passive, 4 string, Fender Jazz I was truly surprised and impressed that my ears chose the GC Acoustic's sound and tone.

The only drawback, the Acoustic was the heaviest of the three.



(FYI) I gigged a Acoustic 360 for many, many years back through the 70's, (and yes sir they were awesome,) but I've no animosity towards GC's reviving the Acoustic name.

 

[nixdad]

Exactly, Acoustic Control Corp is sadly long gone. The "look and name" has been perverted for a "House brand" budget line, not "bad stuff" understand. Those like myself that owned and gigged the original Acoustic (ACC) just for some reason find it offensive when they blatantly live off the old name in their advertising blurbs.

@B-string - Like you, I owned several original Acoustic brand amps back in the early 80's, and have plenty of fond memories. I'm fully aware Acoustic was one of the brands that GC had purchased (long after they had gone out of business) and revived, and certainly had mixed feelings about it. I never expected to like the new Acoustic amps, but I couldn't argue with the results in what I was looking for at the time in a low priced combo.

I've never owned an original ACC stuff. I heard it was awesome!

It was cool - decades ago, Ampeg & Acoustic were arguably at the top of the bass amp food chain. However, that all changed in the 80's with the introduction of brands including Trace Elliot, SWR, etc.

Not long ago I got the opportunity at a local GC to A/B, side by side, Ampeg's RB112 combo, Fender's Rumble 112 combo and GC's Acoustic 112 combo.

All were 100 watts with a single 12" driver, no horn/tweeter. All sounded good in their own voiced way, Ampeg was the highest priced followed by the Fender then the Acoustic, cosmetics on each was good and followed that brands past appearance.

After spending some time going back and forth with a passive, 4 string, Fender Jazz I was truly surprised and impressed that my ears chose the GC Acoustic's sound and tone.

The only drawback, the Acoustic was the heaviest of the three.



(FYI) I gigged an Acoustic 360 for many, many years back through the 70's, (and yes sir they were awesome,) but I've no animosity towards GC's reviving the Acoustic name.

@shoot-r - my experience was similar. I owned a 370 which I had bought used, but also owned a 120(?) head which I kept in the studio. Combo-wise, I came to the same conclusion at the time.

Heck - at the end of the day, NONE of the brands in question here have the same ownership as in their heyday, so that’s not really a concern, right?

 

[bordinco90]

Not long ago I got the opportunity at a local GC to A/B, side by side, Ampeg's RB112 combo, Fender's Rumble 112 combo and GC's Acoustic 112 combo.

All were 100 watts with a single 12" driver in a front ported cabinet, no horn/tweeter. All sounded good in their own voiced way, build quality seemed good on all three, Ampeg was the highest priced followed by the Fender then the Acoustic, cosmetics on each was good and followed that brands past appearance.

After spending some time going back and forth with a passive, 4 string, Fender Jazz I was truly surprised and impressed that my ears chose the GC Acoustic's sound and tone.

The only drawback, the Acoustic was the heaviest of the three.



(FYI) I gigged a Acoustic 360 for many, many years back through the 70's, (and yes sir they were awesome,) but I've no animosity towards GC's reviving the Acoustic name.

That's great! I almost bought the 100c, but couldn't justify the extra watts. I'm not playing live with the amp.

 

[SJan3]

I've been ampless for awhile now. I've been practicing through some PA speakers that I had, but I wanted a little bass amp to practice on. I've been wanting to try the Acoustic B50C, so I bought one as a Christmas present to myself. Well it arrived today and I'm impressed! For context, I've owned many combos over the years (ELF 1x10 combo, Fender Rumble 60, 100 and 500, Ampeg RB112, Bugera BXD15A, Markbass CMD112, 115, and JB115, and lastly an Acoustic B200 combo). This B50C sounds really nice with my Ibanez basses. It gets really loud and does not distort like some of the above mentioned amps I've owned. I love the kickback feature and I think it will do a great job at rehearsals with my band. The amp is also very clear and articulate, something that the Rumbles and Ampegs are not IME. My second bass combo amp was a used Acoustic B200 combo and it sounded great and was REALLY loud. I'm glad Acoustic is still giving a lot of bang for your buck in terms of overall loudness per watt. This little box puts out some volume, and still sounds good. Very impressed!
View attachment 7112371

I've not tried one but it reminds me of my Acoustic 360 and I always thought that was a stunning looking amp.
I'm glad it sounds good. Enjoy!

 

[bordinco90]

I've not tried one but it reminds me of my Acoustic 360 and I always thought that was a stunning looking amp.
I'm glad it sounds good. Enjoy!

Thank you! It sounds great. It's brighter and clearer sounding than any Rumble or Rocket combo I've owned.