New amp for my Acme's?

[John D Harris]

Will Kelly
Bass Diddler Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas



Hmm. Thanks for the responses so far guys.

Here's what my impressions are:

-The Ashdown LG1000 will probably not have enough kick to run both 4 ohm cabs. Plus, after my initial bad experience running my GK MB500 into just ONE of my 4 ohm Acme's, I am in general skeptical of class D amps with these cabs.

-Carvin Amps might do the trick, like the BX1500. Class D though. Anyone else having problems with iffy voltage shutting these down when pushed?

-Acoustic Image. I actually have an older Clarus 2 and love it, but it is woefully underpowered for this application. The Clarus + looks great, but is also $1K.

-Mesa, I have no experience with, other than I have never seen a Mesa guitar product work for one complete gig.

So... I guess Carvin, AI, or some sort of massive transformer based amp like a Sunn 1200s or some such.

Fender made a Pro 800 that runs down to 2ohm as well, that seems like a very good amp (I think the power amp section is based on the Sunn 1200).

 

[BassmanPaul]

Just because the power is there doesn't mean you have to use enough to damage the driver's (..., but I understand it makes some people uneasy to risk it ...esp. w/Acmes).

I agree but there again, why buy huge amounts of power that you can never safely use? Until the BX1500 came along I was powering the cabs with up to 350W each (Carvin DCM1000) and I never needed more. If I could have found an amp with that same rating I'd still be using that much.

 

[Bluesy Soul]

I agree but there again, why buy huge amounts of power that you can never safely use? Until the BX1500 came along I was powering the cabs with up to 350W each (Carvin DCM1000) and I never needed more. If I could have found an amp with that same rating I'd still be using that much.

We've all developed our beliefs and approaches based on our personal experiences. And I certainly respect yours, Paul.

I'm compelled to state again in response, however, that some of us have had different experiences. I respectfully disagree that more power can't be safely used with Acmes. I've used 600-700 watts of power into each of a pair of Low B-2s (i.e., the V-8) literally hundreds of time, using various types of heads and rack separates. I prefer the sound and flexibility of this type of set-up to running 300-400 watts per cab. I've never damaged or had a problem with a Low B-2 using this configuration (i.e., no speeding tickets). Andy Lewis has seen and heard me gig with this type of set-up many times and and has always complimented and approved it.

For my sound and usage, the "extra headroom" approach works best. Your approach is, of course, equally valid for you. Readers should be aware of both.

 

[jazz3625tonic]

I just picked up one of the inexpensive Hartke LH500 heads to use with my Acme Low B2. Its a wonderful combination. I have never really been hip to the Hartke amps. But this particular model sounds just great! Warm and deep, with a very pleasant midrange. Similar to the Alembic F1X.

Hey Will, I'm playing the P Bass I got from you through a Hartke LH100 and a Acme Flatwound and a Series 2 B2 (vertical stack). Both cabs are 8 ohm so each one is getting 500 watts and if you could hear this rig........ Very, very deep and the midrange is oh so sweet just as Adrian (above) testifies to.

 

[sailorofcheese]

im in the same situation. (2 4ohm Acmes). i'd appreciate any input on the shuttle max 12, experiences?...