Official Fender ACB Club

[rstephens]

The amp arrived Friday and I played it last night at a bar gig and it was plenty loud over drums (only vocals in the PA) and our guitarist's small amp. At volume it was much darker than I imagined from bedroom volume so I'll work on eq at next rehearsal. Bur it sounds great anyway and my back survived loading it in and out!

Thanks to all for inspiring me to get another ACB50.

 

[Bricolage]

I don't know how to explain it, but for me, transporting it is both "not bad at all" and "annoying as hell" all at the same time.

I don't regret my decision with it one bit!

 

[u2brothr]

After a year or whatever, what's the general consensus for the volume ability for using the ACB50 live? Are you guys doing so? Just the combo? Combo with extension cabinet? Only with front of house support?

I have done two large gigs with mine. So far so good. It get's hella loud. I used to play with and Ampeg SVT-CL and Ampeg 410 HLF. (ow my back). My only critique would be that I wish the amp were "higher" in height? My previous cabinet was taller and the sound hit me in my crotch when facing it. This amp is at my lower leg level. I am now selling my Ampeg combo.

 

[matbard]

I'm still figuring which frequencies are affected by the controls of the amp... Deas anyone sorted those out?

 

[Lammchop93]

I'm looking at picking one of these up here soon. I typically play smaller bar type gig so I think this would be plenty of volume with front of house support.

I mainly play passive basses, but I really like hot pick ups. Do you all think I can get into reasonable gigging volume without absurd overdrive?

I'm trying to decide if this is the amount I should go for, or look used a Bassman 100t and a neo115 cab. Or maybe even the 300W Super Bassman. There is one locally for a great price

 

[rstephens]

I was a little worried about volume too, but it is plenty loud over our heavy handed drummer (not amplified) and not too overdriven to me at all. I've read about changing tubes for more clean headroom but i haven't felt the need.

 

[Lammchop93]

I picked up one of these today for a song. I generally use hot pickup passive basses, but I can't turn the volume past #7 on the dial without total fuzz. Is this normal? I was thinking of trying a 5751 in v1 socket to tame it some

 

[rodl2005]

I picked up one of these today for a song. I generally use hot pickup passive basses, but I can't turn the volume past #7 on the dial without total fuzz. Is this normal? I was thinking of trying a 5751 in v1 socket to tame it some

My hot pick up basses will certainly overdrive a tube amp as such

I think I did put 5751 tubes in my Super Bassman, for a small difference.
Might be worth a try

 

[Lammchop93]

My hot pick up basses will certainly overdrive a tube amp as such

I think I did put 5751 tubes in my Super Bassman, for a small difference.
Might be worth a try

Already ordered one to try. Does anyone know if both amp channels use v1? Or does the second channel use v2 instead of v1?

 

[matbard]

Do you use the lower impedance inputs?

 

[rodl2005]

Do you use the lower impedance inputs?

With a hot bass that might be a good try

 

[Lammchop93]

Do you use the lower impedance inputs?

I did try it, but I felt the clean volume was about the same as the other channel. I can go further in the dial, but the actual volume was about the same.

 

[Lammchop93]

I got my 5751 yesterday and put it in. The difference in headroom is negligible. I can maybe get a 1/4 or 1/2 turn between numbers of extra clean headroom. I do think the overdrive is less fuzzy than the 12ax7, so I am going to keep it installed.

I have a small show tonight at a country club, which is the type of show I wanted to have this amp for, so we will see how it does. If it can't get loud enough without fuzz, it'll be up for sale/trade. I will report back!

 

[Lammchop93]

the show went great, but the stage was so small I didn't get to use the amp. tonemaster pro with the FOH and my IEMs was more than enough to hear myself well.

I have another show in 2 weeks, so will give it a try then.

 

[57pbass]

I'm looking at picking one of these up here soon. I typically play smaller bar type gig so I think this would be plenty of volume with front of house support.

I mainly play passive basses, but I really like hot pick ups. Do you all think I can get into reasonable gigging volume without absurd overdrive?

I'm trying to decide if this is the amount I should go for, or look used a Bassman 100t and a neo115 cab. Or maybe even the 300W Super Bassman. There is one locally for a great price

I've played my amp on a few large stages with FOH and I had more than enough good quality volume and tone. It's a really cool amp. I just purchased a TUKI cover for mine and it will see lots of action this upcoming season.

 

[rodl2005]

I used this last night without FOH PA support. Sounded great and I probly only used 50 of its 100w

 

[oms]

After a year or whatever, what's the general consensus for the volume ability for using the ACB50 live? Are you guys doing so? Just the combo? Combo with extension cabinet? Only with front of house support?

I got mine shortly after they were released and I've played dozens of gigs with it; it's been a real workhorse. I just use the combo, I don't have an extension cab. I've probably played an equal number of gigs with house sound and without and it's been great for both.

There's an important caveat for me though, and it may not be an appropriate live amp for everyone. I got this amp specifically because I knew I could easily get it to break up. I am a tube amp guy, but it's virtually impossible to get my SVT to break up at sub end-of-the-world volume. So for me, the lack of clean headroom is the point, and Clayton kinda said as much if you watch some of the promo vids. He wanted distortion. So if you need a really pristine clean tone at high volumes, this is likely to leave you wanting. I think when it breaks up though, it just sounds phenomenal. And it takes OD and fuzz beautifully.

Since I got this amp, people will seek me out every single time we play to talk about how amazing they think it sounds, and that's a new thing for me since changing amps. With our sound, the mid-focused voice and the natural tube distortion slice me right through the mix and it turns the bass into an extremely present force that drives the band (I am playing a Fender Aerodyne with Aguilar PJ pickups). It's perfect for us. But it is an amp that has a specific voice and character.

When there is house sound I have always had the sound guy mic it. We played live on one of our local college radio stations shortly after I bought it and their sound engineer described the DI as "a tiny bit noisy" so he used a mic instead. I don't really know if it matters that much for a regular gig, but I always ask sound guys to mic it anyway and people always love how it sounds so I have continued to request a mic.

It's been fairly reliable for gigging, but like many other people here, I did have problems with the factory preamp tubes and they were replaced. Aside from that though, I use the hell out of the thing and it's been great. I just love it and it's a core part of the sound of our band at this point. All that said, if I was playing in a band that really needed pristine clean tones, I might consider reaching for something else. But you may also find that in a full band setting you may not even notice the grindiness that much, cuz the thing just sounds great. Sorry, long reply, but just wanted to share my experience because it's the only amp I've gigged with in the last 2 years.

 

[OldManNewBass]

...problems with the factory preamp tubes and they were replaced.

What replacement tubes did you use...?

 

[Bass Motifs]

I got mine shortly after they were released and I've played dozens of gigs with it; it's been a real workhorse. I just use the combo, I don't have an extension cab. I've probably played an equal number of gigs with house sound and without and it's been great for both.

There's an important caveat for me though, and it may not be an appropriate live amp for everyone. I got this amp specifically because I knew I could easily get it to break up. I am a tube amp guy, but it's virtually impossible to get my SVT to break up at sub end-of-the-world volume. So for me, the lack of clean headroom is the point, and Clayton kinda said as much if you watch some of the promo vids. He wanted distortion. So if you need a really pristine clean tone at high volumes, this is likely to leave you wanting. I think when it breaks up though, it just sounds phenomenal. And it takes OD and fuzz beautifully.

Since I got this amp, people will seek me out every single time we play to talk about how amazing they think it sounds, and that's a new thing for me since changing amps. With our sound, the mid-focused voice and the natural tube distortion slice me right through the mix and it turns the bass into an extremely present force that drives the band (I am playing a Fender Aerodyne with Aguilar PJ pickups). It's perfect for us. But it is an amp that has a specific voice and character.

When there is house sound I have always had the sound guy mic it. We played live on one of our local college radio stations shortly after I bought it and their sound engineer described the DI as "a tiny bit noisy" so he used a mic instead. I don't really know if it matters that much for a regular gig, but I always ask sound guys to mic it anyway and people always love how it sounds so I have continued to request a mic.

It's been fairly reliable for gigging, but like many other people here, I did have problems with the factory preamp tubes and they were replaced. Aside from that though, I use the hell out of the thing and it's been great. I just love it and it's a core part of the sound of our band at this point. All that said, if I was playing in a band that really needed pristine clean tones, I might consider reaching for something else. But you may also find that in a full band setting you may not even notice the grindiness that much, cuz the thing just sounds great. Sorry, long reply, but just wanted to share my experience because it's the only amp I've gigged with in the last 2 years.

What mic did you use with it? I've got a SM57 but wonder if it will get enough of the bass?

 

[57pbass]

Tonight's show.. Custom Shop P Bass with Brazilian Rosewood board and ACB50