Here's the best look at my 150b from '77 with 2x15 cabinet.
I still have the head but the cab is long gone.
I still have the head but the cab is long gone.
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The Acoustic Club
- Thread starter The Owl
- Start date
count me in, ive got a b-20 and its the nicest sounding little practice amp on the market, its even replaced my roland cube 100 for my main practice amp.ive also got money down on a b-200h and 15 inch cab.
I went to GC looking to get a new portable amp, I was initially considering an eden nemesis 2x10 combo, but when I plugged in to the the acoustic AB50 it just blew me away. I even thought it sounded way better than an SWR redhead they had. Only thing is the speaker starts to flutter due to the heavy bass at higher vollumes. I'm replacing it with a neo speaker, should be cool.
Templar,
Sweet lookin' 470! Back in the day (late 70's, early 80's) I had an opportunity to play through a fellow bassists Acoustic at a party. Sadly, I can't remember what model or anything....good party...but I couldn't forget how freakin' awesome it sounded. The thing was so full and loud it was like petting a dragon and took hardly any right hand effort at all. The thing was just eager to take whatever you played and then send out in huge full tonal waves. A world of difference from my Sunn Concert head (even going into 2 x Ampeg B25B cabs) where no matter what I always seems to be having to rake the crap out of my bass with my right hand just to be heard. The Acoustic, however, was like scarey and fun at the same time, hopefully when I get this new Acoustic rig together it will be the same kind of experience. Anyways, looking at your 470, I noticed all the A and B switches on the front. Did (does) it allow you to split the incoming signal into the 2 channels and send them to two different cabs and have independent EQ? Does it have a crossover? Or are those basically "either or" channels? I was curious because I have heard horror stories about Bass Bi-Ampping in general (not Acoustic) where some guys would put high quality crossover gear in the path somehow and although they still had plenty of power, just by doing so, they inadvertantly lost all their mids! My "simple" thought with having two independent heads (B200H's ) going to two different cabs (1 x B410 (highs & upper mids) and 1 x B115 (lows and lower mids) and only sharing the input signal was that I should not have that problem. Is my thinking here correct? Any suggestions on this are welcome.
Thanks again all,
Bassmore
The 470 is simply a two channel amp. Two preamps and a single power amp. The channels dont combine. It has what I believe to be the the best "worst" distortion on the planet! It s the kind of sound that secret weapons are built from.
For an amp that has the ability to combine the two channels you'd have to pick up a 320 or a 330. These will allow to you overdrive one preamp and then blend in the other with a clean sound if so desired. Yet another secret weapon amp!
Bottomend!,
Thanks for the info. and tip on the 320 or 330. I'm wondering if that's what JPJ may have used on some of his "pick" tracks (Black Dog or Houses of the Holy on Physical Graffitti, where, as heard in digitally remastered CD's these days, you can really hear the bright crunchy round wounds coming through while the bottom is still all there, awesome toneage) if he actually recorded through an amp at all, I assuming it may have been half direct/half live room with Acoustic!. Anyways, do you see any down side with the new Acoustic rig set up I mentioned above (Signal split from bass into 2 x heads, each going to separate cabs, then EQ each one to taste, but no "crossover" unit)?
Any feedback on this is welcome,
Thanks again,
Bassmore
Thanks for the info. and tip on the 320 or 330. I'm wondering if that's what JPJ may have used on some of his "pick" tracks (Black Dog or Houses of the Holy on Physical Graffitti, where, as heard in digitally remastered CD's these days, you can really hear the bright crunchy round wounds coming through while the bottom is still all there, awesome toneage) if he actually recorded through an amp at all, I assuming it may have been half direct/half live room with Acoustic!. Anyways, do you see any down side with the new Acoustic rig set up I mentioned above (Signal split from bass into 2 x heads, each going to separate cabs, then EQ each one to taste, but no "crossover" unit)?
Any feedback on this is welcome,
Thanks again,
Bassmore
The 300 series bass amps came out after those two albums so JPJ wasn't using them.
I get "my tone" by using three Acoustic amps in the manner you described. I'll simply take out the freqs from the amp as one would use a crossover. The Acoustic stuff has a pretty crazy EQ slope so it chops stuff really good ( using the EQ to make "synth" sounds while my bass is feeding back is something I've developed) so you can keep stuff in it's own little aural box. For me a key issue is making sure you have different speaker cabs that are voiced for the freqs they are reproducing. I've found that using similar cabs for different sound dont produce nearly the impact as having vastly different cabs.
My "small" rig consist of a 408 powered by either a 330 or a 320 for lows, a 402 powered by a 450 for grit and a 104 powered by a 150 for highs. I now have a 404 cab ( I actually have two of em!) so I will be using that, instead of the 402 for the gritty sound. In a pinch I can just run the 408 with the 320 or 330 because of the channel combining features. It's a very special amp in the way that each channel maintains separation seemingly all the way through to the outputs. While running one channel clean and the other dirty, there is a distinction and clarity of the two tones very well, like having two separate amps.
I get "my tone" by using three Acoustic amps in the manner you described. I'll simply take out the freqs from the amp as one would use a crossover. The Acoustic stuff has a pretty crazy EQ slope so it chops stuff really good ( using the EQ to make "synth" sounds while my bass is feeding back is something I've developed) so you can keep stuff in it's own little aural box. For me a key issue is making sure you have different speaker cabs that are voiced for the freqs they are reproducing. I've found that using similar cabs for different sound dont produce nearly the impact as having vastly different cabs.
My "small" rig consist of a 408 powered by either a 330 or a 320 for lows, a 402 powered by a 450 for grit and a 104 powered by a 150 for highs. I now have a 404 cab ( I actually have two of em!) so I will be using that, instead of the 402 for the gritty sound. In a pinch I can just run the 408 with the 320 or 330 because of the channel combining features. It's a very special amp in the way that each channel maintains separation seemingly all the way through to the outputs. While running one channel clean and the other dirty, there is a distinction and clarity of the two tones very well, like having two separate amps.
Bottemend!
Whoa! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I obviously have to bone up on my Acoustic heritage studies, your response was awesome and very enlightening. I'm only guessing, but I imagine your "small" rig probably dwarfs some of the house PA systems out there! It's gotta be an awesome experience to play through something like that in a day in age where defying physics with "micro bass amps" seems to be the trend. Not to take anything away from some of the technological advancements of the day, but I'm with you (much smaller stack rig by compaison) in that a bass, being the beast that it is, Must Push Serious Air as it projects it's harmonically rich tonal waves upon our Earth. Give it air! It must breathe! I freakin' Love it! Ooops! My apologies for the digression but I so can't wait to be in front of a real stack again (it's all about lay-away for me these days) and your feedback indicates to me that I'm at least on the right path with my two headed Acoustic rig design. Very good point on using different cab types, I wish they would make a new 300W "B118", perhaps a little Cerwin Vega (go ahead, private label it boys, nobody would have to know) action again! Are they listening? 
Thanks again,
Bassmore
Whoa! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I obviously have to bone up on my Acoustic heritage studies, your response was awesome and very enlightening. I'm only guessing, but I imagine your "small" rig probably dwarfs some of the house PA systems out there! It's gotta be an awesome experience to play through something like that in a day in age where defying physics with "micro bass amps" seems to be the trend. Not to take anything away from some of the technological advancements of the day, but I'm with you (much smaller stack rig by compaison) in that a bass, being the beast that it is, Must Push Serious Air as it projects it's harmonically rich tonal waves upon our Earth. Give it air! It must breathe! I freakin' Love it! Ooops! My apologies for the digression but I so can't wait to be in front of a real stack again (it's all about lay-away for me these days) and your feedback indicates to me that I'm at least on the right path with my two headed Acoustic rig design. Very good point on using different cab types, I wish they would make a new 300W "B118", perhaps a little Cerwin Vega (go ahead, private label it boys, nobody would have to know) action again! Are they listening? Thanks again,
Bassmore
Stacknobuser,
Very good to know sir!
Perhaps my lay away situation will perpetuate itself a bit longer. Actually, I should have my two headed stack well in hand by 09. Will my urge to "stack em high" (or should that be low) ever end? The wife may not dig it too much but I'll have an awesome sounding U-Haul trailer as I...Ramble On (LZ Lives!). Please keep up the phenomonal work! You guys are spot on the target...it can only get bigger as more ears hear.
Thanks again all,
Bassmore
Very good to know sir!
Perhaps my lay away situation will perpetuate itself a bit longer. Actually, I should have my two headed stack well in hand by 09. Will my urge to "stack em high" (or should that be low) ever end? The wife may not dig it too much but I'll have an awesome sounding U-Haul trailer as I...Ramble On (LZ Lives!). Please keep up the phenomonal work! You guys are spot on the target...it can only get bigger as more ears hear.Thanks again all,
Bassmore
Thanks bassmore. I can tell you're nuts about Acoustic. You pass the test.
I've played the triple set up only a few times live since I figured it out last summer and it's like a world unto itself. It's truly alive and becomes an instrument. I've played 500 seat clubs with it and the sound man has come up to me after putting up a fight at soundcheck ( because I need three lines) telling me " that was the BEST bass sound I've EVER heard in my life". And these arnt little rinky dink clubs either... I live in LA and play gigs at places that are booked sometimes a year in advance. I'm gushing a bit but I gotta take some stock in comments like that comming from guys who have "heard it all".
For smaller gigs I've used two amps/cabs and got great results as well. For those I usually run a 320/402 for lows and a 104/450 for highs. I'd run my 470 instead of the 450 but it's broken. The 450 is a work horse though and cant be beat for general duty.
And as a side note, if you haven't tried any of the new Acoustic stuff just get on over to GC and check them out. I'm not easily impressed but this stuff "floored" me. Being a vintage Acoustic fan, I didn't think it was possible that the new stuff would stand up to what I'm used to playing through. They are two different animals, each suited to their own version of what bass "should sound like" .....but the sound they create is phenominal!
I've played the triple set up only a few times live since I figured it out last summer and it's like a world unto itself. It's truly alive and becomes an instrument. I've played 500 seat clubs with it and the sound man has come up to me after putting up a fight at soundcheck ( because I need three lines) telling me " that was the BEST bass sound I've EVER heard in my life". And these arnt little rinky dink clubs either... I live in LA and play gigs at places that are booked sometimes a year in advance. I'm gushing a bit but I gotta take some stock in comments like that comming from guys who have "heard it all".
For smaller gigs I've used two amps/cabs and got great results as well. For those I usually run a 320/402 for lows and a 104/450 for highs. I'd run my 470 instead of the 450 but it's broken. The 450 is a work horse though and cant be beat for general duty.
And as a side note, if you haven't tried any of the new Acoustic stuff just get on over to GC and check them out. I'm not easily impressed but this stuff "floored" me. Being a vintage Acoustic fan, I didn't think it was possible that the new stuff would stand up to what I'm used to playing through. They are two different animals, each suited to their own version of what bass "should sound like" .....but the sound they create is phenominal!
Sorry, I just re-read the thread and saw that you've got a rig coming. I was preaching to the converted!
Ok birdsong, whoever is keeping tabs on club membership needs to add you as well. I like the little 1-15 cab under the 220. how does it project/sound? Is it the same size as a 136? I'd like to have that size cab with the flexibility to use different heads.
Count me in. I got a 1974 Acoustic 136, which currently I need to repair. Sounds great tho. Once fixed its gonna be my upstairs practice rig where it'll stay.
MY NEW ACOUSTIC UPDATE!
My lay away saga continues
but only on a very positive note. I laid away my #2 Head (ACOUSTIC B200H!) today!!! I was going for my 2nd ACOUSTIC cab (B115) as well (my first ACOUSTIC B410 cab is already stowed away along with the ACOUSTIC B200H #1 head in GC's cellar for now), but they (GC) only had the one B115 on the floor and it had a small tear in the tolex. Not destined for me, his younger brother will do when he arrives...HA!, I'll be waiting 
. So my Two Headed ACOUSTIC Dream Rig is now 3/4's of the way in it's gestation. Yes, now the wait continues along with my anticipation but dollar by dollar I determined to get it...there so therefore...I Will.
Yes indeed...it shall be SAWEET!
Keep playin' it THRU BLUE!
Thanks again all,
Bassmore
My lay away saga continues
but only on a very positive note. I laid away my #2 Head (ACOUSTIC B200H!) today!!! I was going for my 2nd ACOUSTIC cab (B115) as well (my first ACOUSTIC B410 cab is already stowed away along with the ACOUSTIC B200H #1 head in GC's cellar for now), but they (GC) only had the one B115 on the floor and it had a small tear in the tolex. Not destined for me, his younger brother will do when he arrives...HA!, I'll be waiting . So my Two Headed ACOUSTIC Dream Rig is now 3/4's of the way in it's gestation. Yes, now the wait continues along with my anticipation but dollar by dollar I determined to get it...there so therefore...I Will.Yes indeed...it shall be SAWEET!
Keep playin' it THRU BLUE!
Thanks again all,
Bassmore
Count me in, folks -- as of this morning, I'm the proud owner of a new Acoustic B200 115 combo.
Hubba hubba, ding ding!
Hubba hubba, ding ding!
