I knew I'd get some pushback on that!And I’d think you’re largely wrong.
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What exactly is "that seventies thing"?
- Thread starter Chris 'Wighat' Jordan
- Start date
I'm in complete lockstep with AD9000.
Amps were big, heavy, with a thick sound and short headroom at typically 200 watts (or maybe an earth-shaking 300 for a few), and when I wanted more high-end, I'd dig in with a pick and more bridge pickup. And IF I hadn't been in my 20's, moving 215's or 810's or folded horns would have been a real ask. Of course, in those days we thought these things were the s**t, but then cars had chrome bumpers and carburetors, ladies had 'Farrah' hair (God Rest her soul . . . .), and we were arguing about playing disco instead of real rock and roll.
(Editor's Note: As David Crosby once remarked, it wasn't all bad: We came along after The Pill and before AIDS. Experienced gentlemen can appreciate this timing . . . . )
And no, I'm not nostalgic one damn bit about those rigs, although it's strange to see these presets on modern gear and realize I owned most all the amps the presets are sampled from. Obviously a few survive from those Paleozoic times like the SVT's, but to me that '70's Sound' was great players coaxing remarkable performances from gear that would not get a second look today. Rust In Peace.
Amps were big, heavy, with a thick sound and short headroom at typically 200 watts (or maybe an earth-shaking 300 for a few), and when I wanted more high-end, I'd dig in with a pick and more bridge pickup. And IF I hadn't been in my 20's, moving 215's or 810's or folded horns would have been a real ask. Of course, in those days we thought these things were the s**t, but then cars had chrome bumpers and carburetors, ladies had 'Farrah' hair (God Rest her soul . . . .), and we were arguing about playing disco instead of real rock and roll.
(Editor's Note: As David Crosby once remarked, it wasn't all bad: We came along after The Pill and before AIDS. Experienced gentlemen can appreciate this timing . . . . )
And no, I'm not nostalgic one damn bit about those rigs, although it's strange to see these presets on modern gear and realize I owned most all the amps the presets are sampled from. Obviously a few survive from those Paleozoic times like the SVT's, but to me that '70's Sound' was great players coaxing remarkable performances from gear that would not get a second look today. Rust In Peace.
Generally happens around here when you make sweeping statements. I myself learned that the hard way a few times when I painted with too broad a brush.
Out of curiosity, which Acoustic(s) have you played through? Like any other piece of gear, they’re not without their limitations. But “boxy sounding” and “lacking definition” are the two last phrases I’d use to describe their timbre. Especially the 360+ stack. There’s absolutely nowhere to hide if you’re playing through one of those. Everything you did and played got amped and pushed right back out for all to hear. It could be a cruel lesson if your technique was sloppy.
IMHO that 70s thing is Chuck Rainey at the top of his game. Fender bass and Ampeg amp.
My direct experience with 360's and 370's was mostly when I played in bands at Disneyland in the late 70's and early 80's and they were house amps on the various stages. I would not describe them as revealing in the way you do, in fact I experienced very much the opposite. I thought they were muffled, mushy and slow and didn't translate my attack very well. I know there is an aspect to the design of a folded horn cab where the sound forms quite a distance in front of the amp, and I definitely was not able to be in a physical position to hear that. It was pretty dumb of DL to have those amps for what were essentially stage monitors, where we (the bass players) were right in front of them. In that respect maybe it was the wrong tool for the job. Also, those particular 360's and 370's were often abused and pretty beat to s**t, so they probably didn't sound as good as they could have. By that time my rig was an Alembic F-2B, Crown power amp and EV B115M cab, and to my ears the Acoustics were quite a different animal. I always wanted to like the 360's and 370's but I could just never get what I wanted out of them. Some people do, and that's good.
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I think of a slight distortion going on or the lack of some extreme top end... JAE's 70s studio tone actually sounded quite dark to me, as in you won't call the intro to The Real Me bright and clanky right? The other extreme'd be Live at Leeds, the "big guitar" type of tone (the Hiwatt tone stack rolls off the lowest lows a bit IIRC). Or maybe the sealed cabs that don't have a huge resonant peak at the first harmonic of something... Or maybe they were just referring to those expensive, heavy cabinets and not the cardboard Silvertones. 
Did you hit the "bright" switch?
I hit it as hard as I could.. Yes.Did you hit the "bright" switch?
If my boomer brothers forgot... what a dual 810 and SVT... or a Sunn double stack... Acoustic 360 sounded like onstage, they forgot the glory and the intensity these prehistoric beasts created. For everyone else too young you can mock the amps and brag about modern bass technology, but it all had to come from a starting point, and you have probably never been in a situation to play one of these marvels at full power.
And the starting point for modern bass amplification started in the 70s. I saw The Allman Brothers at the Paramount in the early 70's and Berry's SVT double stack carried the room. I wish I could buy up all the old Ampeg 810's and donate them to bars so bass players could have cabs that pushed out massive sounds.
And the starting point for modern bass amplification started in the 70s. I saw The Allman Brothers at the Paramount in the early 70's and Berry's SVT double stack carried the room. I wish I could buy up all the old Ampeg 810's and donate them to bars so bass players could have cabs that pushed out massive sounds.
- Dec 21, 2007
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- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
It means it has a secret compartment to stash your weed...
I saw the Who when he had it. Not sure how much of I was hearing was FOH, but it was the most awesome sound ever and it made a huge impression on me. As I said in my first post in this thread, the Sunn amps were an exception.You know about JAE's Manhattan City worth of Sunn rig.
Full disclosure, I do own a Bergantino NV215 which is rather a behemoth in the 70's mold. I have to be pretty motivated to want to transport it, but when I do I remember what it's like to be able to really move some air.
I've heard to get that, you need a "tone machine."
Putting instruments into the PA was already becoming a thing by 1969(as well as vocal monitors and multicore snakes sending the mic lines to a mixer in the back of the room. Granted, it happened in fits and starts, in different locations, but by 1972 or so, it was the norm, especially in the 5-10K-ish arenas that replaced theaters for rock venues.
Hey, serious question here speaking of the 70s...I love the SVT tone and completely understand why it's in the pantheon of holy grail bass tones among several other amps throughout the decades, but in 20 years around talkbass I've never seen the Acoustic 360 amps get near as much attention or acclaim. I do remember an attempted comeback a while ago...
That was suppressed by Guitar Center.
Seems everyone here are positive towards the SVT, but the 360 more of a love it/hate it thing. I personally love all the recordings and software modellings, and I'd sure like to lay my hands on a real one!
