What exactly is "that seventies thing"?

[alaskaleftybass]

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...

TB is mostly about all things Fender. Ampeg pushed it's way in by the sheer might of its products. Acoustic Control Corporation is a phomenon of the 70's and was resurrected two or three times that I know of.

Recently there were two popular resurrections. The first I know of was by Guitar Center, a series of MDF cabinets with heads that somewhat resembled the heads of the 70's with modern touches. They had one for a while I liked-- it had a 110 cab with a folded horn design-- I've always loved Acoustic's folded horn cabs. This model was more of a commodity that attracted the kids that could afford it. They've recently tried to upgrade their products but are still Acoustics in name only and made somewhere in some Asian country.

The second well known iteration is Acoustic Amplification, an American company that attempted to capture the magic of the original Acoustic Control Corporation but I can't say either way as I've never even seen one in person. I understand a few recording artist bass players played them but the amps never achieved success.

Some guys like @Jeff Scott @Passinwind @agedhorse or my other buddies at the GOF thread could correct what I mis-stated.

None of this has anything to do with why Acoustic isn't popular on TB. I've seen a lot of love for the original but not a lot of posts.

Here's the latest link to the latest attempt for the Acoustic Amplification:

Acoustic Amplification | Bass and Acoustic Amps, Cabinets and Combos

For all I know, this could even be the cheap Chinese knockoff, I don't know.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

Ironically Percy Jones and Brand X, "does that seventies thing really well..."

At least for me it does.
Sorry for the derailment.
Dirk

 

[socialleper]

What is "that seventies thing"?

Something that scratches a nostalgia itch.

 

[Iristone]

IIRC today's Acoustic is Guitar Center. They bought the name, have no interest in making 360/370 reissues (instead making generic amps and paint them like Acoustics), and sued the real reissue company to bankruptcy.

 

[byacey]

Did you hit the "bright" switch?

Horns have a very distinct and defined frequency range. Depending on the upper cutoff frequency of the folded horn, you wouldn't get any highs out of that cabinet even if you threw it out of an aircraft at 30,000 feet!

 

[DavC]

i started playing bass in the mid 70's ... so , to me , it's mostly nostalgic ... Sunn Concert bass head / 2x15 cab or 2 with JBL's ... then the boat anchor Acoustic 370 ... was glad for the 80's ...!! = GK 400RB ... still 2x15 s ...

and Yes , it was a different sound ... not ' modern '

 

[Passinwind]

Here's the latest link to the latest attempt for the Acoustic Amplification:

Acoustic Amplification | Bass and Acoustic Amps, Cabinets and Combos

For all I know, this could even be the cheap Chinese knockoff, I don't know.

That's the Guitar Center house brand, not the US built uptown reissue/revamp attempt that George Grexa (aka Vetchking) tried to make work. I heard one of George's amps at a Seattle TB GTG several years ago, it sounded pretty cool. @Gaolee owns it, along with a few of the originals.

 

[Ric5]

From the Talk Bass Trope Files:

It goes something like "I just scored a Brand X head and cab and it does that seventies thing really well..."

What is "that seventies thing"? Is it even anything? Is this just something people have heard other people say and thus repeat it?

a lot 70s amps sucked badly and some of the 70s basses did too

 

[wyleeboxer]

When I think of the tonal difference I think 60’s Jameson thud vs 70’s (insert your favorite disco bassist name) twang

 

[BurtMacklinFBI]

 

[Stevorebob]

That ‘70s thing? I was there, it’s where most things in music went south for a decade or more.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

That's the Guitar Center house brand, not the US built uptown reissue/revamp attempt that George Grexa (aka Vetchking) tried to make work. I heard one of George's amps at a Seattle TB GTG several years ago, it sounded pretty cool. @Gaolee owns it, along with a few of the originals.

Thanks Charlie. Hope you are well! Do you happen to have the link to the new Acoustic amps? Thanks!

 

[Passinwind]

Thanks Charlie. Hope you are well! Do you happen to have the link to the new Acoustic amps? Thanks!

George's company was pretty short lived and IIRC there was only ever one model. Here's an old TB thread with several posts from @Gaolee: Acoustic 360/361 Reissue

 

[Iristone]

Horns have a very distinct and defined frequency range. Depending on the upper cutoff frequency of the folded horn, you wouldn't get any highs out of that cabinet even if you threw it out of an aircraft at 30,000 feet!

I'm not talking about SWR treble. I'm talking about the definition (in the midrange maybe) that 40Hz found so prominent yet someone else found lacking.

 

[Chickenwheels]

Basses: Natural wood finish, brass, DiMarzio, Badass, heavy.
Amps: Heavy.

 

[Michedelic]

TB is mostly about all things Fender. Ampeg pushed it's way in by the sheer might of its products. Acoustic Control Corporation is a phomenon of the 70's and was resurrected two or three times that I know of.

Recently there were two popular resurrections. The first I know of was by Guitar Center, a series of MDF cabinets with heads that somewhat resembled the heads of the 70's with modern touches. They had one for a while I liked-- it had a 110 cab with a folded horn design-- I've always loved Acoustic's folded horn cabs. This model was more of a commodity that attracted the kids that could afford it. They've recently tried to upgrade their products but are still Acoustics in name only and made somewhere in some Asian country.

The second well known iteration is Acoustic Amplification, an American company that attempted to capture the magic of the original Acoustic Control Corporation but I can't say either way as I've never even seen one in person. I understand a few recording artist bass players played them but the amps never achieved success.

Some guys like @Jeff Scott @Passinwind @agedhorse or my other buddies at the GOF thread could correct what I mis-stated.

None of this has anything to do with why Acoustic isn't popular on TB. I've seen a lot of love for the original but not a lot of posts.

Here's the latest link to the latest attempt for the Acoustic Amplification:

Acoustic Amplification | Bass and Acoustic Amps, Cabinets and Combos

For all I know, this could even be the cheap Chinese knockoff, I don't know.

In the 2000’s, Samick tried their hand at it, but it didn’t really get off the ground. Like the GC line, it had the cosmetics(barely), but tried other speaker configurations, some of which were somewhat experimental. The amps looked solid, plenty of modern features, but I never heard one. I don’t think they got too far past NAMM show display.

 

[byacey]

I'm not talking about SWR treble. I'm talking about the definition (in the midrange maybe) that 40Hz found so prominent yet someone else found lacking.

I recall someone mentioning some of the Acoustic horn loads used an 18". I guess if all you're interested in is 150Hz and down, that'll meet the goal. But it's not going to produce much in the midrange department that is all so important for bass guitar definition.

 

[byacey]

In the 2000’s, Samick tried their hand at it, but it didn’t really get off the ground. Like the GC line, it had the cosmetics(barely), but tried other speaker configurations, some of which were somewhat experimental. The amps looked solid, plenty of modern features, but I never heard one. I don’t think they got too far past NAMM show display.

My 450 is ok, but I wouldn't say it produces anything extraordinary tone-wise. Some people just get hung up on old stuff, thinking if it's old, it's got to be something special. There was a lot of poor design, and out and out junk produced years ago, just as there is today.

 

[2BitHack]

Crappy weed and questionable fashion.

And 40 years later at least the weed is better.

 

[NoSlapForYou]

That ‘70s thing? I was there, it’s where most things in music went south for a decade or more.

In terms of what's survived, it was also the time period of the most musical complexity and experimentation. I mean, you had fusion, prog, psychedelic, the birth of punk and metal, etc. Whatever your feelings about them, it's impossible to imagine bands as out there as Steely Dan and Rush having radio hits now. Granted, radio is dead anyway.