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Frequently Asked Questions

Who were the most well known artists that used Acoustic?

In the 60:s and 70:s the list of users looked like a "who's who" in pop/rock/blues/soul/funk/fusion/... Just to name a few: Albert King, Frank Zappa, Pat Metheny, Robbie Krieger, Jaco Pastorius, Larry Graham and John Paul Jones. See the Historical Users section for a more complete list together with info about equipment used if known.

Where can I get manuals/schematics?

Manuals for 134 (user), 150 (user & service), 230 (user), 260 (user & service), 270 (user), 370 (user) are available in the Manuals section. Schematics for 134, 150, 160 Combo, 160 Tube, 164, 165, 230, 260, 320, 330, 360, 361, 370 are available in the Schematics section. Manuals and schematics for other models can still be purchased, see the Links-page.

Is Acoustic Control Corporation's Lifetime Warranty still in effect?

Acoustic Control Corporation had the Lifetime Warranty for Acoustic amps.When they sold the company,the successors were under no obligation to honor Acoustic Control Corporation's Lifetime Warranty. Wagner Group, the next Acoustic company after ACC did honor it as a courtesy.(They had ACC's repair facilities/service centers and parts and tech support in place after the sale from ACC). Acoustic Control Corporation has been out of business for a long time,so none of their repair facilities/service centers and parts and tech support are in place to backup the Lifetime Warranty. Acoustic Control Corporation offered the Lifetime Warranty.

Where can I buy spares?

Try asking George Grexa, see Links. The Forum and eBay are also sources to explore.

Where do I find a qualified repairman?

Again, a couple of references are listed under Links. The amps are well built and in most cases easy to service, so any experienced technician should be up to the task if schematics and spares are available.

What models can safely drive a 2 Ohms load?

Models for which the (currently available at the homepage) catalogs explicitly mention 2 Ohm capabilities are: 220, 230, 270, 320, 330, 370.

Models for which the literature explicitly states that the minimum impedance is 4 Ohm are: 126, 150 (Owner's Manual, page 7)

What does the power rating on the back panel mean?

It refers to the power drawn from the 110 V (US) or 230 V (Europe) line. This sometimes confuses people; for example an amp could be labeled 300 Watts 120 volts 50/60 Hz. This gets mistaken for the output wattage of the amplifier. The maximum output power to the speaker is lower. E.g. an early 220 head is labeled 300 W at the backside, whereas the maximum output power is 160 W RMS (@ 2 Ohms and 5 % THD).

What is my Acoustic amp worth?

The Blue Book on Musical Instruments is one place to look.The Library also contains an excerpt from a price guide published by a guitar magazine, see 2002 Price Guide.When using this book keep in mind this book is a tool for the dealers to use in making trades or sales with,the prices in this book will have resale and wholesale prices.(This Blue Book is the same as a car dealer would use). Another way is to look on eBay for a while and see what they are selling for. For some, these Acoustic amps are for a collection,so in this case it would be what ever you were willing to pay for one.

Why were the Acoustic models numbered the way they were?

This is what Harvey Gerst, former engineer from Acoustic Control Corporation, had to say about this:

"Here was my thinking when we came up with the early model numbers:

The first digit stood for the series:
2XX = Guitar amp
3XX = Bass amp
1XX = Small combos

The third digit indicated the appropriate cabinets:
2X1 = cabinet for 2XX series
3X1 = 3XX series cabinet
etc.

You add the last numbers together to get the complete unit:
260 head + 201 bottom = 261 system
260 head + 301 bottom = 361 system

The middle number was reserved for newer versions in a series:
260, 270, 360 370, etc.

Also, all serial numbers were to start at 1000 for any new product.

Now, any system of numbering only works when the person who designed the system has control of assigning new numbers, or passes on the concept to the next person that will control the numbering. Well, guess what happened as Acoustic got larger?" For further info on this subject, including later models, see Model Numbers Explained.

What are good places to look for used Acoustic equipment?

Acoustic equipment is frequently listed on eBay (try the Guitar -> Amplifiers link). Music stores often have vintage Acoustics in stock, e.g. Jammin' Jersey in LA and Bass Northwest in Seattle, both of which ship worldwide. It's also a good idea to post at the Message Board, which is frequented by many collectors of Acoustic equipment.

When was my amplifier built?

Some clues might be available here on our links page.A couple of references to pot codes and speaker codes may help,they are listed under Links Specialized Reference Sites.You can also get an approximate time frame of manufacture by looking at what model you have and looking to see what Generation Acoustic it is in the products section and also in the registry to compare with serial numbers that other's have. On some amps, Acoustic put a Quality Control sticker on them.Sometimes the quality control person may have put a date on there with their signature.

What contemporary loudspeakers are good substitutes for the originals?

Lots of currently produced drivers of various brands are suitable (depending on the application, personal taste, collector's value of the amp etc), but a logical place to start would be Eminence, since they produced the speakers for a large percentage of the Acoustic amps, and have a large assortment of elements for instrument amplifiers in various price ranges. Try posting specific questions in the Forum, and chances are high that the community will help you out. Don't forget that some models can be reconed, too.

Why does Acoustic equipment have a reputation of being loud?

To begin with, the classics were produced in an era where PA systems were weak compared to today's systems -- so they were designed to be loud as most all of the sound came from the amplifiers on stage,Look at pictures of the Doors concerts and the 1968 Acoustic cataloge in the Library section,these are good examples. Other contributing factors to this reputation, may be the warning stickers on the back of the cabinet, and the "aggressive" taper of the volume pot , meaning that a comparatively large portion of the full output was put to use already at lower numerical settings of the knob.

The (in)famous warning sticker. Don't take this lightly -- those amps can damage your hearing when abused!