NAD, some large scale Acoustic Control Corporation goodness

[chriswareham]

I've been on the hunt for a big Acoustic rig for a long time, something like a 360 or 370 head into the matching cabinet with an 18" speaker in the weird, back facing configuration. They seem to be as rare as hen's teeth in Europe, so I've been using an Acoustic 136 combo as my main amp for a while now. Then the successor to those two big Acoustic rigs popped up on this forum. So now I'm the proud owner of a massive, impractical but wonderful sounding Acoustic 320/408 combo thanks to @Skinner. The 408 has four 15" speakers, and it's another of Acoustic's unusual configurations - two conventionally mounted, forward facing speakers, plus two mounted horizontally to face each other in the middle portion of the cab.

 

The beast had it's first full rehearsal this week, and the most interesting thing is how much bottom end the cabinet chucks out. It seems to generate some unusually low frequencies that are audible and sit perfectly under the two lead guitar sounds in our post punk/new wave influenced outfit. Meanwhile, it also puts out the middly clank sound of a Rickenbacker that sits in a tonal gap that the lead guitars also don't occupy. First gig with it at London's Lexington next week - all I have to do is work out how on earth I'm going to transport it to the venue!

 

[Steve Browning]

I always look at the Acoustic gear on sale here and wish it was a practical choice for me. 

 

I spent my early years, as a bassist, lusting after a rig like John Deacon's. Way out of my price range at the time. I had a budget version with a 1x18 and two Sound City 4x12s but it was always the 371 rig I wanted. 

 

Green with envy and enjoy your new rig.

[ajkula66]

Congrats on your "new" rig! May it serve you well.

 

A big fan of the old Acoustic gear here. Nothing sounds quite like it. My "gateway drug" was a 220 Head + 2x15" cab somewhere around 1981. I've owned several other ACC setups before moving to TE full-time in the mid-80s.

 

Eventually I'll bow down and buy some type of ACC insanity...

 

Play it in good health and enjoy!

[SamPlaysBass]

Great to see some old school iron still doing the heavy lifting. I’ll always commend someone choosing the gear they want to use over the ‘convenient’ alternative. This era of Acoustic looks divine. 
 

Speaking of heavy lifting, start the beer tab early and get a few mates in to carry this bad boy up the stairs. The Lexington has quite a few! 

[chriswareham]

5 hours ago, SamPlaysBass said:

Great to see some old school iron still doing the heavy lifting. I’ll always commend someone choosing the gear they want to use over the ‘convenient’ alternative. This era of Acoustic looks divine. 
 

Speaking of heavy lifting, start the beer tab early and get a few mates in to carry this bad boy up the stairs. The Lexington has quite a few! 

 

Thanks for the stairs warning - I've not played there before!

 

I definitely prefer gigging the amp I'd like to use, no matter how impractical to transport, and plan to do so as long as my back and knees let me. I do have the 136 combo as a backup, although that's quite an awkward lump as well.

[JottoSW1]

@chriswareham what day are you on at the Lex ? Your Band name. Haven't been there in yonks, would be cool to hear those Acoustics .... JOdeV 

[chriswareham]

5 hours ago, JottoSW1 said:

@chriswareham what day are you on at the Lex ? Your Band name. Haven't been there in yonks, would be cool to hear those Acoustics .... JOdeV 

 

We're X Ray Love, and the concert is next Sunday, 27th April. If you do get to the show then please come and say hello, it's always great to meet fellow basschatters!

 

https://youtu.be/Yx_Sqq6jooI?si=dJtdOxsrnDR5eWYx

 

[msb]

That looks like it will move some serious air. 

[uk_lefty]

On 18/04/2025 at 22:37, chriswareham said:

First gig with it at London's Lexington next week - all I have to do is work out how on earth I'm going to transport it to the venue

Thousands of years ago the rock for Stonehenge was moved from Wales to Salisbury by a system of rolling it along felled trees. If you buy a few mates a drink maybe they will help?

[Lozz196]

47 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

Thousands of years ago the rock for Stonehenge was moved from Wales to Salisbury by a system of rolling it along felled trees. If you buy a few mates a drink maybe they will help?

Given the weight of that set up I think felling trees is more the solution 🤣

[Jack]

On 18/04/2025 at 22:37, chriswareham said:

... four 15" speakers ...

 

On 18/04/2025 at 22:37, chriswareham said:

... how much bottom end the cabinet chucks out ...

 

 

Enjoy the rig, looks awesome.

Edited Tuesday at 07:42 by Jack

[Balcro]

That middly clank sound you mention is perfect for a Rickenbaker. Very little extended low bass but the low , low middle & middle  is immense.
Flat they're not but who cares!  The clue is in that graphic equaliser - it stops at 2000 Hz!! Do you need anymore? Nah.

 

May you and "the beast" have a long and loud partnership.

 

From the Celestion G18C guy.