Acoustic Control Corporation
Encyclopedia
Acoustic Control Corporation was a manufacturer of instrument amplifier
s, founded by Steve Marks (with the help of his father) and based in Van Nuys, California
. Its original location was a shack on Sunset Boulevard
in Los Angeles
, California
.
Most of the amplifiers produced by ACC were solid-state, but a few models later in production were valve amps. The company is remembered in particular for its Acoustic 361 bass stack, consisting of an Acoustic 360 bass pre-amplifier and one or two Acoustic 361 W-bins, each featuring a built-in 200-watt RMS power amplifier and a rear-facing 18" Cerwin-Vega
loudspeaker. Acoustic also produced the "Black Widow" electric guitar and electric bass 1972 - 1975. The guitars and basses were based on designs used by Paul Barth for his Bartell guitars and basses. The majority of the guitars were built in Japan although Semi Moseley (of Mosrite fame) claims of building the last 200 guitars made. One prolific user associated with this guitar was jazz guitarist Larry Coryell
who had an endorsement deal. Jimmy Nolen of James Brown's band was also a "Black Widow" user.
Robbie Krieger of The Doors
was the most high-profile early user of the Acoustic 260 head and 261 cabinet -- the first models ever produced by ACC. Krieger's Acoustic amps were a major public-relations boost for the fledgling company. Albert King
and Chuck Berry
also used the 260 and 261. Canadian guitar virtuoso Frank Marino
used the 270 model amplifier as did Frank Zappa
and Ernie Isley
. Pat Metheny
created his famous guitar tone partly by using the Acoustic 134 model combo amplifier. Some prominent bassists who played through Acoustic amps included Jaco Pastorius
, and Gary Thain from Uriah Heep probably the most famous user of Acoustic bass amplifier, Larry Graham
(Sly and the Family Stone) (Graham Central Station
), and John Paul Jones
(Led Zeppelin
), Carl Radle
(Derek & the Dominoes), Ric Grech
(Blind Faith
), John McVie
(Fleetwood Mac
), Tony Stevens
(Savoy Brown
, Foghat
), Peter "Overend" Watts
of Mott the Hoople
, Danny Sheridan
(Eli Radish Band / David Alan Coe), Rod Ellicott (Cold Blood), Flea
(Red Hot Chili Peppers
), John Deacon
(Queen (band)
), and Kirk Powers
(American Tears), the last two using an Acoustic 371 (combination of the 370 amp & 301 bass cabinet). The Mahavishnu Orchestra
members (bass, keyboards, violin excluding John McLaughlin
(gtr)) used Acoustic amplifiers. Verden Allen
, organist with Mott the Hoople used a 260 head amp. In the early 70s the Dutch band Focus
used the 271 and 371 models while on the tour following the release of their Focus II (Moving Waves) LP.
Acoustic Control Corporation went out of business in the 1980s, then returned under the name True Tone Audio as a manufacturer of P.A. amplifiers.
Latter-day employee and designer Steve Rabe went on to establish specialist bass amplifier manufacturer SWR (now owned by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation) in 1984, then Raven Labs in 1998.
Acoustic has come back in 2007 under the name Acoustic Amplification, starting with the models B20 and AB50. In 2011 another branch of Acoustic, G.P.G. Co a.k.a Acoustic USA, launched its website and introduced a new version of the 360/361 bass amplifier as well as various speaker cabinets and a power amplifier.
Instrument amplifier
An instrument amplifier is an electronic amplifier that converts the often barely audible or purely electronic signal from musical instruments such as an electric guitar, an electric bass, or an electric keyboard into an electronic signal capable of driving a loudspeaker that can be heard by the...
s, founded by Steve Marks (with the help of his father) and based in Van Nuys, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Its original location was a shack on Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Most of the amplifiers produced by ACC were solid-state, but a few models later in production were valve amps. The company is remembered in particular for its Acoustic 361 bass stack, consisting of an Acoustic 360 bass pre-amplifier and one or two Acoustic 361 W-bins, each featuring a built-in 200-watt RMS power amplifier and a rear-facing 18" Cerwin-Vega
Cerwin-Vega
Cerwin-Vega is a manufacturing company that produces professional audio components, home audio speakers, and car audio components. It is part of the Stanton Group, along with Stanton Magnetics and KRK,...
loudspeaker. Acoustic also produced the "Black Widow" electric guitar and electric bass 1972 - 1975. The guitars and basses were based on designs used by Paul Barth for his Bartell guitars and basses. The majority of the guitars were built in Japan although Semi Moseley (of Mosrite fame) claims of building the last 200 guitars made. One prolific user associated with this guitar was jazz guitarist Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell is an American jazz fusion guitarist.-Biography:Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas. He graduated from Richland High School, in Richland, Washington, where he played in local bands The Jailers, The Rumblers, The Royals, and The Flames. He also played with The Checkers from nearby...
who had an endorsement deal. Jimmy Nolen of James Brown's band was also a "Black Widow" user.
Robbie Krieger of The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
was the most high-profile early user of the Acoustic 260 head and 261 cabinet -- the first models ever produced by ACC. Krieger's Acoustic amps were a major public-relations boost for the fledgling company. Albert King
Albert King
Albert King was an American blues guitarist and singer, and a major influence in the world of blues guitar playing.-Career:...
and Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
also used the 260 and 261. Canadian guitar virtuoso Frank Marino
Frank Marino
Frank Marino , born November 20, 1954, in Montreal, is the guitarist and leader of Canadian hard rock band Mahogany Rush. Often compared to Jimi Hendrix, he is acknowledged as one of the best and most underrated guitarists of the 1970s.-Biography and career:After playing drums since he was five,...
used the 270 model amplifier as did Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
and Ernie Isley
Ernie Isley
Ernest "Ernie" Isley is a member of the iconic American musical ensemble, The Isley Brothers.-Life and career:Ernie was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his older brothers formed The Isley Brothers, first as a gospel group, then as a secular-singing group. In 1960 his family moved to Englewood and...
. Pat Metheny
Pat Metheny
Patrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects...
created his famous guitar tone partly by using the Acoustic 134 model combo amplifier. Some prominent bassists who played through Acoustic amps included Jaco Pastorius
Jaco Pastorius
John Francis Anthony Pastorius III , known as Jaco Pastorius, was an American jazz musician and composer widely acknowledged as a virtuoso electric bass player....
, and Gary Thain from Uriah Heep probably the most famous user of Acoustic bass amplifier, Larry Graham
Larry Graham
Larry Graham, Jr. is an African American bass guitar player, both with the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station...
(Sly and the Family Stone) (Graham Central Station
Graham Central Station
Graham Central Station is a funk band named after founder Larry Graham . The name is a pun on New York City's Grand Central Terminal, often incorrectly called Grand Central Station....
), and John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
(Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
), Carl Radle
Carl Radle
Carl Dean Radle was a bass guitarist who toured and recorded with many of the most influential recording artists of the late 1960s and 1970s...
(Derek & the Dominoes), Ric Grech
Ric Grech
Richard Roman Grech was a British rock musician.-Career:Grech originally gained notice in the United Kingdom as the bass guitar player for the progressive rock group Family. He joined the band when it was a largely blues-based live act in Leicester known as the Farinas; he became their bassist in...
(Blind Faith
Blind Faith
Blind Faith were an English blues-rock band that consisted of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Ric Grech. The band, which was one of the first "super-groups", released their only album, Blind Faith, in August 1969...
), John McVie
John McVie
John Graham McVie is a British bass guitarist best known as a member of the rock group Fleetwood Mac. His surname, combined with that of Mick Fleetwood, was the inspiration for the band's name...
(Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
), Tony Stevens
Tony Stevens
Tony Stevens is an English musician, best known as the bassist with the bands Foghat and Savoy Brown.- Career :...
(Savoy Brown
Savoy Brown
Savoy Brown, originally known as the Savoy Brown Blues Band, are a British blues rock band, formed in 1965, in Battersea, South West London...
, Foghat
Foghat
Foghat are a British rock band that had their peak success in the mid- to late-1970s. Their style can be described as "blues-rock," or boogie-rock dominated by electric and electric slide guitar. The band has achieved five gold records...
), Peter "Overend" Watts
Peter Watts (musician)
Peter Overend Watts is a bass guitar player and founding member of 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople....
of Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B roots, popular in the glam rock era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes", written for them by David Bowie and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name.-The early years:Mott The Hoople...
, Danny Sheridan
Danny Sheridan
----Danny Sheridan is a musician, songwriter, producer, , and entertainment manager. In 2006 he also became a radio personality on 97.1 KLSX Free FM . He is credited as an influential electric bass player, and as the founder of the , pioneers of the so-called “outlaw country” music genre...
(Eli Radish Band / David Alan Coe), Rod Ellicott (Cold Blood), Flea
Flea
Flea is the common name for insects of the order Siphonaptera which are wingless insects with mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood...
(Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
), John Deacon
John Deacon
John Richard Deacon is a retired English multi-instrumentalist and song writer, best known as the bassist for the rock band Queen. Of the four members of the band, he was the last to join and also the youngest, being only 19 years old when he was recruited by the other members of the band...
(Queen (band)
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
), and Kirk Powers
Kirk Powers
Kirk Powers is a rock music bassist. In 1976 he joined American Tears, one of the first keyboard-oriented Heavy Ivory bands. He also made pre-production demos and masters with Touch. He found work in the 1980s touring with various artists including Debbie Gibson's band 1986 through 1990 Out Of The...
(American Tears), the last two using an Acoustic 371 (combination of the 370 amp & 301 bass cabinet). The Mahavishnu Orchestra
The Mahavishnu Orchestra
The Mahavishnu Orchestra was a jazz fusion group, led by John McLaughlin, that debuted in 1971, dissolved in 1976 and reunited from 1984 to 1987.-First Mahavishnu Orchestra:...
members (bass, keyboards, violin excluding John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin (musician)
John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer...
(gtr)) used Acoustic amplifiers. Verden Allen
Verden Allen
Verden Allen is an organ player and founding member of 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople...
, organist with Mott the Hoople used a 260 head amp. In the early 70s the Dutch band Focus
Focus (band)
Focus is a Dutch rock band which was founded by classically trained organist/flautist Thijs van Leer in 1969, and is most famous for the instrumental pieces "Hocus Pocus" and "Sylvia"...
used the 271 and 371 models while on the tour following the release of their Focus II (Moving Waves) LP.
Acoustic Control Corporation went out of business in the 1980s, then returned under the name True Tone Audio as a manufacturer of P.A. amplifiers.
Latter-day employee and designer Steve Rabe went on to establish specialist bass amplifier manufacturer SWR (now owned by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation) in 1984, then Raven Labs in 1998.
Acoustic has come back in 2007 under the name Acoustic Amplification, starting with the models B20 and AB50. In 2011 another branch of Acoustic, G.P.G. Co a.k.a Acoustic USA, launched its website and introduced a new version of the 360/361 bass amplifier as well as various speaker cabinets and a power amplifier.