Acoustic Control Corporation was a manufacturer of
instrument amplifierAn 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,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
. Its original location was a shack on
Sunset BoulevardSunset 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 AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality 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...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
.
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-VegaCerwin-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 Control Corporation was a manufacturer of
instrument amplifierAn 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,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
. Its original location was a shack on
Sunset BoulevardSunset 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 AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality 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...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
.
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-VegaCerwin-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 who had an endorsement deal. Jimmy Nolen of James Brown's band was also a "Black Widow" user.
Robbie Krieger of
The DoorsThe Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California by vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger. They are considered a controversial and influential band, due mostly to Morrison's cryptic lyrics and unpredictable...
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 KingAlbert King was an American blues guitarist and singer.-Career:One of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" , Albert King stood 6' 4" and weighed 250 lbs and was known as "The Velvet Bulldozer". He was born Albert Nelson on a cotton plantation in Indianola, Mississippi...
and
Chuck BerryCharles Edward "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.Chuck Berry is one of the pioneers of rock and roll music...
also used the 260 and 261. Canadian guitar virtuoso
Frank MarinoFrank 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 270 model amplifier as did
Frank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, electronic, orchestral, and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album...
and
Ernie IsleyErnie Isley is an American member of the family musical ensemble, The Isley Brothers...
.
Pat MethenyPatrick Bruce Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer....
created his famous guitar tone partly by using Acoustic 134 model combo amplifier. Some prominent bassists who played through Acoustic amps included
Jaco PastoriusJohn Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III was an American jazz musician and composer widely acknowledged for his skills as an electric bass player....
, probably the most famous user of Acoustic bass amplifier,
Larry GrahamLarry Graham, Jr. is an American baritone singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as both the bass guitar player in 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 StationGraham Central Station was a funk band named after founder Larry Graham . The name is a pun on New York City's Grand Central Station....
), and
John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones is an English musician, composer, arranger, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist musician.Best known as the...
(
Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page , Robert Plant , John Paul Jones and John Bonham . With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, Led Zeppelin are regarded as one of the first heavy metal bands, helping to pioneer the genre...
),
Carl RadleCarl Dean Radle was a bass guitarist who toured and recorded with several of the most influential recording artists of the late 1960s and 1970s. Radle's first success, though, was as a member of Gary Lewis & the Playboys in 1965...
(Derek & the Dominoes),
Ric GrechRichard Roman Grech was a British musician.Born in Bordeaux, France in 1946, Grech was a versatile, accomplished, and sought-after British rock musician....
(
Blind FaithBlind Faith was 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 McVieJohn 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 MacFleetwood Mac are a British/American rock band formed in 1967 in London, England.The only member present in the band from the very beginning is its namesake drummer Mick Fleetwood...
),
Tony StevensTony Stevens is an English musician, best known as the bassist with the bands Foghat and Savoy Brown.- Career :...
(
Savoy BrownSavoy Brown, originally known as the Savoy Brown Blues Band, are a British blues band formed in 1966, in Battersea, South West London. Part of the late 1960s blues rock movement, Savoy Brown never achieved as much success in their homeland as they did in the United States, where they promoted their...
,
FoghatFoghat are a British rock band who had their peak success in the mid- to late-1970s. Their style can be described as "blues-rock," dominated by electric and electric slide guitar. The band has achieved five gold records...
),
Peter "Overend" WattsPeter Overend Watts is a bass guitar player and founding member of 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople....
of
Mott the HoopleMott the Hoople are a 1970s English rock band with strong R&B roots and dominant 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...
,
Danny SheridanDanny Sheridan is a musician, songwriter, producer, , and entertainment manager. In 2006 he also became a radio personality on 97.1 KLSX Free FM...
(
Eli Radish Band / David Alan Coe) and
Kirk Powers{BLP unsourced|date=June 2009|}Kirk Powers was 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...
(American Tears), the latter using an Acoustic 371(combination of the 370 amp & 301 bass cabinet).
The Mahavishnu OrchestraThe Mahavishnu Orchestra was a jazz-rock fusion group, led by John McLaughlin, that debuted in 1971 and dissolved in 1976 and reunited briefly from 1984 to 1987.-First Mahavishnu Orchestra:...
members (bass, keyboards, violin excluding
John McLaughlinJohn McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English jazz fusion guitarist and composer...
(gtr)) used Acoustic amplifiers.
Verden AllenVerden 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
FocusFocus or FOCUS may refer to:In science, mathematics or computing:*Focus , a point toward which light rays are made to converge*Focus , an earthquake's underground point of origin or hypocenter...
used the 271 and 371 models while on the tour following the release of their "
Moving WavesMoving Waves is the 1971 second album by the Dutch band Focus. It includes the hit "Hocus Pocus" which features yodelling and operatic falsetto from Thijs van Leer combined with Jan Akkerman's heavy metal guitar...
" 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 with the models: B20 and AB50. They currently have new models out on their new website.
External links