Acoustic Control Corporation 371

1974 Acoustic 370 Amplifier and 2 Acoustic 301 Cabinets. This my bass peers has NO RIVAL. Spartan appointments is what this warrior has. I have played bass since my brother fired my bass player in 1971 and handed me a 1967 Fender Precision. I plugged it into my 1968 Fender Dual Showman with 2 JBL D-140f's. Traded that for a 1972 Sunn 2000S with JBL K-140f's. Next, I traded it for a 1973 Sunn Coliseum Amp which I pumped into 2 JBL equipped Sunn 200S Cabinets for 30 years of very loud gigs, no problems. Still have it and now an Acoustic 370 and 2 301 cabinets. The 370 has NO RIVAL.

When I got this set-up this summer I now play my "Geddy Lee" Fender Jazz thru it an voi'la, great tone, still love my Sunn Equipment. Now I know why Greg Riddley, Larry Graham, Jaco and John Paul Jones use this set up. Before this I was a "wannabe" John Entwistle clone(SUNN) now I do both!

Are you kidding?? No body was ever sorry they bought the best.
NO MAGNAVOX in my home is wot the ole man said, so we stuck to Fender, Sunn, JBL, Acoustic. These were "DAD" approved. He helped fix them old Fenders. No problems, it's not a Carvin, line6, Aguilar, eden. Look @ Woodstock, the movie...Santana...ah yes grasshoppa...the Acoustic 360.....NO RIVAL.

Unfortunately Acoustic Control Corporation is out of business.
Now you can buy Bergantino, ain't that just neat?

Been playing bass since 1971.
As for other equipment owned here's the list:
EQUIPMENT INVENTORY:

1. SUNN COLISEUM BASS AMPLIFIER, 1973

2. SUNN COLISEUM LEAD AMPLIFIER, 1976

3. SUNN MODEL T AMPLIFIER, 1974

4. SUNN CONCERT BASS AMPLIFIER, 1973

5. SUNN 200S SPEAKER CABINET WITH 2 JBL K140's, 1969

6. SUNN 215S SPEAKER CABINET WITH 2 JBL K140's, 1974

7. SUNN 215S SPEAKER CABINET WITH 2 TRANSVESTITES, 1974

8. SWR GOLIATH III SPEAKER CABINET WITH 4 P.A.S., 2006

9. SWR 410T SPEAKER CABINET WITH 4 EMINENCE, 2005

10. FENDER BXR SPEAKER CABINET WITH 2x10, 1x18 EMINENCE, 2000

11. FENDER PRECISION BASS, 1967 WITH MAPLE FRETBOARD

12. FENDER GEDDY LEE JAZZ BASS, 2006

13. FENDER STRATOCASTER, 2006

14. GIBSON LES PAUL JUNIOR, 1957 (LEND-LEASE) TO ARIZONA BROTHER

15. YAMAHA CLASSIC GUITAR, 1980

16. ACOUSTIC 370 AMPLIFIER, 1974

17. ACOUSTIC 301 CABINET, 1974

18. FENDER JAZZ BASS, MIM, 2002

19. ACOUSTIC 301 CABINET, 1973

20. ACOUSTIC 450 AMPLIFIER, 1975

At the time this was designed and built, "features" didn;t really exist. It was a straight-ahead amplifier system that did one thing very well.

Although I have long since gone to something else, the 371 bass amplfier system was, and in the eyes of many, still IS unparalelled. While it lacked the excessive definition so common today from metal-cone small diameter drivers, it was very VERY efficient at being VERY LOUD.

My system incorporated an 18-inch Cerwin Vega driver loaded into a folded horn enclosure, and came with the warning on the cabinet that "Sound within 10 feet of this cabinet may exceed 120 decibels". There were no IFs, ANDs or BUTs- it did. I can't swear I actually gave anyone in the back of the halls I played a nosebleed, but I had no trouble keeping up with the rest of the band (including a drummer that always sounded like he was building a house).

Rock and roll with no outs.

The fine folk at Acoustic Control were always very receptive to any inquiries I had, and stood firmly behind their lifetime warranty.

Great bass amplifier system for those who needed MORE OUTPUT. (I remember attending a Led Zeppelin concert in Charlotte where John Baldwin (aka John Paul Jones) used four 371s in a semi-circle. Every note felt like it was punching me in the chest. THAT's why I bought mine, altough I could barely afford the one at the time.)

In my next life, I'd like to get another one. Or maybe two this time.

From ?75 through ?79 I had a Rickenbacker Stereo Bass model 4001. It provided a primitive but effective ?electric? solution that later bass makers would solve more simply, electronically. The problem is simple: if one wanted a lot of thunderous deep bass volume, you would loose the articulation (i.e. it would be sort of a big rumble) If instead you wanted a lot of articulation, so people could actually hear the notes you we?re playing, you lost the thunder. Doug Irwin and the guys that would become Alembic built Guild based versions of an instrument for both Jack Cassidy and Phil Lesh. They were terrific sounding instruments, which solved this problem but were complicated as hell to operate. So it was to the Rickenbacker I turned. This solution could not be more simple: the bridge position or ?treble? pick-up was on one channel of a stereo plug and the neck position or ?bass? pick up was on the other. They called it ?Rick-o-Sound? (no kidding) and gave you a stereo ? in. plug and a little box that separated the two signals into two 1/4 inch jacks at the end of your cord (remember cords?). I then ran the base side through, an Acoustic 371 with a folded horn C-V 18? portable earthquake for a speaker and the treble side through, a Baseman with 4- 10? Jensens. You could then use the primitive tone controls to enhance the bass on the bass amp and the treble on the treble amp turn the whole contraption up real loud and hold forth! It was more fun than a boy ought to have! The thing weighed a ton and the other guys pissed and moaned when it was time to load out. Of course neither of the guitar players thought their 100-Watt Marshall 8-12? stacks were anything but the minimum required for a good club date.

I bought my 371 in mid 1974. It was the pinnacle of bass amps in those days and I suspect that it still is right at the top of the heap.

This amp was designed and built every bit as seriously as a hydrogen bomb. It was intended for the bass playing professional and it delivered.

The tone controls and bright switch were augmented with a very useful five band graphic equalizer, which proved invaluable for matching difficult room acoustics.

The 370 produced 300 watts into an 4 ohm load and would produce the whole 375 watts into a 2 ohm load, all night long without getting really warm.

Some of the bass guitars that I played through the 371 were:

Fender Precision Bass/Jazz Bass (heavy flatwound strings)
Fender Telecaster Bass (one humbucker, groundwound strings)
Gibson Ripper Bass (light flatwound strings)

The 371 easily accomodated these instruments in file style.

My 371 never stuttered once the whole time I used it, night after grueling night. No backup was required, or possible.

It was a wonderful amplifier. I've owned Ampeg, Fender, Sunn, Kustom and myriad others. I wish I still had my Acoustic 371 setup. No others I have tried begin to compare.

Hey you all Best sounding Monster I've heard. Bought it back in 73' after going through a couple amps - Ampeg with the tubed invered head/w15" -weak 100w head w/front load 18" better not there Sunn 200s with 4/15 almost but no quite then the Monster
Blew me away. Still Have it like the Eq. The cerwin vega went on it (started buzzing and some electrical also started buzzing. The electrical I got fixed replaced the speaker with a black widow --mistake ...you step on it and it s**t all over ... replaced that with a 18" JBL 2245 something like that ... back in busness ..smoking Godzilla is back

Orginal speaker excellent if replaced go with JBL awesome

noise with dimmers in room Any Ideas how to quite it down ... did you say turn down.. HA cant remember what is was like with out dimmers
Speaker went after 20years and some caps snaped the Eq twice fix when accoustic was still around haven't broken since

Ain't no body home but a good head guy should be able to fix any problem .. Still have orginal specs with amp
Replaced speaker no problem. Less than a half an in between the enclosure and the back of the speaker. so far so good no break up with JBL

30 years of playing with it. When not in use it is used as a Sub woofer for home stereo Earthquake city
If it ever got stolen ...Shoot to kill

bought acoustic 371 amp system new in 1973,cost $1400,worth every cent.I PLAYED EVERY PREMINUM AMP AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME AND FOUND NONE BETTER FOR BASS THAN THE ACOUSTIC.ALSO OWNED 136 MODEL(I THINK),HAD 125 WATTS RMS & 1 FIFTEEN INCH SPEAKER & ALSO HAD ADDITIONAL CABINET W/2-15 IN.SPEAKERS.WISH I HAD ANY OF THEM BACK.ONLY PROBLEM WITH 371 SYSTEM IS THAT THE HEAD HAD 335 WATTS RMS & WITH THE INVERTED 18 IN.CERWIN VEGA SPEAKER WAS OVERKILL FOR MANY APPLICATIONS

IN MY OPINION THE ACOUSTIC BASS AMPS WERE SOME OF THE BEST EVER MADE.

NO PROBLEMS WHAT SO EVER.AFTER I SOLD IT THE NEW OWNER WAS RENTING IT OUT ON A NIGHTLY BASIS.HE HAD ONE PROBLEM & AS I FAVOR I TOOK IT IN FOR HIM.REPAIRED COMPLETLY FREE OF CHARGE.

I purchased this amp 3months ago. Always wanted one. Mid 70's.LOUD AS HELL!!! 270 watts(in the 70's, it blows away any new amp thats 500+. 5 band eq thats desinged for bass frequencies, not guitar like most. 2 inputs,bright channel.

I play an '81 Rickenbacker 4001 with a russian made Big Muff. Simply awesome. I've played top of the line SWR and Ampeg and this combo kicks everyones ass. My style is a combination of crushing bottom and piercing highs with a lot of distortion and feedback. Rig suits both. Set volume at 3,mid,trebile at 12 o'clock, bass at 2 o'clock.I punch the mid on the eq up a tad and it hits like a sledgehammer through concrete. Despite what people say about the cab being to muddy, my Rick screams through the thing.

As far as I know anything Acoustic ever made was indestructible. I own a 450 and went on tour through the south in summer with it and not a minute of trouble. I trust the same is true with the 371. No "patented circutry" or any crap like that.Just point to point hand wiring.Take that Hartke(ugh!),Carvin(puke!) etc.

Belly up long ago. Lifetime warranty. I guess so, out lived the company.

I've been playing for eight years. I also own an Acoustic 450,Ampeg V-4, and an SWR Goliath cab(a great 4x10,370 sounds great with it).It is heavey 40lbs. for the head and 150lbs. for the cab. But hey, that's what the wheels are for. Besides, after your gig, there won't be anything left standing, so you'll have plenty of room to wheel it out. If it was ever stolen I would hunt them down and execute them.

Early 70's top of the line. Acoustic 370 head and 301 Bottom. This big boy features a 5 band graphic and has plenty of power (270 Watts RMS). Single 18" speaker in a front loaded dual folder horn enclosure.

Clean and bottom heavy sound at very high levels

You can drop kick the head and it will still come back for more.

Acoustic long gone

I have been playing since the 70's and could not afford a 371 back then. Now I hope for outdoor gigs so I can use this guy. Very heavy and hard transport. Bottom is 150 lbs so it's not a carry on travel amp.