Acoustic Control Corporation Tube 60 Collaboration Series 112 Combo

Paid $250.00 in 1998

features:
Made in 1988, I believe this was the last year that Acoustic was in business. It is a 2 channel, all tube (12AX7, 6L6) 60 watt combo amp w/a 1-12" speaker. From left to right-2 input jacks (hi-low) clean volume, distortion gain, distortion volume, treble, mid, bass tone controls, bright switch, reverb, overall volume. On the back is an effects loop, plus 2 speaker jacks, one for the internal speaker, the other for an external (w-impedance switch). the pilot light is similar to many Matchless models (the logo lights up when you turn it on). This is a good club amp for blues and classic rock with plenty of volume for indoors-outdoors, you need to add an extra cabinet to hear yourself.

Been playing 23 years, using a Fernandes Strat (one of lawsuit models) and an 83 Fender Telecaster. Clean channel on this amp is very Fender-y, though not a dead match, you can get the SRV/Hendrix clean strat tones no problem. When the clean channel is cranked, it does not really break up, it just starts sounding more compressed (strange). The distortion channel is kinda OK, on lower settings it will get that mid-gain bark that you would expect from a dimed tweed fender, but higher settings sound like a bad milkshake-thick and not very appetizing. The tone controls work on both channels, so this might be part of the problem with the distortion. The reverb is decent, one of the better ones I've heard in a while (the tank is a 4 spring Accutronics long-pan).It won't do Fender surf, but it's really usuable and warm-sounding. The amp is not very noisy, just the kind of stuff you would expect from a tube amp. Usually I just use the clean channel with pedals in front (Tube screamer and an old Rat), the amp has no problems with pedals.

I've used this amp nearly every weekend for 5 years (gigs) and it has broken down twice, the first time, some diodes in the power supply let go, the second time a preamp tube shorted out. Reasonably easy to get fixed, although manuals and schematics are hard to come by. I don't usually have a backup, though I do carry spare tubes. By the way, the thing is built like a freakin tank, and it weighs like one too (about 60 lbs!!!)

Acoustic has been out of business for years...

Been playing 23 years, mostly blues and rock. have owned most nearly every decent fender amp made (and some dogs, too). The thing I like about this amp is that I can get a decent tone very easily with almost any guitar, and it's been pretty reliable, considering all the gigs we play. It would be virtually impossible to replace (this is the only amp like it I've ever seen) Is it the best? No, that would go to my old '66 Super Reverb, but I won't drag that out to gigs, either. If I had to replace it, I would get a Deluxe Reverb reissue, or something similar.