The Legendary Acoustic Amp Model 165 112 EV/HW
Simple the Only Real FRANK ZAPPA or Steve Vai or or or AMP
Dumble was Yesterday ,, Acoustic 165 are back
Update.-o2.01..2022 ..Facebook and You Tube coming soon with Videos and sound samples
The Acoustic Model 165 is the One Amp Manufactured by Acoustic Control Corporation who got giga Famous like his other 4 Brothers --Mesa Boogie Mark One -Kitty Hawk Standart/Custom -Jim Kelley Amp - Dumble Overdrive Amp from the 80"s . its the One that has the Tone .....The Tone that you will never forget . Acoustic started building this Mega Tone Monster in 1979 to February 1980 - Worldwide only 1000 Amps where manfactured .Thats the Reason why this Amp is so rare and hard to find .Just in this short Time period only like 350 Acoustic 165 Amps were delivered to Europe. The Modell 164 whats the same same like the 165 Modell .the only Diffrend is like is outfit . its Vinyl . Its not writen down how many Amps are mate from the Modell 164 or delivert to Europe ...
Two of the most famous Guitar Players all Time uset Acoustic 165 Amps
Steve Vai and Frank Zappa
The forgotten Legends .. The Acoustic Modell 164 and 165
All Amps were Handmade in Van Nuys California 91406 USA the early Silicon Valley for all the good Shit what we all looking for like Dumble Jim Kelley Acoustic and Mesa Boogie Amps even the Great Guitar Builders like early Charvel and Schecter Guitars out from this Area .Acoustic started to build Guitar Tube Amps in the late 79"s and started building the First Model 160 then 164 and after the Lenegdary 165 the same Way Boogie then started with Mark 1 and updates this still until today to the Mark V but Acoustic Control Corporation had to stop the Production in late 1983 after they released the famous Tube Amps from the T Series like G 60T G 100T about Copy Right CC Lawsuit with Boogie .Basically the entire Cord Lawsuit shit was a totaly misunderstanding . The Acoustic 165 was and is not just a copy of a Mark One Boogie-- they used some of the Signal route and some of the Constuction but they buildt a Totally different Amp... a Real two Channel Clean Overdrive Amp with a Channel Switch and two Master Volumes and so on . The Sound of the 165 is so powerful and has so much Headroom its crazy . The Sound has a Great Tone with a huge range of Warm Bass with a Massive Bottom and so Powerful that even in low Volume Range it Sounds like you play over a 4x12er full Stack but its just the Acoustic 165 with a E V 12L Speaker. its the Amp of the Amp back in the Days and Still today . I would say its an early Mark 5 lol )) . You can make so many different sounds out of this Monster Amp its Crazy and the Clean Channel ..... Man .. you never ever heard such a Warm Powerfull Tone in your life ... its like a old First Fender Twin Reverb but a bit Warmer and more Bottom . Put some Stomp Boxes in front and you will hear what i mean .
Back in the Days the Acoustic 164/165 Modell was the first Amp with a great Working Effectloop Pre Amp out and IN icl a great working EQ . The put it on the right Signal Position and it works absolutly great still to today . Other Amps like Kitty Hawk to but did not work well at all. Even Mesa Boogie tryed to build a Effect Loop and first and The Mark 3 it works like Years befor at this Acoustic 165 Modell Dumble even not tryed to build one becauce he like to sell his Dumblelator Thing what alout you do do the same and Acoustic had on top the First absolut great Soundding Switching ON OFf Spring Reverb what you can turn on and off with a Foodcontroller . Not even Boogie had this . And the Absolut highlight was that you had actually Two switchibel Prea Amps in the Amp on FET ultra Silicon Clean Sound"s and one extrem Warm Tube Pre Amp . ann this Features icl the great working full 2 Channel Tube Amp mate him to the Super Amp and of Cours Boogie was a Kind of Pisst so ... the rest is Hsitory
A nother Thing what many People dosent know is that Acoustic put back in the Day a Lifetime Warrenty on the Acoustic Amps like the 165 becauce they konw the huge Quallity about the Products and Parts what they used .i nay Experience i can agree beacuse ive you realy take care of your amp and dont let him sit in the wet bacement or Practice Room for ever its sill working great after 40 Years later . No nasty scratching or Noisy Potys or what ever . It Works great . My Acoustic 165 what i bought 1981 was never ever at Service . Only he got new Tubes thats it ..
A great Research about this Amps and His Histrory did the Owner of the great German Vintage Gear Magazin calt Grand GT Acoustic Modell G 60 T 112 EV
Here some Histroy :
in the mid 70s the Acoustic Control Corporation started their own series of instruments with the “Black Widow” which among other users was owned by a gentleman by the name of Jimi Hendrix. Also the portfolio has been expanded by a range of PA systems. Later in that century the company deviated from their all solid state amplifier line by introducing three tube amplifier models (Model 160, 164, 165) which almost lead to a lawsuit with their competitors Mesa Boogie due to patent violation.
What led to the final curtain for the amp manufacturer remains unknown. At least for us…
It’s kind of safe to say that Steve Marks young company became a success with its uncompromising early models. But somehow they seemingly got lost over time…
To set the record straight:
Acoustic Control Corporation or just „Acoustic“ is a brand which history is quite hard to figure out as you only find occasional hints of what happened when. We’ve tried our best to map the course the company took but the dates should be taken with a large grain of salt as there are no such thing as „confirmed“ sources.
ok ...Anyway . back on Track ....
Thats the Reason why Mister Frank Zappa used this Amp since 1979 to 1985 . Listen to it on his Rec. like Sheik Yerbouti -Joes Garage Part 1/2/3 and Frank Zappa Guitars and many more .
Now for anybody Understanding.. Its a huge Misinformation out there in the World .still until today People write and Think that any Acoustic Tube Amp was THE ZAPPA AMP .
People . sorry but thats not right .. The Only Acoustic Amp"s that Frank Zappa used a Long Time Live and in Studio was the early Acoustic Control Corporation 260 Series Acoustic Control Corporation 270 and the Acoustic 165 Modell as a Half Stack with a Single 112 EV12L Box and not a Later G 100 T 112 or a early 164 or the first Modell 160 . He only Used the Model 165 on Stage and Mostly for Years in the Studio . I just wanna clear that up .. more information out from the Zappa Gear Book here http://www.zappasgear.com/bookcontents.html
Even his Son Dweezil Zappa reported that Frank Used the Acoustic 165 Modell on Stage and Studio
https://www.dweezilzappa.com/pages/guitar-rig
Just a Simple Way to verfy what Acoustic Amp you have ..is....
The Last Version Amps like the G Serie has one Knob for Vol...first clean Channel and a Classic Acoustic Double Poti for the Drive Channle . The famouse Modell 165 have two Double Potis Vol 1und 2 and the Master Section in one Poti . Sometimes its some confusion outside the Web becauce Acosutic used at the last day of Production everything what they have and put some G 100 T Amps in 165 stampt Chassys and sometimes they miss the Modell Logo like G 100 T or 165 on the Front Panel . The G 100 T Serie hast on the Front right Side 2 Switches and the Power On and Of on the Back Side and the Modell 165 has actually 4 Swither and evrything on the Front or the G 100 T has two Input Jakes low and High and the 165 just have one .
Ok back on Track again .....
Another great Guitar Player from the Huge German Band called BAP from Cologne .....Mister Major Häuser .. Played the legendery Acoustic Amp 164 whats the same like the 165 but oly in Vinyl outfit . you still can listen to it on the early 6 Albums until to 1985
Even He reportet in a Intervue on a German Music Magazin calt Fachblatt what was huge in Germany back in the 80"s that He uset the Acoustic Modell 164/165 and this Amp dosent sound like at all the last Acoustic Produktion Amps like Acoustic G 100 T 112or G 60 T . they are stuill great Amps but have nothing to do with the Sound and the Feathers of the Acoustic Modell 165. The Sound of the Acoustic 164/165 is still to Today a Master Piece .
And He said that He was so impresst of this Sound that he let rebuild this Amp from a nother great German Amp Company back in the Days calt Posidon becuace He used his only Acoustic 165 everyday life for Year so he was worry about to lose him by a Massive Damage or get stolen . To get a nother Acoustic 165 for Back up was imposible in the 80" becauce ...there was jsut 1000 Amps World Wide mate .. So Posidon took his Amp and messure everything true and build him a Copie of the 165 Acoustic Amp ..
Some Price Information and original Retail Price List from USA and Germany 1979-1980
The Amp was still in November 1979 at the same Price Range like the other 4 great Amps like USA 1196 US Dollar and in Germany around 2490 Deutsch Mark .
Market Price Today if you find One are at the Moment cheap like around 1000 Euro or a bit more but it is still insanely cheap compared to a Dumble Overdive or Jim Kelley or Kitty Hawk or Boogie Mark One Amp that will be changed soon so i guess and Hope and will be for sure becuase many people don`t know about this awesome great Amp . For me and Many other Users say the Sound of the 165 Acoustic is much better and has more Options like a Dumble ..but its only and everytime a quastion of Taste and your feelings about Tone .For shure a Dumble Amp sound diferend in his Basic Sound same like the German Kitty Hawk Standard and Custom Amps or a Jim Kelly Amp but ive you like the same Qallity of Parts and a bit Warmer sound with much more headroom than look for a Acosutic Amp Modell 165.
Who knows why a Dumble Overdrive Price goes now up to the Roof . it could be the same for the Acoustic 165 but . Who knows ... when you read the Gemany Test out from the German Magazine compare to the Dumble Overdrive Test and you understand German than guess what.. Back in the Days the Acoustic 165 was The Amp to have ..... its not delivert or on Rec. how many Amps where delivert to Germany Italy Spain England and so on. In my Experience i know that Who bought back in the Day a Acoustic Model 165 he have him still to today at home or in Studio preserved.You only have a Chance to get one on the Market like E Bay or Reverb is when the Owner has past away but even than they would probely give it to Family or the next Generation of Musican who knows what that Amp is worth.It took me over 10 Years to find and finaly get 2 . Still i bought one in 1981 so i am good for now..
So soon as posible i will go in to my Studio and record and make some real great Sounding Vidoes of all this 4- 5 Great Amps of the 80"s so you can actually hear what i mean .I know that no boddy did this before. I have the Luck and the Passion to Own every of this Amp"s of the 80" So i can Do actually a Comparison Test of every Amp .
Here you can read a Test from the Acoustic 165 Amp from a German great Music Magazin from 1979
Dieter Roesberg the early Manager and Guy who wrote this awesome Magazin Test Calt this Amp a Super Amp
Amp der Superlative means Best Amp in the World 1980
Last not least here some other Acoustic 165 Amp User of the 80"s all of them are Master"s of Tone even like and its delivert Jimi Hendrix ordert 2 of full Acoustic Stacks icl Steve Vai and Frank Zappa
Reat That
Thats the great Who is Who Guitar Player List from the 80" who used the Grest Acoustic 165 mostly in Studio or Life