Acoustic Control Corporation

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Acoustic Control Corporation was a manufacturer of instrument amplifiers, founded started 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 which were introduced in 1972.Production ceased in 1975.Majority of the guitars were build in Japan allthough Semi Moseley (of Mosrite fame) claims of building the last 200 guitars made. One profilic user associated with this guitar was jazz guitarist Larry Coryell who had an endorsement deal and supposedly Jimi Hendrix used this guitar in the studio.Jimmy Nolen of James Browns 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 270 model amplifier as did Frank Zappa and Ernie Isley. Pat Metheny created his famous guitar tone partly by using Acoustic 134 model combo amplifier. Some prominent bassists who played through Acoustic amps included Jaco Pastorius probaply the most famous user of Acoustic bass amplifier and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Carl Radle (Derek & the Dominoes), Ric Grech (Blind Faith), and Kirk Powers (American Tears), the latter using an Acoustic 371. Mahavishnu orchestra members (bass, keyboards, violin excluding John Mclaughlin (gtr)) used Acoustic amplifiers.

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.