• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

The Amps The Doors Used

Excalibur

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2003
Messages
435
Any one by any chance knows what is that weird looking 17 knobs amp that
Robby Krieger of The Doors used among others? is it called Acustic?
10 knobs on the up front and 7 underneath,it got some unique HIFI tone.
 

Mike M.

New member
Joined
Apr 29, 2004
Messages
1,020
I don't know about the 17 knobs but I do know from some live shots that both Robby and Ray used "Acoustic" amps. Don't know if the speakers were 12" or 15" but there was also a horn in the cabinet.
 

2002standardmat

Active member
Joined
Oct 19, 2002
Messages
1,152
Being an ex doors devotee - yep they were acoustics - used fenders for some studio stuff, but live etc, it was acoustics.

anyone else chime in?

Rememebr them saying that they were the only amps that could start to reach the volume/range they needed when they started playing the larger gigs.
 

lpnv59

All Access/Backstage Pass
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
10,725
Acoustic amps were great for bass. For guitar, eh! However Albert King used one in the 70's and sounded great. But he was Albert King!!!
amp1.jpg
 

Excalibur

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2003
Messages
435
What kind of tubes it employs or is it transistor operated?
Nice setup lpnv..
 

Mike Shaw

Active member
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
2,883
Robbie's amp of choice was a Fender Twin Reverb. I believe I read in a Doors book that the Acoustic amps were onstage but Robbie had a Twin mic'ed up too.
 

Mr. Papa

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 14, 2002
Messages
1,418
I always thought it was a Twin Reverb, also. It is in the Oliver Stone movie, which of course is 100% accurate and factual.
 

Tuco

Active member
Joined
May 29, 2003
Messages
1,073
I saw them live at the Forum in L.A. (which is an arena-sized venue). I don't remember the date. It was the first show that I'd ever attended where I thought the sound sucked. The guitar sounded just awful, and yes, they were using Acoustic amps. J45's revelation that Robby was using a solid state amp explains a lot. Those early days of solid state guitar amps were ghastly.
 

marshall1987

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
3,278
I used to jam with a few guys in the early 70's who played Acoustic amps. Horrible sterile sounding rubbish is my recollection.
 

Hamilton

New member
Joined
Jan 7, 2002
Messages
686
The guitar sounded just awful, and yes, they were using Acoustic amps.
Yep.

I saw them in 1970 and between the obnoxious drunk at the mic and sound of those Acoustics, I was looking for an exit.
 

keef

Active member
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,006
Didn't Santana play through a bunch of Acoustics at Woodstock? Great tone.

I once had a small 1X15" Acoustic bass amp. Good bass sound, but it blew up twice - during gigs....I dumped it....and the bass....
 

Excalibur

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2003
Messages
435
Alot of classic cuts have been made with solid state amps for example The velvet Underground (the banana album) with Nico was recorded For the most of it with a Vox Super Beatle (transistors) also Jefferson Airplane "Surrealistic Pillow" from 1967 the one with the White rabbit song made with a Solid State Standel Super Imperial amp among others. My guess is someday that sleazy,less than perfect sound will be sought After..
P.S not to mention Creedence Clearwater Revival with "proud Marry" And a lot more played through a Kustom amp..
 
Last edited:

Lennon24

Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2003
Messages
473

Boogie Bill

New member
Joined
Oct 27, 2005
Messages
334
The Acoustic 360 and 370 bass amps with their 118 reverse "W" folded horn cabs were some fo the most dominating bass amps of the late-1960's and 1970's. Those cabs could throw tremendous LF a long ways.

The Acoustic 150 head and 106 cabinet (aka the 156) was a club staple in the early 1970's. With a 120-watt power section and tremolo and reverb pushing a 610 cabinet, the 156 was loud and aggressive. I owned one for a while, but found it noisy.

One other thing to consider: these were not cheap solid-state amps. Neither were solid-state offerings from Ampeg, Kustom, Sunn, etc.--these were all professional grade amps. You can often find them at bargain bin prices--something to keep in mind if you want loud and clean!

Bill
 
Top