Acoustic Model 450 170W Head

The Acoustic Model 450 is a 1970s solid-state amplifier head from Acoustic Control Corporation, a California brand that built some of the most widely used high-power bass rigs of the era. Acoustic’s touring systems in the late 1960s and 1970s were known for reliability, volume, and a clear, fast solid-state response.

Players most commonly linked to classic Acoustic backlines include Jaco Pastorius and Larry Graham, whose stage rigs helped cement the company’s reputation among working bassists, while in modern times the model has gained a solid repuration as a heavweight in the doom metal genre, especially with Jesse Keeler of Death From Above 1979.

The Model 450 sits in that lineup as a practical, feature-rich head aimed at bass, but it is equally usable for keys or as a clean platform for guitar with pedals. This example is the 170W version and it keeps the era-correct “blue stripe” styling with a black faceplate and light blue strip. The front panel gives you two 1/4″ inputs and a Norm/Brt (bright) voicing switch, then a familiar tone section with Volume, Treble, Mid, and Bass. After that come Distort and Aux Volume, plus a 5-band graphic equalizer.

The right-hand switch bank includes a Lead/Bass mode switch along with Ground and Rev switches, as found on many stage-oriented amps from the period. The graphic EQ uses fixed bands at 70Hz, 140Hz, 280Hz, 1100Hz, and 2000Hz, making it easy to tighten the lows, shape the low mids, and add or reduce upper-mid bite depending on the cabinet and room.

On the rear panel you get two 1/4″ speaker outputs, plus dedicated 1/4″ jacks for Booster Output, Line Output, Access In/Out, and a footswitch connection. The rear labeling also shows 120V or 240V operation at 50/60Hz with 200W power consumption and a 3A 125V fuse marking, so it is worth confirming the voltage configuration before regular use.

Condition-wise, it has cosmetic wear from many gigs over the decades, but it is fully working and ready to use.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Manufacturer: Acoustic Control Corporation
• Model: Acoustic 450
• Type: Solid-state amplifier head
• Power rating: 170W
• Front panel inputs: 2 x 1/4″ (Input 1, Input 2)
• Input voicing: Norm/Brt switch
• Preamp controls: Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass
• Additional controls: Distort, Aux Volume
• Graphic EQ type: 5-band slider EQ
• Graphic EQ bands: 70Hz, 140Hz, 280Hz, 1100Hz, 2000Hz
• Power switch: Front panel rocker switch
• Mode switch: Lead/Bass switch (front panel)
• Speaker outputs: 2 x 1/4″ Speaker Outputs (rear panel)
• Line-level output: 1 x 1/4″ Line Output (rear panel)
• Booster output: 1 x 1/4″ Booster Output (rear panel)
• Access loop: 1 x 1/4″ Access In/Out (rear panel, labeled as a single jack)
• Footswitch: 1 x 1/4″ Footswitch jack (rear panel)
• Cabinet: Tolex-covered enclosure with metal corner protectors