Acoustic 150b vs. Sunn Coliseum Bass

[Mike00]

Hey people, newb here...

I'm in the market for a new Bass head and I prefer vintage equipment.  I've owned an Acoustic 150b in the past and I rocked a lot of large venues with that head and a Bergantino NV610.
While that was a great sounding rig, I wish it had a touch more bottom... perhaps the Sunn would provide that?  I've never been able to compare the two amps side by side thru the same cab before.

I'm a guitarist who played Bass in a rock trio for 4-5 years.  I play with a pick 90% of the time.  I love the John Entwistle tone, etc.  I usually use a P-bass but I'm about to build a 'Fenderbird' with a Mike Lull T-Bird pickup in the neck position (I'll buy the bridge model when I can afford it! haha)

Thanks for your help/opinions

[Mike00]

No one?     perhaps you guys have talked about these to death.  As a moderator on another forum, I totally understand haha.

I'm planning to buy a new amp in the next 10 days...  I found a really clean 150B w/ a not so clean 106 cab (1 replaced spkr) for $300.  It's a great deal but if the Coliseum Bass sounds way better, I'll hold out.   Will the Coliseum do the almost tube-like midrange 'bark' like the 150B?  but with more bottom end?

I use a Bergantino NV610

[dadagoboi]

I used to play a '77 Tbird thru 3 Coliseums (lead, bass and slave) and 3 SVT cabs.  All I can say is I liked it as did Michael Anthony who was playing an Acoustic 150 that soon disappeared...

[Psycho Bass Guy]

The Coliseum is a killer amp, but I've never played an Acoustic 150B. I live in Ampeg country, used to live less than five miles from the old Magnavox plant. Since they were arch-rivals in the 70's, you simply don't find vintage Acoustic amps around here. The Coliseum is one of the few s/s heads I like, but if you want vintage Ox tone, you need a tube Hiwatt or the Reeves DR201 copy. The Coliseum has a very tube-like midrange, but its overall sound is geared more towards depth and punch rather than growl. Also, once you hit its volume limit, that's it. It doesn't distort or compress, it just falls out. The upside is that its very loud for its rating, but the Coliseum is more of what I would consider a mid-volume amp.

[Mike00]

great answers guys, thanks!   Hmmm... maybe i'm better off with a 150b and a Slave.  I really like the distortion/break-up that the 150b has.  It compresses really nicely.
I'm gonna try the Coliseum with my ts808 first.   I'd love to own a DR201 but that's way out of my budget.

I used to own a '72 Hiwatt DR504 and matching cab, it was great to record with.  I used to run that and a '76 Marshall 50w JMP halfstack in stereo in the studio... I was trying to get an Entwistle/Squire hybrid tone.  It sounded cool but didn't work live; couldn't hear myself well enough.

My 'large venue' rig consisted of a 360 preamp powered by a 300 Slave amp into the Berg 610.   It sounded really great but I preferred the tone of the 150b...?  I wish I kept that rig but needed the money I was offered for it at the time.  I got that 360 (near mint) for $125 in a shop in Atlanta while on tour in '03.  They thought it was messed up because it was humming... but it wasn't humming, the Elect tuning fork was on!  haha.   I later sold it for $600 2 years ago but I really should've kept it.

[nofi]

where did you play in atlanta and the name of your band?

[Highlander]

I live 5 miles from the garage my Hiwatt was born in...

Never played through either so can't really comment...

But the day I ain't got summat to comment about...

(ps - welcome...)

[Mike00]

where did you play in atlanta and the name of your band?

hmmm... i can't remember the name of the place unfortunately.  I think it held about 500-600 people and was near a lot of other clubs.  The guitar store I got the head at was practically next door to the club if that helps.  I remember going to a house party after the gig that was down the street... it was an empty house with a motorcycle parked in the living room and a bonfire in the backyard.  I thought it was a pretty cool area...
My band was called Runner & the Thermodynamics.  We were a trio on a small label in NYC called Ace Fu Records.   We're actually having a reunion show in the Boston/Cambridge area on Nov.19 and I'm amp-less!  I've been offered an Acoustic 140 head & 106 cab to use, though.

(ps - welcome...)

thanks!

[nofi]

i'm thinking you were in a part of east atlanta near the grant park zoo. that's the only place i can think of that has lots of clubs with a music store in the middle. pretty cool little area that is now very expensive due to trendy folks with money moving in and 'fixing it up'. many places you saw back in '03 are gone now.

[Mike00]

i'm thinking you were in a part of east atlanta near the grant park zoo. that's the only place i can think of that has lots of clubs with a music store in the middle. pretty cool little area that is now very expensive due to trendy folks with money moving in and 'fixing it up'. many places you saw back in '03 are gone now.

oh really?  that's a shame... stuff like that was happening everywhere in the country in the last 8-10 years.   No more CBGBs, no more Rat (boston), etc.   

[rahock]

Yeah, a lot of old places in Chicago I used to go that were deep in ghettoland have now grown into charming yuppieville and it just ain't the same.
Here in Detroit, there was a place named the Soup Kitchen that was the greatest blues joint in the city , located in the old warehouse district. It was the oldest bar in Detroit and back in the day before my time it was a well known bar/whorehouse and considered to be a real landmark. Gone and turned into yuppieville .
Rick

[eb2]

I prefer the later acoustic amps - the 400 stuff.  Souded wonderful, good power, and low end that would rattle your insides.

When I was playing dumpy clubs ages ago I would talk to older guys who had been playing the dumpy clubs that were there in the 60s and early 70s. They would tell how the old clubs were all gone, where they were, and about the good old days.  Clubs, amps, guitars, styles of music, fashion, etc, are always temporary.  Enjoy them while they are what they are.

[Basshappi]

I've loved the Sunn Coliseums I've played through but I have only played through the Acoustic 360's and 370's (loved those too!) so I can't offer a comparison to the 150B. Besides, it was too long ago to remember many details other than LOUD!!