Fender ACB50 Adam Clayton U2 signature all-tube bass amp
New signature bass amp for U2's Adam Clayton
4,3 / 5,0 | 
The new Fender ACB50 Adam Clayton signature bass amp has been revealed and it turns out the U2 bass player is now favouring a tube-driven lightweight combo for all his bass duties.
ACB50 Adam Clayton
This new signature Fender ACB50 Adam Clayton bass combo is a 50 Watt tube-driven amplifier. It revolves around a set of three 12AX7 preamp tubes and a single 12AT7 paired with twin 6L6 power tubes. This gives this mid-voiced bass combo a bit of extra drive and grit, for warm bass tones that will still cut through in a band scenario.
It comes with two independent channels, the Classic Fender Sound and a Flatter Frequency Sound which allows it to cover a lot of ground. Adam prefers having a relatively simple setup, even though U2 fills stadiums and this setup works for him.
Channel One has Volume, Treble, Middle, Mid Frequency, Bass and Channel Two has Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass controls.
Source: Fender
Lightweight
It is fitted with a lightweight 15” Eminence neodymium speaker and this handles all he can throw at it with ease, yet it also has the option for being sent out via a DI on the rear. The transformer-coupled XLR out has a ground lift option as well.
Part of the weight-saving design is the use of lightweight plywood for construction. This means that this combo is easy to carry around and won’t break your back, yet can handle live work with ease.
It comes in at around 30,80 kg, which is pretty good for an all-tube amp.
Classic Design · Source: Fender
Classic Looks
The amp features black textured vinyl, a chrome panel, a set of chicken head knobs and an aged silver grille cloth. If you saw it in amongst a load of other amps it wouldn’t scream signature model and that is possibly a good thing.
It isn’t exactly cheap, but if you want these types of mid-focused bass tones and like all-tube amps, then it could well be for you.
MSRP – EUR 2399 *, GBP 1999, USD 2199.99
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3 responses to “Fender ACB50 Adam Clayton U2 signature all-tube bass amp”
I’d be curious to try it. I had wondered before what a tweed Bassman would sound like for bass guitar if the cabinet was updated with a closed back and modern speakers. Seems similar to that idea.
“lightweight plywood”; another one of those modern humbugthingies! However, I do wonder what these will sound like irl. As for the price, amps have doubled in price these last 10 years it seems.
The price is laughable, the concept does not convince me at all.
I’ve been playing bass for 25 years through a blackface Pro amp, which I got at a great price, put a proper bass speaker on it, and never looked back. I have always achieved wonderful tone using any type of passive bass. I have never achieved such a good tone with any type of amp and I have probably tried more than 100 different ones of all kinds.
I’ve never been short of power, for some reason tube amps seem to put out more decibels with less watts than solid state even class D’s.
I think the world of bassist amplification has always been wrongly overly focused on clean, flat transistor sound.
Either that or I’m a rare breed.
Maybe it is, since due to my advanced age I have parked the Pro amp for a few years and I usually use a Pro junior, with a special bass speaker and 12ay7 and 12at7 preamp tubes 😉
Killer sound too!!!