Acoustic Bass Guitars

[lorilu]

And I'm replying to them.
Do you think they can transcend time and space - the posts and the replies - and are being received in another dimension. I ask, because I noticed you mentioning something along these lines the last time posts were disappearing.:7

[1four5]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Feb-17-06 AT 07:49 AM (EST)]Tim3finger has tried probably 4 or 5 acoustic basses, and so far they all sucked acoustically. He even got a Regal reso acoustic bass, and it didn't have any more poop that the woodys. Gold Tone makes a banjo bass, and the sound clip is interesting...pretty much a tuned drum, just wonder how loud it really is. Check it out
http://www.goldtone.com/products/detail ... ea2=BB-400

The sound clips are here
http://www.goldtone.com/

[tim3finger]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Feb-17-06 AT 11:25 AM (EST)]1four5 is right. I have owned several acoustic basses( Takamine 512, Regal rdo5, Ibanez aeb10, Jasmine esc50). None of them worked well(quiet) for anything more than playing with one acoustic guitar, and that guitar better be played softly. The Regal will work if you use a pick, but it really didn't sound all that good. The Takamine was kick butt when plugged in. The Ibanez was the best bang for the buck. The Jasmine was the most fun( read "Tim3fingers bass").
As much as I and thousands of other bass players want an acoustic bass to work, they just don't. So, your choice is an upright or amplify your acoustic bass. If you choose to amplify, get flatwoumd strings( helps with finger noise, fret buzz and that horrible piezo sound ). Actually, nylon tapewounds sound the best, but they are expensive and will wear out fast on your frets(maybe 3-4 months)if you play a lot/everyday. There are few 3/4 uprights on the market in the 1000.00 range that seem to be good deals. There are, and I am sure you know, issues with an upright(size,cost,portability,etc.), but they can all be overcome if you want that sound. Just as camaros aren't ferraris', acoustic basses aren't upright basses.
Just my 2 cents worth.

Tim

"along the road, take time to smell the flowers"

[mike932]

where does one buy the flatwounds for the acoustics?

[oleman]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Feb-18-06 AT 00:35 AM (EST)]Mike9
Musicians Friend has flat wounds and they are quieter than round wounds but if you want that upright vibe, they are mandatory. I have flats on my fretless acoustic/electric and the tone makes me weak in the knees. Still if you want the upright sound, only and upright will do. I bought a cheap Chinese upright $500 delivered and spent a week setting it up but I love it. Playing a bass fiddle Is for me the most fun you can have standing up! well almost.

[r_a_smith3530]

Oleman, are you using regular flatwounds on your acoustic bass, like Rotosound Jazz flats, or are these special for acoustic?

Also, where did you score a Chinese bass for $500? Do you have a link?

[mike932]

I have flatwounds on my electric, but I haven't found flatwounds advertised for the acoustic/electric. The strings advertised for the electric acoustic all claim to be bronze phosphorous roundwounds,they are really noisey. Will the electric flatwounds work on an acoustic? The Ibanez has an equalizer built in, maybe I just answered my own question.

[oleman]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Feb-19-06 AT 10:23 PM (EST)]R__A__

I got the Chinese Bass off of ebay. I can't really recommend them. They are pretty junky and I have to clamp and glue mine pretty frequently and the set up was a major pain in the butt. But with a K&K piezo, rockabilly nylon strings it sounds and plays great. I'm still looking for a Kay.

For flat wounds on my electric /acoustic I threw away the big E and use the A for an E. still tuned to E. and the G is still a round wound regular bass guitar string. I think a regular guitar Big E string might work as a G on the electric/acoustic but they won't break up a set of flatwounds and my music store doesnt sell individual flatwounds.

[papajerry]

I have a Fender BG-31 I have Labella Black nylon wound flats on it.

"Original 1954" Fender Style
Black Nylon Tape Wound

It does a great job when playuing with acoustics unplugged if i use a heavy pick.
http://www.jpstrings.com/braccess.htm#Flat

Played through my 60's vitage Sano amp. it holds its own in the crowd. I play through a processor and straight to the sound board for gigs at church, and it works well there . I get compilments because it sounds mellower than the usual electric basses that the others play.

Jerry
Ps. 150

[thebluescaster]

Just to add to what has already been said, the laws of physics/acoustics dictate that there is no way an acoustic bass guitar is going to be as loud as an upright bass, with it's larger tone chamber, f-holes, sound post, higher action, and different attack.

About the best you can do is to look at something like the Breedlove Atlas series basses (fretted or fretless), or add a Bridge Doctor to a regular acoustic. And that will still only be a small improvement.

[ricochet]

A dreadnaught guitar's not even big enough to resonate at the fundamental frequency of its low E. And a bass goes down to half that frequency, so needs to be proportionately larger.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."

[lpdeluxe]

I play an Ibanez AEB305, but it's useless without an amp. A friend just got a Pignose Hog30, and he thinks it's great. That should give enough volume without having a big ol beast to haul around.

For strings, I put LaBella Deep Talkin' black nylon tape wound strings on the I. Works very well, and got rid of that sizzle that the brass strings had.

[Garrett]

I play a Ibanez AEB10E. It has a Fishman Pickup, I play it through a Acoustic AB50 Bass amp that is specifically designed for Acoustic-Electric Bass.

[old mojo]

Just to add to what has already been said, the laws of physics/acoustics dictate that there is no way an acoustic bass guitar is going to be as loud as an upright bass..

On the money! I've owned and played two Guilds, a Fender and a Breedlove. The Guild had the most balls, but was nowhere near an upright. Acoustic bass guitars have their place, just like 'lectrics and doghouse basses do. They are just all different places.

[lpdeluxe]

Holy guacamole! I posted my last response in 2006??? Well, to update: I traded off the Ibanez several years ago and went back to Fender Precisions. More recently, with a totally-acoustic gig coming up in Austin (in a friend's garden) I traded an SG for a Martin B-1. 'Way better than the Ibanez, but still limited. It sounds OK with another acoustic guitar in the room, but two will blow it away. You can cope with an amplifier, but forget it if there's a drummer -- the feedback starts before you can get loud enough (a friend suggested I get a feedback suppressor sound-hole plug: I said, why don't I just pull out my Precision?).

Old mojo, which Guild do you have? A friend has a B4CE (32" scale, oval soundhole) that is not nearly as loud as my Martin.