Non-Acoustic Bass in an acoustic setting

[fcmonk]

My band is playing a live in-studio radio gig this weekend. It's set up as an acoustic deal, pretty much miking acoustic guitars, a simple snare and brushes, vocals, etc. However, I don't own an acoustic bass, nor will I be able to get one before the show. What would be the best way to play my normal bass without blowing the studio up? Even my small combo is probably too much for the small studio. I do have a bass driver, but most radio boards are pretty hard-wired.

[aerodyne1]

IMO I'd crank the mids a bit and play with "soft hands", with just enough volume to cut through the mix. good luck!

[sonic assassin]

electric bass will be fine. play softly, roll back some treble.

amps have volume knobs, use them

[mcapote]

duff did it with janes addiction by keeping his amp under him to play it low but still hear it and micing it like the acoustics.

[BagelBruin]

Originally Posted by mcapote

duff did it with janes addiction by keeping his amp under him to play it low but still hear it and micing it like the acoustics.

I've done the exact same thing. It works.

[pasco jacorius]

Originally Posted by mcapote

duff did it with janes addiction by keeping his amp under him to play it low but still hear it and micing it like the acoustics.

I'd do the same , but also , I would attack the strings straight on the neck so have rounder/softer tones

[aerodyne1]

All good advice but don't forget one thing........have fun

[4Mal]

probably it's gather round the mic, bluegrass style. If so, the engineer will hopefully cue you to volume for a good balance. Just roll off the hi's and go for as 'un-metallic' a sound as you can.

If you do this often, invest in either a Piezo bridge or a piezo equipped bass. Godin A4 or something. I used to do the pbass thing under acoustic instruments and when I switched over to piezo, that aspect of my work really took off.

[JohnMCA72]

I've done it with a DI.

[Thor]

Without any gear info in your profile, it's hard to say...

What bass and amp do you have? I know you said normal
bass, could you expand on that please, that means different
things to different people.

That being said, at acoustic setting I have used a semi-hollow
body Epihone Jack Casady with an Eden WT400 through a
small Aguilar GS112 at low volume, just under the acoustic
players with nice results. Full round bass, and the JC and Eden
combination give nice tone at low volume.

I found the Acoustic Electric basses to be very shrill and
slappy in the same settings.

[AnchorHoy]

Originally Posted by sonic assassin

electric bass will be fine. play softly, roll back some treble.

amps have volume knobs, use them

This should work fine IF you have your own set of closed-back headphones to moniter the on-air signal with. Don't trust the DJ to get you correctly balanced in the mix, especially if room mics are the only audio source for the broadcast. What you hear in the room can be deceiving....

Ideally, mic your cab seperately. If you only have one or two room mics as your only option, move the cab around (assuming you have time and an opportunity for an off-air soundcheck) until the balance is right. Last resort is the volume knob on your amp, just be advised that the difference between what the mic(s) hear and what the other musicians in the room hear will probably make it necessary to compromise in one way or another

As a matter of personal taste, fretless works better in an otherwise all-acoustic setting but I've heard many fretted players pull it off just fine. The key is to keep the highs under control

Last bit of free advice: try to have someone record the broadcast, either from a a board feed or off the air. Makes a nice resumé builder

[Ukiah Bass]

Notes on an acoustic bass decay much faster than on an electric bass. You can instantly make a "poor man's upright" by slipping a thin piece of foam through the strings, as in the photo below. The foam acts as a mute by deadening string vibrations that would otherwise last for a longer duration. Using groundwound or flatwound strings will enhance the "thuddy" sound. This is a good trick for playing Motown type music, etc.

[prd004]

Flatwound strings will give you a much better tone for this gig!

Also, don't fret not having the acoustic bass, they all have to be plugged in too! But If you're gonna do this more often, look into the Carvin AC40, an amazing quality, incredible sounding, very reasonably priced acoustic/electric bass!

Have fun

[ilovenofrets]

I gigged in an acoustic duo with a 1981 Kramer Stagemaster, a very powerful, agressive sounding bass. As per what others here have said, I had it strung with D'Addario Half-Rounds, and rolled back on the high end. Sounded great, and got lots of compliments from people at every gig.

[anonymous122511]

***NEWSFLASH***
Nobody in the audience really cares about the bass sound.
What they notice is whether or not you play well. Don't try to make your bass sound like something it isn't and worse don't you try to be someone you aren't. Get a sound you like, relax and have fun.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by aerodyne1

IMO I'd crank the mids a bit and play with "soft hands", with just enough volume to cut through the mix. good luck!

In my acoustic trio, I had been playing my Breedlove 5-string ABG through a Fodera 2010 outboard preamp straight into the PA. It sounded great, but the acoustic bass isn't as nimble as an electric.

So recently I've been playing my Fodera bass at gigs, and it works great. I disagree with boosting the mids, though. That tends to give the bass too much electric bass-type punch. This is a setting in which a little bit of a smiley face will give you a more acoustic-style tone.