Acoustic bass feedback solutions

[Bardley]

Hello all. I have a friend who is currently out on the road without internet access and wanted me to ask you fine folks at TB if you had any experience with killing feedback for his ABG. He has a Boulder Creek 5 string acoustic bass and his that he uses for a few songs with his modern country band. It will be plugged into the PA and using floor monitors. I'm sure the stage volume is fairly loud. So my question is what do you guys use for solving feedback issues? Pedals, Graphic EQ, Feedback filters like a Sabine? I gave him my suggestions as a sound man but I wanted to see what you guys had to say about it since I never used an ABG on a full volume gig.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[GM60466]

I play fairly loud, but don't have a feedback problem. That should be your soundperson's problem not yours.

[Bardley]

Originally Posted by GM60466

I play fairly loud, but don't have a feedback problem. That should be your soundperson's problem not yours.

Being a sound man myself I understand where you are coming from, but my friend is trying to simply lessen the chance of it happening since it is a known problem with his bass and they have to use whatever sound guy is at each venue. The sound guys are not getting it taken care of so that's when he called me.

[RandyMolson]

For quick field fix, I have seen duct tape over sound hole. I have also heard people stick a sheet of foam inside body.

[jedgargroover]

$6 on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Feedback-Buster-...#ht_1690wt_660

Probably at every Guitar Center across the country and a bunch of other music stores as well.

[jedgargroover]

Ok...I'm a doofus. Didn't realize it had an odd sized sound hole. I still say he just gets an xacto knife and a thick piece of rubber or, better yet, hard foam rubber, and cut his own feedback buster to size. It would just be a matter of making the circle slightly larger than the sound hole and then trimming a little lip underneath. Trial and error until it fit snugly in the sound hole. He's on tour...you know he's got time.

But the other question is: At that point why not just play a regular bass. An ABG isn't going to sound all that different with a feedback buster in anyway. I learned long ago that half the people in the audience don't even know which is the bass and which is the 6 string, not to mention what sound each one makes, and definitely not the difference in tone and timbre between an ABG and a regular bass. I mean...if it's a prop for effect that's one thing. Otherwise he could save some space and have one less piece of gear to haul.

[Pilgrim]

I was going to suggest the same feedback buster if the bass had a conventional center sound hole. If they make one for the bass in question, I'd still suggest it.

As far as the bass itself, I can only think of blocking the exterior air holes, or even inserting material into the cavity of the bass to reduce the ability of sound waves to bounce between hard surfaces. I've even herd of musicians inserting foal inside an acoustic bass for that purpose.

[fu22ba55]

Crumpled up newspaper.

Fill the inside of the bass.

Nobody can see it.

Feedback busters look asinine.

I saw Jr. Brown's band once, and they ALL had newspaper crumpled up inside their guitars since he played his tele stupid loud (like it should be.)

Crumpled up newspaper. Problem solved.

[Bardley]

Great suggestions, guys. Thanks and keep them coming. I'll let him know what you guys have said so far and let him try some of them out.
TB is the best for helping a guy out in a pinch.

[jblock]

A notch filter if he has access to one on a preamp/DI box.

[Bardley]

Originally Posted by jblock

A notch filter if he has access to one on a preamp/DI box.

That was my suggestion to him. A parametric eq with an adjustable Q.

[t-ray]

I once blew an 18" Peavey BW with feedback from an acoustic bass. Just stupidly got too close to adjust my amp.
A lesson learned the hard way.