Acoustic bass fetish club Part 2

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by Cougmeister

So are tapewounds the way I need to go if I'm looking for a fretless/upright sound?

I watched a guy try to get that URB sound from his AEB. He gave up and just learned that it ain't gonna happen.

H realized that the AEB has it's own voice and that if he wanted an upright sound, it was an upright he needed.

Why try to guild a lily? The AEB is itself and anything one might try to get that URB sound will just make the string manufacturers happy as one flits from one string set to another on a personal hie to finding the magic strings.

Unlike many people, I knew the AEB was an AEB and not a URB and with that happenstance I am happy.

[jeffbonny]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

I watched a guy try to get that URB sound from his AEB. He gave up and just learned that it ain't gonna happen.

H realized that the AEB has it's own voice and that if he wanted an upright sound, it was an upright he needed.

Why try to guild a lily? The AEB is itself and anything one might try to get that URB sound will just make the string manufacturers happy as one flits from one string set to another on a personal hie to finding the magic strings.

Unlike many people, I knew the AEB was an AEB and not a URB and with that happenstance I am happy.

There's a big difference between thinking you can get an exact duplication of any double bass sound (which you can't) and going for "close" (which is quite possible).

[ErnieD]

Originally Posted by jeffbonny

Depends on what kind of "upright" sound appeals to you. Tapewounds will give you a more percussive old school gut string type sound. TI flats or D'Addario Chromes will give you a more modern steel string "spirocore" kinda sound.

Great descript jb, that's what the Tapes now offer me, percussive attack and old skool tone. And that's what I was trying to get at with this bass for the musical context I am going to use it in.

I was first shopping for a elec upright bass and many said it's just a overpriced odd-looking elec bass; get a fretless A/EBG. As my first ABG style ever I went with this BC bass. Ideally, a Godin A5 is going to make me happier what with the tone and esp the body size. So I'm still on the look for an A5.

SurferJoe46 keeps telling folks not to mess with alternate strings for their ABG's that its just a waste of time/money and won't offer anything better to the user. I feel that's abit misleading to folks, esp if its' their first ABG. I feel, nothing wrong with researching, as I did hear, and trying a new string set, like Tapes over the stock Bronze to see what it will get you.

That's if you're looking for something other than what the stock strings offer you. I was. SurferJoe46 and others find they like what the ABG offers them with bronze strings, that's cool, they found what they like without having to make any changes, always a plus. So why not help others find what they might need/like in their ABG's. I sure just did.

And I just might put that still new bronze set on another of my elec basses; just to see what it offers. No biggee....they come right back off again, TaDa! Happy Turduken Y'all.

[Cougmeister]

I guess my first post was a little misleading. I just want to get it close, doesn't have to be perfect. Sounds like I need to give tapes a try. The sound I'm going for is in the video I linked in an earlier post. Mines the import (olympia) fretted version of the bass in the video.

[MD]

^^^

Check the Carvin site for LaBella Tapes. They used to be something like $19.00 a set. S&H is a little over the top though. I got three or four sets on my last order. The current strings are going on three years now.

You may find that the sustain on these strings is a little much. They are round wound cores after all. A piece of foam will squelch that. How thick you cut the foam will dictate the muting factor.

[ErnieD]

I did the foam thing with this BC when I still had the bronze strings on there and it did give it a nice thumpy tone. But my lefthand fingers were still getting trashed as the band I use it in requires me to slide my lefthand up/down some for effect.

These Tapes, flats, are way easier on my fingers and like mentioned give me a percussive attack, also what I require for this bands' music. Though I've never owned a full upright, I feel like I'm getting what I need from this bass in that sort of upright, nice muah, nice thumpy tone way now.

Though I would never own a full on upright. I feel the BC now gives me close to that for this spanish-style guitar, salsa/bolero/jazz music we perform. Cool, I'm happy.

[Cougmeister]

Well I bit the bullet and ordered the labella's from Carvin. Got a set for my Fender Jazz too.

[superdick2112]

Originally Posted by RandyMolson

Just some club housekeeping for Thread 2 - to get a member number, just post up a pic of your ABG.

Randy - here is a pic of my Fender Kingman. I bought it used (very lightly - still had the plastic on the pickguard) with a case for a great price, and I love it. May I have a number please?

[RandyMolson]

223 rtslinger
224 superdick2112

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by ErnieD

I did the foam thing with this BC when I still had the bronze strings on there and it did give it a nice thumpy tone. But my lefthand fingers were still getting trashed as the band I use it in requires me to slide my lefthand up/down some for effect.

These Tapes, flats, are way easier on my fingers and like mentioned give me a percussive attack, also what I require for this bands' music. Though I've never owned a full upright, I feel like I'm getting what I need from this bass in that sort of upright, nice muah, nice thumpy tone way now.

Though I would never own a full on upright. I feel the BC now gives me close to that for this spanish-style guitar, salsa/bolero/jazz music we perform. Cool, I'm happy.

Oh yeah - sliding on bronzes is akin to sliding on hacksaw blades. I agree.

You sure they don't want a Hawaiian Steel Bass player? I'd check the fine print in my band contract again.

[ErnieD]

these D'Addario Nylon Tape Flats are the kitties-titties.

They feel great on my fingertips as I play them, give this bass a nice sorta upright tone (yeah I said it) and after two days a week practices, fingers feel fine, strings sound great, bass sounds great. Quite pleased with my first try at Tapes.

Thinking about getting some for my Am St P5. It has Chromes on it now and I've loved those. The Tapes should thump on the P5.

[bassist4dalord]

Originally Posted by ErnieD

these D'Addario Nylon Tape Flats are the kitties-titties.

They feel great on my fingertips as I play them, give this bass a nice sorta upright tone (yeah I said it) and after two days a week practices, fingers feel fine, strings sound great, bass sounds great. Quite pleased with my first try at Tapes.

Thinking about getting some for my Am St P5. It has Chromes on it now and I've loved those. The Tapes should thump on the P5.

I have D'Addario Tapes on my Squier Standard P5 (Jazz electronics) and it sounds really good. I might be going in a different direction, but for right now I'm enjoying the sound. Warm, deep tone with a light sizzle on top, like broken-in nickel rounds. Really fun strings. I had them on a P for a while, and they really did thump!

[dylanjosef]

Here is my defretted Ibanez AEB5E. I threw some tapes on and it sounds great. May I have a number?

[RandyMolson]

225 dylanjosef

[upsala]

Just purchased a used Breedlove ABJ250 SM4 on ebay, should arrive soon.

First bass was an el capitan around 20 years ago. Bought and played a Taylor AB1 before moving to stand up ten years ago. Sold my Taylor to my best friend who still plays it after a few years strictly on stand up bass.

I play acoustic music only from one to ten or more fiddles, banjos, mandos and guitars. always played both basses with a 15-30 watt bass amp to boost the volume.

I played a kala u bass a ta friends house a few weeks ago and fell back in love with bass guitar. budget wise, can't buy another taylor so looked online and ebay for a quality instrument for no more than I paid for the epiphone 20 years ago.

I loved the epiphone but the Taylor lives in a different universe. Practically, the neck on the el capitan was soo think compared to the taylor. I would like to have one in between.

Favorite strings have always been d'adarrio flatwound chromes, also use flat wounds on the stand up until to moving to nylons due to shoulder surgery recovery.

I researched long and hard, living in an area that has only bottom end basses in the stores, so even though it is after the fact,

What's the consensus on the Breedlove?

[Matt Sanchez]

@ upsala


First of all, congratulations on the new bass. From the looks of it, she's in good shape - hope that it works out well for you. I find acoustic bass guitars fascinating from the standpoint that they are largely unsuccessful in duplicating the necessary volume and low end to accompany a truly acoustic ensemble - acoustically! There are models that are exceptions to this rule; however, they have not shown favor with the general public (see: cost of production vs. sales) due to their bulky designs. The reality is that there are laws of physics that we CAN NOT short cut when dealing with the acoustic bass guitar. When a luthier follows the rules of physics to bring "that sound" to the player - they often, break all of the OTHER rules that players make up in their mind when deciding on what to buy. Players want something that is: not much larger than the electric bass for ease in transporting, low cost, durable heavy construction for demanding gigs, thin necked, low action, high volume and low end that can compare with a 3/4 carved top bass. All that said, I'm sure in your research that you've learned about all of the trade offs so here's where I think the Breedlove does the player a favor - the JLD truss system. You can get these after market and often, you will find them as a McGuyver luthier solution to a rising saddle in older 12string models of guitar. However, in our case, they help alleviate the strain on the top of the bass guitar so that the instrument top can be braced lighter. I've played a few BL basses and was not impressed due to perhaps - an improperly adjusted JDL truss system or from being OVER BRACED. This is something a factory will almost never get right due to erring on the side of caution (lighter tops = more volume / response; = very delicate and easy to break in the hands of a careless player / loss of revenue after point of sale due to under warranty factory repairs). Because you have the JDL truss system installed, you theoretically have the advantage to brace the top of your instrument lighter than any other bass in this thread that do not have a similar system installed. I'd be curious if you could share a photo candling the bass' brace design and take a few measurements along the tone bars with a set of calipers. I wouldn't be surprised if they did standard thickness ratios with their scalloped braces and solid sitka top -which would imo defeat the purpose of having an instrument designed AROUND the JDL to begin with. The wood choice for your top is a whole other area of discussion as I do think it matters and based on your string selection, you seem like the type of player that does not like the ZING like attack found in most ABGs. Sitka is a great wood, loud and rude before breaking into a somewhat less wiry loud sound, it is a durable and readily sourced wood from trees that grow large enough to produce QS hand-split soundboards in abundance. It, IMO is not the choice soundboard for a player like yourself. Big companies with their research machines that pump data back letting them know "what sells" will always stray away from the lighter tonewoods due to buyer established familiarity/popularity/durability of the spruces.

[slug]

i'm sure most of us here are aware of the physics/volume issue and have a small amp to compensate if needed. i for one do not want an abg that plays and looks like an electric bass. that is the reason i like them so much. my tacoma olympia has a huge body, high action, labella tapewounds and 'lightly braced' thin spruce top. the info about the truss rods was interesting but i don't know why you posted the rest of it. btw i think breedloves are great. the company had an abg forum for a short while but stopped for lack of interest i suppose.

[Matt Sanchez]

Anytime someone asks an open ended question like that they get an open ended reply.I didn't like the BL basses I've played and gave my reasons and explained my preference for a Western Red Cedar top to Sitka for an acoustic instrument. IMO no comparison, WRC is simply a MUCH better wood to build an acoustic bass guitar with. A well respected luthier and I had a discussion about his acoustic bass instruments. The same dimensions and different tops (Sitka vs WRC) the difference was night and day. He is retired however people still collect his instruments. You'd be lucky to score an ABG designed by Mark for a couple grand used thee days. The Tacoma is an okay ABG but once again the poster was asking about our opinions on BL basses so I don't understand why you talked about your Tacoma. It's a completely different bass with a very different bracing pattern. The sound hole location is different in your instrument as is possibly the SIZE of the sound hole (completely altering HELMHOLDZ RESONANCE). We are talking about the design of the Breedlove not the design of the Tacoma. I've owned the Tacoma and it was a nice factory made production line acoustic; however, in retrospect the company could have made improvements in later models by moving the sound hole to the LOWER BOUT (al la Taylor AB-3)of the bass to enhance low end projection and then, compensate the player with a side listening port to make up for where the soundhole was ineffectively located before. I don't think you understand what I mean by lightly braced. There is a lot more wood that the BL with a JDL system can shave off the braces than you could ever hope to shave from your Tacoma before having the stings pull the top right off the guitar.

[slug]

the response about my bass was to counter your assertion that many people want an abg that looks and plays like standard electric bass. ie thin bodies, low action, thin neck etc. i disagree but your results may vary. i tend to think people want an abg because they are so different from their electric and they want something new.

[weedydog]

looking for Epiphone Zenith FL, If you are willing to send to Europe..!!!!