Acoustic-Electric advice needed

[MouseRat]

Fellow TB-ers, I have been playing good ol' fashioned electric bass for a decade and a half, but have never done any more than a 5 minute bassturbation session at GC with acoustic-electric and have no other experience with them. I'd really like to add one to my stable for playing flexibility, but - which one? I know next to nothing about them, nor about acoustic guitars. I'm thinking sub-$600, and I play mostly blues and rock. I'd really appreciate any feedback, even tips on what to look for, what to avoid, and if you have had good or bad experiences with a specific manufacturer or model. Many thanks!

[JTE]

Search the TB forums. In just the last month there have been at least two extensive threads about acoustic bass guitars, and there's probably about one very six weeks. None of them add anything new, and the laws of physics don't change.

To get big and truly acoustic bass sound you need to move a lot of air. That means a big body, a fragile instrument, and tight strings. That means a Guild B-30 or B-50, an Ernie Ball Earthwood, the Klien/Taylor, or MAYBE a Tacoma Thunderchief. Nothing else is gonna do the job as an acoustic instrument.

Search for discussions in more detail and for suggestions if you are willing to settle for an amplified imitation of acoustic sound.

John