LOUD acoustic basses that can compete with acoustic guitars?

[vin*tone]

Every year I go away camping and take my defretted Monterey with tapewound strings. And every night I do what TB has determined is impossible and jam with varous guitarists, singers etc... It's not loud but it's definitely loud enough to play with 4 or so other musos.

There is a skill to playing an AB. Most bass players who pick up and jam on my acoustic DO sound like crap and don't know how to get volume. They approach it like a standard EB expecting it to sound like one and are disappointed when they don't sound like Jaco or the bass player from Tool. You need to play right up on the fretboard and dig in hard. My AB has reasonably high action and without frets you can dig in without that clickity clack extraneous noise.

Sure it's not as loud an my upright - but I'm not about to take that camping.

[Gintaras]

Originally Posted by Stephent28

You guys that say there is no such thing are wrong. They are just rare, expensive and hard to find.

I have one of two Adamas prototype ABG that I guarantee can hold its own and be heard in a group of 3-4 D-28 style guitars without a problem.

Not gonna argue about it but will just say that anyone in the Denver metro area is welcome to set up a meet and see and hear for themselves.

Are these available? Can you post a pic and also could not find any info doing a search.

[MD]

Originally Posted by vin*tone

Every year I go away camping and take my defretted Monterey with tapewound strings. And every night I do what TB has determined is impossible and jam with varous guitarists, singers etc... It's not loud but it's definitely loud enough to play with 4 or so other musos.

There is a skill to playing an AB. Most bass players who pick up and jam on my acoustic DO sound like crap and don't know how to get volume. They approach it like a standard EB expecting it to sound like one and are disappointed when they don't sound like Jaco or the bass player from Tool. You need to play right up on the fretboard and dig in hard. My AB has reasonably high action and without frets you can dig in without that clickity clack extraneous noise.

Sure it's not as loud an my upright - but I'm not about to take that camping.

All of the above.

And I'll add... False expectations. An ABG will never produce the volume of an EBG. To think so is just foolish. ABG is a quiet, intimate instrument when played acoustically. You either make it work or you don't. And if you have to plug in, then do so. It's about tone

Avoiding knuckle bleeding, head banging guitar players is also a good way to go.

[Sartori]

The popular wisdom is that there aren't any.

Personally, I think the popular wisdom is completely silly, as I have no trouble keeping up with one or even two acoustic guitars on my fretless ABG. My conclusion is that I just play more firmly than most of the folks on here.

Then again, perhaps I play with guitarists who don't bash the crap out of their acoustic guitar strings, too.

[Sartori]

Originally Posted by Stephent28

You guys that say there is no such thing are wrong. They are just rare, expensive and hard to find.

I have one of two Adamas prototype ABG that I guarantee can hold its own and be heard in a group of 3-4 D-28 style guitars without a problem.

Not gonna argue about it but will just say that anyone in the Denver metro area is welcome to set up a meet and see and hear for themselves.

Ooh. I can keep up with 1-2, but 3-4 acoustic guitars would drown me out, probably.

Can you go into a bit more detail?

[Moe Shetty]

i use a thunderchief, and like it. my instructor uses the fender victor bailey; that one is much louder than the kingman. i have also heard good things about the breedlove bass

[Sartori]

Originally Posted by vin*tone

Every year I go away camping and take my defretted Monterey with tapewound strings. And every night I do what TB has determined is impossible and jam with varous guitarists, singers etc... It's not loud but it's definitely loud enough to play with 4 or so other musos.

There is a skill to playing an AB. Most bass players who pick up and jam on my acoustic DO sound like crap and don't know how to get volume. They approach it like a standard EB expecting it to sound like one and are disappointed when they don't sound like Jaco or the bass player from Tool. You need to play right up on the fretboard and dig in hard. My AB has reasonably high action and without frets you can dig in without that clickity clack extraneous noise.

Sure it's not as loud an my upright - but I'm not about to take that camping.

+1

I think one of the reasons I don't have a hard time with volume on my ABG is that it's fretless. When I dig in hard, there's a bit of clack, but it's more like the snap of an upright bass, and not fret buzz.

Plus, I also play upright a bit, so I'm used to having to get volume acoustically just from my right hand technique. For me, my ABG is kinda like playing upright, except much much easier.

[Slod]

The only acoustic I've found with enough volume is a beautiful work by luthier Fred Boissonnault.
But yes with upright right hand technique!

[MCS4]

I have a Gold Tone PBB, which is a resonator-style ABG (i.e. with a metal resonating piece, like a Dobro). It is not tremendously loud, but it has a mid-rangey sound that helps cut through the mix. Playing with a pick for extra "zing", I feel reasonably comfortable with my volume against two acoustic guitars, even if they play aggressively (for example, my prior hard rock band playing an acoustic set). It would probably get lost with more instruments than that, although I haven't personally seen an ABG that would do better. Anyway, the advantage is that the PBB is a smallish, 32" scale bass with good action, and it gets its volume from the resonator rather than from sheer size, so it is *much* easier to play than a standard ABG.

[ntenny]

Originally Posted by Slod

The only acoustic I've found with enough volume is a beautiful work by luthier Fred Boissonnault.
But yes with upright right hand technique!

Now *that*, folks, is a beautiful instrument. Is it a custom job, or does he do them as a regular model?

-NT

[Stephent28]

Originally Posted by Gintaras

Are these available? Can you post a pic and also could not find any info doing a search.

Not to my knowledge except possibly by special order. As I mentioned, there are only 2 that I am aware of that were made. The one I have and the location of the other is unknown.

The reason I made my bold statement was that the last time I was at a acoustic jam, there were approximately 4-8 acoustic guitars playing at any given time and EVERYONE said that the bass was strong and clear and could they have a go at it. All that played it remarked that it was an amazing ABG.

I will try to post a few pics up later tonight.

[Stephent28]

Originally Posted by Sartori

Ooh. I can keep up with 1-2, but 3-4 acoustic guitars would drown me out, probably.

Can you go into a bit more detail?

It is an Adamas AGB which was made by Ovation for their high end Adamas line in June of '89 when Ovation was still in its heyday.

They made two of them as far as I have been able to determine from factory personnel and no one knows where the 2nd one is.

It has a piezo and preamp installed so you could plug in if you were playing in a larger setting but wanted to maintain an all acoustic sound (vs playing EBG).

I am going to assume that the reason it was never put into production as a regular product was due to the ultimate cost involved and the fact that most people do not want to spend a lot of money on a ABG and if they do they go the Double Bass route.

This bass is considered by many to be the holy grail of ABG along with the original slothead Adamas guitars (only 37 made) that were played in the 70's by Neil Diamond, Cat Stevens, Nancy Wilson, Glen Campbell, Marcel Dadi, McCartney's wife Linda bought 2 of them for his birthday and Wings), etc and when available sell in the 12.5 -15K range. I have been offer 8.5K for the proto bass I own and imho it is worth that (and I probably should have sold it )

I will try to post up a few pics later tonight.

[Slod]

Originally Posted by ntenny

Now *that*, folks, is a beautiful instrument. Is it a custom job, or does he do them as a regular model?

-NT

Fred's always doing research so every basses are differents... but I'm sure he can do the same.

[lug]

Originally Posted by wingmanborge

http://www.rigelinstruments.com/publish/abg.shtml

This. Size compared to normal acoustic guitar...

[Phalex]

I think you're on the wrong side of TB. Head over to the darkside.....

[mtb777]

Originally Posted by Sartori

The popular wisdom is that there aren't any.

Personally, I think the popular wisdom is completely silly, as I have no trouble keeping up with one or even two acoustic guitars on my fretless ABG. My conclusion is that I just play more firmly than most of the folks on here.

Then again, perhaps I play with guitarists who don't bash the crap out of their acoustic guitar strings, too.

+1

[mtb777]

Originally Posted by Sartori

+1

I think one of the reasons I don't have a hard time with volume on my ABG is that it's fretless. When I dig in hard, there's a bit of clack, but it's more like the snap of an upright bass, and not fret buzz.

Plus, I also play upright a bit, so I'm used to having to get volume acoustically just from my right hand technique. For me, my ABG is kinda like playing upright, except much much easier.

+1 +1

Tacoma Fretless 5. Dig in!! If I need to, I'll plug into a little 140 watt 8" PA monitor. Clear, crisp, and cuts like butter.

[mtb777]

Originally Posted by Slod

The only acoustic I've found with enough volume is a beautiful work by luthier Fred Boissonnault.
But yes with upright right hand technique!

What a beauty!

[Basvarken]

An retired inventor for Fiskars from Finland named Olavi Linden builds acoustic instruments for a hobby/passion.
He's developed an acoustic bass guitar with parts of a resonator guitar combined with a carbon fiber horn inside the body of the bass. From the outside it looks like a perfectly normal bass guitar. But inside it's quite ingenious. The idea was take from Stroh violins that also use a membrane plus horn to be louder than normal violins.
The bass is more than twice as loud as a normal bass guitar this size.





The bass also has a piezo pickup if it need to be used in an amplified band. But acoustically it can keep up with unamplified acoustic guitars

[Sartori]

That seems like it would be really interesting. I wonder what it looks like on the inside?