LOUD acoustic basses that can compete with acoustic guitars?

[dustdbass6]

Dave maize acoustic basses! I have a 5 string with a high-c and fretless. Brand new these are pretty pricey, I got mine used from an acoustic shop in Palo Alto.

[eban3]

hope you have 3k? to play with

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

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by EnriqueDulcito

Nothing is as loud as a pro guitarron played by a pro guitarron player.
It's all about the quality of the instrument and the technique of the player.
Most gutarrones you find out there are JUNK instruments made in Mexico for non musician tourists. And most of them are "sordos" meaning they are deaf. Also cheep ones don't hold up well, play out of tune and have three foot action. A good pro guitarron will cost well over $2000.
Then there is the playing technique. The action is high but not ridiculously high. Rule of thumb is about 1/4 to 3/8th of an inch at the point where the neck meets the body.
But most important is how you 'pluck' the strings. The strings must be played two at a time playing octaves, if you only hit one string the volume is reduced by half at least.
Also very important is to twist your fingers. Imagine squeezing orange juice, or snapping your fingers. It takes practice. In other words, dont pull up on the strings, they will slap on the body. It's more like you are pinching the strings letterally twards each other not upwards. As if you were shooting an arrow with the instrument, I mean the string vibrate side to side, not up and down. MAN! that was hard to describe. I wish I could just show you but I have never posted utube. When you do it right the guitarron will sing really loud. I recommend you find a pro and ask him to demonstrate. How you can tell he is a pro by looking at his fingers. They should be callused fingers like a martial artist. You know the ones who can do the 5 finger death blow.
If you learn it right, you will blow anything other acoustic bass out of the water with ease.
..Dulcito

This is very interesting. Want.

[Spectrum]

Originally Posted by eban3

hope you have 3k? to play with

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

I think I posted this earlier. That thing is awesome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=383be9J0zPk

[Bongolation]

Originally Posted by 3234718

A resonator bass might be louder.

Resonator (Dobro) ABGs are even a worse-performing gimmick than ABG was in the first place.

Hard to imagine, but true.

[Bongolation]

I'm not saying those who claim to keep with one or two or more guitarists unamplified with ABGs are liars, but I will say they're bucking some heavy physics.

Have you actually recorded these performances and listened to them? You might be surprised.

[HeavyDuty]

Who cares about recording? We're just jamming.

If we were recording we'd be plugging in or close micing.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by HeavyDuty

Who cares about recording? We're just jamming.

.

He's saying you can't be heard while you're jamming.

[HeavyDuty]

He's saying wrong. I've been doing it for years.

Is it URB loud? Of course not, but it's fine for casual play.

[Sav'nBass]

The Tacoma Thunderchief and the Breedlove are the loudest I have played with. I forgot which model of Breedlove but it retails for around $800.

[Avalon]

YOU could try out the Hofner President (500/5) Contemporary Bass. If strung with round wounds, the volume is pretty impressive. As you can see, the body is only about 3.5 inches deep, but the spruce archtop seems to project the sound pretty well with round wounds. It will sound very acoustic itself - perhaps close to a tenor guitar in tonal quality.

With that said, it's also flexible enough to be used in other situations. One downside is that, in an amplified situation those pickups are low output. However, I'm sure a pre-amp can solve that. When it is amplified, it provides a very beefy yet woody tone.

[Bongolation]

Originally Posted by Bongolation

I'm not saying those who claim to keep with one or two or more guitarists unamplified with ABGs are liars, but I will say they're bucking some heavy physics.

Have you actually recorded these performances and listened to them? You might be surprised.

Originally Posted by HeavyDuty

Who cares about recording? We're just jamming.

A simple recording would conclusively prove whether you were holding your own in terms of volume or just imagining it. Like a lot of us in this thread, I tend to suspect the latter.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by HeavyDuty

He's saying wrong. I've been doing it for years.

Is it URB loud? Of course not, but it's fine for casual play.

Do you use a pick?

[los100malditos]

DEAN IS CRAP...! DEAD SOUND ...SORRY DEAN OWNERS... this one rocks !!! "Brownsville ABG2CRBS 4 String Acoustic Electric Bass" but is unavailable

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by los100malditos

DEAN IS CRAP...! DEAD SOUND ...SORRY DEAN OWNERS... this one rocks !!! "Brownsville ABG2CRBS 4 String Acoustic Electric Bass" but is unavailable

This is not very helpful.
Acoustic instruments vary widely between samples. To simply say "Dean is crap" is an over generalization, to put it mildly.

[HeavyDuty]

Originally Posted by dmusic148

Do you use a pick?

Usually - a felt one.

[reubenranzo]

I want to add to what JTE said (this thread, post #29).
I'm no physicist, but when I compare other instruments (violin to double bass, trumpet to tuba, bongo to tympani, even tweeter to woofer), there's a real consistency with lower frequencies needing more power, instrument size, and more air to compete with higher frequencies.

I keep looking for an acoustic bass guitar that can match volume w/ a D28 too. The best tone I've found so far is a Breedlove Atlas Series Studio BJ350/SMe-4, but volume is another matter.

But here's my tool-du-jour: a wash tub bass. http://tubotonia.freehomepage.com/tublinks.html.
The parts for mine cost all of $37 at Home Depot. It certainly does not have the preision of frets, and the string DOES stretch, but it WILL compete w/ a few guitars, and your presence will be noticed. Play it by ear, just keep a rhythm. Mine has a range (depending on the string) of over one octave.

[rolandm]

Lol never quite had the guts to try a washtub bass, but I may just have to give it a whirl. Something occured to me earlier when I was playing my acoustic. I was seated in a high-back office chair, but I was sort of slouching. And my bass seemed much louder.

I played it sitting up in my lap like it normally sits and it seemed quieter. I asked my daughter if she could tell a volume difference, and she said she could. So I thought about it a bit and I came up with two reasons. Whether or not they are scientifically valid, who knows, but it would be cool if someone would give a similar test and post their results.

The first thing was that the lower frequencies might have been more directed by the high-back chair. The second thing was that the way I was seated, slouched somewhat, the back of the guitar wasn't damped in its vibration and the sound hole was aimed more toward my ear.

It's just a theory, but it might help people hear themselves better. Worth a shot anyway.

[fuzzy beard]

Use to jam with the wife with my Ibanez AEB10. But unless she used her classical guitar or played the steel string softly she buired me. Thats why i ended up selling it.

But i do have to say there were a few magical nights on the side porch. Me with the AEB and her and her classical. Dont know if it was the mood, the whisky or the instruments but i would give almost anything to relive that.

[Max Pratt]

I play a Dean aeb, it is fairly small and has CRAZY wood grain. It is fairly quiet with tapes (which is all i play) but I manage to busk with guitarists all the time. The volume is mostly in how you play it (i. E. With energy), not saying it is your fault. Also if you like playing bass acoustically and want to be heard over acoustic guitars take up upright, worked for me!

~Max