Martin B-1e

Martin's B1 is a primo abg for those who plug in. The action is fast and smooth, and the Martin Goldline pickup produces a solid reproduction of acoustic tone. No controls on this at all...the only sign it can plug in is the jack in the endpin.

Body size is what Martin calls a jumbo...16" lower bout, 21" body length, 5" depth. It may be a bit fat if what you like is a normal electric bass. If you're used to playing an acoustic, it's the same depth as a dread. The big plus here is Martin build. The folks in Nazareth build for acoustic players, demanding ones. This is absolutely amazing in its unplugged tone, and the fit and finish are as good as you can find anywhere

The bass falls a bit short in unplugged volume, though it does produce more than most abgs. It can hang in a two guitar jam, but if you have an audience, you need an amp...about the only abg that can play to a crowd unplugged is an Earthwood, though. For comparison, the Martin is up there with a Tacoma Thunderchief, not as big as an old Guild B50.