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ABGs - some experiences thoughts and questions.

#22
The Invalid Link Removed gets somewhat close to upright sound. It comes with D'Addario flatwound Chromes (which I like). Even with a "jumbo" body, you'd still want at least a small amplifier (like the Phil Jones Double-Four, which can be run on a battery pack) to be heard with steel-string guitars, etc.

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#30
I have 2 Ibanezes and a Michael Kelly ABG. All 3 have Planet Waves O-Port installed. I don't know exactly what it does, but it makes them a little louder, little more focused. (no endorsements, no relation, just a happy repeat customer).
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Ibanez #1 (AEB5) has the regular "acoustic" phosphor bronze strings. I can jam with 2 acoustic guitars in a jam setting (small room, facing each other), all unplugged, and they say they hear me and I can hear myself. It does not sound like an upright, but it fits with the acoustic guitars, and I love the folk sound we make. Fingers only, no pick. I think I go against the popular opinion about not needing to plug in to be heard for this setting. Of course, performance setting (bar, cafe, etc), if the guitar is plugging in, then you do too.
Ibanez #2 (AEB10) has tape wounds. It is not good in true unplugged situations. It does sound thumpier, more upright sounding, than #1. Must be plugged in. Love this for duos or light trios.
The Michael Kelly, well, it's the prettiest. With bronze strings, it is not quite as loud (unplugged) as Ibanez #1 (needs plugging in even with just acoustic guitars). Plugged in still sounds a little thin. With tape wounds, it still doesn't quite thump like the Ibanez #2.
I only play on an acoustic bass if there is only hand percussion or no drums at all. If there is a drum set, even a minimal trap kit, I will play an electric.
 
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#32
In the ABG world, a larger, deeper body means more volume. More real estate behind the bridge means a deeper tone, especially on the first five frets of the A and E strings. Current commercially-produced ABGs largely are overbuilt, especially overbraced, to make them more resistant to bumps and knocks. This inhibits both their tone and volume.

Anybody who is assessing ABG volume from the player's perspective is at the wrong end of the audioscope. How does the house hear overall volume and balance of the ensemble?

IME, the ABG with among the greatest unplugged volumes and the tone closest to an upright is the original issue Eko BA-4. These basses too are overbraced; but it is not guitar bracing, and the tops are solid, so they are louder. And this is the only make and model I know of where fretless versions far outnumber fretted ones.
 
#35
Axstar said:
I've been looking at acoustic bass guitars lately. As such I've tried a few recently, and have some questions!

My interest lies in getting a bass that sounds a bit like an upright, but is a lot smaller than a real upright. It would be used sparingly in my collection!

With this in mind I tried a Fender CB-60SCE and liked the small body of it, but it didn't have a lot of output. I tried a bigger Ibanez acoustic bass and it had no volume, which was surprising as the body was substantially bigger than the Fender. I tried a massive Tanglewood fretless acoustic bass and it had no volume. I tried a Dean acoustic bass and it had a big deep body... and no volume.

I also tried a mini Guild acoustic bass, no bigger than a Jumbo acoustic guitar, and it had a lot more output, tone and general snap. How does that work?

Most of the above basses had horribly high action. They all had phosphor bronze strings. These strings seem to be stiff and don't vibrate much for the energy you put into them.

I would like a wee acoustic bass that sounds like an upright. With this in mind, is it worth getting the Fender (one of the cheaper options, and small enough to play comfortably), defretting it, finishing the fretboard, sticking on tapes or TI Jazz flats and always having to plug it in to gig with?


I'm guessing that in the main too much conventional acoustic guitar tech was scaled up to make ABGs, rather than builders taking a new approach to making them work?
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I absolutely love my Fender T-Bucket with TIs! Also Labella black tapes thumpity-thump-thump!
 
#36
ahadl2500 said:
If you are after upright tone, you will be better served by something like a Kala U-Bass (really is amazing how close they get considering).
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This, full stop. I bought my Kala after hearing John Hiatt's bass player use one live. Outdoor show, I was people-watching while he switched over from his P. The tone caught my ear, I turned my attention to the stage, and there was the Kala in action — Whoa. I was sold. Started gigging with it and get LOTS of love and amazement when I do. (And since you asked, I play it through a GK MB200 > Ampeg 210AV.)

I also own an old Guild B-30E strung with old Dean Markley Phosphor Bronzes. Big box, decent volume for hootenannies on the dock or porch or around the firepit. But nothing close to upright tone.
 
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#39
In my experience there is no ABG that can produce acoustic volume that would make playing a gig with an acoustic guitar practical. There is a reason that upright basses are the size they are: That's much much surface area it takes to resonate on the notes.

IMHO ABG's are purely for optics

That said - if you want the upright sound from a bass 'guitar' the best thing I've found is the Savanah STB
(not me)
 

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