Accoustic bass. Worth it?

[WhackJob]

All my buddies sit here and play with their fancy accoustic guitars, and I'm here with nothing. Is a accoustic bass even worth it? And if so where can I find a affordable one but isn't a peice of crap? All my local guitar shops only have like 3 and they are all 600$ or more.

 

[Max Blasto]

In this case, you get what you pay for. You can search other threads about this, but the general idea is this: Affordable ABGs don't carry the volume and only sound good plugged in. You want a nice one that you can hear with one or two guitar players, you gotta spend some $$$.

Good luck...

 

[BazzTard]

My Takamine was $450 here in OZ, you should be able to get it for $320,we get ripped off bigtime here. It has a larger body than the others they had in the shop,put EB Earthwood Phosphor Bronze strings on it, doubled the volume.

 

[KohanMike]

The first bass I bought for $375 a couple of months ago is acoustic, 23" sub-short scale, which I practice on all the time at home since I can hear it clearly, but I have to amp it when playing with anyone, especially the 40 member ukulele group I'm in.

 

[jd56hawk]

The Dean Exotica is an excellent bass for the money (especially since it sells for $399 but I got mine new for $217!) and the DMT I2EX preamp, Aphex Aural Exciter and Big Bottom Circuitry make it a tone monster...I have mine set out of phase and I usually keep the enhance switch on.
I put on a set of D'Addario black tapewounds and decided I'd found the perfect strings for the sound I was looking for.
Of course, feedback with an acoustic bass can be a problem, as anyone knows, so I thought I'd try a Planet Waves soundhole plug and...wow! I mean, I know it's designed to eliminate feedback, but it also improved the tone of my Dean Exotica…and noticably!
As soon as I plugged it in and started playing, from the very first note, I could hear the difference.
This bass is on sale at Guitar Center right now. Marked down from $399 to $289. I'm thinking about buying this one.

Acoustic basses are good for practicing, of course, but you'll definitely need an amp if your playing with someone using an acoustic guitar...outside at a backyard barbecue, street corner busking, etc.
Maybe a Roland Micro Cube Bass RX. Great battery-powered amp...much louder than it looks.

 

[rockscott]

I have an epiphone el capitan, now out of production. I paid $450. for it 5 years ago. They are great to practice on & you can play outside and cook on the grill at the same time!