Acoustic Bass (5 string)

[B-Mac]

I have a ESP LTD ACB15E. Snappy name, eh? I found it on Ebay about ten years ago, nobody else bid and I got it for £100. There's no four string version, the whole thing was about getting a workable acoustic B.

I don't think they were in production long, and I've not seen another for sale, but if you find one I would highly recommend it. I have Rotosound RS88 tapewounds on mine and it sounds great through an amp - very "double bassy" with a bit of foam under the bridge.
Playing with a finger picked guitar and a mandolin it holds its own unplugged, but once there's strumming going on, forget it! I'm told that people in the audience can hear it, but I certainly can't!
It's a good size and it can be uncomfortable on the forearm after a while when playing fingerstyle. No such problem with a pick!

I suppose their rarity in the market suggests that the folk who have them hang on to them, which I'll take as a good sign!
I'm certainly happy with mine, and if you do come across one I'd heartily recommend it.

View attachment 7099674

I like the abalone! Sweet!

 

[B-Mac]

Hi!
I'm looking to get an acoustic 5 string bass. Seems like acoustic basses are not very popular due to their sound etc, but I just love the idea of having it around and jamming on it. All I'm seeing is Ibanez and Warwick that seem to always have them available but are there any other brands that maybe I missed that I could check out? I google and it seems like Ibanez and Warwick is all there is but I'm sure there could be some other hidden gems out there. Any tips would be appreciated.

Doesn't seem like anybody is making these anymore, or at least not like they used to.

I have a five string Dean Performer 32" and a one of a kind Jay Turser 5 string 32".

 

[B-Mac]

Hi!
I'm looking to get an acoustic 5 string bass. Seems like acoustic basses are not very popular due to their sound etc, but I just love the idea of having it around and jamming on it. All I'm seeing is Ibanez and Warwick that seem to always have them available but are there any other brands that maybe I missed that I could check out? I google and it seems like Ibanez and Warwick is all there is but I'm sure there could be some other hidden gems out there. Any tips would be appreciated.

five string acoustic bass guitar - Google Search

 

[B-Mac]

It ain’t real sexy looking, but at a relatively budget price point the Samick HFB5 served me well until I moved up to a Warwick Alien.

View attachment 7099843

Don't knock your old Samick. Between Cort and Samick together they make more guitars and basses than the rest of the main manufacturers combined. That's because they're contracted with so many of the main manufacturers'

 

[Kevan Campbell]

I owned and played a Tacoma Thunderbird 5-string fretless, and for its intended purpose of van jams, full-bad-acoustic performances and playing around a campfire it worked remarkably well.

I’ve decided to let it go because I don’t play those types of shows anymore and either my Sadowsky Super PJ5’s or my Bluesman Vintage Deville get the gig every time.

@bassista, I own a Tacoma Thunderbird 5-string fretless that’s up for sale locally. Shoot me a DM through TalkBass and I’ll send you a link to the shop.

 

[B-Mac]

Hi!
I'm looking to get an acoustic 5 string bass. Seems like acoustic basses are not very popular due to their sound etc, but I just love the idea of having it around and jamming on it. All I'm seeing is Ibanez and Warwick that seem to always have them available but are there any other brands that maybe I missed that I could check out? I google and it seems like Ibanez and Warwick is all there is but I'm sure there could be some other hidden gems out there. Any tips would be appreciated.

Apparently this is still available new or N.O.S.

Acoustic/Electric Bass Cutaway 5 String Satin Natural

The Dean Cutaway EABC5 5-String Acoustic Bass Guitar is a full-sized instrument with 34" scale that produces a deeper, fuller tone than other acoustic bass guitars costing much more. Select spruce top; eastern mahogany back, sides, and neck; rosewood fingerboard; and sealed die-cast chrome...

www.deanguitars.com

 

[Michedelic]

Don't knock your old Samick. Between Cort and Samick together they make more guitars and basses than the rest of the main manufacturers combined. That's because they're contracted with so many of the main manufacturers'

How was I knocking it? As I said, it served me well, but it certainly didn’t have a striking look. Eventually I just wanted something different, but for an affordable starter with those parameters, it does a great job.
I’ve got a Samick SG, and then this matching pair…

 

[motoman]

Just sold my harley benton 5 string acoustic good bass the new owner loves it but I realized I,m not a acoustic person

 

[B-Mac]

How was I knocking it? As I said, it served me well, but it certainly didn’t have a striking look. Eventually I just wanted something different, but for an affordable starter with those parameters, it does a great job.
I’ve got a Samick SG, and then this matching pair…
View attachment 7100000

Sorry, my bad. Just sounded like you were putting it down. No offense meant. I read into it.

Those two Green Samick's are the bomb!

 

[Transistor]

I never played a five string, but I do have a Harley Benton acoustic fretless bass guitar. For €150 I think it sounds great - and there's no fretting accuracy to worry about.
I practice sometimes unplugged. I started to bring it to a folk club with a "no amplifiers" rule and found that, while I could be heard, there just wasn't enough bass tone. After a few weeks I bought a double bass and have started down that road in retirement! It has the volume, the tone, and the wow-factor.

 

[Stylee Mousse]

How was I knocking it? As I said, it served me well, but it certainly didn’t have a striking look. Eventually I just wanted something different, but for an affordable starter with those parameters, it does a great job.
I’ve got a Samick SG, and then this matching pair…
View attachment 7100000

Tell me about the twin Traynor bassmasters! I have a yba-1aMKII that I only recently tried for bass (usually it’s my guitar head)

It sounded very sweet to me. Do you run them both at the same time?

 

[Figbassist75]

Just sold my harley benton 5 string acoustic good bass the new owner loves it but I realized I,m not a acoustic person

How was the quality of the Harley Benton? I'm thinking of getting one because it is available with a stand and a gig bag for a good price off the Thomman website.

 

[motoman]

How was the quality of the Harley Benton? I'm thinking of getting one because it is available with a stand and a gig bag for a good price off the Thomman website.

Just fine. Even the new owner likes it

 

[Figbassist75]

Just fine. Even the new owner likes it

Good to hear. It's hard to run across a good quality acoustic bass at that price. But from what I hear, Harley Benton puts out great products. I was a customer of Rondo Music when they sold the SX brand back in the day but unfortunately, that is no more. Thomman Music will get my business from now on.

 

[Figbassist75]

Disappointing day for me. I finally pulled the trigger and ordered a Harley Benton B-35BK five-string acoustic bass last week. I got it today in a bundle package that included a nice gig bag and stand. Overall, the bass is a huge instrument that is well-built. Action and set up could use a little tweaking. After playing it through a couple of song sets just for fun, I plugged it in and my heart sank. The E, A, D, and G strings were loud and clearly defined. The B-string sounded like it was a couple of houses over from me. I tried both my pocket amp and my Rumble 500. The B string's volume was still low compared to the other strings.

I contacted Thomann and began a return process. I'm probably going to go with the Ibanez AEB105 for future five-string acoustic bass needs once I get my refund from Thomann. It's a shame too because I purchased a Harley Benton B650 six-string bass from them in December that I absolutely love. The acoustic B-35? Not so much.

 

[Figbassist75]

Disappointing day for me. I finally pulled the trigger and ordered a Harley Benton B-35BK five-string acoustic bass last week. I got it today in a bundle package that included a nice gig bag and stand. Overall, the bass is a huge instrument that is well-built. Action and set up could use a little tweaking. After playing it through a couple of song sets just for fun, I plugged it in and my heart sank. The E, A, D, and G strings were loud and clearly defined. The B-string sounded like it was a couple of houses over from me. I tried both my pocket amp and my Rumble 500. The B string's volume was still low compared to the other strings.

I contacted Thomann and began a return process. I'm probably going to go with the Ibanez AEB105 for future five-string acoustic bass needs once I get my refund from Thomann. It's a shame too because I purchased a Harley Benton B650 six-string bass from them in December that I absolutely love. The acoustic B-35? Not so much.

Update on the B-35 Harley Benton acoustic five-string bass. I had a conversation with my local guitar tech. He says it is a fixable issue that will be included in a professional set up. I was going to have the bass set up anyway and since I'm not really going to use this bass for gigs, I will keep it and have him do the set up. Other than the B-string volume issue, it is a good bass for the money and great for finger exercises.

If I ever did gig with an acoustic bass guitar then I'd purchase a name brand bass such as the Ibanez AEB-105. But to get my feet wet in the acoustic bass world, the B-35 will fill that role nicely.