My guitar playing husband has always wanted an acoustic bass for practice around the house and maybe jamming with his band. I am considering a the Fender Kingman SCE or Michael Kelly dragonfly 5 string fretted. Both are around $450, the Fender comes with a hard case. Which would you prefer?? Any other recommendation at that price point?
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Acoustic Bass gift around $500
- Thread starter NiceWife
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- acoustic fender gift michael kelly
If he's ever going to plug it in, you'll want to get him something that sounds even better than it looks.
Dean Exotica, under $400. I'm on my second one. Roadrunner ABS case is $100 at any Guitar Center...more durable than the regular hardshell pleather-covered wooden cases.
You might notice that a lot of acoustics use Fishman electronics...nothing wrong with that, but the Aphex electronic preamp in the Exotica is better, IMO, and believe me, I try 60 to 70 basses out every year. I've played several Fenders, Ibanez, Guild, Michael Kelly, Washburn, and Ovation acoustic basses, and if I needed a second one, well, I'd just buy another Exotica...in black.
Here's my gear. Guess which bass sounds the best.
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Neither.
>> Both have pin style bridges, and often, are pron to issues when a larger diameter string is installed. IMHO, a string through bridge is the way to go, even if you have to ream it out a bit.
>> I don't play a 5er, but I've done a lot of reading, and the opinions of the low B on an ABG are that it's worthless. If your husband hasn't specifically talked about a 5 string bass, skip it. I also don't care for the ornate, vine inlays on the MK; too busy.
>> The Fender, just another visual issue on my part, but a Fender headstock attached to an ABG body, is well... like wearing black socks with gym shorts and sneakers; it's just wrong. Again, IMO. I've never gotten the feeling Fender is a benchmark in the ABG department either.
Breedlove, while their upper tier models are out of your price range, the Persuit is real close and under, depending on where you look. A string through bridge, solid top, and a 32" scale, which your husband might really like, being a guitar player. I'd put their design/build quality on par with or above the Fender or MK.
An ABG that I can speak of from experience is the Takamine EG512C, a jumbo bodied, well built workhorse with string through bridge that will accept a set of larger tapewounds without issue. Mine can be heard in campsites `60 feet away and has been knocked to the ground more than a few times and is still going, even with a cracked heel joint (user error!). Note: the EG512 is an older, discontinued model. Takamine decided to put pin bridges on the newer EG's; no idea why.
I have a Fender Tbucket that is pretty nice. For practice by yourself it's ok, but to play with others any acoustic is going to have to be amplified. They just don't have any volume acoustically. I'm probably going to sell mine eventually, it just hangs on the wall while my other basses get played. I don't find them particulary comfortable either. Now my Kala ubass is a different story! Its a baritone ukelele sized bass with rubber strings thats sounds great. But you still need to plug in. For noodling around the house unplugged I generally grab my Epiphone Jack Casady bass. While it's a hollowbody rather large bass it is still considered an electric bass guitar. It's loud enough to hear myself without plugging in and sounds great plugged in also.
Sorry generally speaking I mean. I guess a Thunderchief may cut it and maybe there are a couple other's but the majority just don't cut it, at least from what I have played, heard or read.
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Engelhardt M3 1/4 double baass, 35.5" scale, $600 (used).
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Engelhardt M3 1/4 double baass, 35.5" scale, $600 (used).
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No doubt it's a looker which appeals to me, but he will want it to have good tone and broadcast.
If he's ever going to plug it in, you'll want to get him something that sounds even better than it looks.
Dean Exotica, under $400. I'm on my second one. Roadrunner ABS case is $100 at any Guitar Center....................
Here's my gear. Guess which bass sounds the best.
The natural G&L?
Lucky you for I too bought the Fender Kingman and mine didn't come with a case so I had to pay extra for that. But it's a mighty fine bass.
If he's ever going to plug it in, you'll want to get him something that sounds even better than it looks.
Dean Exotica, under $400. I'm on my second one. Roadrunner ABS case is $100 at any Guitar Center...more durable than the regular hardshell pleather-covered wooden cases.
You might notice that a lot of acoustics use Fishman electronics...nothing wrong with that, but the Aphex electronic preamp in the Exotica is better, IMO, and believe me, I try 60 to 70 basses out every year. I've played several Fenders, Ibanez, Guild, Michael Kelly, Washburn, and Ovation acoustic basses, and if I needed a second one, well, I'd just buy another Exotica...in black.
Here's my gear. Guess which bass sounds the best.
If JD values textual coherence at all, I would think the winner is the subject of the whole post, i.e. the Dean...
Of course my hypothesis above rests on this last post meaning "physically close, next to it", otherwise I'm off base...
Hey NiceWife, welcome to TB. Now we get to hijack your thread and argue about everything that anyone says about an acoustic bass! Or anything else!
A couple years back I bought an Ibanez AEB10 (4 string, in your budget). It is nice for being able to pick it up and quickly work on something without having to set up any gear. It did not work out very well for my bluegrass group (too much sustain, I ended up with an EUB which works well). It also is handy to take on trips, vacation etc. so I can play away from home. I've taking it camping a couple times and while funner than nothin it is not loud enough to really use unamplified.
If I had to do it again I would look seriously at a Gold Tone instead, would do what I use it for and the travel part would be easier. I've heard that one should stay away from the fretless Gold Tones, U Bass, etc. as the scale is so different they are hard to play with any degree of intonation.
A couple years back I bought an Ibanez AEB10 (4 string, in your budget). It is nice for being able to pick it up and quickly work on something without having to set up any gear. It did not work out very well for my bluegrass group (too much sustain, I ended up with an EUB which works well). It also is handy to take on trips, vacation etc. so I can play away from home. I've taking it camping a couple times and while funner than nothin it is not loud enough to really use unamplified.
If I had to do it again I would look seriously at a Gold Tone instead, would do what I use it for and the travel part would be easier. I've heard that one should stay away from the fretless Gold Tones, U Bass, etc. as the scale is so different they are hard to play with any degree of intonation.
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