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Acoustic bass guitar...a design that just doesn't work?

#21
holllowbody said:
I am not talking about the upright bass, I am talking about the ones with dreadnought style bodies that look kinda like acoustic guitars (ie. Martin B1).

Under what conditions would an acoustic bass guitar like this be prefered over a solid body electric bass assuming proper amplification for both is readily available?
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How about in a country roots band, playing a private party, where the drummer gets in a motorcycle wreck two nights before the gig, and the backup drummer is out of town?

Being able to add a golpe technique to my bass playing was a nice and effective option when it happened to one of my bands.

But yes, ABGs are a niche instrument.




These things seem to be a bit contradictory in design. The body size is too small to get any kind of usable output given the frequencies in question, so using them "acoustically" is really not viable. Since amplification is a near must, the solid body bass is ideal.
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Being able to grab it for practicing or noodling around without messing w/ an amp is the primary purpose of my ABG.

Also the slightly higher action and tension also has a benefit of giving a good "workout" to my fretting hand.

The solid body bass is ideal though, I agree. :bassist:
 
#22
Here's an acoustic bass that works ...

MARIACHI.jpg
 
#23
holllowbody said:
Since amplification is a near must, the solid body bass is ideal.
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This is what people keep saying, and I disagree completely. It's a different tone. A solid body bass might be ideal in most situations, but sometimes a great acoustic bass (amplified in the right way) is just going to sound better.

Acoustic Bass Guitars are a niche instrument and I think that when people try to generalize them too much, they only see the shortcomings.
 
#24
holllowbody said:
I am not talking about the upright bass, I am talking about the ones with dreadnought style bodies that look kinda like acoustic guitars (ie. Martin B1).

Under what conditions would an acoustic bass guitar like this be prefered over a solid body electric bass assuming proper amplification for both is readily available?

These things seem to be a bit contradictory in design. The body size is too small to get any kind of usable output given the frequencies in question, so using them "acoustically" is really not viable. Since amplification is a near must, the solid body bass is ideal.
Click to expand...

I picked up a Micheal Kelly a few years ago. Looks stunning, but has the usual "volume" problems, It's fun to play with a friend of mine who occasionally does accoustic guitar/vocal gigs. The volume is alright for just one guitar. Another friend has a Tacoma Thunderchief, and it is LOUD. Amazed me at the way it carries unplugged. Nice instrument too. If I did more of the accoustic thing, I'd get one.
 
#28
Lokire said:
It's a different tone. A solid body bass might be ideal in most situations, but sometimes a great acoustic bass (amplified in the right way) is just going to sound better.
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The tone of the ABG is probably what I like least about it.

Twangy bass of any kind and in any context is just repellent to me, but some big flattop monstrosity with bronze roundwounds is just a giant fail. Amplified, you can dig your way out of this a bit with EQ, or heel-mute (as I do), but otherwise it doesn't sound much like any bass instrument should, to my ears, nor can it fulfill the traditional role of bass instrumentation in low-frequency sound support.

Acoustic Bass Guitars are a niche instrument and I think that when people try to generalize them too much, they only see the shortcomings.
Click to expand...
With the best will in the world, I personally can't find a single good thing to say about ABGs in terms of their sonic performance. They have nothing but shortcomings, as far as I can tell.

They achieved what popularity they used to have purely as a presentation gimmick to "go" with acoustic guitar "unplugged," but unplugged they couldn't do it, and amplified they present annoying problems.

Should it happen that I wind up in a live project in which ABG looks appropriate onstage, I'll certainly take up the challenge of getting it to sound acceptably like a bass and control feedback, etc., but I'd be doing it purely for the looks of the thing, certainly not because I think it's a great bass instrument with great bass sound. :(
 
#30
Most ABGs present the problems mentioned here, but there are some exceptions. I have played useless, quiet and twangy ABGs before. I have also played quirky, deafening and neutral-sounding ABGs before. I will say this though: They certainly don't fufill any requirement for a "bass". However, if you take them for what they are, and don't expect them to preform beyond that, you will be happy with one.
 
#31
Let's face it, without amplification an ABG is about as useful as boobies on a boar hog. That being said, the question is: do they, in any scenario, sound better than a solid body bass? When I first got my Dragonfly 5 string fretless ABG from the folks at Micheal Kelly Guitars, I thought the answer was "no". The bronze phosphor strings it had sounded awful & buzzed in several spots on the neck. I was unimpressed. Figuring I had little to lose, I replaced the strings with some Italian flatwounds called Dogal Jacos. I believe they are a bit like the Tomastik flats. I then took it to a very good tech & had the fingerboard radiused. As soon as I plugged it in & hit the 1st note I knew I had something special. My band knew it too & everybody got this big grin on their faces. With the bass boosted on the Fishman pup & most of the mids rolled off, it sounds amazingly like an upright bass. It sounds so much like one that every time an URB player hears it, I end up having to talk with them about it in the break. On recordings I usually have to mike the amp sound because it doesn't really come across taken direct. Trust me, there is NO way a solid body bass is ever going to sound like this thing. There are some gigs I get where that's all they want to hear. I have to assume they would probably hire an upright bassist if I didn't have the MK Dragonfly 5. Just don't expect to be impressed with it when you pick one up at GC or wherever.
 
#35
I love my Michael Kelly and I don't care what you think. :eyebrow:

It doesn't do all the things my solid body bass does. It also doesn't polish and wax my car. So what?

If you don't like them, don't buy one. If you already have one and don't like it, sell it. If you have one and like it, play it. What's the problem?

I don't like the most popular brand of solid body basses in the world. Every time I pick one up in a store, I end up putting it back. But I don't feel the need to come on Talkbass and bash them. That would just cause hard feelings, and probably start a "Why I hate ByF" thread. :D

Ed
 
#36
Listening to the Volent Femmes is a pretty convincing argument for the usefulness of ABGs in terms of tone. Our cover band plays a mini amplified acoustic set of 3-4 tunes that sounds great and breaks things up. I play an amped ABG. People love it, and so do we.
 
#38
holllowbody said:
Under what conditions would an acoustic bass guitar like this be prefered over a solid body electric bass assuming proper amplification for both is readily available?
Click to expand...

Simple. When you want to use it for practice (MUCH more convenient than a solid body), or when you want its sound amplified. Nothing to wonder about. You can ask the same question about any out-of-the-mainstream bass. :o
 
#39
Bongolation said:
The tone of the ABG is probably what I like least about it.

Twangy bass of any kind and in any context is just repellent to me, but some big flattop monstrosity with bronze roundwounds is just a giant fail. Amplified, you can dig your way out of this a bit with EQ, or heel-mute (as I do), but otherwise it doesn't sound much like any bass instrument should, to my ears, nor can it fulfill the traditional role of bass instrumentation in low-frequency sound support.


With the best will in the world, I personally can't find a single good thing to say about ABGs in terms of their sonic performance. They have nothing but shortcomings, as far as I can tell.
Click to expand...

That might be your experience, but it hasn't been mine at all. My ABGs sound great to me. And I have my 6-string tuned down to C with a super deep, room-filling tone. It's a unique sound that I wouldn't be able to get with electric basses. But if you don't like them, that's cool. You don't have to play 'em :)
 
#40
I'm not one to jump on TB bandwagon things, but after spending several years as a Rob Allen player, I don't get the point. I get a very nice acoustic-ish sound with a chambered solid body and solid center block without running the risk of feedback. The body thickness may be a tad thicker than a standard EBG, but not by much.

An average acoustic guitar will have more volume and it takes a lot of $$$ to get one that will come close to matching that.
 

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