But only if you leave out every other kind of acoustic bass. To limit the options to just DBs or ABGs creates a false dilemma since it omits other types of acoustic basses such as fractional sized DBs, mandobasses , bassoguitars and others, many, if not most, of which are plenty loud for the situations required. For years my choice of "acoustic bass guitar" where there are space limitations has been a 1/4 size Englehardt DB, I extended the tailpiece a bit so I could load the bass with LaBella tapes. It is plenty loud and has mwah forever. And I regard it as a big, "loud-enough" acoustic bass guitar, not a DB.
I tried this option because I finally grew weary of all the "ABGs can never be loud enough" arguments. These "ABGs" can. Even un-amplified they easily can be heard in Jim Croce, Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor type settings where everything else -- both vocals and instruments -- is amplified. They can be played in a vertical position with the player seated on a common desk chair. They can be played seated, with the instrument across the player's lap, although less comfortably due to the extreme reach over the body. But it can be done, and IMO the sound is worth it. It all depends on the sacrifices one is willing to make to get "that" sound.
