Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Acoustic bass guitars
- Thread starter Humabass
- Start date
Not IME. There is definitely a pleasing interaction between my Thunderchief and the amp.
Funny thing about the Kingman. Back in July 2019 when I got it, it wasn't even on my radar for an ABG. I had never owned a Fender, didn't want a Fender.
I took a guitarist with me to GC so we could go into the acoustic room and jam, allowing me to compare various acoustic basses in the mix acoustically with a guitarist. I had already made a list of what I wanted to try there. Ibanez, Dean, and a few others. But then I see this Fender, and I thought what the heck, I'll give it a shot. I played it, put it back up, grabbed something else, went back to the Fender, then grabbed something else and so on. But I kept gravitating back to the Fender, mainly because of the neck and the tone. And secondly because although we weren't plugged in, it does come equipped with the Fishman Presys+. And that was important because playing live, it's going to be plugged in.
IMO you can't go wrong with a Presys+ when it comes to acoustic instruments. The notch filter is important when you get into "plugged in" situations where feedback can try to rear it's head, especially on small stages.
And of course you have Bass, mid, treble, phase, and brilliance controls and onboard tuner as well. That bass, plugged in, has surprised a lot of musicians with how good it sounds. I'm sure the GK MB210-II combo I used for a long time played a part in that too. But overall it's a great Indonesian made instrument at a great price. Currently on sale at Musician's Friend for 449, and GC is regular price at 549, go figure
Check the GC Used Gear online. If you see something that interests you, have them send it to a local store for a test drive. You may take a nominal hit for shipping but at least it won't be a pig in a poke.
BBB
If I understand you correctly, I tend to agree. I simply love the sound of a quality acoustic bass amplified. They do not sound much like a solid-body. They have their own thing going on, and that thing paired with nylon wound strings is exactly the sound I'm looking for when I'm doing "acoustic" sets.
I have gotten asked to play mine at "acoustic style" gigs, where they want it to look like an acoustic guitar to match their acoustic guitars, but it is in a small pa, think restaurant gigs. I've done the campfire thing accompanying a single acoustic (played quietly) and could kind of keep up digging hard. Too quiet for full acoustic, howls on a noisy stage, but you can get some cool sounds out of them.
I have this exact bass and I rate it highly. Fit, finish and sound are quite good. The built-in tuner is very handy. My only comment on this instrument is that you want to be careful where you sit in relation to your amp if you decide to plug it in for some reason (why not, gig with it, it'll do the job for some music genres if you need it to), because it has a microphone inside the guitar and you can get feedback from the amp.
I just use it to do scales and chords while I'm watching a show with the family, gives me some "free" practice time. YMMV
You could also get a baritone guitar, 4 string, tuned DGBE. There are electric versions out there, not sure if acoustics exist, although there are Baritone Ukes tuned this way.
I'd probably have one of these . . .
Michael Kelly ABG five
. . . . just as a knock-around couch guitar for here in the house. Really useless as a low-B five, but something just to keep my hands up. Aside from the uber $$$ Ribbecke Haflings, most all of these are not much good as a real bass guitar.
IF I were going to play out with it, I have long memories of NASTY sounding piezo acoustics, so I'd have to have one of those sound hole discs to wall off the feedback, and a BOSS AD10 to bring it to heel.
BOSS AD10, packed with all kinds of features to bring squalling, clanky sounding acoustics into a smooth, well-behaved state.
Michael Kelly ABG five
. . . . just as a knock-around couch guitar for here in the house. Really useless as a low-B five, but something just to keep my hands up. Aside from the uber $$$ Ribbecke Haflings, most all of these are not much good as a real bass guitar.
IF I were going to play out with it, I have long memories of NASTY sounding piezo acoustics, so I'd have to have one of those sound hole discs to wall off the feedback, and a BOSS AD10 to bring it to heel.
BOSS AD10, packed with all kinds of features to bring squalling, clanky sounding acoustics into a smooth, well-behaved state.
I do find the Ibanez seem to be pretty well made and playable.
Well, OP, you still haven't explained what it is you plan to do with the thing other than saying you don't plan to play bass parts on it (did I understand that right?) - but I have a Dean EABC (wish it didn't have the cutout, silly to put one on this instrument) and I'll tell you what I think about it.
1) Unplugged, I think it's the loudest of the cheap ABGs.
2) I bought it thinking it might be an alternative to schlepping the upright, so I really did NOT dig the clanky twangy sound of the round wound strings it came with (they were probably pretty cheap). So I put flats on it, and it makes a sort of kind of simulation of an upright's sound, although very quiet. Really, a pretty decent sound though.
3) Some years later on, after stumbling over the thing for a long time, (in its case, it's enormous), I heard some videos of people with ABGs plugged in, playing bass parts, but embracing that twangy almost-no-low-frequencies sound. I didn't think I would, but I kinda liked it. So I'm in the process of getting some roundwounds (I can't find the ones I took off the thing) and I'm going to experiment. When the folks in the small quiet acoustic group say "OK, that's kinda cool" it'll validate it as a valid choice for certain things; and when they say "please don't do that again" I'll know that was a swing and a miss.
4) the piezo undersaddle picup just plain sucks. No volume to speak of. If I ever decide to get this thing out of soft small jam sessions, I'll have to sort that.
5) Bad intonation - the saddle's too far forward so as you go up the neck everything gets progressively sharper. Nothing's adjustable. It has a pin bridge and the pins are right next to the saddle, so the only fix is going to involve yanking the bridge off there and relocating it, including the four string holes in the top. Fortunately the whole thing cost me something like $180, so experimentation is low risk.
1) Unplugged, I think it's the loudest of the cheap ABGs.
2) I bought it thinking it might be an alternative to schlepping the upright, so I really did NOT dig the clanky twangy sound of the round wound strings it came with (they were probably pretty cheap). So I put flats on it, and it makes a sort of kind of simulation of an upright's sound, although very quiet. Really, a pretty decent sound though.
3) Some years later on, after stumbling over the thing for a long time, (in its case, it's enormous), I heard some videos of people with ABGs plugged in, playing bass parts, but embracing that twangy almost-no-low-frequencies sound. I didn't think I would, but I kinda liked it. So I'm in the process of getting some roundwounds (I can't find the ones I took off the thing) and I'm going to experiment. When the folks in the small quiet acoustic group say "OK, that's kinda cool" it'll validate it as a valid choice for certain things; and when they say "please don't do that again" I'll know that was a swing and a miss.
4) the piezo undersaddle picup just plain sucks. No volume to speak of. If I ever decide to get this thing out of soft small jam sessions, I'll have to sort that.
5) Bad intonation - the saddle's too far forward so as you go up the neck everything gets progressively sharper. Nothing's adjustable. It has a pin bridge and the pins are right next to the saddle, so the only fix is going to involve yanking the bridge off there and relocating it, including the four string holes in the top. Fortunately the whole thing cost me something like $180, so experimentation is low risk.
I had a cheap Michael Kelly 5-string Club Deluxe. With a K&K Pure Sound installed under the bridge and Thomastik Jazz Flats, it worked great for jazz and bluegrass/folk gigs. I used to get strange looks on jazz gigs, though. I had a high C string on it for solos, but it never really cut through very well. Although I liked the light weight, ergonomically it left a lot to be desired. Way more convenient than a doghouse, though.
I never saw the purpose of a ACB until I had one. Strung it with flats on a whim, and it proved itself quite handy. No real projection but great for practice or noodling.
As @Wasnex says above, only you can decide for you.
@ThudThudThud lists the pluses and minuses above, but you'll notice the pluses quickly peter out into vague praise. The main plus for me is that it's instantly available: no power up or plug-in, ready to play. And that's it, for me. But the OP may have different reasons, especially when expressing preference for five-string and a drop D tuning.
@Humabass - it's not always easy to even realize what is wanted, let alone express it for others. Which is why it's necessary to try a lot of things, if available (I'm lefty, so they aren't for me, but maybe GC's got a few for you to try). If someone offered to build me a dream bass, I have no idea what I'd ask for.
As @Wasnex says above, only you can decide for you.
@ThudThudThud lists the pluses and minuses above, but you'll notice the pluses quickly peter out into vague praise. The main plus for me is that it's instantly available: no power up or plug-in, ready to play. And that's it, for me. But the OP may have different reasons, especially when expressing preference for five-string and a drop D tuning.
@Humabass - it's not always easy to even realize what is wanted, let alone express it for others. Which is why it's necessary to try a lot of things, if available (I'm lefty, so they aren't for me, but maybe GC's got a few for you to try). If someone offered to build me a dream bass, I have no idea what I'd ask for.
I'm guessing a regular soundhole plug wouldn't be an easy fit, but maybe if you remove the thumbrest, trim the plug on the left side, and then replace the thumbrest, it might work.
No feedback with this one, unless I lean it against the amp.
No volume to speak of because it's passive, not active...it's the bass I started learning on. I actually liked the jumbo body and the cutaway is definitely necessary.
The thing is, the Dean Exotica is far superior...it's like comparing a Glarry Jazz bass to a USA-made Fender American Ultra. I keep the volume on my Exoticas at around 3 or 4 because they're so potent. Not to mention, the Aphex System electronics just might be the best acoustic-bass electronics made.
The one that impairs me to sleep at night sometimes is the Takamine DB10…………..…..maybe one day ! 
I really appreciate this community which is why I've been here for 24 years. Please understand that while I appreciate all the advice I'm only interested in peoples feedback about instruments they have owned NOT the pros and cons of ABGs in general or when they should be used or not used.
I wasn't really intending to have to explain to anyone why I want what I want. I have played thousand of gigs in many different genres of music as well as recording. If you really want to know why I want what I said I wanted let's just say it's another color on the pallet to make music with and that color make take the shape of acoustic guitar tones or bass guitar tones. It may be used live with very specific groups but it may be primarily for added textures to my own recordings. Since I only play bass I use the 9 basses I have plus my pedal board to layer different parts that sound like different instruments. I guess what prompted my inquiry was my frustration with the availability of MEDIUM scale ABGs configured the way I want. I know exactly what sound I can get out of an ABG but I really don't want a long scale. I'm sorry if my original post wasn't clear.
Again, I really do appreciate any and all input.
Latest posts
-
Post a funnier picture than the one above - Parallel Universe Edition- Latest: 5StringBlues
-
-
-
-
