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Acoustic bass guitars

#62
I have some experience with ABGs. A lot of people got interested in them with the MTV unplugged series. They also have an interesting sound. Where people fall down the rabbit hole is in thinking that an ABG can be used like an acoustic guitar. When unamplified, the truth is that an ABG has more volume than a solid body bass guitar, but less volume than an upright bass. Acoustic guitars seem louder because their frequencies are higher and require less of a sound box to be heard. This is also why violins, violas, and mandolins can cut through with even smaller body sizes than an acoustic guitar because their frequencies are higher. Put another way, if you want to try to keep up in terms of volume with an acoustic guitar, you need an upright bass. Otherwise, you need an amp. However, with an amp, you do introduce the possibility of feedback with an ABG or upright, which brings most people back to a solid body bass.

Anyway, we often travel overseas and stay at the same place. I have an ABG there because it gives me a bass to play that is loud enough for me to hear myself practicing without needing an amp. It was incredibly inexpensive over there, and it saves me the trouble of trying to travel with an instrument. That said, if I wanted to play with anyone else, I would need an amp. Hope this helps.
 
#63
Water buffalo said:
Also, Where I come from, calling someone "Boy" is highly disrepectful. One would not say that to someone in person.
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"Boy" in the context used wasn't addressing you as "boy". It was an expression akin to "geez" or "well".

i.e. "Well, if you think that's an attack..." (at least that's how I read it)


I agree addressing a person as "boy" has historically disrespectful connotations and should be avoided though.
 
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#67
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Ribbecke Hafling 4-string ABG

Gruhn's had one of these used for a little while many years ago (p-r-i-c-e-y ! ! ) in a fretless, and I got a chance to drive it around the block for a few minutes. There is a LOT of acoustic theory going on with these things (they're thicker on one side, the round shoulder sound hole, etc.), but the short version is this is the only one of this kind of axe that approached the tone of an upright, but nonetheless would never, ever replace one. It was, certainly, a memorable instrument, very rare, and luthier-built to an extremely high standard.
 
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#68
turf3 said:
It's also true the Regal Bassoguitar is darn near as big as an upright bass.
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Closer to a 1/2 size DB, actually. And not quite as loud as a 1/4 size DB. But (and I am sure Regal was not even thinking of this when they designed the instrument) the BoG can be played quite comfortably across the lap, and with a flat top it permits the bridge to be cheated to pretty much to any scale one wants -- from the standard 42" down to 36".

I now would pretty much use the "standard" ABG more on gigs where "optics" (fitting in) had high priority. If unplugged volume were more important I would go with a 1/4 size DB or the Regal. Or one of these about the size of a 1/4 DB).

 
#70
turf3 said:
So is it fretless? otherwise moving the bridge would wreck the intonation.
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I'm glad you asked this. The dreadnought bodied bass, which is what I have, is a lined fretless, and for some years this was the only option available we thought. This bass has a neck/body join at the octave.

But then images of a quite different Bassoguitar started popping up on Google. This bass has an elongated O-body shape and is fretted. And the neck heel/body join is around the ninth fret, which is very close to the D/Eb join on a DB.
 
#71
turf3 said:
So is it fretless? otherwise moving the bridge would wreck the intonation.
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I'm glad you asked this. The dreadnought bodied bass, which is what I have, is a lined fretless, and for some years this was the only option available we thought. This bass has a neck/body join at the octave.

But then images of a quite different Bassoguitar started popping up on Google. This bass has an elongated O-body shape and is fretted. And the neck heel/body join is around the ninth fret, which is very close to the D/Eb join on a DB.
 
#73
I have a 30" scale semi hollow bass. It's loud enough to play unplugged at home by yourself and it sounds great plugged in. No feedback even with tube overdrive.

Lighter than a solid body and it looks cool since it's got the 335 shape and f-holes.

I'm using rounds ATM but this bass was clearly born to wear flats or tapes. The neck pickup sounds fat and warm and very balanced with a pick.
 

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#78
Ben Esparza said:
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These 2 are probably the best to fit the big. Both are discontinued. The bodies are large enough to project some volume and provide the lower registers needed for bass. Both are short 30" scale. I wish I had bought the above version of the Guild bass when it came out. Notice the two bridge saddles vs. the single saddle newer bridges. The Ernie Ball Earthwood bass was friggin' HUGE with a bolt-on neck.
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The Ernie Ball Earthwood is the best acoustic bass ever made. It's the main bass of Brian Ritchie, the bassist for the Violent Femmes. He creates an insane tone with it, and plays it with an unmatched aggression for acoustic bass.
 
#79
dlmarquez said:
If I had an extra $5KUS floating around in the mad money jar, I’d be highly tempted to order one of these!

CannaBass - Canna Guitars

cannaguitars.com cannaguitars.com

Very unusual construction
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Beautiful! Only issue I see is the bowl back, which is like my Ovation ABG, and makes the bass roll away from you as you play it. That's a reason I only play my Ovation with a strap, and I have it a bit high so the bowl back doesn't interact as much with my bowl belly.
 

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