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Acoustic bass guitars

S

Steve Carr

Jun 25, 2003
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#1
I am not in an area where there is an abundance of guitars to play.. Through some research I believe I have narrowed my search to two guitars.. ...the Tacoma Thunderchief and the Breedlove Atlas.. I'm looking for something in this price range ($1000) to play in an acoustic environment. Has anyone played both of these instruments? Thanks.

Steve
 
#2
Steve,

Its funny, I just looked at both of those pieces, and liked both of them. I ended up buying the Breedlove Atlas (4 string), for me every note was clear and the low end was smooth and strong, I was alittle weary the way the Tacoma was bracing their necks, also the Tacoma had a larger body, a bit uncomfortable, and overall Breedlove is a great small company, good customer service, (Tacoma is owned by Fender), and the fit and finish is very good, and it has the tone I was looking for.

But with that said I am sure either piece would be a good choice, good luck.
MG
 
#3
I've played the Tacoma and it is a good sounding instrument. I haven't played the Breedlove. I own an old American made Guild B3E and it sounds pretty good. That said, I will repeat what I've said before, when it actually comes down to performing/playing with other people, you will only be dissapointed. ABG's are easily drowned out by a single acoustic guitar, so you end up dragging around an amp and plugging it in. What's the point? If you want to play acoustically, get an URB. A decent plywood URB costs less than a good ABG like a Martin or Taylor. URB is not THAT difficult to get started on and, once you do, you'll never look back. I'm sure there are plenty of players out there to argue the other side, but that's my two cents, for what it's worth.
 
#5
Bofee said:
I've played the Tacoma and it is a good sounding instrument. I haven't played the Breedlove. I own an old American made Guild B3E and it sounds pretty good. That said, I will repeat what I've said before, when it actually comes down to performing/playing with other people, you will only be dissapointed. ABG's are easily drowned out by a single acoustic guitar, so you end up dragging around an amp and plugging it in. What's the point?
Click to expand...

Well, I can augment my Tacoma enough to play with a whole battery of acoustic guitars with a little battery powered 10 watt amp that I can carry with one hand, and I get to sit down while I play. Maybe someday I'll get an URB, but for now, my technique transfers over from EBG just fine, and I can play around campfires and on back porches with my ABG and a little help.

BTW, this guy makes a feedback buster to fit the Tacoma's unconventional sound hole:
Link Removed
 
#6
This is probably the third or fourth time I've chimed in with "I bought a Breedlove Atlas fretless back in November and LOVE it!" Acknowledging the inherent shortcomings of ABGs, I can't say enough good things about this bass. I tried the fretted too and it was a real tough call on which to get.

Yes, you have to plug it in if you are playing with more than one guitar, and even with a single acoustic guitarist, some amplification helps, but as ABGs go, it's righteous and afordable. Mine took over as my main bass up until about 3 weeks ago when I got my Birdsong Cortofusion.
 
#8
Fender - from what I've heard, it's "good for electric, not so much for acoustic."

My experience playing them before buying the Breedlove backed that up. I was disappointed. Actually, I was more disappointed with the Victor Bailey acoustic than their normal acoustic, but neither one was really doing it for me, and both were equal in price to the Breedlove.

Again - this is just one opinion from someone with a fairly limited range of experience (me). Try them yourself.
 
#9
Instead of starting a new thread I decided to add to this long dormant one. I'm an upright player and don't wander over here to often. I was in the market for an acoustic bass guitar and after playing every one that I could find it was narrowed down to the Tacoma and Breedlove. I have the good fortune of living in Bend Oregon about a mile down the road from the Breedlove Guitar Company so I was able to walk down and try their basses and have them adjusted on the spot if there was something I wanted changed. In the end I bought an Atlas Studio 4 string fretted. It was a factory 2nd so the price was very attractive. Here are my observations:

If all you do is sit at home and play your bass then buy the Tacoma. Acoustically it's much more satisfying to play. Each note just envelopes you. I still wonder if I would have been happier with it instead of the Breedlove.

When I plugged both of them in, which is how I would use them in gig situations, the Breedlove had a cleaner sound. Mind you, the Tacoma didn't have an unclear tone but I was trying to pick one over the other so that was my nit-pick. That and the roughly $250 price difference made my choice.

IME, I wouldn't buy anything under $700 new. They'll just end up as wall hangings. There may be something out there for less but I haven't seen them. Some were awful.

The Phosphor/Bronze strings that it came with sounded good but I replaced them with D'Addario Chromes and like them much better. Very clear and smooth with more than enough high end. No more squeaky shifting.
 

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#14
Just this morning I pulled out my Breedlove Atlas (4 string, fretted) to start preparing for an upcoming gig which will include a lot of acoustic, female vocal stuff (songs like Fever, The Look of Love, Blue Bayou). I don't get to play it very often, particulary in a gig setting (rarely enough room on stage for even one bass!), but every time I do play it, whether it is just acoustically--either by myself or along my neighbor's acoustic guitar--or amplified in a larger setting, I am reminded of just how good it actually sounds. I also have a Rob Allen MB-2, and while they can both "sorta, kinda" sound reasonably close to an upright, the Breedlove actually does a better job. (They are both strung with nylon tapewounds.)

I tried a lot of different ABGs before buying it, and while the Tacoma sounds louder unamplified, it is much bigger, and to me, somwhat uncomfortable to play. I much preferred the feel of the Breedlove to it, and also preferred it to the Martins, Kellys, Victor Baileys and El Capitans that I tried. It also didn't hurt that I got it when GC was closing out the ABJ250 model for a ridiculously low price.

I know ABGs get a lot of flack here, but I think they can be a very useful tool--if it fits in with your musical tastes and needs.
 
#15
ajn said:
I also have a Rob Allen MB-2, and while they can both "sorta, kinda" sound reasonably close to an upright, the Breedlove actually does a better job. (They are both strung with nylon tapewounds.)
Click to expand...

I tried a fretless Breedlove Passport while I was there and even though I wasn't looking for an upright sound, since I already play one, I found myself thinking that the Passport would be a real good substitute for the big bass.

ajn said:
I know ABGs get a lot of flack here, but I think they can be a very useful tool--if it fits in with your musical tastes and needs.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. If you play in loud bands then the tone of an ABG just won't matter. In moderately quiet settings you really hear a difference between ABG and EBG.
 
#18
jallenbass said:
I was in the market for an acoustic bass guitar and after playing every one that I could find it was narrowed down to the Tacoma and Breedlove.
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I bought my Tacoma when they first came out; before the Breedlove bass was available as far as I know. I love my Tacoma, but I've played Breedloves in stores and the Breedlove models I've tried are some of the VERY few ABGs that have "done it" for me like the Tacoma does. They are not as loud acoustically as the Tacoma, but they sure do have a GREAT feel and plugged in they sound great, too! Enjoy!!!!
ajn said:
while the Tacoma sounds louder unamplified, it is much bigger, and to me, somwhat uncomfortable to play.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the body on the Tacoma is enormous - that's why it works acoustically, but I agree it can be uncomfortable to play at times. Absolutely true.
 

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