Acoustic bass

[AndyMopley]

Do you own one and how much use do you make of it? I bought mine some years ago but always confined to home use, specifically as a way to noodle around. But of late I've been thinking of getting back to electric (with practice amp) as I don't see the long term need or use for it.
The other problem is of course that I find it easier to buy than sell ... despite the pressure from the other half '-)

 

[2saddleslab]

Went thru a handful of acoustic basses until I realized they were underwhelming at home w/out an amp and useless w/out an amp live. Decided to go the hollow body route since an amp was necessary anyway. Still allows me to noodle quietly at home but performs better live. YMMV.

 

[Daniel B5]

I picked one up last year for a camping trip. Nobody could hear me around the fire compared to the acoustic guitars. I'll be listing mine once the snow melts and there's a market amongst the romantics--someone else can give it a shot.

The Godin A4 fretless stays, though, as that's an entirely different beast.

 

[Bander]

Acoustic bass guitar. They have their applications with amplification. Not enough volume otherwise for much anything I do.

 

[Lobster11]

I keep one on a stand in the living room. I find it super-convenient when I need to practice quietly (e.g., my wife is sleeping), and/or when I just want to do something for a couple of minutes and don't want to bother with amps, cords, etc. For example, sometimes I'll get a melody or bass line stuck in my head and can quickly grab the ABG to work it out. I think it's worth having around because every time I use it is practice time I otherwise wouldn't be getting.

 

[scuzzy]

buy used, they have very poor resale. I am glad a have a few on hand. I like their sound with tapes, in the right setting. i also use them in a pinch to workout songs without having to go to the practice room and set up with an electric and computer/speaker.

 

[Jefenator]

I've used mine quite a bit onstage over the years. The irony is, a well implemented pickup is really important. (As with other any other acoustic instrument used in a setting that calls for amplification.)
I have also used the ABG unplugged for a few extra mellow rehearsals – and now for home practice.
It may not be THE most essential thing for a bass player to have, but I'm awfully glad I got one. It'll probably be one of the last to go.

 

[Mario Ed]

I have a few, one a 30” scale, one a 25” scale and a long scale 5 string. I like using them at home to practice and work out ideas without bothering others. The 25” one is great for traveling. I like the sound of them but agree to play with others an amp is a necessity.

 

[GKon]

What I most like about mine, besides being able to play at home without plugging in, is that I can take it with me to a park, sit outside, enjoy the smells, sights and sounds and play my acoustic bass at the same time. I remember the first time I ever did that (around 25 years ago) it was a moving experience since I realized it was the first time I had ever been able to play outside like that and actually hear myself.

That being said, I don't use it for live, or studio playing because of the massive feedback I'd get when turning up loud enough to compete with guitars and drums.

 

[NitroBobby]

i had a Laguna ABG for a bit (beautiful instrument), thinking I'd be able to jam with my friend's acoustics around a campfire. as noted, this is not really possible on its own. nobody could hear it. using a pick helped a bit but once we got going, the acoustics drowned out the bass. you can invest in a battery powered amp to go along with it but on its own, it's not going to be heard much.

i did love the sound and after i sold it I found a Gretsch hollow body electric. It's loud enough acoustically to be useful as a solo practice instrument, to figure out bass parts or just to noodle about. The plugged in sound is incredible. It has become my main bass for recording and playing out with the current project.

the other drawback for me was the size of the ABG. i'm not the tallest or longest of arm so i felt like i was hugging a pig. it was quite thick and not overly comfortable to play.

so, my advice is to either pick up a battery amp if you want to play with others or go in another direction and let it go. you could do the same more comfortably with a hollow body. they are physically deeper than a solid body, though not nearly as deep as the ABG and have a lot of the same sonic qualities of the ABG. they are also less prone to feedback when playing amplified.

good luck
kgb

 

[newfuture]

I use mine a fair amount for couch solo practice, but it gets little use otherwise

 

[trevcda]

I got mine many years ago primarily for the aesthetic when playing with other acoustic but quickly found out that it wasn't loud enough to keep up, despite upgrading the bridge and nut materials and trying several string options. I had several options for amplifiers, and it worked will enough with those, but I could never, and still haven't, found a suitable case for such a large bass (Thunderchief) and was reluctant to take it anywhere. That and having moved on to five and six string electric basses it was never a good analog for practicing electric bass due to the set up and trying to allow it to be louder acoustically. So now it sits and only occasionally gets played. I also had a Washburn AB-20 with an XLR jack on it that I thought would be perfect for live performance. But that thing always distorted its preamp and despite numerous unanswered calls and emails to Washburn for assistance, I finally had to sold it. I'll have held on to the Thunderchief as it was a bucket list bass, and so that I've got an acoustic bass if ever I feel I need one.

 

[gtirard]

Got a Taylor GS Mini-e Bass for 10 years now, that I use exclusively for a vocal band (20 singers + cajon + accoustic guitar and ABG)
I use it every week in rehearsal with that band, and for all our gigs.
It sounds surprisingly loud for its size at home un-amplified, and on stage it's great that it's so small because it lets me move freely without hitting a singer. Everybody thinks an ABG needs to be huge if you want to hear it without amplification, but Taylor made a little miracle with this instrument IMHO, it's louder than the previous big jumbo that I had before it.

But I use only electric basses for my main (rock) band.

I think I will keep it for home use even if I quit my vocal band.

 

[turf3]

If you're thinking about playing unamplified, just bite the bullet and learn how to play double bass.

If you want one for the slightly characteristic sound it makes through an amp, then go for it.

Like others, I found that the loudest commercially available ABG was way too quiet to hold its own in any kind of jam situation.

There are good reasons having to do with the laws of physics, why the solid body electric bass with amplifier is the universal choice for loud situations. Now you're talking about something that is inherently even quieter than the double-bass. It's not a feasible solution to the problem most people are trying to apply it to - an acoustic bass instrument that's smaller and lighter than the double-bass, but without amplification. Unfortunately, such a thing still doesn't exist.

 

[GretschWretch]

You guys are all flogging the wring ABG.

 

[SC Bassboy]

My band hit the "we're old now so let's play acoustic shows" stage of our life a few years ago. I've owned an Ibanez AEB for about 20 years, but it's about as entry level as you can get for an acoustic bass. Last year I bought a Warwick Alien Thinline Hybrid 5 string which has become my main bass for playing acoustic shows as well as practicing. So, even if my band quit tomorrow, I would most likely keep practicing on the Alien. It's one of the best sounding/playing basses I have.

 

[FightMilk]

Resonator basses are louder and I think sound better than just acoustic basses. But man they can require a ton of setup with the cone and spider and saddles and tail piece ugh. I do keep it for certain sounds or taking to the back yard to learn a song on a nice day. Ukulele sized basses can sound ok around a campfire or on the couch but not gonna pull its weight at a live gig.

 

[Richard Lindsey]

I have an Emerald Balor and gig with it regularly. I use an amp, but so does every upright bassist I see.

The campfire criterion, though understandably relevant for some, is basically meaningless to me. I haven't been camping in years, and if I did go, I sure wouldn't take an instrument this expensive (and big) along!

 

[Swerve]

Acoustic basses are the treadmills of the bass world. Seems like a good idea, but the novelty wears off quickly. And you practically have to give them away to get rid of them.

My P bass is always plugged into a mini amp by my couch so I can pick up and play anytime and actually enjoy the sound.

 

[MD]

I own two - everything from noodling, practicing, home sessions, campfires and playing out.
Maybe I've played my EB a half dozen times in the past twenty years.