Acoustic bass

[Wasnex]

I own an ABG. I keep upstairs in the room with laptop I use on TalkBass. Sometimes I need a bass in hand to respond to a post. That is when I use the bass acoustically.


IMHO, no ABG is sufficiently loud for most playing situations. IME, if you play with a couple of acoustic guitars, the bass will be heard, but I find it frustrating as a player because it always feels like I am being dominated. For me the solution is simply to use an amp.

My ABG has a unique and very desirable tone through an amp. Available gain before feedback is fairly low, but I am able to adjust the preamp and amp to get loud enough to play in what I call moderate volume situations with a drummer.

I also found that upright was frequently not loud enough. I used a pickup and amp on upright for most of my career. Of course this would not be suitable/appropriate in a orchestra, but I found it necessary in big band and concert band.

Consider opportunity cost. There is not justifiable need for me to keep an ABG other than I want to keep it...specifically to have an ABG. This is a low priority for me. So if keeping it was preventing me from doing something else, it would be gone in a flash.

 

[sheesh]

Ha when I read the post initially I thought OP meant upright. I don't like ABGs. I had an Ovation once that sounded great amped, but that was about it.

 

[T-Burger]

I enjoy mine.

 

[jd56hawk]

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 '-)

Dean Exotica, the older model with the Aphex System electronics.
I own two.
I try to play it every day...and I believe in the MTV Unplugged school of thought...plug in!
I hear so many people say they like to play unplugged because it's so easy to just pick up their acoustic bass and play, but what's so hard about plugging in? Only takes me a few seconds.
We're bassists. It's all about the tone, especially with something special like the Exotica...it's more versatile than my Jazz bass.
When potential buyers ask about regular basses, there are dozens of models I can suggest they try out, but when it comes to acoustic basses, this is the only one I can honestly recommend.

 

[bassbrad]

Like many my age started on acoustic guitar so always had a soft spot for an acoustic bass guitar for years until adding the Washburn during the "Unplugged" days. The Washburn AB20 has a set of Rotosound TruBass 88 strings is my current couch guitar so gets played regularly that is perfect for adding body to bass parts and works fine in a lot of veins, used to regularly play gigs as well as playing in songwriter circles. Dean Playmate EABC5 that has decent volume for my acoustic duo playing classical and jazz arrangements with a classical guitarist but we both will plug in for any gigs usually sharing a powered speaker. A medium scale cheapie has a tenor tuning ADGC sometimes B that I use for "guitar parts" and chording. Mitchell EZB travel bass that has nylon core strings for softer lines. I also have a classical, concert and 12 string guitars in the menagerie.

If you mean an upright bass I don't have one anymore but an Ibanez EB804 EUB is in my daily play routine as I strengthen my fretless bass chops. and the occasional overdub.

 

[superiorpine]

I have a Tacoma Thunderchief V. Loud enough for jamming with a couple of acoustic guitars, not loud enough by itself for anything else. I played it through a small amp to audition for my current project (now 20 years later) and although the guys hadn't seen one before they thought it sounded great.

As above, most upright bases, though louder than the Thunderchief, also are either miked or have pickups in a band setting. Thanks loud drummers and guitar players!

I play it at home unplugged. I like it for practice. Until I can replace it with something more useful, meaning both plugged and un-plugged, I will keep it.

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, like a lot of the other commentors, I never found one that projected enough on its own.
But I have owned a few hollow-body electric basses- Hofner, Epiphone, Ibanez, Warwick.

 

[mikeoso]

I have three ABGs, and am either jamming or gigging twice a week. The Martin has a pickup, and I plug it in for gigs that require it, which are few. My Tacoma and Mota are loud enough unplugged for living room jams and old folks home gigs.

Contrary to popular opinion, there are situations where an unamped ABG can just fine. However, there are no inexpensive or small/comfortable ones that will fit that use. Unamped ABG, the rule is go big or stay home.

Also, if you want to get heard unplugged, your setup and playing technique have to change. Expecting an ABG to feel like an EB, or trying to play it like one, are excercises in futility.

Even if you are just going to noodle on the couch, the cheapies are a waste. In acoustic instruments, quality costs money.

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

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 '-)

Owned an upright for 25 years. Only gigged occasionally. The lack of available stage space and SPLs in almost every gig environment I encounter usually keep it a home instrument. I intended to buy a better pickup in 2025, and that didn't happen. I bought the EBS Stanley Clarke Acoustic Preamp in 2024 and it's great but I actually used it brilliantly as an acoustic guitar preamp as a gigging electric and acoustic guitarist in a Country band then. I'd like to play more upright but it's no remark on the instrument or my interest in playing it that proper available stage space and acoustic environment to reasonably allow me to bring and use such an instrument without subjecting myself to constantly fighting feedback, must reliably present itself, and unfortunately given the genres of music I do and what I do in them, neither one has predictably been the case.

Also, I have an electric 12-string guitar. A similar thing applies. I'd like to play it more but the stage space must exist for me to bring a limited-use instrument to a gig with my main acoustic and main electrics as priority, and I have to be able to use the electric 12 enough to validate taking it out in the first place. This isn't about the bass really. It's about finding the best giggable instruments for the context, whatever I'm doing and that even includes less cymbals or less toms as a drummer. The situation and context ALWAYS guides the gear choices.

 

[jefframm]

I have a Furch (two actually) fretless and fretted 4 strings. I LOVE them. The fretless sings really well and I've used it a ton for practice and quite a bit at church. My only challenge has been feedback on stage - and it's a weird sound-hole shape - so I'm in the process of making a custom sound hole plug.

Sadly, Furch discontinued their ABG's - but having played a ton of others (Tacoma, Taylor AB-3, etc) the Furch was the one that really "sings".

 

[DCErik]

I bought an Epiphone El Cap back in the 90s and hauled it to Taiwan to play when we hung out at the temple at night. Tried that exactly once and might as well have not even been there. Couldn't even hear myself.

Had a different experience with a borrowed Takamine a couple of years ago, which easily kept up with my brother on a little classical guitar and daughter on vox.

 

[Wasnex]

Had a different experience with a borrowed Takamine a couple of years ago, which easily kept up with my brother on a little classical guitar and daughter on vox.

Part of the issue is a lot of the players who like to do acoustic jams spend a lot of money on a big, loud acoustic guitar and then they beat the hell out of them to play as loud as possible all the time. Acoustic jams can be surprisingly loud, but there is absolutely no dynamic range. The singing is also similarly as loud as possible.


If the guitarists use smaller guitars and everyone plays with a bit of taste and restraint, then a good ABG can definitely add something. The bass player may still find it unsatisfying for a couple of reasons: 1. Most people need to be about 6-10dB louder than everything else, and this is generally not possible with an ABG unless you use an amp. 2. In most instances, guitars are designed to radiate sound forward rather than up at your head. So someone in front of you will probably hear your ABG better than you do. The point is you may actually be loud enough to make a difference, but it usually doesn't seem that way to the bass player.

 

[B-Mac]

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 '-)

Stop in here. All you need.
Acoustic Bass Fetish Club

 

[Wasnex]

I bought mine some years ago but always confined to home use, specifically as a way to noodle around.

There is really no mystery to uncover. It comes down to your specific needs and goals and whether an ABG can help you achieve them or not. If you don't find an ABG useful enough to justify keeping it around, then move on without regrets or worries.

 

[BassicJazzy]

I own one, an Ovation, their top level from earlier days when they were making them in USA. It is the bass I go to after a long hiatus, to practice on until I get my chops back. Has the advantage of sounding very good unplugged, and the disadvantage of being terrible ergonomically due to the bowl back. It hasn't been out of its case in almost 2 years now. Serves it's purpose as a silent practice solution for guys like me who hate to play through headphones.

 

[wompwomp]

I just grab a regular ol' acoustic guitar for personal noodling or maybe if I'm looking at a thread and want to hear an idea quickly.

the same notes as a bass, and way easier to hear without amplification....

 

[Ostie]

I bought one around 20 years ago. Played it for less than six months. Hated it. Sold it. Took a beating. Vowed never again.

 

[Karl Kaminski]

yes everyday. my 'primary player' for several projects

 

[jd56hawk]

One good thing about all the acoustic bass detractors?
Every time I read their "you really can't hear them without an amp" remarks, I grabbed mine, plug it in, and play like there's no tomorrow.
You know, just like when I plug in a Jazz bass, a Precision or any other bass that needs an amp.
And you know what?
It sounds better than quite a few Jazz basses, Precision basses, etc.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I bought one a few years back for ampless practicing. It is a $99 copy of a Martin 5 string. It is surprisingly well made and sounds pretty nice for an ABG. I put on real Gotoh tuners which helped since the originals were . I don't like bronze strings, so had it strung with some left over nickels I had. Yesterday I put on a set of pink Neons and they woke that bass up. I have so little invested that I don't think I'd ever get rid of it.