Acoustic Basses worth it?

[B-Mac]

New member and this is my first post.

I found this forum while doing google search for "Fender acoustic bass BG29" because there is one local on CL with Fishman electronics for $150. Sight unseen it seems to be a good deal but I haven't gotten my hands on it (yet).

I used to play guitar but it's been years and I always loved the bass so I figured I'd start out with something simple where I don't don't need an amp. However there are cheap basses online (I'm sure you all know the brands without me having to name them) for like $75 with amps included. I'm thinking if I get that Fender it'll at least have some resale value if/when I want to pass it along.

What do you all think? Should I get a Squier Affinity J Bass for $225 bucks or get this ABG? I'm not sure if I'm allowed to link to CL ads here but if I am then I'll link it for you all to take a gander at.

BTW, I'm not in a band. I'm planning on learning walking bass lines for jazz/blues so that figures into this as well. After gaining some proficiency I would like to find some others to jam with.

Thanks! This site is great! I love old school internet forums.

For $150 I’d go and check it out NOW before someone buys it out from under you just to flip it.

And Welcome to Talk Bass!

 

[PleromicPastry]

For $150 I’d go and check it out NOW before someone buys it out from under you just to flip it.

And Welcome to Talk Bass!

Thanks! I bought it. It's in MINT condition. One scratch, I'll have to post photos of it soon. The owner of the bass had to be put into an assisted living facility and his brother was selling off his instruments. He said he knew it was worth more but he priced it to sell without haggling. Sad to hear about his brother.

He also had a cool maple flame top glazed red Epiphone Les Paul he was selling for $200. I went on CL this morning and noticed he increased the price to $300.

 

[candiehappy]

I have a Micheal Kelly DragonFly 5 Fretless and with round wounds it was really loud acoustically. I put wrapped flats on it and it sounds great but it did lower the acoustic volume a good bit. But I always play through an amp so it was not a big deal.

Either way it is an awesome bass, even if it is huge.

 

[Felix Lopez]

 

[roccobass]

I own a Breedlove Jumbo fretless. Even though they come with a pick up, I prefer the straight acoustic sound. While I do agree they won’t keep up in volume wars, that’s not what they were intended. Small to middle’ ACOUSTIC situations. I try back up or be next to a hard surface for the sound reflection. This helps. It has an upward sound hole which helps the player hear. I really like mine. Like I said, you pick and choose the right situation.

 

[aekisz]

I own a Breedlove Jumbo fretless. Even though they come with a pick up, I prefer the straight acoustic sound. While I do agree they won’t keep up in volume wars, that’s not what they were intended. Small to middle’ ACOUSTIC situations. I try back up or be next to a hard surface for the sound reflection. This helps. It has an upward sound hole which helps the player hear. I really like mine. Like I said, you pick and choose the right situation.
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I have one of those except fretted. It’s a bit too buzzy for how I play but I love it. And I use it to mainly accompany my vocals (solo) so I don’t play it the same way I do my electrics. I merge conventional bass lines with simple chords and double stops. I have 7 basses but this is my keeper if I had to ditch the rest.

 

[roccobass]

I have one of those except fretted. It’s a bit too buzzy for how I play but I love it. And I use it to mainly accompany my vocals (solo) so I don’t play it the same way I do my electrics. I merge conventional bass lines with simple chords and double stops. I have 7 basses but this is my keeper if I had to ditch the rest.

Very nice. Sounds like you got it going. Yeah, I played a fretted version also. They make that a smaller fretted version of an acoustic Breedlove that was easier to play, but you had less of a box to expand on the sound. A little buzz on the both sizes of fretted. One of the reasons I went fretless. Definitely, it calls for some technique alterations, but that’s to be expected. I actually play a bit more conservatively on the Breedlove due to making sure my intonation is on. Sliding is cool. Chording ok depending on where. All in all a fun and good learning experience.

 

[etrs]

I was in Drome Sound in Schenectady, NY one fine afternoon (not to buy - yeah right!?! - just to browse).....and came across this used, no name, cheap ($99) resonator bass hanging high up on the wall with the used acoustic guitars. Had one of the guys get it down for me and after 5 or 6 notes got my wallet out. I've had a couple acoustic basses in the past and up until that day at Drome, had given up on the whole idea. I learned never give up. This one has quite the voice.

 

[PTOEguy]

Acoustic basses are great at campfires... for when you run out of kindling

Get a uke and sing like an idiot, that's what I do.

Some advice I can get behind - Playing uke was what got me into playing bass.

For campfire use I use a Gold Tone Microbass (solid body) and a Roland Microcube (6 or 8 AA batteries). The amp and bass together are less hassle to transport than my Squire Vintage modified on its own. It keeps up with my daughter on violin and others on uke, and the rubber strings are said to sound like an upright bass. And if you're looking for a cheap campfire option - get a Hadean uke bass from Rondo Music. They still need to be plugged in, but you get bass sound in a small package for under $200.

 

[MD]

If I were looking for another ABG, that Breedlove above would be on the short list.
This Furch would be there too, although not a big fan of pin style bridges - Breedlove has string through.

 

[gozbass]

I have found they are great to keep @ home to practice on when you don't wanna plug in or set up a rig. Otherwise i've found them practically useless when others are playing along. Great for those quick ideas you have pop into your head.

 

[Zenbassie]

I have, at various times, owned a Martin B-1, an Ernie Ball Earthwood, and a Guild B-30. The latter two will keep up with a nylon string guitar (I was playing with a flamenco guy at the time). They won't however keep up with even a moderately strummed dreadnought. I should say that I play finger style, and although you might get a bit more volume if you play pick style, I doubt it will make that much difference. I recently played an Ovation ABG, and it wasn't any louder (and had an annoying habit of sliding out of my lap and away from me).

 

[SubHuman]

Acoustic bass is great for campfire jams, acoustic jams and grabbing to capture a fresh idea. I don’t use mine to record but mine has a piezo pickup so not enough quality tone.
I will also grab to noodle around while watching TV...especially NFL games! I pray we have NFL in the fall with this dang unexcusable virus outbreak still hanging around!
Stupid human idiots screwed up 2020 for the whole world with this virus! Praying this all dies down soon! Why are some humans so stupid?

 

[Zenbassie]

From someone with a lot of experience with Acoustics: Don't waste your money. I was more or less "required" to use one for a couple of years for the "look" in an acoustic latin trio. Spent good money and a lot of experimentation on a few name brand good quality basses, some of them quite large and all had to be plugged in. Learned to hate the tinny bronze phosphor strings they come with and ended up using electric bass strings which along with having to amplify completely defeated the purpose, plus they never sounded as good so I was relieved to be allowed to go back to my electric.

Yep, I'd agree 100%. ABG's do have the "look", but you have to plug them in to get them to project, and if you're going to do that, you can get close to the tone on a semi-hollow. I just take my Guild Starfire Bass, and find a way to make electricity happen.

 

[ZainyBass]

looking for an acoustic bass loud enough to compete with a guitar/violin player at a bonfire so far haven't found anything. It's a pain bringing a double bass just for fun little jam sessions thanks in advance.

Hey, I haven't had time to read through most of these responses, so maybe someone has suggested this already, but almost 12 years ago I bought one of these inexpensive Dean acoustic basses for the exact reason you describe, and I still have it and still use it and it works great for that purpose. There is a built in pickup which is crap (but I actually have used it occasionally to get a little more volume/presence - you have to be methodical). But as an acoustic instrument to take outdoors to play with other small acoustic instruments (guitar/violin/vocals etc. even sometimes percussion), it's been great. This model has a larger body than most acoustic basses (notice all the area behind the bridge), and thus might be the reason it draws a relatively loud sound. I especially think this would work for you as a double bass player, which is one of my main instruments. You have to dig in to get the sound, but it's there and as a DB player you likely have the technique to get that level of sound. You can get one from Guitar Center and try it out, and if it doesn't work for you, return it: https://www.guitarcenter.com/Dean/E...nI-BA12r7jS4oeQO5WOSUv2cQcQMbz7hoCcBcQAvD_BwE

Also, I have mine hanging up on my wall and whenever I need to quickly figure something out, I can pull it off the wall and play - no need for an amp, no need for the double bass. It's been extremely useful for me and it's also lasted 12 years so far and I'm using it a bunch these days in socially-distanced outdoor gatherings.

 

[kevin wells]

My Tacoma Olympia strung with Dunlop Super Brights does a pretty decent job volume wise when we do acoustic sets. And no hating on my wood paneled office,lol.

 

[IRISHMUSIK]

I love my acoustic bass(s). But full disclaimer, they are totally piles of crap, equal parts awesome and junk.
One is a Guild B30 and the other is a Kramer Ferrington (from the hair era). Yours will be a pile of crap too, even if you get an expensive one. But get it for the right reason and you won't care.
Get one:
Super convenient, grab and go, pull it off the wall and play on the sofa, play to the rain on the porch, jam with your friend who sells insurance but brings his guitar to every party. You can even record with one, there is a unique sound that can be quite useful in studio. Be prepared for when "Unplugged" is a thing again.
Don't get one:
Not loud enough, either spring-tastic twangy (rounds) or nearly inaudible thud rubber bandy (flats/tapes). Feel heavier then they are due to the reach, somewhat uncomfortable to play. The narrowest of mine (Ferrington) is 3 1/2" deep. Reach? Hmmm, 7 1/2" from the body to the E string, 6 1/2" from the back to the bridge. Compare that to what you are currently playing and you'll know what I mean.

So what I'm saying as an owner of 2, go in prepared with realistic expectations. Your arm isn't bendy enough to make it as comfortable as an acoustic guitar and physics defy the volume reaching the level of a guitar under any circumstance. Be amused by the next handful of posts that say "my ___ is really loud with tapes and easy to play". That's BS. But understandable BS because we all love our instruments. So if if you choose to believe BS, that's your choice. But still, get one because of the reasons above. So much fun anyway.

Hint, if I play with an acoustic guitarist I use a pick, it is much louder even if that isn't your preferred style.
Other hint, bronze wounds feel terrible in bass gauge but they are louder than whatever someone in the next post says.

In conclusion:
Totally worth it, piece of crap, not loud, most fun.
p.s. if you still can't pair with a guitarist look at the Blackstar Fly Bass, 3W mini amp that can run on batteries. It's loud enough to play an electric bass with an acoustic guitar at the fire. Fits in gig bag.

......Why not get a Roland Cube Micro Bass amp ? It uses electric or AA batteries. I have one and have used it several times at such outings ....plenty of sound for hat you want....AND has a built in percussion unit too.

 

[IRISHMUSIK]

...Why not just get a Roland Cube Micro Bass amp? It uses electric or batteries. I have one and have used it on several such outings and it did fine....not to mention it even has a built in percussion unit and tuner.

 

[Eli_Kyiv]

Why not just get a Roland Cube Micro Bass amp?

Price perhaps?

 

[Killing Floor]

Good idea @IRISHMUSIK for anyone who can swing it. The Fly 3 Bass from Blackstar is really small but enough to help if I'm jamming with an acoustic guitar. The Roland is a better sounding and louder device.