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Acoustic Basses...

#21
AcousticBass said:
Would you guys say Michael kelly acoustic basses are worth getting?
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I like mine plenty. The unplugged tone is very nice, but not loud fingerstyle. Plugged in the thing actually sounds like an accoustic bass. The fishman electronics are pretty versatile also. If you let it feed back though, it will eat your eardrums. You REALLY have to watch the monitor volume.
 
#22
I'll throw in a recommendation for the Tacoma ABG. I've been using one for years and it sounds great. The factory electronics are good, but still sound kinda like most other undersaddle systems. I switched to a K&K Pure system and love it.

I don't know if I can put a finger on the "jazzy" option. Something with a full sound would be best. I also like the Takamine ABG (big guitar looking ABG, not the B10) and would love to try a B10. I couldn't raise the cash intime for the one that came up for sale here on TB last month.

There are more good choices in the ABG market now than ever before. Good Luck.
 
#24
Borrocop said:
I am verry interessed in an Ibanez AEB10E, can you already give some comments on it?
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mY Ibanez arrived Sat afternoon. I ordered it through American Music Supply. The setup was good right out of the box I tuned it and played immediately. It projects pretty well unplugged plenty good for practicing without an amp. When I plugged it in man that thing thumped great. I was able to dial in an amazing sound using the preamp. I practiced later with full band 3 guitars drums and me and it sounded great and was really comfortable to play. later in the evening some of were having and acoustic jam, unplugged you could hear it OK with one guitar but with two guitars it got buried. I may need to get a Pignose for these situations. The construction is very good plays very smooth really like the setup on mine. The built in tuner is a nice touch and was as accurate as my rck tuner. My only beef is no strap button on the neck side of the bass. Guess they want you to tie off the strap all folk singer style. Ive got some strap locks I have yet to install that will fix that. I have not tried out the balanced XLR jackl yet. I am very happy. If your looking for an Acoustic Electric Bass under $500 check out the Ibanez. Bass $350, case $90 .
 
#25
Mr-Wunderful said:
mY Ibanez arrived Sat afternoon. I ordered it through American Music Supply. The setup was good right out of the box I tuned it and played immediately. It projects pretty well unplugged plenty good for practicing without an amp. When I plugged it in man that thing thumped great. I was able to dial in an amazing sound using the preamp. I practiced later with full band 3 guitars drums and me and it sounded great and was really comfortable to play. later in the evening some of were having and acoustic jam, unplugged you could hear it OK with one guitar but with two guitars it got buried. I may need to get a Pignose for these situations. The construction is very good plays very smooth really like the setup on mine. The built in tuner is a nice touch and was as accurate as my rck tuner. My only beef is no strap button on the neck side of the bass. Guess they want you to tie off the strap all folk singer style. Ive got some strap locks I have yet to install that will fix that. I have not tried out the balanced XLR jackl yet. I am very happy. If your looking for an Acoustic Electric Bass under $500 check out the Ibanez. Bass $350, case $90 .
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Any chance of some unplugged sound clips?
 
#26
Ive been looking around for a fairly priced abg that would seem to play decent but it seems that all i happen to read about (and from what ive played) is that none of them really sound that great... and all of them always have something wrong with them...
Do you guys think that this is just the nature of the instrument?
Is there a certain expectation i have to have with them?
Grant it my price range isnt all that high.... probably 300 to 350, but i should be able to get something decent for that money right?
:help:
Any one have any opinions on the following acoustic brands Ive been looking at?
-Ibanez
-Fender (i heard theyre louder than the ibanez)
-Dean (playmates really inexpensive... but how cheap is it?)
-Epiphone
(i dont wanna have to deal with that missing strap peg either)

Thanx for any feedback
L.E.T.
 
#27
LowEnd Theory said:
Ive been looking around for a fairly priced abg that would seem to play decent but it seems that all i happen to read about (and from what ive played) is that none of them really sound that great... and all of them always have something wrong with them...
Do you guys think that this is just the nature of the instrument?
Is there a certain expectation i have to have with them?
Grant it my price range isnt all that high.... probably 300 to 350, but i should be able to get something decent for that money right?
:help:
Any one have any opinions on the following acoustic brands Ive been looking at?
-Ibanez
-Fender (i heard theyre louder than the ibanez)
-Dean (playmates really inexpensive... but how cheap is it?)
-Epiphone
(i dont wanna have to deal with that missing strap peg either)

Thanx for any feedback
L.E.T.
Click to expand...
I played a Fender at BassCentral recently and was very impressed at the sound for the price
 
#28
:cool:
Having John McComb build me a 5-string ABG.
Cutaway-jumbo body
Fretless EADGC, Flame Walnut back sides.
Spruce top. flame maple neck, gaboon ebony fingerboard.
Should be done by July.
Can't wait.
 
#30
Coming from someone that plays UB and BG I haven't played anything in that price range that really did alot for me. Generally they lack any usable volume or tone when unplugged and from a construction/set-up standpoint I have never felt like I could really "dig-in" and swing whatsoever. I think they are probably fine for other things and seem to blend very well with other acoustic instruments, but for straight ahead jazz in your price range I would look at a non-acoustic fretless BG. There are ABG's by makers like Godin and Turner that provide an incredible tone and feel but are sadly not in your(or my) price range at the moment, none the less I urge you to seek out and try these instruments before making you decision.
Some of us feel that because Jazz is traditionally played on an UB an ABG is somehow going to be better or more correct than a BG. I don't really buy into this, my opinion is whatever instrument sounds and feels good to you is the right one for the job, and I've seen and heard it done well on just about everything, including footpedals on a B3!!
Another advantage of a non-acoustic fretless BG is the added versatility you will get when compared with the ABG....
 
#31
I wish it would be obviously clear to everyone that AGB's are never going to sound big enough for unplugged playing in a band situation. You can't expect that. Acoustically, they're fine at home on the couch. IMHO in general ABG's work only amplified, and should therefore be judged by their amplified sound, in which the pickup and preamp are almost more important than the sound that comes from the body acoustically. I've heard the bass player (forgot his name) with Brazilian guitar great Joao Bosco playing on a cheapo brand-whatever and he sounded great because of his musicianship.

If one wants to use a ABG to replace an UB, the most important factor is that the player should play with an upright bass approach. A fretless instrument helps, and so does playing it in upright position, and an upright-ish neck and fingerboard. The Takamine B10 and the Azola Deco have that. But don't expect the depth of an UB even with those.
 
#33
Used to have an Ovation fretless, built in graphic. I forget the model. It was pretty, looked a little some of the reddish colored acoustic guitars you've probably seen. It was pretty expensive. US model, made in CT. Action big enough to float the QE2 under. Sounded great. Feedback like mad. Sold it.

Recently tired an Alvarez, Preamp of some sort I guess, but NO controls, just a jack.. Fretted, and get this, SHORT SCALE. Never seen such a thing before. Quite cheap. I have an Alvarez 12 string acoustic geetar, which IMO plays and sounds better than anything up to twice the price, so I was curious. Sounded frickin amazing. The salesmen came over to see what it was, nobody expected this cheap little thing to sound so huge. As close to an amplified upright sound as I've heard in a bass guitar, easy to play too. Of course, turn the amp up past quiet music store volumes, and feedback city.

So to fly off on a tangent... can this be tamed? since I've encountered it in big budget instruments and dirt cheap knockarounds, I am wondering what I'm doing wrong. Can't see ever playing one in a band with that crazy feedback.
 
#35
That's probably at least part of it. I tried that with the one I owned, but I may have beem trying to get too much volume out of it. The Alvarez in the store I was pretty close to the combo I was using, but not too loud. I could feel the whole instrument resonating like mad, like it was going to explode into a shower of splinters any second.
 
#36
A good notch filter is what's needed to tame feedback. The Fishman Prefix Plus which is used on many mid-priced and more expensive ABGs does a great job of taming this. My Tacoma can be played pretty loud without feedback problems if I dial in the notch carefully for each situation.
 
#38
AcousticBass said:
Would you guys say Michael kelly acoustic basses are worth getting?
Click to expand...

A big +1 here. Mine is simply awesome. LOW action, KILLER looks, sounds great, stays in tune. No complaints except for the stock stings which I replaced with D'Addario Chrome flats. Plays like a friggen dream! I really don't think that ANY new (not used) acoustic/Elec can touch it for $500 new!
 

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