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acoustics....

F

FireArm

May 17, 2007
146
4
#1
:help:Heres the deal, ive got an acoustic bass guitar at the minute (its a really cheap rattly thing which i got cheap) it was only suppose to be meant for practice around the house, so that i didnt have to play with an amp all the time. Since then ive found ive been using it with other guitarists and like most ABG's this thing is no where near loud enough i'd say partly because its cheap and partly because thats the nature of ABG's.

this is what im using at the minute.

Link Removed

I really dont want to shell out too much for another ABG but would like a more well construct and louder one. Ive been looking at some of the ovation celebrity basses - what do people recommend?

Cheers :bassist:
 
#2
FireArm said:
:help:Heres the deal, ive got an acoustic bass guitar at the minute (its a really cheap rattly thing which i got cheap) it was only suppose to be meant for practice around the house, so that i didnt have to play with an amp all the time. Since then ive found ive been using it with other guitarists and like most ABG's this thing is no where near loud enough i'd say partly because its cheap and partly because thats the nature of ABG's.

this is what im using at the minute.

Link Removed

I really dont want to shell out too much for another ABG but would like a more well construct and louder one. Ive been looking at some of the ovation celebrity basses - what do people recommend?

Cheers :bassist:
Click to expand...

I've been there. About once a month I sit here in the Texas Hill Country with a circle of Martin (very good) pickers, doing mostly Western or country songs, some Irish (have a great concertina/pipe player), and a lot of originals. I first had a Fender BG29 (now discontinued), which was pretty darn good, but after I had traded it off on a Resonator I just had to have , I picked up a cheap Archer, which did not have the volume, then decided to research which ABG had the most volume. My skipping around the net on various forums came up with the Tacoma Thunderchief as the one with the most volume, but it is not inexpensive...no others seemed to get any rank as being much louder than one another. I finally picked up an inexpensive use Washburn XB100 solid body. Its natural maple satin finish and simple, single pickup make it pretty "non-threatening", and I picked up a Peavey Microbass amp as the least intrusive little guy I could find that would at least handle the simple lines at living room volumes while not sounding too bad. I also have a 3/4 scale Telestar, which might work because "its little", and my Ashbory, which is no doubt too freaky for the Martin crowd. The ideal setup now would be a wireless for the Washburn, so there would be no cord, and the little amp could be over behind the couch, etc. I'm about to add some wood knobs to the bass to further "woody" it , and have even considered painting the black pickup cover to match the wood...but the jury is still out on that one!
 
#3
In my experience there is no unplugged acoustic bass guitar that will compete with other acoustic instruments. It doesn't help that I play with a fairly light touch, but even when digging in or playing with a pick you're not going to be heard above more than one single guitar with light strings.

My recommendation would be to find a guitar that you like and that plays well and carry a small little amp with you.

Having said all that, my acoustic gets played more than my other basses. I love it. It's my main player. Which is why I think it's important not to change your technique from one bass to another. Another reason to let an amp do the work for you.
 

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