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Acustic bass?

MMStingRay

MMStingRay

Aug 17, 2004
243
90
Michigan
#1
I'm lookin gto get a ABG soon, I've been looking at Michael Kelly and Takamine for $400-$550.

What's your thoughts and feed back?

Please don't tell me how great some $1000 acustic is, I'm in the $400-$500 range or less.
 
#5
I grabbed an Epiphone El Sagundo. Honestly, one of the best necks I have ever played and it sounds great amplified. Not so much acoustically tho as it's not very 'thick'.

Cost me about $700 with the case CDN (pre-tax).

I likes it.


Steve
 
#7
Every ABG I've ever heard is easily drowned out by one or two acoustic guitars. So, you end up plugging it in. Why bother? If you want to play acoustically, get a UB, if you want to plug in, get an electric. ABG's are a waste of money. IMHO.
 
#8
Bofee said:
Every ABG I've ever heard is easily drowned out by one or two acoustic guitars. So, you end up plugging it in. Why bother? If you want to play acoustically, get a UB, if you want to plug in, get an electric. ABG's are a waste of money. IMHO.
Click to expand...

+1

I had an Ibanez (whatever is the largest version they have) and it was very acoustically challenged, sure it doubled as an electric but I wantedsomething I could take outside and jam with. It just didn't cut it.
 
#9
Bofee said:
Every ABG I've ever heard is easily drowned out by one or two acoustic guitars. So, you end up plugging it in. Why bother? If you want to play acoustically, get a UB, if you want to plug in, get an electric. ABG's are a waste of money. IMHO.
Click to expand...

I bought mine because I've always wanted one for around-the-house playing - jam in the kitchen, the den, the livingroom, etc.

As far as them amplified, I do acoustic guitar/ acoustic bass pub gigs and it really is the dogs bollocks having a 12 string and ABG plugged into a small PA. Sounds 'different' than a regular electric bass.
 
#10
Bofee said:
ABG's are a waste of money. IMHO.
Click to expand...

You make a good point. However, I own an SX acoustic bass that I feel was money very well spent. There are 2 things I discovered:

1. Practice time is nearly all the time, because the acoustic is so handy and portable.
2. Developing songs with the guitar player is far more comfortable at acoustic volume.

The electric bass requires a little more dedicated practice time, because it's tied to my rig in the studio. Or at least tied to the amp by a cable, limiting the portability. I fool with the acoustic while watching TV, making breakfast, etc...
 
#11
Bofee said:
Every ABG I've ever heard is easily drowned out by one or two acoustic guitars. So, you end up plugging it in. Why bother? If you want to play acoustically, get a UB, if you want to plug in, get an electric. ABG's are a waste of money. IMHO.
Click to expand...

I'm with Bofee. Get an electric fretless. I gots one, where's yours? :D Those are probably best for low-key acoustic accompaniment. Get a good small amp and tweak it just right... and it'll be an unforgettable set. Granted, there's plenty of fretless ABGs out there... and I've only tried one or two good expensive ones so I can't generalize.

I have a cheapo acoustic (Carlo Robelli... Sam Ash store brand, in other words). When I plug it in it, it fizzles and crackles like rain falling on a hotplate. Granted, it's a cheap piece o' crap. Unplugged, it's whisper quiet and has the projection of a girly sneeze through a heavy scarf in the back of a city bus.

I originally got it for two reasons: 1) so that I could reach for something without plugging it in whenever I was in the mood... but of course, you still gotta tune it... and it's fragile and requires stable climate storage, so that negates that. 2) So that I could play outside. Well, if you got one of those little micro-amps with a 9 volt battery and brought your fretless, you'd be better served.

Again, my experience with AGB is limited, but that be my opinion.
 
#12
I don't like most commercial acoustic basses, on the previously stated argument that they just can't keep up with the volume of other acoustic instruments.

For the money, though, I've been impressed by the Ibanez AEB10E. I recently tried a half-dozen or so ABG's at my local music store (Dean, Epiphone, Ovation, etc.) and that one had the best tone and projection, despite being smaller-bodied than many of them. There's also a guy who plays one at the acoustic jam night at the local coffee shop (with a pick), and it always manages to cut through.

Having said that, I've never played a Michael Kelley, so I can't compare it, and I've never heard the Ibanez plugged in.
 
#13
Bofee said:
Every ABG I've ever heard is easily drowned out by one or two acoustic guitars. So, you end up plugging it in. Why bother? If you want to play acoustically, get a UB, if you want to plug in, get an electric. ABG's are a waste of money. IMHO.
Click to expand...
ABGs make a sound that's completely different than either an upright or an electric, and an electric player can play one without having to learn a new instrument. A very nice sound that fits with some kinds of music very nicely. That's "why bother".
Stupid Jerk said:
I'm with Bofee. Get an electric fretless. I gots one, where's yours? :D Those are probably best for low-key acoustic accompaniment.
Click to expand...
An electric fretless works well when played with acoustic guitars, but, again, is a completely different sound than an acoustic bass guitar. A fretless ABG is nice, too.
 
#15
tplyons said:
I haven't played a Michael Kelly I didn't like.
Click to expand...
:cool:
+1
Poorly made,
So So tone.
Bottom line, you get what you pay for.
A $400.00 bass will not sound like a $2000.00 bass?
P. S. I'am not rich, but you should get the best bass you can?
Even if it meens waiting and saving more money?
 
#16
I love my Ibanez AEB 10 been gigging with it for over a year now. Just finished recording with it. Sounds great, plays great. Only cost $350 new. Sounds like an ABG not an Upright or electric. It's unique and no you don't need to spend $1000 dollars to get one that sounds good. The Michael Kelly's I've played, play and sound good I just don't care for the inlay on the fretboard. I believe you can get them without the inlay.
 
#17
I have a MK Dragonfly Rose, which is their solid wood (spruce top, rosewood back and sides) ABG. It sounds better than their maple laminates, IMHO, with more complex tone color. I also think it projects better and is a bit louder than many ABGs. YMMV.
 
#19
at a Sam Ash sale. I have to put fretless, be it acoustic or solid bodyish bass, or upright or eub in one category of instrument...you can woodshed all your life and never get the hang of playing without frets, lined, unlined, side dot, or not. It IS a completely different genre in my experience.

For my money, I love Rob Allen fretted 4 or 5 strings. It's the best blend of an acoutic fretted bass, with excellent amplified tone, and a decent replica of an upright without having to worry about intonation. It's not loud enough without an amp for gigging or jamming in your living room. It is loud enough for practicing without an amp, but if you're playing along with a sound source, ya need to plug it in. They're extremely lightweight, well, built, and well reviewed.

It's also not a cheap date....no Robelli or Kelly price comparison, even used.....lookin at mid high 2000's new, $1795 for a 30 in scale. and then down from there used, if you can ever find one available. They're not commonly being sold or traded second hand.

I do have one question....does I've never played a Kelly bass I didn't like, mean you've liked every Kelly bass you've played?


Lkaye
 

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