• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

campfire bass?

Wall of text warning:

Hi I may have posted years ago but this might be my first post. I've been playing bass casually for over 15 years. I never learned to read music and only sometimes might look up tabs for something. I've never played with people save for maybe twice but I don't know notes so it gets frustrating for them. I don't use an amp even when I have one-i play loud enough for myself and I'll stick my chin to the horn if I really want to hear it. What I like to do is slap and noodle around for stress relief and that's the way I've done it since 2002. Im not really any good, but I'm no beginner. I enjoy busy, difficult rock/metal-ish music. I like when the bass is in the forefront and honestly I lose focus otherwise... I love Primus and Les is who I mostly sound like...I kinda sound like if Les and victor had a kid and he really liked death metal but was not any good.

Ok now for my point. I want a bass for solo play but with some richness to the sound.I want a campfire bass. There's a few songs out there that I think I could play and sing with no other instruments present. think Longview or a violent femmes song and the big goal to play a Primus song that way. but all I have is this cheap Yamaha electric- I used to have a Warwick Corvette pro though.
Like I said I do have experience...I know how acoustic basses sound and I don't really like it...you know what I mean.

Someone once lent me their kinal kompact once and I fell in love. He put nylon core rounds on it and it was magical. I want that...but y'know not for 2k$.

Should I get one of those uke basses? I know they aren't loud but if I put nylon core strings on one do you think I could strum and slap with it? I don't like how short the scale is...I'm often fiddling around the 16th fret so damn often it might be wierd for me...but it might suffice for my goal of campfire bass.
Or would the better route be to get just any acoustic and put nylon core strings on it? Like I said, I don't like acoustics much-they're not loud and they sound like guitars and I'm not experienced enough to alter the action on an acoustic bass which is generally awful I've found.
Also what about semi acoustic? Like I said I'm almost loud enough on my own especially if I don't cut my fingernails.

Thank you for listening. I know this is the best place to go for such a wierd scenario and request.
 
Pignose made a bass with a built in amplifier... As did Vox. If you can find one, that might do the trick.

Also, there are several battery powered amps on the market. None of which are expensive. One caveat - the tiny, tinny speakers leave something to be desired in the low end, but shouldn't be an issue if you mostly noodle in the higher registers.
 
Wall of text warning:
snip...
I want a campfire bass.

snip...
I know how acoustic basses sound and I don't really like it...you know what I mean.

snip...
Like I said, I don't like acoustics much-they're not loud and they sound like guitars and I'm not experienced enough to alter the action on an acoustic bass which is generally awful I've found.

I think you might be better off getting a small, battery-powered amp for your Yamaha. You can spend a little or a lot, but I believe a portable amp would serve you better than an acoustic bass for what I imagine you are trying to accomplish.

$75 FLY 3 Bass - Compact Mini Bass Guitar Amp | Blackstar Amplification
$300 https://www.roland.com/us/products/MICRO_CUBE_BASS_RX/

Just my 2 cents.
 
That is a good idea though I would like to keep it unamplified if possible. If it's not I'd just prefer something slightly louder than an unamplified electric for myself. Thank you!
Pignose made a bass with a built in amplifier... As did Vox. If you can find one, that might do the trick.

Also, there are several battery powered amps on the market. None of which are expensive. One caveat - the tiny, tinny speakers leave something to be desired in the low end, but shouldn't be an issue if you mostly noodle in the higher registers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: EatS1stBassist
You've seconded the battamp idea and while I was hoping for unamplified it might be only possible amplified-thanks!

I think you might be better off getting a small, battery-powered amp for your Yamaha. You can spend a little or a lot, but I believe a portable amp would serve you better than an acoustic bass for what I imagine you are trying to accomplish.

$75 FLY 3 Bass - Compact Mini Bass Guitar Amp | Blackstar Amplification
$300 https://www.roland.com/us/products/MICRO_CUBE_BASS_RX/

Just my 2 cents.
 
That is a good idea though I would like to keep it unamplified if possible. If it's not I'd just prefer something slightly louder than an unamplified electric for myself. Thank you!
In my experience, the Blackstar Fly Bass is quieter than the typical acoustic guitar strummery around a campfire. Being too loud will not be an issue.

Also, unamplified uke and/or acoustic basses typically cannot compete with acoustic guitars, volume wise. They will get drowned out.
 
I have to agree...just get a battery-powered amp.
I recently bought this and as you can see it's small enough and light enough to carry around anywhere.
This thing is louder than I thought it'd be, too, and you can do something you can't do with an unplugged acoustic bass...get a lot of different tones out of it!
Photo-Collage-20200527-184617351.jpg
 
Or would the better route be to get just any acoustic and put nylon core strings on it?
That is an option (I'm a fan of Savarez nyloncores, they're inexpensive and sound good:
Invalid Link Removed for a 32" scale acoustic bass guitar;
Invalid Link Removed for 34" scale.
Only drawback is you need to tie their bridge end into a knot if the bass has bridge pins.)
The ABG would still sound like a guitar though, if a little more like a classical one. So I can't guarantee you're gonna like the result. You could buy a used acoustic locally, put on the nylons, sell if it doesn't work for you.
Or try darker strings (flatwounds, or Rotosound Tru Bass 88 black nylon tapewounds) before selling it.

The solution might be as simple as using a stethoscope with your electric bass. Really.
(Or, for something less lo-tech, a Vox AmPlug and headphones.
Or, for a hybrid of the two, in that it would use electricity but also capture the unplugged tone of your solid-body: a cheap piezo pickup of the removable kind - suction cup, clamp or adhesive - placed at the headstock, plugged into a headphone amp, with headphones.)
 
  • Like
Reactions: AdeptBerry
That is an option (I'm a fan of Savarez nyloncores, they're inexpensive and sound good:
Invalid Link Removed for a 32" scale acoustic bass guitar;
Invalid Link Removed for 34" scale.
Only drawback is you need to tie their bridge end into a knot if the bass has bridge pins.)
The ABG would still sound like a guitar though, if a little more like a classical one. So I can't guarantee you're gonna like the result. You could buy a used acoustic locally, put on the nylons, sell if it doesn't work for you.
Or try darker strings (flatwounds, or Rotosound Tru Bass 88 black nylon tapewounds) before selling it.

The solution might be as simple as using a stethoscope with your electric bass. Really.
(Or, for something less lo-tech, a Vox AmPlug and headphones.
Or, for a hybrid of the two, in that it would use electricity but also capture the unplugged tone of your solid-body: a cheap piezo pickup of the removable kind - suction cup, clamp or adhesive - placed at the headstock, plugged into a headphone amp, with headphones.)

Thank you I'm just going to try those strings-especially the rotosounds on my bass regardless. You're picking up exactly what I'm thinking...I have used a stethoscope before lol it just hurts my ears after awhile. I've used a few funny things like that though- putting on monitor headphones and sticking the end on your horn works too. Or shoving my jaw into the horn. Obviously there's drawbacks to playing like this. I once thought about attaching something I could bite on but thought that might be going too far.
 

Latest posts