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cheap decent acoustic bass

#63
GretschWretch said:
And I have a Playmate and a fretless AEB. Not gonna quarrel over materials quality; what I've got meets my needs: big, loud, cheap . . . not a lot of sustain, but how much sustain does an ABG need?

And no cutaways. I cannot abide cutaways on an ABG.
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Like I said...no offense. The Aphex is awesome on the Exotica's for plugged in playing and the solid Spruce Tops on the Performer's really makes the sound project when not plugged in. But when brand new they generally retailed for close to $200 more than the Playmate, EAB and EABC. You can get great deals on them now. I just saw a used Exotica GN and a Performer SN on GC for around $250 and $199 respectively.
 
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#64
Now here's a DEAN I'd really like to find:

Dean Performer Plus 5

Most Dean fans don't know they exist. Came in Natural Satin as pictured and Classic Black. Not to be confused with the Playmate 5 and the EABC5. The PP5 had a solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, mahogany neck, 32" scale like other Performers and a better preamp (Shadow P7) than the Playmate and the EABC5. They also had a really cool looking abalone sound hole rosette design like other Performers and the Exotica Radiant.

This is circa 2007. Extremely hard to find but worth it.

performerplus5-jpg.jpg

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You might be able to get one cheap if the seller has no clue what it actually is, but they are really hard to find.

don't forget to stop in here and say 'hello'

------> Dean Club!!! <-------
 
#65
mikeoso said:
How loud?
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Loud is hard to assess unless one is standing in front of the instrument. These basses have a huge body with lots of real estate behind the bridge. And they are overbuilt, which cuts down on sustain and resonance. And that huge body emphasizes the lows more-so than the mids, which might give the perception that they are not too loud. But they are loud enough.

I personally would like to see many of these factory ABGs prototype an f-hole arched top, just to compare sound dispersal with the ubiquitous round-hole flat-tops.
 
#66
B-Mac said:
Like I said...no offense. The Aphex is awesome on the Exotica's for plugged in playing and the solid Spruce Tops on the Performer's really makes the sound project when not plugged in. But when brand new they generally retailed for close to $200 more than the Playmate, EAB and EABC. You can get great deals on them now. I just saw a used Exotica GN and a Performer SN on GC for around $250 and $199 respectively.
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No offense taken. It's just that for me the humbler Deans check more boxes than do the higher-priced spreads.
 
#67
GretschWretch said:
Loud is hard to assess unless one is standing in front of the instrument. These basses have a huge body with lots of real estate behind the bridge. And they are overbuilt, which cuts down on sustain and resonance. And that huge body emphasizes the lows more-so than the mids, which might give the perception that they are not too loud. But they are loud enough.

I personally would like to see many of these factory ABGs prototype an f-hole arched top, just to compare sound dispersal with the ubiquitous round-hole flat-tops.
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Have you tried one of the Samick’s with archtop and F holes?
 
#68
If you're looking for a reasonably loud inexpensive f-hole ABG (flat top though not arched top), check out the Aria FEB FL/F series.

Aria FEB FL FN 002.jpg
 
#69
B-Mac said:
Have you tried one of the Samick’s with archtop and F holes?
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When Samicks were find-able in my area, I was too skint for there to be any point in field-testing one. This being said, for the most part the few reviews I have seen on these have not been encouraging. I do not think these basses would be suitable for an A/B comparison against flat-tops.
 
#70
bholder said:
If you're looking for a reasonably loud inexpensive f-hole ABG (flat top though not arched top), check out the Aria FEB FL/F series.

View attachment 2882843
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I might forgive the flat top due to the real estate behind the bridge, but that cutaway . . . .

Besides, I am at a saturation/stasis point as regards bass ownership, so at present I am not looking for anything.
 
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#72

I'll see your bass curmudgeon and raise you one crotchety aging man. My Dean Playmate barely meets your criteria at 21 5/8" body length, 12.5 and 17.5 inches width at the upper and lower bouts, and 4.75" body depth. A bass like is in my avatar comes in at 30.25 inches body length, 17/24 inches body width at the bouts, and 6.25 inches body depth. What in my opinion makes the Dean so large is that width and amount of table behind the bridge.

But we can't always get what we want. I would have preferred a depth of six+ inches on the Dean and 8+ on the Regal, given the other body dimensions. The Earthwood basses came in depths of six and eight inches. While smaller than the Dean in the other dimensions, because of their tapered sides the first-generation Eko BA-4 has a depth at the butt of 6.25", while the first-generation Harry Fleishman Compact Bass comes in at approximately nine inches depth at the butt.
 
#73
GretschWretch said:
I'll see your bass curmudgeon and raise you one crotchety aging man. My Dean Playmate barely meets your criteria at 21 5/8" body length, 12.5 and 17.5 inches width at the upper and lower bouts, and 4.75" body depth. A bass like is in my avatar comes in at 30.25 inches body length, 17/24 inches body width at the bouts, and 6.25 inches body depth. What in my opinion makes the Dean so large is that width and amount of table behind the bridge. QUOTE]

The bass on the left is 25" long, 18.75 wide, and tapers from 5.25 to 6.25 deep.
two_basses.jpg
two_basses.jpg
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#74
GretschWretch said:
I'll see your bass curmudgeon and raise you one crotchety aging man. My Dean Playmate barely meets your criteria at 21 5/8" body length, 12.5 and 17.5 inches width at the upper and lower bouts, and 4.75" body depth. A bass like is in my avatar comes in at 30.25 inches body length, 17/24 inches body width at the bouts, and 6.25 inches body depth. What in my opinion makes the Dean so large is that width and amount of table behind the bridge.

But we can't always get what we want. I would have preferred a depth of six+ inches on the Dean and 8+ on the Regal, given the other body dimensions. The Earthwood basses came in depths of six and eight inches. While smaller than the Dean in the other dimensions, because of their tapered sides the first-generation Eko BA-4 has a depth at the butt of 6.25", while the first-generation Harry Fleishman Compact Bass comes in at approximately nine inches depth at the butt.
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9 inches deep! Wow! That is cavernous! Must have a really deep sound!
 
#77
GretschWretch said:
Yeah, I've seen and envied that bass many times on TB. But if it's a luthier- or custom build like the Fleishman, that sort of puts it in a different category than the Deans, Michael Kellys, Martins, etc.
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You got that right! There is a Luthier out in Washington State who has the same last name as I do. He makes gorgeous drop dead to die for Acoustic Guitars. I told him I'd one day like to contract him for an ABG and starting prices were $8,000 !!!!! I am hoping to win the lottery some day... It would be so cool to have a custom ABG with my last name on the Headstock!
 

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