A few months back I was in a local music shop picking up sticks for my boy(hs drum line) and like most of you the urge to try the instruments in the store. I was playing a g&l 4 and really liked it plugged in, unplugged not so much. Then a Sterling SUB Ray 4 caught my eye (black w/ maple fretboard!) by then someone else was using the amp so I began playing unplugged and to my delight this instrument just sung! I mean not only sounded great but was audibly loud. I wasn't even in the market for a new bass but with that price point ($300) and amazing tone I was GASing big time. She's been here since mid November and couldn't be happier. As always with cheaper instruments my desire to mod has got me GASing further. I'm thinking Delano or Nordstrand MM pickup, John East preamp, badass or omega bridge probably string through, im going to make a brass nut retrofit, later I may make an exotic pick guard cover and control plate. All I did was walk into a store...
Not necessarily required, I'd say, but to me, it's a big selling point if it does sound good by itself and if it seems to vibrate nicely with the strings, sure, it's a sign of a well built instrument.
I don't listen to how a bass sounds unamplified. Sure, you can get a feel for if its a player. I don't believe the unamplified tone informs much about how the bass will sound once it's plugged in. YMMV especially based upon technique. I would guess that players with a light touch might see more benefit.
I'd consider an instrument having a certain resonance when unplugged a plus. Because my hands like the feel of a "lively" instrument. But it's never been a requirement or showstopper if it didn't seem all that impressive unplugged. Funny thing...when it comes to acoustic-electric basses...there's been many times when I liked some of those when unplugged, but thought they sounded absolutely awful when amplified. That was always a big showstopper for me. Fortunately, I finally found one that sounded great to me acoustically. And sounded even more impressive when it was plugged in. But that took dozens of try-outs, and about five years. Thank the gods of bass that killer solid and semi-hollow bodied basses are so much easier to find.
Unplugged is CRITICAL for me in my evaluating of an instrument. If the instrument doesn't resonate or sustain like I'd like it to unplugged, no amount of electronics is going to fix it. If I'm looking to buy, I will typically know within the first five minutes of playing it unplugged.
I can't help but to think it is in fact important. The tone comes from a few places, fingers, pups, signal chain, amp, and wood vibration from the strings. I think a resonant acoustic tone in an electric has an advantage over a dead sounding instrument. I know there is much debate to be had on tone woods and I'm not trying to go there other than to say I think it has an effect on tone but perhaps not as much as people suggest. I would say that a good acoustic tone is what I'd call a "natural tone," and one that only sounds good via electronics and signal chain "artificial tone." Advantage: natural tone.
Always demo a bass without an amp. It's about playability, weight, and fretwork in my opinion. I'll plug it in if I think I might buy it
If an instrument is ONLY meant to be played plugged in, and is ONLY HEARD when it's plugged in, then it's acoustic tone is completely irrevelant. I may spend 30 seconds handling a new instrument acoustically, simply for feel and balance.
I always stick my chin on the upper horn, if there is one, of any bass I'm checking out and play a bit. If doesn't sound good I don't buy the bass. So yes, but that's just one of many things I check out.
I put my ear against the upper horn of the body to listen unplugged. With the vibrations against your skull you really hear a lot more of the true tone of the bass. (Yes, I'm a weirdo.) If it doesn't sound good that way, no pickups in the world can help it. _____ edit: marial beat me to it.
I totally agree, that's why I refer to an instrument that only sounds good when lit up "artificial tone" It's not bad, but not as good as "natural tone"
Do we know that what's perceived as a "good" unplugged tone will translate into a better amplified tone? This seems to be the premise that everyone is going with, but is it necessarily that simple?
I do if it is used but usually not with a new bass, but it is more to find problems than it is about the tonal quality of the wood which maybe something to try in the future.
The only tone on an electric bass that matters is the plugged tone. I've never found any correlation between acoustic and electric tone.
The first time I was afflicted by GAS I bought a Schecter Stilletto 4. It was the most beautiful instrument is seen under a grand and bought it. I played it at gc and sounded good but over time I found the tone generic and thin. It took a while to admit to myself but I bought it based on looks alone. It was the first decent bass I bought but it was an important lesson, after that I developed a multi point checklist of what I need in a bass when buying. Only one if them us looks. I haven't been disappointed with a our head since. And "natural tone" is a must. That being said, my bass must be sexy, I don't care how good it sounds, it must also have eye candy appeal.
Playing an electric instrument unplugged shows me how the strings are apt to respond to my fingers, which is something that a pickup, a pre, pedals, an amp and cab have nearly nothing to do with. Most basses are dook compared to those few magic ones and no combination of pickups and amps can help the dookers be as good as the 1%.