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Does the unplugged Casady bass make a sound?

Davem74

Davem74

Sep 9, 2016
84
208
Brooklyn, NY
#1
Does the Epiphone Jack Casady bass (since it's a semi-hollowbody) make any sound when it's unplugged? I'm thinking of buying one, and one reason would be to have a bass to practice on late at night.

I'm fine with plugging it in when I play with other people, but wondering if I'd also be able to use it for very low-volume (but not silent) practice.

Thanks.
 
#5
BassikLee said:
Um, I practice often on a solid body bass without amplification. I never understood that need for a bedroom amp thing. You can hear these things unplugged
Click to expand...

yup.............although i purposely favor 'acoustically loud' solidbody basses (theres always a debate on TB about the bonus viability differences in the natural acoustics of solidbody basses - Im in the "yes, it matters" camp) my G&L ASAT is literally the loudest solid-body on the planet....not just my opinion either from others who have handled it :D ........
 
#7
BassikLee said:
Um, I practice often on a solid body bass without amplification. I never understood that need for a bedroom amp thing. You can hear these things unplugged
Click to expand...

What I find is that practising un-amped on a solidbody changes my finger attack for some reason.

I'd rather practise amped through headphones if I want go "quiet".

I can't get the subtle nuances in fingering for tonal effect and volume if I just play un-amped. Just doesn't sound the same.
 
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#12
"Practising unplugged all the time may lead to playing unnecessarily hard. Playing with an amp develops your feel better."

This definitely applies to me. Amplified, I use high volume and a light touch. If I play an electric bass unplugged, I tend to start getting too aggressive with my right hand and then have to make a conscious adjustment when I plug in.
 
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#14
I don't recommend it. I do it from time to time, but I don't recommend it. Practicing without an amp is a great way to learn bad habits like overplaying and leaving sloppy open strings ringing out. I'm not perfect, if I need to put a little time in on something and don't feel like walking to the office to grab an amp, I'll play acoustically, but that's quite rare. Having something battery powered that's easy to keep with you is a very good idea, I often use an old Korg Pandora PX5D.
 
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#15
Nickweissmusic said:
I don't recommend it. I do it from time to time, but I don't recommend it. Practicing without an amp is a great way to learn bad habits like overplaying and leaving sloppy open strings ringing out. I'm not perfect, if I need to put a little time in on something and don't feel like walking to the office to grab an amp, I'll play acoustically, but that's quite rare. Having something battery powered that's easy to keep with you is a very good idea, I often use an old Korg Pandora PX5D.
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Are you talking about practicing on an unplugged solidbody, or specifically on a Jack Casady? If the former I agree with you (and others who have said the same thing). But a Jack Casady -- being kind of a hybrid of a true hollowbody and semi-hollowbody -- is almost as loud acoustically as an ABG, and certainly enough so to practice on without worrying about developing bad habits (such as plucking too hard in order to be heard).
 
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#16
BassikLee said:
Um, I practice often on a solid body bass without amplification. I never understood that need for a bedroom amp thing. You can hear these things unplugged
Click to expand...
YMMV, but this definitely isn't true for my basses (a Fender P and a Fender J). You can just barely hear them, no better than if you played a Telecaster or SG guitar unplugged. Sure, it's fine if I wake up at 3 a.m. with a riff in mind and I have to work it out then and there, but for real playing/practicing it's not remotely loud enough.
 
#20
Davem74 said:
Does the Epiphone Jack Casady bass (since it's a semi-hollowbody) make any sound when it's unplugged? I'm thinking of buying one, and one reason would be to have a bass to practice on late at night.

I'm fine with plugging it in when I play with other people, but wondering if I'd also be able to use it for very low-volume (but not silent) practice.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Well, I do believe any item makes a sound, if you bang upon it a bit. However, hollow bodied instruments do tend to resonate quite a bit more than solid bodied instruments.

As transferring cables between my true amp and a practice amp is quite inconvenient, I tend to simply lay my head against my solid bodied instruments, while I'm playing to achieve a similar effect to a practice amp. Sounds odd, but truly works. Go for what sounds best amped, seeing as the sound that comes about when un-amped doesn't truly matter, to a degree.

Best wishes, Pauly
 

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