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Does the unplugged Casady bass make a sound?

#21
C_Becker said:
^^ This. Practising unplugged all the time may lead to playing unnecessarily hard. Playing with an amp develops your feel better.
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I try to play with a lot of finesse...... and I mostly play styles of music that dont require a heavy attack....With that said, you may entertain the possibilities that my basses (especially the G&L) are setup optimal for loud natural acoustics and are really that loud :D...Im not saying they are all as a loud as a semi-hollow acoustic, but the G&L gets close :D ....Also, it depends on what the OP, or any player, wants in tone when plugged in: I prefer the "modern sound", articulate with rich harmonic overtones, most of the time. Im not going to sacrifice that for the "Boo Boo"quality of semi-hollows just to play it acoustically....If I want to play an acoustic, Ill use my Ovation
 
#22
Lobster11 said:
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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If it's really that loud, so be it. I'm skeptical, I wouldn't expect much from a bass instrument with a chamber that thin. Even ABG's notoriously have trouble transmitting bass energy, and they're built and braced completely differently. I've looked at several reviews on YouTube, none tout the acoustic properties of this bass, it's not what it's designed for.

Even if it's "loud enough," acoustic instruments are still more forgiving to technique issues that will be uncovered when plugged in, especially unchecked sympathetic vibrations and sloppy note releases. Looks like a great bass, but if it were my student, I would recommend against it as a solution for quiet practice. That's not a good reason to buy a hollowbody.
 
#25
To clarify: I'm sure the JC is louder than a solid body, and for occasional quiet practice, knock yourself out. To make that your primary mode of practice, or to purchase a hollowbody bass primarily with that intention, is a bad idea, for the reasons above.
 
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#26
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
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The only problem is your amp (and how it responds) is as much a part of "the bass" as the instrument itself.

Unplugged practice is great for familiarizing yourself with the fretboard, and building up speed and dexterity. But it's lousy for your picking/plucking hand. You won't be able to work on your tone or shading if playing unplugged most of the time. You can also develop the bad habit of constantly playing too hard.

Unplugged practice is ok in a pinch. Sometimes it's even quite beneficial. But I'm a firm believer in the importance of practicing things the same way you expect to perform them. Which means the exact rig and bass you plan on using when you do play. Or at least until you get a decent amount of experience under your belt.
 
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#27
Nickweissmusic said:
To clarify: I'm sure the JC is louder than a solid body, and for occasional quiet practice, knock yourself out. To make that your primary mode of practice, or to purchase a hollowbody bass primarily with that intention, is a bad idea, for the reasons above.
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It's not my primary mode of practice, and it's not the reason I'd be buying a Casady. But if it turns out that this bass allows me to practice after the cutoff time of 10 p.m. every now and then, that would be an added benefit. TBH, I'm probably just looking for an extra rationale for buying it. ;)
 
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#28
Davem74 said:
It's not my primary mode of practice, and it's not the reason I'd be buying a Casady. But if it turns out that this bass allows me to practice after the cutoff time of 10 p.m. every now and then, that would be an added benefit. TBH, I'm probably just looking for an extra rationale for buying it. ;)
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My girlfriend doesn't let me play it at home at night (anytime at night) cause she says it bothers her.
If you want more reasons to buy it... It looks amazing, it's really lightweight, and it sounds AMAZING clean and distorted. And in a mix, with any setting. I've recorded the 10 songs of my demo (that it's almost like an album sound wise) with it. I play in a rock/hard rock/metal/stoner band. If it helps in anything :D
The only "con" I see is the feedback if the room is not huge and your gain is really high (or uses a fuzz/distortion).
If it didn't have the F holes...
 
#30
Davem74 said:
It's not my primary mode of practice, and it's not the reason I'd be buying a Casady. But if it turns out that this bass allows me to practice after the cutoff time of 10 p.m. every now and then, that would be an added benefit. TBH, I'm probably just looking for an extra rationale for buying it. ;)
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Rationale, you have found... now, ignore these droids, as they are not the ones you are looking for, and prove that you do indeed know Jack...

... Casa Di Fuentes!
 
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#32
I don't think practicing unplugged will necessary give you bad habits. Lots of players practice playing scales, fingerings, positions, timing, etc. unplugged. Its more to get muscle memory, not to try to play along to a song the way it should sound. Plus, i'm assuming you're doing a lot of your practicing plugged in to an amp anyways; playing unplugged should be supplemental.

And yes, you can hear solid bodied electrics unplugged. Hollow body, even more.
 
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#34
40Hz said:
The only problem is your amp (and how it responds) is as much a part of "the bass" as the instrument itself.

Unplugged practice is great for familiarizing yourself with the fretboard, and building up speed and dexterity. But it's lousy for your picking/plucking hand. You won't be able to work on your tone or shading if playing unplugged most of the time. You can also develop the bad habit of constantly playing too hard.

Unplugged practice is ok in a pinch. Sometimes it's even quite beneficial. But I'm a firm believer in the importance of practicing things the same way you expect to perform them. Which means the exact rig and bass you plan on using when you do play. Or at least until you get a decent amount of experience under your belt.
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Brian Ritchie does this on purpose to develop a heavier attack. It's part of the Femmes sound.
 
#37
I often fool around, noodle, melodize, practice scales and generally dork in a bass not plugged in. My Jack, my old Epiphone hollow and my Martin AGB are excellent for this as is my Ibanez AFB 200. You can hear what you're playing but you're not hearing the whole sound.

Most of the time, it's through a baby Ampeg or my old Fender. Because I like the whole sound
 
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#40
The question is, if there is not a woman present to hear it, is it still too loud and out of tune, and does it still smell bad?

Regarding the quiet practice, why not just use headphones? I use a little Boss TU-88, which is a tuner, metronome and headphone amp all in one. You can play mp3s through it too. It's small enough to slip into a gig bag pocket so you can always have it handy for late-night practice.
 
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