Yeah, I was unaware it was their first Acoustic Bass model, too.
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excerpt BG-29 & BG-32 from 2000 Fender Frontline catalog/magazine
Add another one to the list:
Fender FR-51 Resonator Bass
Introduced in 2004
Link Removed
Fender FR-51 Resonator Bass
Introduced in 2004
Link Removed
Here's my take on ABGs, which is only my take on them. They are legitimately its own instrument. They're not a suitable replacement for a double bass nor something that will make a band sound more folkey or more bluegrass-y. They don't feel like a Fender bass if for no other reason that they're acoustic guitars with a string plane four to eight inches further away from your body. They will require some adjustments to your plucking hand technique. They can also be a little painful to play for hours with the sharp edge of the upper body digging into your forearm flesh.
But ABGs are also a very unique and rewarding instrument to play in situations more traditionally suited for traditional basses, which is when I like to deploy them. I kinda had a lightbulb moment about ABGs while watching a fado band in Lisbon a few years ago. After a half set of traditional fado songs they surprised me by doing a fado-ish cover of "Whipping Post". It was fantastic, especially the sound of the ABG in that context. With the Portuguese guitars and Portuguese accordion, it anchored the song.
So when I got back to NYC I started playing around with using my ABG in unlikely contexts and it kinda opened up a new world of playing options for me. I had a low-pressure demo session and took my Boulder Creek to it along with my Sadowsky J and Pedulla fretless.
The composer had literally scrawled chords and bar counts on a legal pad. My chart was an iPad photo of it. IOW, the songs were wide open for interpretation. On the final song on the session he said he was looking for a Springsteen feel. The Sadowsky sounded too, I dunno, same old/same old. The fretless was better but it still didn't pop. So I deployed the ABG.
Dropbox - 07 I Just Wanna Drive.mp3 - Simplify your life
It was six hours into a long session and the cut here is like Take 29 because of all the head rearranging. My fingers were in bad shape from the stiff bronze roundwounds. It clearly wasn't my best performance of the day but the sound of the ABG was unmistakable. It was so different that the song got reshaped around the lines I built for the song on the ABG. In the end I was at fault for about 20 of those takes (that, and a very tired drummer).
Since then I've used the ABG a lot... on Latin gigs, Americana gigs and on traditional jazz gigs where I was too lazy to bring my double bass. I even built a digital weapons platform just for my (now) Fender Kingman ABG.
Great story.Here's my take on ABGs, which is only my take on them. They are legitimately its own instrument. They're not a suitable replacement for a double bass nor something that will make a band sound more folkey or more bluegrass-y. They don't feel like a Fender bass if for no other reason that they're acoustic guitars with a string plane four to eight inches further away from your body. They will require some adjustments to your plucking hand technique. They can also be a little painful to play for hours with the sharp edge of the upper body digging into your forearm flesh.
But ABGs are also a very unique and rewarding instrument to play in situations more traditionally suited for traditional basses, which is when I like to deploy them. I kinda had a lightbulb moment about ABGs while watching a fado band in Lisbon a few years ago. After a half set of traditional fado songs they surprised me by doing a fado-ish cover of "Whipping Post". It was fantastic, especially the sound of the ABG in that context. With the Portuguese guitars and Portuguese accordion, it anchored the song.
So when I got back to NYC I started playing around with using my ABG in unlikely contexts and it kinda opened up a new world of playing options for me. I had a low-pressure demo session and took my Boulder Creek to it along with my Sadowsky J and Pedulla fretless.
The composer had literally scrawled chords and bar counts on a legal pad. My chart was an iPad photo of it. IOW, the songs were wide open for interpretation. On the final song on the session he said he was looking for a Springsteen feel. The Sadowsky sounded too, I dunno, same old/same old. The fretless was better but it still didn't pop. So I deployed the ABG.
Dropbox - 07 I Just Wanna Drive.mp3 - Simplify your life
It was six hours into a long session and the cut here is like Take 29 because of all the head rearranging. My fingers were in bad shape from the stiff bronze roundwounds. It clearly wasn't my best performance of the day but the sound of the ABG was unmistakable. It was so different that the song got reshaped around the lines I built for the song on the ABG. In the end I was at fault for about 20 of those takes (that, and a very tired drummer).
Since then I've used the ABG a lot... on Latin gigs, Americana gigs and on traditional jazz gigs where I was too lazy to bring my double bass. I even built a digital weapons platform just for my (now) Fender Kingman ABG.
It truly is it’s own thing. The problem has always been misdirected expectations. Usually requires a different playing technique.Here's my take on ABGs, which is only my take on them. They are legitimately its own instrument. They're not a suitable replacement for a double bass nor something that will make a band sound more folkey or more bluegrass-y. They don't feel like a Fender bass if for no other reason that they're acoustic guitars with a string plane four to eight inches further away from your body. They will require some adjustments to your plucking hand technique. They can also be a little painful to play for hours with the sharp edge of the upper body digging into your forearm flesh.
But ABGs are also a very unique and rewarding instrument to play in situations more traditionally suited for traditional basses, which is when I like to deploy them. I kinda had a lightbulb moment about ABGs while watching a fado band in Lisbon a few years ago. After a half set of traditional fado songs they surprised me by doing a fado-ish cover of "Whipping Post". It was fantastic, especially the sound of the ABG in that context. With the Portuguese guitars and Portuguese accordion, it anchored the song.
So when I got back to NYC I started playing around with using my ABG in unlikely contexts and it kinda opened up a new world of playing options for me. I had a low-pressure demo session and took my Boulder Creek to it along with my Sadowsky J and Pedulla fretless.
The composer had literally scrawled chords and bar counts on a legal pad. My chart was an iPad photo of it. IOW, the songs were wide open for interpretation. On the final song on the session he said he was looking for a Springsteen feel. The Sadowsky sounded too, I dunno, same old/same old. The fretless was better but it still didn't pop. So I deployed the ABG.
Dropbox - 07 I Just Wanna Drive.mp3 - Simplify your life
It was six hours into a long session and the cut here is like Take 29 because of all the head rearranging. My fingers were in bad shape from the stiff bronze roundwounds. It clearly wasn't my best performance of the day but the sound of the ABG was unmistakable. It was so different that the song got reshaped around the lines I built for the song on the ABG. In the end I was at fault for about 20 of those takes (that, and a very tired drummer).
Since then I've used the ABG a lot... on Latin gigs, Americana gigs and on traditional jazz gigs where I was too lazy to bring my double bass. I even built a digital weapons platform just for my (now) Fender Kingman ABG.
Great story! If you have a Fender ABG please post a pic.
Might want to stop in here for a much broader ABG club.
Acoustic bass fetish club Part 2
My Fender Kingman before a bar gig in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn with my manouche/swing trio.
This was my first gig with my new Trace Elliot ELF 200 watt amp. Amazing power and headroom for an 18 pound amp.
Was that the Allman Brothers "Whipping Post?" One our bands favorites early 70's.Here's my take on ABGs, which is only my take on them. They are legitimately its own instrument. They're not a suitable replacement for a double bass nor something that will make a band sound more folkey or more bluegrass-y. They don't feel like a Fender bass if for no other reason that they're acoustic guitars with a string plane four to eight inches further away from your body. They will require some adjustments to your plucking hand technique. They can also be a little painful to play for hours with the sharp edge of the upper body digging into your forearm flesh.
But ABGs are also a very unique and rewarding instrument to play in situations more traditionally suited for traditional basses, which is when I like to deploy them. I kinda had a lightbulb moment about ABGs while watching a fado band in Lisbon a few years ago. After a half set of traditional fado songs they surprised me by doing a fado-ish cover of "Whipping Post". It was fantastic, especially the sound of the ABG in that context. With the Portuguese guitars and Portuguese accordion, it anchored the song.
So when I got back to NYC I started playing around with using my ABG in unlikely contexts and it kinda opened up a new world of playing options for me. I had a low-pressure demo session and took my Boulder Creek to it along with my Sadowsky J and Pedulla fretless.
The composer had literally scrawled chords and bar counts on a legal pad. My chart was an iPad photo of it. IOW, the songs were wide open for interpretation. On the final song on the session he said he was looking for a Springsteen feel. The Sadowsky sounded too, I dunno, same old/same old. The fretless was better but it still didn't pop. So I deployed the ABG.
Dropbox - 07 I Just Wanna Drive.mp3 - Simplify your life
It was six hours into a long session and the cut here is like Take 29 because of all the head rearranging. My fingers were in bad shape from the stiff bronze roundwounds. It clearly wasn't my best performance of the day but the sound of the ABG was unmistakable. It was so different that the song got reshaped around the lines I built for the song on the ABG. In the end I was at fault for about 20 of those takes (that, and a very tired drummer).
Since then I've used the ABG a lot... on Latin gigs, Americana gigs and on traditional jazz gigs where I was too lazy to bring my double bass. I even built a digital weapons platform just for my (now) Fender Kingman ABG.
Your pics aren’t showing up on my phone screen. Just a little ? mark.My Fender Kingman before a bar gig in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn with my manouche/swing trio.
This was my first gig with my new Trace Elliot ELF 200 watt amp. Amazing power and headroom for an 18 pound amp.
Needs to be in jpg or png format.
(the pics of the pedals did appear and then disappear)
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(So long as the page is still loaded...) As you can see I have a wireless system, a Line 6 G10S. The transceiver has a tiny little pin parallel to the plug to enable it so you're not wasting battery during breaks. You just pop it out about a half inch.
I was disappointed that the G10S didn't work on the Kingman though. It was no big deal because I usually play it sitting down anyway. However I could see what the problem was: the combo jack/strap button is concave so the pin never gets pressed in.
Being OCD, all sorts of redneck engineering hacks occurred to me, like putting a washer around the 1/4" guitar plug, filling the concave with JB Weld, etc. The elegant solution would be to simply replace the jack/strap button with a better one from Fishman. Yikes! $30? Then I saw that the Kingman currently uses that same jack. Foiled!
But then I noticed the exploded view of the Fishman jack in their literature. The outer jack button is reversible! Problem solved.
I was disappointed that the G10S didn't work on the Kingman though. It was no big deal because I usually play it sitting down anyway. However I could see what the problem was: the combo jack/strap button is concave so the pin never gets pressed in.
Being OCD, all sorts of redneck engineering hacks occurred to me, like putting a washer around the 1/4" guitar plug, filling the concave with JB Weld, etc. The elegant solution would be to simply replace the jack/strap button with a better one from Fishman. Yikes! $30? Then I saw that the Kingman currently uses that same jack. Foiled!
But then I noticed the exploded view of the Fishman jack in their literature. The outer jack button is reversible! Problem solved.
Oh yes, the FR51, a very peculiar instrument. Pretty difficult to intonate.
I swapped the super dull active humbucker for a passive noiseless tele neck pu.
Gives it a more dry percussive character...
Yours? Still have it?
Alway been tempted to get the Dean version which has been available for much longer but I believe it’s been recently discontinued.
With the Resonator only, I understand that these are quite loud.
Oh yes, it is such a rare bird, I never could let it go. Loudnesswise just more mids than the BG29. The BG29 sounds like a real bass, while the FR51 is much more percussive. Very short sustain. Plink-e-dy-plonk...
