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Guitar Scale Acoustic Basses
- Thread starter SBassman
- Start date
This is not a category where big $$$ are required for good results.
An instrument with a solid top like my Guild sounds better than the cheap laminated Ibanez, but not massively so.
An instrument with a solid top like my Guild sounds better than the cheap laminated Ibanez, but not massively so.
Which makes me wonder why people buy the pricey Martin or Taylor versions, other than to say they have that brand.(I am sure they sound good and have excellent fit and finish.) I just recorded some band demos with my Mitchell and on playback the sound was excellent. Go figure.
Because most of the Taylor and Martin models (not all) have solid woods all the way around, with no laminates at all.
Yes indeed, but in most situations does that noticeably improve the sound quality? Not to me. YMMV Would I like one? Of course!
They tend to be louder when played unplugged than a bass that is entirely made of laminates. Plugged in no difference.
Been away for a while...
It works great and on a number of gigs was the difference between using the guitar and not using it. (I always travel with a solid body just in case.)
I tell them i play flamenco bass.
There's also the Magma Transpositor strings that can turn any classical guitar into a bass. My Soviet classical guitar (being a mere 7/8-sized solid top) could be a good candidate for such a conversion - it resonates like crazy even before I tune it up to pitch, already opening up at a full octave lower, with standard strings!
so are there any manufacturers that are building 25-28’ scale acoustic bass guitars available in a fretless configuration with a tieblock style bridge (no pinbridges for me). The only one I am aware of is the Magma Transpositor, and apparently they have decide not to build a fretless version
The Gold Tone M-Bass 25 Fretless has a 25.5" scale and a bridge of the kind that you load through the soundhole, i.e. holes in the bridge are big enough to take the strings but not to let the the ferrules pull through. It's a slightly strange instrument, made of plywood throughout with a cutaway, and probably not to everybody's taste even with Silverback strings on rather than the rubbery style bass uke strings, but it might be to yours? I have one and it sounds OK but feels, err, cheap?
The Magma Transpositor Bass is a Mini 5 string Acoustic Bass that uses Nylon core strings wrapped in Metal.
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I just wrapped a set of Magma Transpositor bass strings for acoustic guitar onto my defretted Yamaha C-40 classical guitar. There was a bit of fussing around getting them to fit properly over the bridge and nut, and I did have to enlarge the tieblock holes for the bottom 2 strings, no really big deal.
But they sound spectacular on that cheap classical guitar. The biggest problem seems to be my fingertips are accustomed to either flats or tapes and the RW strings are eating up my fingertips!
But they sure do sound sweet!
But they sound spectacular on that cheap classical guitar. The biggest problem seems to be my fingertips are accustomed to either flats or tapes and the RW strings are eating up my fingertips!
But they sure do sound sweet!
After a bit more playing, I am really surprised at how good the Magma Transpositor 6 string low E set sounds on my cheap defretted Yamaha C'40 classical guitar. They nylon core strings really resonate at the low frequencies and give a clear, distinct, and very pleasing sound all the way down to low E. I am really curious to hear what the Magma Transpositor 5 string bass sounds like. Its tuned BEADG! I find it hard to believe that a 25.5” scale bass can sound good that low, but maybe…after listening to my 25” scale sing the low E my mind is definitely open!
