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Guitar Scale Acoustic Basses
- Thread starter SBassman
- Start date
I was able to do a similar comparison last night. I agree the PNB is probably the best value. I do like the tone and overall feel of the Guild the best and this is the one I would buy. If I went poly string it would be Gold Tone (and probably the fretless 25).
I'm in the market for a short scale bass and was having trouble keeping some of the data straight between my choices. Decided to dump everything in a spreadsheet for easier comparison. Thought it might be helpful. All data was pulled from the manufacturer site or vendor websites. I put "-" where I didn't have any data. I'm sure in some cases I just need to look a little harder for the information. For example, I know a few of them have fretless and/or left-hand options that aren't noted.
Along the way I came across a few guitar scale basses that aren't even released yet (as of 2/12/2019). We'll soon have a few more to choose from.
Along the way I came across a few guitar scale basses that aren't even released yet (as of 2/12/2019). We'll soon have a few more to choose from.
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Just fyi microbass has silverbacks (rounds) and flatwound factory approved options and two other synthetic work too pahahoes and thunder reds
Hey all, sorry for the procrastination, but I'm really enjoying the Ibanez AVNB1E so far. It has been sitting next to me by the couch since I got it and love being able to grab it any time I'm in the mood for some playing. I'm sure it will also serve me well camping this spring and summer.
Fit and finish, set up, and intonation were excellent right out of the box and the scale is very comfortable to me, especially since I prefer the OFPF technique. The stock strings take a little getting used to, but I'm ok with using them for now. Hopefully we'll get some flats or tapes to try at some point!
Volume wise unplugged seems pretty close to, and maybe bit louder than the Fender T-Bucket with black nylon tapewounds I used to own, but is fine for what I'm using it for. Sounded pretty good the couple of times I have plugged it in to my Rumble Studio 40, but I did notice some volume differences between the strings. The E string seems to be the loudest, but I did not mess with the eq too much. I will definitely sand the bottom of the saddle on my first string change and see if that helps.
Well, without further ado, a few pics:
Fit and finish, set up, and intonation were excellent right out of the box and the scale is very comfortable to me, especially since I prefer the OFPF technique. The stock strings take a little getting used to, but I'm ok with using them for now. Hopefully we'll get some flats or tapes to try at some point!
Volume wise unplugged seems pretty close to, and maybe bit louder than the Fender T-Bucket with black nylon tapewounds I used to own, but is fine for what I'm using it for. Sounded pretty good the couple of times I have plugged it in to my Rumble Studio 40, but I did notice some volume differences between the strings. The E string seems to be the loudest, but I did not mess with the eq too much. I will definitely sand the bottom of the saddle on my first string change and see if that helps.
Well, without further ado, a few pics:
I have not gotten my hands on the PNB14E yet but hopefully soon I will know if it was worth the extra dough. Having a 20% off code definitely swayed me towards the pricier AVNB1E but I'm sure I would have been happy with either one.
I've done some searching but haven't been able to find an answer.
What is the common nut & saddle string spacings for a 25" scale micro bass??
I know the Gold Tone M-bass 25 nut is 1-11/16" wide. Looking at the GraphTech side I assume the nut string spacing is 1.25" (E to G). And I assume a standard 2-1/8" at the saddle. Just looking to confirm. I sent an email to Gold Tone.
What is the common nut & saddle string spacings for a 25" scale micro bass??
I know the Gold Tone M-bass 25 nut is 1-11/16" wide. Looking at the GraphTech side I assume the nut string spacing is 1.25" (E to G). And I assume a standard 2-1/8" at the saddle. Just looking to confirm. I sent an email to Gold Tone.
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Today I finally tried plugging in a few of these short scale acoustics at Guitar Center. I used a Loudbox Artist 120W amp that was setup in the acoustic room, effects off, everything set to mid levels. The Taylor and Guild sounded very similar to me - both with a very natural clean sound. I didn't really compare the tone adjustments on them in detail but would say they were comparable. (There's a comparison review on Youtube for these 2 guitars). There was also an Ibanez PNB14E with strings that looked a little rough. I was very disappointed with the amplified sound of this one, probably enough to take it off my list of potential purchases. The sound was very hollow and thin, almost unnatural, and the tone adjustments on the guitar didn't do much for it. I'm not an experienced player so maybe the amp setup should vary a lot from one guitar to another, so it may be possible to adapt to the output to get a much better sound. Since it will be awhile before I buy one, I'll try hooking up to other amps or pick-up other models and another store.
The thing I really do like about the Ibanez is the scale length, which is about 1.5" longer than the Taylor and Guild. So I'm back to wishing I could get my hands on the AVNB1E or AVNB2E for comparison. These also use the Fishman pickup system so maybe the sound is more similar to the Guild/Taylor than the PNB14E.
The thing I really do like about the Ibanez is the scale length, which is about 1.5" longer than the Taylor and Guild. So I'm back to wishing I could get my hands on the AVNB1E or AVNB2E for comparison. These also use the Fishman pickup system so maybe the sound is more similar to the Guild/Taylor than the PNB14E.
It sounds like there might have been something wrong with the PNB14E that you were sampling.
With the tone controls and volume at noon, the AVNB1E has a very round, fat sound when plugged in.
It’s darker sounding than the Taylor. The reduction in twang and fatter low end bring it closer to a hollow body electric.
Other people have played the PNB and AVN back to back, and they report that the difference is relatively minor.
SBassman posted an outdoor gig video with his PNB, and it sounds very much like my AVN- round and punchy.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there was less gain on the PNB- it has a different preamp, with no XLR output. Still, it should be in the same tonal ballpark as the AVN overall.
Whew! I was getting nervous. Mine is in Victoria and will be in the mail tomorrow...thanks Steve!
I went to another GC today and tried a PNB14N and Guild Jumbo Jr side-by-side (the Taylor battery was out). I think the sound was similar to the other guitars I tried before. The problem with the Ibanez is you get a lot of pick or finger noise come through unless you cut the treble dial most of the way down. It just has an unpleasant sound to it - like a high frequency edge on the sound. But again, this may be something that a more experienced player knows how to adjust for. I used a similar amp as before, set everything on the amp to the middle setting, and started with the guitar tone controls toward the middle (the Guild has a single tone-adjust).
The strings on this Ibanez are not in great shape - visible rust-like spots on it. Corrosion or whatever. The Guild strings looked good. So take that into account I guess.
The strings on this Ibanez are not in great shape - visible rust-like spots on it. Corrosion or whatever. The Guild strings looked good. So take that into account I guess.
I'm in Indianapolis this weekend for my kids volleyball and got a chance to run over to Arthur's Music. The store was really cool with a bunch of acoustic stuff. Felt more like a folk instrument shop. Lots of ukes and banjos.
I got a chance to try the Gold Tone 25 M Bass with the Silverbacks. Sounded nice. It is up there on the list, however, after getting a chance with most of this group, I think I would go for the Guild Jumbo Junior. It just felt and sounded right! The Gold Tone is #2 on my list!
I got a chance to try the Gold Tone 25 M Bass with the Silverbacks. Sounded nice. It is up there on the list, however, after getting a chance with most of this group, I think I would go for the Guild Jumbo Junior. It just felt and sounded right! The Gold Tone is #2 on my list!
Going into my Fender Rumble bass amp, I can run the Ibanez (AVNB, not PNB) with the tone controls flat.
DI to the board, or into other full range speakers like a Fishman acoustic amp or my G-K/AudioKinesis rig, I boost the bass on the Ibanez a hair, and roll the treble back to about 9 or 10 o’clock.
I consider this pretty normal behaviour- I make the same sort of compensation when going direct with fresh stainless rounds on my Dingwall.
Tone controls at noon is not a goal, it’s just a position on a dial.
For a more conventional Electric bass tone on the Ibanez, I boost the gain a bit, then dial the bass and treble back to 10 o’clock. Effectively, that’s like boosting the mids. Removes some of acoustic boom, and makes it sound more like a P-bass...
I don't think anyone commercially makes a 25.5" scale bass like this, but if there is you might want to opt for a set of CB60s I had the core of my CB40s E string break between the tuner and nut it seems to be fine tuned down to D though. I actually like how it sounds tuned to D better and that's my standard tuning so wins all around.
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Do the 23 or 25 Gold Tone M-Bass with the Silverbacks. Order straight from the company and they'll set it for the roundwounds. For me, the anything under 23" is too small.
Under 22 I gotta go fretless. If you like flats, labella makes for 23 to 25. Check out the sub short scale thread if at all interested in solid body choices too. Purpose matters too. Luna makes a pico 20" bass uke they call a baritone
Can someone tell me about the differences between the Ibanez PNB14E and the AVNB1E? What makes the latter twice the price as the former?
