Guitar Scale Acoustic Basses

[tm3]

Do you need an amp to be battery powered? If not, by far and away the best deal I've found is the Headrush FRFR-108 powered speaker. Crazy good for $200 US, and loud. Amazing for an 8" woofer. It only has a contour button, but doesn't need EQ- the sound of your bass, only louder. At less than 20lb, it makes for a great one-trip carry.

Headrush FRFR-108 2000-watt 1x8" Powered Guitar Cabinet

Is that one going to work better with a GSAB in a ukulele group (and for home practice) than what is discussed in this thread:

Best portable practice bass combo amp?

ie Fender Rumble, Ampeg, Hartke, etc.?

A bass player showed up one night at the local ukulele group. IIRC he had a Kala UBass, and he used a very small amp that he had sitting back against the wall. I asked him about his setup and he said that he would never be heard without the amp, which I guess is true because I couldn't hear him even with the amp.

 

[RedVee]

If they tell you that a 32" ABG is too large, show them this clip of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain:



Full-sized ABG's are all over the place when it comes to loudness.

Still, it's likely that the PNB will have a little less acoustic output than your 32" Ibby. However, it will have a warmer tone with less spiky upper mids. Depending on how large the group is, the PNB may keep up with ukuleles in an un-amplified situation.

However, all of these basses sound better with a bit of a lift in the low end. You don't need a lot of support- just enough to fatten it up.

Do you need an amp to be battery powered? If not, by far and away the best deal I've found is the Headrush FRFR-108 powered speaker. Crazy good for $200 US, and loud. Amazing for an 8" woofer. It only has a contour button, but doesn't need EQ- the sound of your bass, only louder. At less than 20lb, it makes for a great one-trip carry.

Headrush FRFR-108 2000-watt 1x8" Powered Guitar Cabinet

If you need something cheaper and battery powered, there's pretty much only one game in town:

I'm not sure if it was on this thread, but I bumped into someone who hangs the Blackstar Fly 3 Bass and extension cab off his belt when he plays nursing homes. This allows him to roam around the facility without having to search for places to plug in. Cheaper than spit, at $120 US:

Blackstar Fly 3 Bass Pack - 3-watt 1x3" Bass Combo Amp w/Cabinet and Power

There aren't many other useable battery-powered choices until you get well up there in price.

The Boss Cube RX might be fine for bedroom use with a solid body bass, but I found it unusable for public performance. The raw acoustic output of a cheap Denver 34" ABG completely overwhelmed it. The RX started farting out at very low volume, and this was on AC power.

Traynor offers a couple of battery-powered combos. The TVM50 is much louder than the PJB, Boss or Blackstar. Proper 10" driver. However, the low end is weak, and the onboard EQ doesn't offer much range. I hear that Guitar Centre used to carry them, but I think they may be hard to find in the States these days...

Phil Jones offers well-made, quality stuff. However, I didn't think the Briefcase combo justifies it's high price.

I splurged for the Bose S1 Pro. It boosts the low end without sending electric, has bluetooth, useful 2-band EQ on both inputs, runs for hours on the built-in battery, and can double as a compact PA for duo gigs. Mine has been well received at acoustic jams, open mics and house parties. Small and unobtrusive, wide, even dispersion, tilts back so you can hear yourself without cranking it, and only 15lb.

Stupid expensive, though- $600 US for only 60 watts:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/S1ProSys--bose-s1-pro-multi-position-pa-system-with-battery

Interesting. At the moment I use a Rumble 15 and an extension cord.
Because even with the bronze strings the Ibanez needs amplification.
I have considered different strings but have hesitated as it is all a bit unknown to me. I have chromes on my cheap p copy and like them on that. But I’d be concerned re their tautness. I was considering some tape wound, but at the moment still at the leave it alone stage.

From memory the model is AEB10E. I like it, hence the parlour Ibanez took my attention. Though I think it maybe overkill to have them both.

 

[fermata]

I am currently thinking that the GSAB size and scale, with metal strings, is the absolute sweet spot.

The myth of needing a 34" scale Tree in your hands - is - yeah, a Myth. Nonsense. Lots of people and manufacturers are finally figuring this out.

Big +1 on the 34” thing. Way too much tension for a good acoustic tone imo. The AEB has finally come into its own with the reduced size and scale length. I still marvel at how great a GSAB is for some of my gigs. Life saving!

Interesting points here. I've had the chance to try the Taylor, which I found quite nice, and the PNB14E, which I was less enamored with. For both, it was the warmth of tone that really stood out, especially in contrast to most big ABGs. That tone and the compact size/convenience of playing an acoustic instrument at home keeps me eyeing these, particularly the Guild Jumbo Junior.

 

[MakoMan]

I go to a Uke group once a fortnight with my tenor Uke. I’m only new and it is a community activity more than a performing band.

A bloke there has a bass he built out of a small guitar. It sounds rather good and hence my interest in this thread when I noticed it. Another guy has a bass Uke ( he brings a tenor as well), so I’m no 3 choice at best.

I was very interested in this Ibanez PNB, it seems to be nearly the same price as a bass Uke, which really brings it up as a valid option. I currently own an Ibanez Acoustic bass, a 32” scale. Which, although I haven’t asked, would be a little large for use with the ukes.
Any thoughts on how the parlour Ibby PNB would compare to my Ibby ?

I’m just pondering.

It depends on which Ibanez acoustic 32" scale bass you have. I had an Ibanez PCB12MH prior to purchasing my sub short scale. My PNB14E is basically the same bass in a smaller size. You'll definitely notice less string tension on the smaller bass, but strangely I found the acoustic volume to be about the same, possibly due to the strings.
I just saw you have an AEB10. I think it would be fine for acoustic jams with ukes, but I can also understand why you might want to have something more to scale.

 

[RedVee]

It depends on which Ibanez acoustic 32" scale bass you have. I had an Ibanez PCB12MH prior to purchasing my sub short scale. My PNB14E is basically the same bass in a smaller size. You'll definitely notice less string tension on the smaller bass, but strangely I found the acoustic volume to be about the same, possibly due to the strings.

AEB10E I think

 

[tm3]

Do you need an amp to be battery powered? If not, by far and away the best deal I've found is the Headrush FRFR-108 powered speaker. Crazy good for $200 US, and loud. Amazing for an 8" woofer. It only has a contour button, but doesn't need EQ- the sound of your bass, only louder. At less than 20lb, it makes for a great one-trip carry.

Headrush FRFR-108 2000-watt 1x8" Powered Guitar Cabinet

Would this be a better "starter" amp for the GSAB than one of the Fender Rumble series?

I did some reading on amps in other threads but am not coming up with much on specific choices for GSAB or UBass, although I did see a caution that acoustic basses have different amp requirements than solid body electrics.

Thanks!

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Would this be a better "starter" amp for the GSAB than one of the Fender Rumble series?

I did some reading on amps in other threads but am not coming up with much on specific choices for GSAB or UBass, although I did see a caution that acoustic basses have different amp requirements than solid body electrics.

Thanks!

I modified my Rumble 100 to tighten up the boomy low mids. It sounded OK, but not brilliant, with my GSAB's.

Although I considered it a practice amp based on the light weight and low price, most people feel that it's too large to really be considered in that category. I checked out other small bass combos, and the Orange Crush 25 and Ampeg BA-108 were the best of a bad lot.

I looked at acoustic guitar amps, and most didn't cut it for bass. Some of the AER's were pretty good, but they are over $1,000 US. I also looked at mini's like the Yamaha THR 30 II, but they were disappointing for bass. The Mackie FreePlay Live played a lot louder than the Yamaha before fart-out, but at $450 US, it was closing in on a lot of nicer powered PA speakers.

In the end, I came to the conclusion that small powered PA speakers are where it's at. Not only do they sound great with the GSAB, they are pretty serviceable with your regular EB's, especially if you have a preamp.

After switching to the PA shops, I checked out "stick speakers" from Bose and others, but they were expensive, and I preferred the regular wedge form factor.

I tried a number of mid-priced bins from E-V, Yamaha and QSC before discovering that the Headrush pretty much killed them on price and performance.

If the Headrush is too big or just doesn't turn your crank, I was also pleasantly surprised by the Behringer B208D.

It seems a little overpriced when you compare it back-to-back with the Headrush ($208 to $200 US). Still, it's waaaay cheaper than the Bose, and sounds more convincing than the small bass or acoustic combos. Perhaps most important for casual use, it's very compact, sounds great at reasonable volume levels, and it has a decent 2-band EQ.

 

[SBassman]

In the end, I came to the conclusion that small powered PA speakers are where it's at. Not only do they sound great with the GSAB ...

 

[fermata]

Big +1 on the 34” thing. Way too much tension for a good acoustic tone imo. The AEB has finally come into its own with the reduced size and scale length.

Here's a good acoustic/unplugged demo of the Guild B240E vs. Jumbo Junior (30.75" vs. 23.75"). String tension may be part of the difference, but core material is also playing a big role. Digging the Jumbo Junior...it's officially on my GAS list!

 

[Horrified]

In the end, I came to the conclusion that small powered PA speakers are where it's at. Not only do they sound great with the GSAB, they are pretty serviceable with your regular EB's, especially if you have a preamp.

I appreciate you sharing your experience with us, Steve. You are saving me money by spending and experimenting for us.

Having the PNB14E is a puzzle for me -- a journey of exploration. It's frustrating at times; perhaps because at times I'm playing it like I play a standard electric bass. Other times I'm playing it like an acoustic guitar. Both ways are not not quite matching this unique animal.
The string sounds (scritching and scratching) I think are a part of the character. And although I don't want too much finger noise, I think trying to mute it entirely is a mistake. Today, I lathered the strings with Dunlop 65 string conditioner, and I just started playing it with out wiping off the excess. I got some oily fingertips, but I also got a nice slick experience with these stock D'Addarios: smooth and full response.

I have also been playing this bass through my MXR Comp clone, thinking that compression is necessary. I also usually use a Sansamp clone in liu of a DI to the mixer. But today after reading your post, I decided to try just relying on my mixer's channel preamp - straight in no DI. Very nice! Even better was when I added a second channel, aiming a mic at the edge of the soundhole. The result was a very dynamic instrument, definitely in the bass register, but without the typical electric bass guitar character. There are a lot of sounds accompanying these fretted notes. Where does this fit in a collaboration? What type of instruments does it blend well with?

Many other posters link bluegrass or folk using mandolins, ukuleles, acoustic guitars. So I'm guessing it's a no-brainer to go with wooden acoustic instruments. But I'm thinking some genre-bending is in order here.

 

[Chickenwheels]

A little promo clip featuring my Ibby AVN fretless, original strings, into a QSC system via an MXR M81 preamp.

 

[SBassman]

Hey brother, thanks for the awesome share.
The band sounds awesome - and so does your bass and your playing.
Way to go.

Thank you.

 

[SBassman]

Some quarantine entertainment. This is an Anuenue 24" scale bass.

 

[tm3]

I modified my Rumble 100 to tighten up the boomy low mids. It sounded OK, but not brilliant, with my GSAB's.

Although I considered it a practice amp based on the light weight and low price, most people feel that it's too large to really be considered in that category. I checked out other small bass combos, and the Orange Crush 25 and Ampeg BA-108 were the best of a bad lot.

If the Headrush is too big or just doesn't turn your crank, I was also pleasantly surprised by the Behringer B208D.

It seems a little overpriced when you compare it back-to-back with the Headrush ($208 to $200 US). Still, it's waaaay cheaper than the Bose, and sounds more convincing than the small bass or acoustic combos. Perhaps most important for casual use, it's very compact, sounds great at reasonable volume levels, and it has a decent 2-band EQ.

Thanks for all the info! I kept asking because in looking thru TB forum for discussion on "practice amps" I didn't see mention of using PA speakers, just recommendations for Fender Rumble, Ampeg, Hartke, etc. Of course they weren't discussing use with GSAB, either.

Seems like the Headrush should get the nod as if I'm reading the specs correctly it has an additional input to allow play along with an external source such as CD, MP3, etc.

 

[Chickenwheels]

A shot from a wedding gig yesterday. Acoustic trio. The guitarist is an old friend who is also a fantastic sound engineer so it was a super pleasant gig sonically! No more work now, country is officially going into lockdown. Stay safe all!

 

[steve_rolfeca]

More on corroded strings, D'Addario and La Bella CB40's specifically...

I was reading up on tarnish as it applies to bronze, copper, brass and silver. There's a lot of good information out there from the museum industry.

From what I've read, chemically-treated paper that retards tarnishing, and silica gel/activated carbon packets that absorb excess moisture seem to be your best bet. If you live in a cold northern climate and struggle to keep your guitars humidified, you might want to skip the silica gel in the winter...

Anyway, 3M and others make suitable products that you can place in your bag or case. We can't plastic-wrap our instruments, but these products should help:



Here are some examples
https://www.amazon.ca/3M-Anti-Tarnish-Silver-Protector-Strips/dp/B00O89A21Q

Hagerty Silver Protection Strips-70000 - The Home Depot

Silver Saver® Roll - 2" x 200 yds S-23077 - Uline

Amazon.com: Buying Choices: Dry & Dry 3 Gram [50 Packs] Food Safe Silica Gel Orange Indicating(Orange to Dark Green) Mixed Silica Gel Packs Desiccant - FDA Compliant Silica Packets for Moisture Absorber Silica Gel Packets

Don't be scared off by the pricing on some of those links- they're in Canadian Pesos. At current exchange rates, $25 probably comes out to about 59 cents...

I was also looking into cleaners, but most of them aren't suitable for guitar strings either because they contain toxic chemicals, leave behind a residue, or can damage other metals on the instrument.

One last thing: cheap cases and bags may contain materials that off-gas and contribute to corrosion of the metal parts on your basses and guitars. I doubt very much that case companies think in terms of preserving your guitars for the ages, so there's not much point in going overboard.

Still, if you're keeping your GSAB in a cheap vinyl bag that reeks of plasticizers, you might want to move up market to a name-brand one that doesn't smell or have a ton of vinyl in the lining.

 

[SBassman]

This is the wrong timing, for me anyway, but, I just stumbled across this. Check it out.
Michael Kelly changed their design for 2020. Looks very nice in my opinion.

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[macmanlou]

This is the wrong timing, for me anyway, but, I just stumbled across this. Check it out.
Michael Kelly changed their design for 2020. Looks very nice in my opinion.

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I like it, and I've got a set of the LaBella Microbass flatwounds to try on one. It's got an adjustable truss rod, though the flats are .004-.008 thicker than the stock phosphor-bronze D'Addarios, so I might have to compensate the saddle a bit. $339 at Sam Ash (with some sort of "Mystery Discount" they add at checkout).

 

[tymbrewolf]

Best looking little acoustic I've seen

 

[fermata]

That’s quite striking. Does it use the same nylon-core D’Addarios as the rest of this breed?

I'm planning on getting a Guild Jumbo Junior in a few months, but now I’m curious about the new Michael Kelly (albeit due to looks and price at the moment). If anyone can compare the two, I’m all ears!