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High End Acoustic Bass Thoughts/Recommendations
- Thread starter Tanner5382
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- acoustic double bass high high end
Your opinion, but factually incorrect, they do exist. But still, even with the best acoustic bass, still a good idea to be prepared to plug in unless you're playing solo.
There is nothing about my experience with acoustic basses that is "factually wrong" thank you.
My Washburn. I've had it twelve years. Labella tapewounds. My good friend and I were at Apple Music in New Hartford, NY and he asked what I thought of the bass. I said, "Your a guitar player, why would you want a bass?" It's nice. He bought it, turned at the counter, and said " It's yours." His soul has since gone to jam in the beyond. Just a side note: Apple Music is the music store that a young Joe Bonamassa started taking lessons.
My Tacoma Thunderchief had a nice sound, projection and unplugged volume where better then most AEB's I tried. Disadvantages IMO were very thin top-wood and irregular sound hole.
I current play in an acoustic trio and I use a Fender Kingsman (amplified) and find it to have a very deep nice woody sound (plus it has a very nice Jazz-like neck). It's not your high end acoustic but I like it.
I current play in an acoustic trio and I use a Fender Kingsman (amplified) and find it to have a very deep nice woody sound (plus it has a very nice Jazz-like neck). It's not your high end acoustic but I like it.
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I think I've played most mass produced acoustic basses built up through the mid 2000's, Tacoma, Taylor, Guild, Martin, Washburn, and probably a half dozen others not coming to mind. I like the tone that can be produced by an acoustic electric, but I've also been able to get similar tones out of a solid body electric bass with a piezo bridge pickup.
As for any that can be played acoustically with a couple other acoustic instruments, I haven't found one yet. I'm not saying there's not one out there, I'm just saying it's none of the ones I've tried. It does depend on what other acoustic instruments are in the mix. You might come close to playing acoustically with someone finger picking a parlor sized guitar, but if there's a Martin drednaught being played with a pick, forget being heard. You might be able to hear yourself, but it's highly unlikely an audience more than 5-7 feet away would hear any actual "bass".
My solution was a 1952 Kay M-1.
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Been there, done that, got heard. Admittedly, I had to try many, many ABGs before getting even close. And regardless, there's always a breaking point, may as well plan to plug in eventually.
Yep.
Playing with a single fingerpicking guitarist, I can be heard fairly well, but as soon as a pick shows up in his hand, I’m grabbing an amp.
One of the most important features of an AEB, is the quality of the preamp and pickup.
Most experienced players have no romantic illusions about having the ability to simply grab their bass and join friends around a campfire.
If that’s what you’re looking for, the debate you should be participating in, is plywood or carved...
Case in point: my Guild B50 against a Martin dreadnought and my Alvarez-Yairi DY87 (as loud as any Martin D):
I'm on the doubleneck, some random young guy on the Guild in this pic. I loaned him my pick, he was then loud enough I had to upgrade and pull out my cymbal brass pick to play lead over him. No problems being heard. (Never did get my pick back, aargh, I liked that one!)
FWIW. Was heard. And Balor >> Guild B50, no contest. YMMV.
I'm on the doubleneck, some random young guy on the Guild in this pic. I loaned him my pick, he was then loud enough I had to upgrade and pull out my cymbal brass pick to play lead over him. No problems being heard. (Never did get my pick back, aargh, I liked that one!)
FWIW. Was heard. And Balor >> Guild B50, no contest. YMMV.
Just throw'n this out there...
Almost forever, since the electric bass came on the scene, 'acoustic bass' meant double bass, upright or dog house. For decades I would say I play acoustic (upright) bass.
When I see a title 'High End Acoustic Bass' I expect to see a 250 year old Italian
Please carry on, and have fun.
Almost forever, since the electric bass came on the scene, 'acoustic bass' meant double bass, upright or dog house. For decades I would say I play acoustic (upright) bass.
When I see a title 'High End Acoustic Bass' I expect to see a 250 year old Italian
Please carry on, and have fun.
I didn't go through all 5 pages...........so sorry if I'm repeating anything.
From recordings that I have, I really like the sound of the Ernie Ball Earth Bass.................very rare and expensive but fantastic either plugged or unplugged. (Really dig the 16 frets!!! Don't need anymore than that!) The Earth Bass is a "mamacita"!!!!!!! Not for the faint of heart!
There are currently 2 on Reverb.com.
1985 Ernie Ball Earthwood Bass | 31st Street Vintage Guitars
Ernie Ball Earthwood Acoustic Bass 1972? very rare
I have a Tacoma Thunderchief with no electronics. A straight acoustical bass. It is so great for practice and has a nice deep, rich sound. It can be used for acoustical jams with guitars but the guitars are much louder and in order to kind of match the volume, I have to use a pick and pluck close to the bridge and use quite a bit of extra force plucking the strings.
When jamming with acoustical guitars, a stand-up bass is pretty much a "must"!
From recordings that I have, I really like the sound of the Ernie Ball Earth Bass.................very rare and expensive but fantastic either plugged or unplugged. (Really dig the 16 frets!!! Don't need anymore than that!) The Earth Bass is a "mamacita"!!!!!!! Not for the faint of heart!
There are currently 2 on Reverb.com.
1985 Ernie Ball Earthwood Bass | 31st Street Vintage Guitars
Ernie Ball Earthwood Acoustic Bass 1972? very rare
I have a Tacoma Thunderchief with no electronics. A straight acoustical bass. It is so great for practice and has a nice deep, rich sound. It can be used for acoustical jams with guitars but the guitars are much louder and in order to kind of match the volume, I have to use a pick and pluck close to the bridge and use quite a bit of extra force plucking the strings.
When jamming with acoustical guitars, a stand-up bass is pretty much a "must"!
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One further comment and I'm done for a bit - ABG perceived volume can be deceiving - unless the bass has a "player port" - it's often very much easier for everyone else to hear the ABG than it is for the ABG player themselves. This can lead to acoustic volume wars. 
That’s true.One further comment and I'm done for a bit - ABG perceived volume can be deceiving - unless the bass has a "player port" - it's often very much easier for everyone else to hear the ABG than it is for the ABG player themselves. This can lead to acoustic volume wars.
I thought the side sound hole was a gimmick, until I pulled the cover off. What a difference in tone!
As for volume wars - I’ve had the guitarists that I play with complain that they can’t hear me...
That’s my fault though. I completely expect to plug in, so I end up crippling myself acoustically. I only play with my fingers, and my touch is pretty light. I also use tapes, so my acoustic volume is very low.
That’s my fault though. I completely expect to plug in, so I end up crippling myself acoustically. I only play with my fingers, and my touch is pretty light. I also use tapes, so my acoustic volume is very low.
Here are Epiphone Masterbilt (L) and Guild B4CE (R) side-by-side, front.
and side, so you can see respective depth:
The Epiphone comes with coated strings; would probably be louder with different strings.
and side, so you can see respective depth:
The Epiphone comes with coated strings; would probably be louder with different strings.
Thank you, both are beautiful and the side view pic is a nice touch. I love the old styling of the Epiphone, and I always love Guilds.
Nope just a pic, nobody recorded, would've been nice. I have samples of the Balor and others on my soundcloud page linked in my sig if you want to check them out. Don't have any ABGs in acoustic jams recorded yet, working on getting that together too actually.
