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Is an Acoustic bass worth it
- Thread starter Kalsarikannit
- Start date
"Traditional/conventional/normal" in this context simply means magnetic pickups and common electric bass construction.
It's pointless to compare an ABG to something like a Rob Allen, a Godin or a Steinberger electric-upright, because those instruments are uniquely built and also possess unique voices. If you have to buy a uniquely constructed instrument to sound like an ABG, that's a clear indicator that an ABG has a voice that's difficult to replicate.
You have a lot of opinions that you can't back up. If you can make a normal electric bass sound like any of the ABG clips I posted, do it, record it, and post it here to be critiqued. I predict you never get the bat off your shoulders, because you won't even come sonically close.
Do it. I gave you three diverse ABG examples. Let's hear you mimic any of them with a conventional electric. We're all ears, Bro.
The more I play my Rob Allen, the less I play my other basses,...and the more I want a second Rob Allen.
His stuff has notorious binding issues, and I have heard several players say they maxed out their truss rods pretty quickly. While these things suck to deal with on such expensive instruments, I have never played an electric bass that sounds so organic, and is so addictive to play. If my fretless skills were better I'd start ditching other basses.
"Common" is another word that I don't recall mentioning.
Nobody would buy an expensive instrument to sound like an ABG. Most ABGs don't actually sound that good. I do accept that in the hands of a great player, most instruments can sound good (even an ABG).
There's that word "normal". I don't actually recall using it.
My position on ABGs is this:
1) They look cool.
2) Most of them have poor tone, and aren't very loud (unplugged).
3) The few of them that are halfway loud (unplugged) are huge, and uncomfortable to play.
4) To the extent that you can extract good tone out of them, you can extract very similarly good tone out of something that is not as cumbersome.
I appreciate that you disagree with me. We will have to agree to disagree.
If we're not talking about "common" basses what would your point be? That ABG's aren't useful because their sound can be replicated by uncommon basses?
Completely subjective.
This is all your subjective opinion. I was discussing fact; that an ABG offers a different tonal palette. It's a tonal palette that can not be easily replicated with other instruments. In the hands of capable bassists, ABG's have
produced a lot of great, unique music.
Two of my favorite examples:
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Awww, man,...no one is calling anyone names, or anything. A little bass-debate never hurt anyone.
I agree, I'm just think about all the threads that were locked for far less drama.Awww, man,...no one is calling anyone names, or anything. A little bass-debate never hurt anyone.
I agree, I'm just think about all the threads that were locked for far less drama.
It's funny, I don't think anything in the world of bass that is more debated than the ABG. They are a misunderstood beast. They are certainly not comfortable for smaller players, and they have their limitations. But in the hands of the right player they have a unique voice that I always feel compelled to defend.
...and there is nothing better for noodling on the couch, while watching some football (which is what I am doing right now).
There are ABGs available that are as loud as an Earthwood and aren't as cumbersome. They have better overall tone in every direction. Only a few here have played an Earthwood and less own them. They were primitive and cool. Since then luthiers have made these babies speak. ABGs are way more refined.
I care about tone first. So some ABGs are difficult to amplify. The Ferrington guitars were all the rage because PA engineers could get an acoustic sound in the FOH. Up close sitting around they were meh. Live and loud they were great.
The needs of bassists who want an ABG almost require having three minimum. One for great acoustic tone. One for playing live through FOH. One to take to that bonfire, to get sand in, stepped on exposed to dew and heat on front and cold on back simultaneously.
You folks who can't get the tone you want from electrics or ABGs are missing the work you put in at the ends of your fingers. I would be remiss to support the TB theme that the solution is just another purchase away. The right touch and you can play a hippie sandwich booteeque or a P with acoustic music and no one hears an electric bass. They hear, bass. Decades of Lee Sklar for example.
I care about tone first. So some ABGs are difficult to amplify. The Ferrington guitars were all the rage because PA engineers could get an acoustic sound in the FOH. Up close sitting around they were meh. Live and loud they were great.
The needs of bassists who want an ABG almost require having three minimum. One for great acoustic tone. One for playing live through FOH. One to take to that bonfire, to get sand in, stepped on exposed to dew and heat on front and cold on back simultaneously.
You folks who can't get the tone you want from electrics or ABGs are missing the work you put in at the ends of your fingers. I would be remiss to support the TB theme that the solution is just another purchase away. The right touch and you can play a hippie sandwich booteeque or a P with acoustic music and no one hears an electric bass. They hear, bass. Decades of Lee Sklar for example.
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Enjoy everyone:
short Compression between Tacoma thunderchief and stoll legendary acoustic bass unplugged
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We get too hung up on how useful ABGs are in terms of pure acoustic volume. They certainly can be but the majority of ABGs aren't. Like the double bass they need to be amplified for many ensemble situations. The ABG has a unique voice. Amplifying it is no less valid than amplifying any other acoustic instrument. And a small battery powered amp is still cheaper and easier to move than an upright.
I think the bottom line in determining whether or not an ABG is worth having is whether or not you like how they sound not how loud they aren't. Can't see it being much more complicated than that.
I think the bottom line in determining whether or not an ABG is worth having is whether or not you like how they sound not how loud they aren't. Can't see it being much more complicated than that.
My point has always been that the "I need an ABG so I can play around a campfire" crew are pretty much destined for disappointment (and they are, from my observation at least, a big percentage of first time buyers).
There is a another thread right there.
I'm going to float a thought here:
Back when you were in your "acoustic phase", what were you using for amplification?
I ask, because your repeated statements about hollow-body basses with magnetic pickups sounding so close to your ABG's when plugged in, suggests that you were probably using conventional bass cabs or combos for amplification.
I can absolutely see a Hofner sounding pretty similar to an ABG if you're going for a dark, muffled motown or pseudo-upright tone in both cases. With the right technique, and running into something like a Fender Rumble with a single 15, or an Ampeg rig with a 4x10, you can get pretty close.
But IME, if you're using round-wound strings and going for an open, wide-range acoustic tone on both instruments, the only way someone is going to be unable to tell the difference through flat-response speakers or a good PA, is if they're deaf as a post.
Piezo pickups alone, have a massively different response to magnetics.
Also, your comments about high action make sense in a historical context, but the world doesn't stand still. These days, on a well-constructed instrument, action height has more to do with personal preference and intended unplugged use, than specific shortcomings of the instrument.
For example: when properly set up for amplified use, the Taylor, Guild and Ibanez sub-short-scale basses that I've checked out to date have played easier than a lot of full-scale, solid-body basses.
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I mostly didn't use amplification. I (naively) thought and acoustic bass could be played acoustically. I should say I was never in an "acoustic bass phase" as such. I bought a few over a period of time, but I didn't really gig with them.
I never said that. If you want something that sounds like it has a piezo pickup, you need a piezo pickup. However, there are plenty of basses that are "electrics" that have them, and they can easily be fitted to basses that don't come with them ex-factory (as you point out).
Yep, agree (although my preferred "small rig" is an SWR Electric Blue with Schroeder cabs).
I agree with that too, but what if the EBG is hollow, and has a piezo?
I haven't played any of those, because they mostly didn't come out until after my "acoustic bass buying phase" was over. I take your point about them being easier to play than a "full size" ABG, although I imagine that none of them are "loud" acoustically.
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I was seriously considering buying a Taylor GS Mini-e Bass but four things so far has dissuaded me:
Guitar-size tuning keys
Price (IMO, it should be a quite a bit less expensive)
Pickguard shape (I never really got on with it; maybe it can be purchased without one?)
Proprietary strings
Having silly strings sunk that thing for me just like the Kala.
I don't know how well this would work but I have a Supro Pocket Bass that's a 25" scale which is close to a 34" scale capo'd at the 5th fret. Someone put regular size tuners on it so .120 .100 .080 .060 regular strings tuned EADG work great. Even though it's falling apart and not very playable I'm consistently blown away at how giant that 25" scale sounds with a cheapo magnetic pickup passively blended with an unbuffered piezo in the bridge. If someone like Taylor made a decent quality ABG version of this thing with Hipshot Ultralites I'd try one.
