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Is an Acoustic bass worth it
- Thread starter Kalsarikannit
- Start date
No, it's not worth it. IMHO
As much as I like some acoustic basses, they just don't work for me in a live setting. A lot of people use a electric bass in a acoustic setting.
As much as I like some acoustic basses, they just don't work for me in a live setting. A lot of people use a electric bass in a acoustic setting.
Let them say what they say, but don't give in. They don't know what they are talking about. You are the bass player. You make the rules. An acoustic bass is a waste of money. It does not sound like a bass, and you will be annoyed. Your band needs a proper bass line. You provide it with your standard fretted bass. Amplified on your standard amplifier, on a lower volume. You need fun playing the gig. This is the only way.
Do they mean a double bass, not an ABG, not an EUB?
I have a couple of ABGs (Boulder Creek and Fender Kingman) and an EUB (NS-NXT5) as well as a couple of fretlesses. IMO, none really sound exactly like a double bass, even an amplified double bass. The resonance of that big body and heavier gauge strings even through a bridge piezo is hard to knock off.
It's probably not worth the investment for this one gig, but it's totally worth it for a serious bass player looking to expand his skills and versatility.
I have a couple of ABGs (Boulder Creek and Fender Kingman) and an EUB (NS-NXT5) as well as a couple of fretlesses. IMO, none really sound exactly like a double bass, even an amplified double bass. The resonance of that big body and heavier gauge strings even through a bridge piezo is hard to knock off.
It's probably not worth the investment for this one gig, but it's totally worth it for a serious bass player looking to expand his skills and versatility.
I was in our local shop one day and a (nameless - seriously, no markings on it of any kiind) resonator bass jumped out at me as I walked by. Don't believe I've ever seen one before but thought, "what a great idea". At that point I had to have it. Comes in real handy when I get into acoustic jams and unlike any of the other non-electric basses I've tried in the past and didn't like, it can be heard......
I have an Epiphone El Capitan and no matter what I do it doesn't sound like a DB but my short scale semi hollow body with TI jazz flats get pretty damn close. That being said I still like having an AEB for kitchen parties and acoustic get togethers.
Not sure if anybody mentioned it already, but have you checked on these Ibanez SRH500?
It has to be plugged, but the sound is there, the look should be enough, and NO feedback at all with these piezo pickups.
I have one, don't use it much tbh, but is a keeper as it fills the "acoustic" space, and I enjoy it when I'm in the mood for it.
It has to be plugged, but the sound is there, the look should be enough, and NO feedback at all with these piezo pickups.
I have one, don't use it much tbh, but is a keeper as it fills the "acoustic" space, and I enjoy it when I'm in the mood for it.
Tell your band that no-one enjoys acoustic sets as much as they think they do.
I've been playing bass in a bluegrass band for over 40 years and I haven't had an upright bass in over 30 years. A couple of months ago a gentleman stepped up to me after our show and wanted me to explain how I was getting "that acoustic sound" out of a Fender Precision. I said simple, flat wounds, a Nordymute and boosting my hi-mids up to 800hz. Uprights are not as bassy as you might think. Also by boosting the hi-mids up to 800hz it keeps it from clashing with a Martin D-28.
This brings up a very important thing about acoustic gigs (and any gig really) in that seeing where the bass is going to sit in the mix may be as important as the particular style of bass chosen. Depending on what acoustic guitars are being used and perhaps especially what the percussion is going to be, an ABG (or a P-bass with hi-mids boosted) may actually be present in the mix better than a more traditional acoustic.
I still prefer the upright for all things acoustically, especially from a showmanship perspective, but whatever you end up using if you've got some deep sounding acoustic guitars and a cajon or a particularly deep bass drum, don't try and get rid of all the string noise and high mids just to sound more upright'ey.
(My first post on TB)
To me (YMMV), the sound of an acoustic bass guitar with flatwound strings comes close to the sound of an upright bass (which is a sound I love), if picked up by an acoustic pick-up (including piëzo). Judging from my (limited) experience with solid-body guitars (Godin) with piëzo pick-ups, a solid-body bass with piëzo would also be able to produce an acoustic-like sound.
The magnetic pick-ups may be the core of the difference, as the resonance of the body hardly feeds back to the strings (and then pick-ups). Whereas acoustic pick-ups do pick up that resonance and add it to their output.
Note that an acoustic bass guitar features no pick-up to rest your thumb against.
Getting carried away:
I started playing bass parts using an electric guitar through an octave divider, in rock and older jazz. In or shortly after 1980, I bought two bass guitars in an order I've forgotten.
One is a solid-body Ibanez Musician. I fitted it with flatwound strings. I loved to emulate a brass bass with it in dixieland. The other is some acoustic Eko. It came with non-metal strings that produced an adequate acoustic sound, but not fit for my music. Inspired by upright-bass players, I fitted it with the same flatwound strings as the Ibanez, and I applied both an adhesive acoustic pick-up and a guitar-style sound-hole magnetic pick-up. Using two amp inputs, this provides a range of sounds to my liking. I'm not too comfortable with it.
A renewed interest (in making music at all) and my appreciation of piëzo gear had me buy a Fender acoustic bass guitar with piëzo last year, and fit flatwounds on it. (That required improvisation!) It appeals far more to me than the Eko.
I recently decided to add another solid-body (Harley Benton), and keep roundwound strings on it. I have sets of D'Addario NYXL waiting for it, though. It has a wide range of sounds, but I haven't yet been able to replicate my brass-bass emulation.
To me (YMMV), the sound of an acoustic bass guitar with flatwound strings comes close to the sound of an upright bass (which is a sound I love), if picked up by an acoustic pick-up (including piëzo). Judging from my (limited) experience with solid-body guitars (Godin) with piëzo pick-ups, a solid-body bass with piëzo would also be able to produce an acoustic-like sound.
The magnetic pick-ups may be the core of the difference, as the resonance of the body hardly feeds back to the strings (and then pick-ups). Whereas acoustic pick-ups do pick up that resonance and add it to their output.
Note that an acoustic bass guitar features no pick-up to rest your thumb against.
Getting carried away:
I started playing bass parts using an electric guitar through an octave divider, in rock and older jazz. In or shortly after 1980, I bought two bass guitars in an order I've forgotten.
One is a solid-body Ibanez Musician. I fitted it with flatwound strings. I loved to emulate a brass bass with it in dixieland. The other is some acoustic Eko. It came with non-metal strings that produced an adequate acoustic sound, but not fit for my music. Inspired by upright-bass players, I fitted it with the same flatwound strings as the Ibanez, and I applied both an adhesive acoustic pick-up and a guitar-style sound-hole magnetic pick-up. Using two amp inputs, this provides a range of sounds to my liking. I'm not too comfortable with it.
A renewed interest (in making music at all) and my appreciation of piëzo gear had me buy a Fender acoustic bass guitar with piëzo last year, and fit flatwounds on it. (That required improvisation!) It appeals far more to me than the Eko.
I recently decided to add another solid-body (Harley Benton), and keep roundwound strings on it. I have sets of D'Addario NYXL waiting for it, though. It has a wide range of sounds, but I haven't yet been able to replicate my brass-bass emulation.
Nylon on an electric doesn't sound like an acoustic with metal strings. How do nylons even work on electrics? Do they have metal core?
A cheap acoustic isn't worth buying but if you're only gonna use it once then a good one probably isn't worth it, either.
I moved into my van for 3 years. Sold all my electric gear and got a Breedlove acoustic/electric. $700 + $100 to have it set up and bridge shimmed to accommodate drop-D. It was hard to play. The action had to be pretty high to minimize fret buzz. But I played it a lot. It was nice to have something I could play out in the forest. I think I was starting to get carpal tunnel from it, though. It sounded good.
I've since sold it, I live inside again and have a couple electrics.
A cheap acoustic isn't worth buying but if you're only gonna use it once then a good one probably isn't worth it, either.
I moved into my van for 3 years. Sold all my electric gear and got a Breedlove acoustic/electric. $700 + $100 to have it set up and bridge shimmed to accommodate drop-D. It was hard to play. The action had to be pretty high to minimize fret buzz. But I played it a lot. It was nice to have something I could play out in the forest. I think I was starting to get carpal tunnel from it, though. It sounded good.
I've since sold it, I live inside again and have a couple electrics.
IMHO don't bother. I've got two ABGs, an Ovation AE-140 and a Vintage VCB430, and can't use either on stage. Feedback like hell as soon as I amp them up. I've had to do some serious butchery to get the action down on both of them as well. Shaved the bridge saddle down quite a bit on the Vintage and replaced the bridge saddle completely on the Ovation - which meant changing the piezo pickup as well. Messy, but I managed it. The Vintage never gets played and the Ovation just sits in the lounge as a practice instrument. However, having lowered their actions to the same level as my electric basses the intonation is now correct on both. I think they're OK as solo practice instruments but fairly useless in a band situation. Having read all of the previous comments on this topic I decided to play both my ABGs to re-convince myself. The muscle under my right shoulder blade has been aching since and I only played for fifteen minutes or so. Be warned...
There are instruments on sale with nylon strings and piëzo pick-ups. Piëzo picks up the physical vibration of the strings and body, rather than the electric one. Godin offers a nylon-stringed MIDI guitar. I have a nylon-stringed ukulele with piëzo.
And there are the acoustic pick-ups to be attached to the instrument body, by sticking or clamping.
I have fitted a cheap classical guitar (nylon strings) with a cheap adhesive acoustic pick-up. The signal is very bright, and every touch of the instrument body renders loud fret-like noise.
To those interested: these adhesive and clamp-on pick-ups can be had very cheap via AliExpress. If you should want to experiment with clamp-ons (and a not-solid-body instrument), check the orientation of the cable in relation to the clamp: you wouldn't want to have the cable in the way when strumming a guitar. I intend to try a clamp-on with a banjo (for recording).
Welcome!
Now, this being your first (I see, you now have two posts as of my post) you need to answer this very simple "initiation" question.
What is Max Verstappen's middle name?
Being Dutch doesn't imply knowing things I'm not interested in. 
(By the way, we Dutch may have any number of names apart from a first one. From zero to some five, I think.)
(By the way, we Dutch may have any number of names apart from a first one. From zero to some five, I think.)
That's fundamentally true. Some electric Rock acts put an acoustic "mini set" in their live performances - a little acoustic is OK - you know it's only temporary, eventually they'll go back to why you showed up in the first place.. I've never heard of a Bluegrass band that does an electric min-set in their performance - I suspect the audience would get excited, and not want them to go back to acoustic stuff.
With folks in the USA hyphenating their parent's last names, in a few generations, some of us will be long past you in surname number/length.
