Recommended acoustic bass guitar?

[Eddie LeBlanc]

Spector Timbre.. long scale. Many of your suggestions are short scale AEBs.

Bass was designed off a Tacoma Thunderchief which is no longer in production, and still regarded as one of the best sounding AEBs out there.

 

[matthewbrown]

I put a K&K Pure Bass pickup in mine, instead of the undersaddle. Along with tapewounds, sounds great.

I love the K&K on mine. Improved the sound 110%.

 

[davelowell2]

Can't believe I am going to say this...did not want to believe it...

Skip the accoustic bass

I have owned the Guild B-50, Taylor / Klein AB-2, Martin B-15 and a custom boutique build

They are a lovely idea, but they don't work

Believe me I tried...phospher bronze, la bella tapes, flats

I would write / work out tunes, play solo and sing...they just don't project enough because they don't

I guess if you are moving off the grid into a no electricity zone then maybe...

Save yourself the frustration, get yourself a hollowbody and a small amp instead...or of course a Precision and small amp

I fought this a long time, didn't want to believe it either

I have been lured in by the B 50 lately but haven’t found one close to play. Can you talk more about it? Have you played the little Ibanez parlor bass?

 

[Sav'nBass]

I would suggest you get an ABG that has a string through bridge as opposed to a pinned bridge... and if your budget is around $1500 spend 1k or less in the bass ... and get a Tonewood amplifier. They are great for acoustic instruments. I have owned a Tacoma, a Michael Kelly Drogonfly and a Breedlove Atlas and of all of them I like the Breedlove best. The Tacoma had the richest sound but it was a very delicate instrument. The Tonewood amp will help to eliminate some of the issues aßociated with ABGs as far as volume go.

If I were buying one now I would get this Rudy Szarzo with a Tonewood amp...

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

BTW.. the Warwick Alien is seeming to be hard to find, and it has a 32" or Medium scale length.
Most places I've seen, they are out of stock. Maybe Warwick is restarting production.

I see now they have created an inexpensive line of Aliens, long scale but made in Vietnam. They have the rounder horn on the cutaway.

Versus the original Aliens made in Germany. They are a 32" scale with the pointed horn on the cutaway. The German ones are still commanding a high price.

Don't know about the differences, but seems from looking there could be a few

 

[DrMole]

The OP "does not have the power to plug in an amplifier" so any suggestions regarding amplified sound, while appropriate advice regarding ( IMO) ALL AE basses are off target for the OP.
Two Martin D28s, a fiddle, banjo and Mandolin around a campfire- nobody will hear nor feel the bass. Bass and one instrument, a vocalist with no mic- an acoustic bass can work.

There are some great suggestions above.
My MK fretless is obviously poverty-spec on the AEB scale but I have played a few other higher end AEBs and in a purely acoustic setting, remained wanting. Even a battery powered portable with an 8" speaker can do wonders for an AEB

 

[chadds]

thanks for helping guys

You're welcome.
Many of us play them because of the way they sound.

 

[Winslow]

One option that is seldom mentioned, but may occasionally be found in the used market, is an early model Ovation/Applause ABG. Before Ovation went to the "autumn leaves" styled holes around the sides of the fretboard, they made an ABG that was essentially an Ovation Balladeer writ large, with the rounded back and one big soundhole in the middle of the top, at the end of the fretboard. No, it won't make the floor rumble or windows rattle like the electrically-addicted enjoy, but it does project well enough to play nicely with a small acoustic ensemble. I used mine for years to do just that in church and small acoustic settings, and it did fine.

Good luck, OP!

 

[jcopas]

I thought about getting an ABG when my wife got an acoustic guitar. After playing around with a couple at a local music store I decided against it, they are amazingly quiet without amplification. I pulled my old precision bass out of the attic and bought a blackstar fly 3 battery powered combo amp. It's tiny with it's 3" speaker, runs on batteries that last forever, and does well enough within reason. There are probably far better, similar amps out there with a budget of $1500. The Fly 3 was something like $75.

I'm not saying an ABG can't work for you. Just try a few before you buy so you can ensure your expectations are realistic.

 

[GretschWretch]

I would suggest you get an ABG that has a string through bridge as opposed to a pinned bridge... and if your budget is around $1500 spend 1k or less in the bass ... and get a Tonewood amplifier. They are great for acoustic instruments. I have owned a Tacoma, a Michael Kelly Drogonfly and a Breedlove Atlas and of all of them I like the Breedlove best. The Tacoma had the richest sound but it was a very delicate instrument. The Tonewood amp will help to eliminate some of the issues aßociated with ABGs as far as volume go.

If I were buying one now I would get this Rudy Szarzo with a Tonewood amp...

All it takes to convert a pinned bridge to a string through bridge is to slip rubber plumbing washers over the strings and slide them down to the ball end, and then thread the strings through the pin holes.

 

[GretschWretch]

Or just get a 1/4 sized double bass.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Question comes up a lot. They really are a whole ‘nuther kind of animal.

Maybe time for a whole new forum? We have Double Bass, Electric Bass, and now Acoustic Bass.

 

[WebJunk]

i mostly play acoustic guitar, and im also a little lazy and dont have the power to plug in an amplifier .
in terms of budget, i set a budget that isnt that low because i dont want to change a guitar every year, i want a guitar that will be with me for many years, no matter if i dont play with it (which i dont think will happen), that there is another guitar in home it is never a drawback.

unless you're buying used, I'd recommend spending less on a first bass. Rarely is the first instrument, the final choice no matter how much you spend. Especially going by online opinions. Just read the forums here!
I have an A/E Ibanez bass (older with the weird model names) which I like for certain things but honestly I play my electrics unplugged more often than that Ibanez. and like I said my Ibanez A/E is older but was around $250-300 when I bought and still as good over a decade later. Price has nothing to do with how long it lasts if not a primary instrument & have had no thought of replacing it with a "better" or more expensive acoustic bass.

 

[boombloom]

A quick search will show that this cabbage has already been chewed many times. They are what they are. The best of this kind are the best but don't expect any of them to put out much sound. I had a B50 for years and got rid of it when I got a $300 Boulder Creek. Honestly though, I almost never play that. My main instrument is a 3/4 upright. More volume, better sound. It's an entirely different instrument though, and it does take up some room in the room.

 

[Mosfed]

If you have any desire to play with other people, get an electric bass.

 

[pbass2]

I've never heard an acoustic bass guitar that was loud enough to even keep up with one acoustic guitar being strummed with any passion. Lightly fingerpicked, maybe, but even then, you're not getting any really useful/supportive bass frequencies to speak of from the instrument unless the setting is nearly whisper quiet. Maybe an Earthwood is better, though I've never encountered one in the wild. The only thing that can pull it off other than an upright is a guitarron, which I do play--it can hold it's own in a mariachi band with trumpets fer cryin' out loud. But it is a totally different beast, and requires a specific technique to get that volume out of it (if you just pluck it or pick it like a regular bass guitar it's not much louder than an ABG). But, if you want to learn unique bass instrument, that has a very special sound and can really project (and are up for a physical challenge technique-wise) you can get a guitarron for not much outlay. But again, it's a very different animal from a bass guitar.

 

[juancaminos]

I tried everything in three different big box music store to arrive at a Tacoma Thunderchief.

 

[Basically Bob]

I tried everything in three different big box music store to arrive at a Tacoma Thunderchief.

The Thunderchief was the only acoustic bass, IMHO, that was on par with my old 1977 Guild B50. I played regularly with an acoustic trio and it certainly held its own without amplification.

 

[MynameisMe]

Get a plug in bass guitar and one of these. I play it all over the place and the battery lasts for hours.
Can easily be heard above a couple acoustic guitars.
You can take it outside or wherever there is not any power. I am sure you have some form of electricity and don't live in the woods, otherwise how would you post on TalkBass?
https://www.amazon.com/Pignose-7-300-HOG-30-Amplifier/dp/B0002D0K00

 

[Hover-Rich]

Of course it is all a matter of personal preference, but I say +1 for the Tacoma Thunderchief. I have had one for a dozen or so years and I really like its acoustic sound. When plugged in, it still has that same tone without being "colored" by the electronics.