Acoustic bass guitar chat

[Barking Spiders]

I've found myself a cracking pub where peeps come along with their acoustic guitars, things to hit (drums not people), banjolele's etc and just jam. I've been along with bodhran and cajon but there's loads of folks with bongos etc but there's no one with a bass. So I wanna get an acoustic bass  but dunno what's good and what's not. I don't wanna spend loads, maybe £500 at the very most. Anyone  here got one ?

[casapete]

Yup, got a Washburn AB20 which I've had a long time. Played a lot of others too!

IMO all the ones I've tried would struggle unamplified with anything other than quiet rehearsal level.

May be best to consider factoring in a small combo - the Fender Rumble stuff is pretty good and 

very light/compact - so you're able to be heard properly.

S/h is your best option  for a bass - just saw a Washburn like mine go for £150, and others worth a

look are models by Tanglewood and Takamine, both of which come up for sale quite often.

Over your budget, but the recently introduced Taylor GS mini bass is an amazing thing, and it's guitar

sized dimensions would be very pub friendly too. https://www.gak.co.uk/en/taylor-gs-mini-e-bass/904810?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqY7i2uyL2AIVCDPTCh0szwZiEAQYASABEgIqv_D_BwE

Good luck!

 

[Barking Spiders]

2 minutes ago, casapete said:

Yup, got a Washburn AB20 which I've had a long time. Played a lot of others too!

IMO all the ones I've tried would struggle unamplified with anything other than quiet rehearsal level.

May be best to consider factoring in a small combo - the Fender Rumble stuff is pretty good and 

very light/compact - so you're able to be heard properly.

S/h is your best option  for a bass - just saw a Washburn like mine go for £150, and others worth a

look are models by Tanglewood and Takamine, both of which come up for sale quite often.

Over your budget, but the recently introduced Taylor GS mini bass is an amazing thing, and it's guitar

sized dimensions would be very pub friendly too. https://www.gak.co.uk/en/taylor-gs-mini-e-bass/904810?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqY7i2uyL2AIVCDPTCh0szwZiEAQYASABEgIqv_D_BwE

Good luck!

 

some useful info here casapete. Yep, the big thing  for me is the need for a decent sound without amplification .  Also whether to go for steel or nylon strings. I'm guessing nylon strings don't give off as loud a noise as steel. 

[BigRedX]

If you need to be completely un-amplified you are going to need a double bass.

Acoustic bass guitars simply aren't loud enough to compete with anything more than a single quiet (not strummed) acoustic guitar because the body isn't big enough to project the sound. Low notes and a decent volume requires a large body, hence the size of the double bass. There are a few very large bodied acoustic guitars like the Earthwood Bass, but they are very rare and expensive. 

The other issue you will come across is that decent small-bodied acoustic basses (one you will be using with an amp) tend to cost a lot more than an equivalent quality electro-acoustic guitar, partly because they aren't so popular and also because once again amplifying low notes is more complicated than a standard guitar. Unless you get very lucky with something like a bargain-priced second hand Takamine TB10, expect to pay at least £1k to get something of the equivalent quality to a £350 electro-acoustic 6-string guitar.

TBH if you are going to have to reply on amplification you might as well use your favourite electric bass and a small and unobtrusive combo. It will sound better and you won't have to worry about feedback or excessive handling noise from cheap piezo pickup systems.

Edited December 15, 2017 by BigRedX

[casapete]

I use bronze wound strings on mine, but even though they're quite bright they're not enough to cut through unamplified.

There's generally not a lot of love on here for acoustic/electric basses, some of which is well founded. Most people

seem to agree that they need to be amplified, which makes them sound less 'acoustic' and thus makes them a tad

unnecessary over a standard electric bass guitar other than appearance.

I use mine straight into a small Yamaha / Bose PA system in a smallish pub, doing a weekly 'acoustic' session with a 

guitarist. Without the PA it wouldn't be possible!

Best you see if you can get to try an acoustic bass out in a shop and see what you think of the level they produce.

[Happy Jack]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitarrón_mexicano

https://www.hobgoblin.com/local/sales/products/GR36034/atlas-guitarron-bass-guitar/

I imagine these come up pre-owned on eBay occasionally.

[casapete]

8 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

some useful info here casapete. Yep, the big thing  for me is the need for a decent sound without amplification .  Also whether to go for steel or nylon strings. I'm guessing nylon strings don't give off as loud a noise as steel. 

Can't remember seeing any nylon strung acoustic basses TBH?

[Happy Jack]

2 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Unless you get very lucky with something like a bargain-priced second hand Takamine TB10,

My TB10 would never be able to compete unamplified with acoustic guitars.

It's not just the fact that it's six strings being strummed vs one being plucked, it's also the register of course.

[casapete]

1 minute ago, Happy Jack said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitarrón_mexicano

https://www.hobgoblin.com/local/sales/products/GR36034/atlas-guitarron-bass-guitar/

I imagine these come up pre-owned on eBay occasionally.

Apart from these ^^^ !!!

Tried the one in Hobgoblin in Leeds a couple of weeks ago - was actually quite loud!

[BigRedX]

6 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

My TB10 would never be able to compete unamplified with acoustic guitars.

It's not just the fact that it's six strings being strummed vs one being plucked, it's also the register of course.

Useful to know. When tried one in the shop it seemed considerably louder than the competition, but obviously that still isn't loud enough in a real acoustic gig situation. However in my recommendation of the TB10 I was assuming that the OP would be using it with some sort of amplification, and was implying that IMO this was the benchmark for a decent electro-acoustic bass guitar.

Edited December 15, 2017 by BigRedX

[tinyd]

4 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

If you need to be completely un-amplified you are going to need a double bass.

 

+1 . On the other hand, if you want to keep the whole acoustic look-and-feel and you decide that you can live with amplification after all, you could always get a Ukulele bass. I tried one of these out recently and I really liked it - https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Laka-VUB60EA-Electro-Acoustic-Bass-Ukulele-Mahogany/1LLY

For portability you could match it with one of these https://www.roland.com/us/products/micro_cube_bass_rx/ and then you'd have a setup that you can take anywhere and even busk if it takes your fancy.

[Happy Jack]

In truth, I'm not convinced that my DB can compete fully with two or more acoustic guitars.

The players from the pre-amplification days really worked those strings!

[Silvia Bluejay]

I have one of those large acoustic bass guitars that look very much like an acoustic guitar, with phosphor-bronze rounds on, and I would agree that it's always best to amplify when in a band situation. You're more likely to find a semi-acoustic bass guitar - with active electronics, preamp etc. - in shops or online, as opposed to a purely acoustic one, and I suppose there's a good reason for that.

[BassBod]

Best option for the situation is Uke-type bass with tiny combo tucked away, so as not to offend.  An acoustic BG would do as well, but is generally bigger and costs more..and would still need the amp to be any use.  The secret in these situations is using less volume than you would want to so the unplugged atmosphere is maintained.  It helps a lot.

Edited December 15, 2017 by BassBod

[PaulWarning]

with the overwhelming consensus being that acoustic basses just aren't loud enough perhaps a (rechargeable) battery operated combo might do it 

[Barking Spiders]

Hmm, now thinking it's praps not such a good idea to get one. If these need amplification then I'm not sure what the point of them is

[lemmywinks]

Your best bet is to try our a few and find one that sounds reasonably loud and deep. The better ones I've used in that regard (irrespective of price) have been various Washburns and my mate's Samick. Usually they come with bronze strings which sound bright and clanky when coupled with a piezo that doesn't cost the earth, for a more authentic acoustic tone try nylon coated strings, less volume though. I still use an old cheapo Ozark acoustic (I bought it almost 20 years ago in college ) which has been defretted and fitted with black nylons, it's a lovely sounding bass and sounds far more like a db than an electric fretless does despite what others on here will tell you. For anything other than accompanying a classical guitar you'll need amplification though, I've used a small JBL powered monitor, a little Hartke A70 combo and a mini bass rig (MarkBass/EA) over the years. Would probably just take a combo or monitor out of convience.

Most people will tell you how useless acoustic basses are but I've played mine regularly in various situations for nearly two decades so if you have a need or use for one then satisfy your curiosity, there's worse things to spend your money on. Keep in mind if you want that "acoustic" sound then the fretless/nylon combo is probably the way to go.

[PaulWarning]

10 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

Hmm, now thinking it's praps not such a good idea to get one. If these need amplification then I'm not sure what the point of them is

We had an acoustic gig and I was asked if I was getting one, my answer being what's the point if you're going to plug it in anyway? "but it would look better" came the reply, sorry I'm really not that bothered

[casapete]

Some interesting stuff here should you decide to go ahead.

http://www.musicradar.com/news/10-of-the-best-acoustic-bass-guitars

[EliasMooseblaster]

I have seen a few resonator acoustic basses knocking around online - never had a chance to try one myself. Anyone know if they're noticeably louder than a regular acoustic bass guitar? 

[casapete]

Not sure about louder, but the one I tried was more middle biased which may cut through a bit more. 

Still not enough unamplified though IMO.

 

[Staggering on]

2 hours ago, tinyd said:

+1 . On the other hand, if you want to keep the whole acoustic look-and-feel and you decide that you can live with amplification after all, you could always get a Ukulele bass. I tried one of these out recently and I really liked it - https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Laka-VUB60EA-Electro-Acoustic-Bass-Ukulele-Mahogany/1LLY

For portability you could match it with one of these https://www.roland.com/us/products/micro_cube_bass_rx/ and then you'd have a setup that you can take anywhere and even busk if it takes your fancy.

I agree with this,I assume the bass uke referred to above is a knock off of the Kala U Bass that comes in several versions and price ranges.A friend of mine just got one and plays it acoustically when she and her finger picking guitar playing husband practice their folk/pop songs.Obviously they are not very loud but they have found that it works for them.I have tried their U Bass acoustically and through a small guitar  combo amp and it sounds great and is a lot of fun to play.They will put it and the guitar and vocals through the PA when they gig.The U Bass also comes with a choice of strings and it would be worthwhile trying both before you buy, my friend settled on the wound strings instead of the very odd feeling plastic/rubber/whatever strings.There are lots of videos of the Kala U Bass and you can see it played in many styles from bluegrass to jazz.Based on my somewhat limited experience it's what I would choose for your situation or as others have suggested get a cheap EB or EUB and small combo amp.

I know you folks over there have been experiencing some winter weather recently but here in northern Ontario we are having a real Canadian winter. We have about 30cm of snow now and it was -23C last night but it has already warmed up to -17C and will be a balmy -8C this afternoon.It will be a cool and slippery drive to the gig tonight and we will be getting more snow.

Bob

 

 

[Cato]

2 hours ago, Barking Spiders said:

Hmm, now thinking it's praps not such a good idea to get one. If these need amplification then I'm not sure what the point of them is

They do have their own unique sound, even when plugged in, kind of like a zingy but boomy thing going on - almost exactly not like a double bass.

Although a lot of that is probably coming from the phosphor bronze strings most of them have fitted.

I've been tempted a couple of times and I'm sure that they're great fun for home practice but ultimately I've always resisted.

[casapete]

26 minutes ago, Cato said:

They do have their own unique sound, even when plugged in, kind of like a zingy but boomy thing going on - almost exactly not like a double bass.

Although a lot of that is probably coming from the phosphor bronze strings most of them have fitted.

I've been tempted a couple of times and I'm sure that they're great fun for home practice but ultimately I've always resisted.

Yup, agree with you on the sound they make. Not for a minute to be mistaken for a DB, but have an 'acoustic-ness' which does suit certain

situations I find. 

I've never tried an electric bass like a Stingray with the piezo bridge option, wonder if they have that quality?

[lemmywinks]

The sound they make is down to them having a combination of a piezo pickup, bronze strings and frets. A fretless acoustic bass with nylon coated strings sounds closer to a double bass than anything else I've tried. When that bass had frets and those horrid bronze things it also sounded scratchy and zingy, now it has an excellent "woody" (cringeworthy adjective but can't think of another one) tone, you can also dig in closer to the neck without creating too much noise which is something you can't do with the bronze strings and piezo combination.

Just swapping the strings for something more suitable will make the sound more appropriate for the body style, unfortunately this is something you can only hear after you've already shelled out on the bass and a new set of strings.