Acoustic bass questions

[Soledad]

I've fancied one for some time, and I may go the whole distance and get a fretless... in for a penny, in for a health check 

Some have truss rods, some appear not to have. Given bass string tensions should I be concerned?
Bridges are fixed so how do you deal with action and intonation if at all?
Many seem to use nylon wraps, but I read issues with piezo pups using nylons - myth or legend?
Is scale length more of an issue, and is 34" still a standard?

Any user experiences, insights most welcome.

[itu]

First and foremost, the sound is small. If you want some loudness, use an amp or buy a double bass.

Don't be afraid of the fixed bridge, especially if you go fretless. Intonation is not an issue at all. Action can be tweaked with a file.

Piezo reads any string that vibrates. Tuning the instrument so that the piezo/bridge parts work well may take few minutes.

I have to say that I hated my instrument, a Kramer Ferrington. Sharp corners (think about your right hand on top of that bulky box), very quiet... I even tried piccolo strings on it and then it sang a bit. But the loudness (the lack of it) was the main reason to sell it. There was nothing I couldn't do with an electric bass. Some have said that it is good at home while practicing. Not me, no more.

[Beedster]

Acoustic Bass? A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma: un-amplified it sounds different to electric bass, but has to be amplified to be heard in 99% of settings. When amplified tends to sound like a poor quality electric bass!

OK, that's a harsh analysis, but IME acoustic bass is 80% of the time a visual/aesthetic choice rather than an sonic/musical one. I have a Breedlove FL. It's very hard to play compared to an electric FL, so makes me play differently, which is often a good thing. I also mic it if playing live, which adds a dimension to the tone that is absent when using the on-board electrics. It's great for living room jams with the kids and/or friends. 

Bottom line however is that I never use it as a first choice bass, simply when the DB is too big or too inconvenient to use and electric bass isn't right for the gig/occasion 

[yorks5stringer]

They can look pretty gathering dust in the corner......😉

[Pea Turgh]

I tried a fair few when I went looking.  I had ambitions of jamming in the garden in the sunshine with mates on guitar & bongos or something.  The reality was much the same as the above respondents - poor plugged in sound, not loud enough for an actual jam, and a little bit uncomfortable.

Sorry, but I’d just get a little amp instead!

[edstraker123]

I've got a couple - the Ortega D-Walker which has a tiny scale (and tinny sound) but is great for just noodling on the couch.

And the Ibanez which sounds better but I just never bother with it.

Acoustic probably makes up 1% of my bass playing time ! 

 

[Jaybeevee]

 

I have a slightly different experience. I picked up an '82 eko FL like the one in the vid. Got if for cheap money. The black nylon coated strings are original and look and feel like 70's push bike brake cables. It has a massive body, but still no real volume. It plays beautifully. Got sissy lines, and though this vid has poor audio, the low volume tone is nice enough, and great for chilling with just like in the vid.....

I decided to fit a Piezo, but didn't want to drill the body, and with no peg holes, was unsure how to accurately fit it... The bridge on the bass is not glued to the body (on mine anyway). Its held in place by the string tension. So I simply put the piezo under the bridge... now, not a long term solution, because the is so much out put that I have to back my amps away off, and get feed back if I don't move far away. That said, I'm able to play it at band volume and it's mighty if not that sweet. I'm really fond of it. If you think you'd enjoy one, do it. I have also played a Furch FL bass, and they are lovely.

[Soledad]

Thanks for all the feedback. Has it crossed anyone's mind there's the start of a user group fan club here for acoustics... maybe not.

I still like the idea, or is it a dream. Watched the vid jbu09 - quite a big beast with a surprisingly punchy sound, partly played quite aggresive I guess. 

I have a chance to try a nice fretless reasonably local soon, need to do that I think. Maybe try a freeted too.

I'll report back - must say if it ends up like a solid body when plugged, I have the Mayones already and that's a peach. We'll see.

 

[itu]

If you are really interested in an acoustic, take a look at these to increase GAS:

http://www.rigelinstruments.com/publish/abg.shtml

https://jakewildwood.blogspot.com/2011/08/c2011-rigel-acoustic-bass-guitar.html

http://www.stollguitars.de/en/instruments/acoustic-basses/

http://www.kbguitars.com/wordpress/?page_id=626

http://www.chrislarkinguitars.com/instruments-gallery/acoustic-bass-guitars.html

http://www.sonntag-guitars.com/english/Archtops/Archtop-Acoustic-Bass.php

Something smaller:

https://www.bassplayer.com/gear/journey-instruments-expands-line-of-collapsible-carbon-fiber-acoustic-travel-bass-guitars

Last, but not least is the guitarron (listen to Fairground Attraction - Perfect and Eagles - New kid in town).

[Frank Blank]

I have a fretless Rob Allen Mouse (30” scale) and a fretted Godin A4 (34” scale). I have tried many acoustic basses and the Godin is the best for me. It isn’t particularly loud acoustically but when amplified it retains the characteristics of an acoustic bass in a was none of the others I’ve tried does. The Godin’s on board eq is also detailed and very varied. If you want to try them drop me a PM.

[Soledad]

9 hours ago, itu said:

If you are really interested in an acoustic

Definitely interested, maybe not five grand interested  

8 hours ago, Frank Blank said:

If you want to try them drop me a PM.

The Godin sounds interesting and seems to get good reviews, player feedback. Thanks for the generous offer, I'll do more research and be in touch.

I'm not really bothered about acoustic volume, but do want something of an acoustic sound when amped, otherwise what's the point. 

btw, I know thay ll have piezo built in, but has anyone just mic'd one up, or contact mics etc? 

[Frank Blank]

15 minutes ago, Soledad said:

The Godin sounds interesting and seems to get good reviews, player feedback.

This is the ‘manual’ for the Godin, I have never found anything online that really gave  an idea of what it’s really like. If you want to try it through your own amps I’m happy to bring it to you.

[Lw.]

I've got one of the cheapy Fender electro-acoustics - the idea of an acoustic bass guitar is nice but in practice I'm not sure if they really work:

- I've used it for home practice but it's not as nice to play as my precision due to the body size

- I've used it for acoustic rehearsing in a band, was ok but you have to be playing it at full beans with the guitarist barely stroking the strings to get the volume balance right

- I've done a couple of "acoustic" gigs with it but the guitar was mic'ed up so the bass went DI into the small PA. I suppose the sets looked more acoustic but I could easily have just taken my electric

- The most useful thing I've found for it is noodling in the garden during the summer. Though this is obviously limited by if you have a garden & if it's actually sunny on your days off! 

 

In terms of your questions; I wouldn't worry about the fixed bridges, the set-up can still be sorted. I suppose you can get them in most scale length but I think they tend to be shorter but given the size of the body you don't feel like it's a really small bass.

[kristo]

I play in an old time blues/jazz band and wanted to get a close approximation of the upright sound without having to use one. I also think an acoustic looking instrument fits better with the bands overall stage look. I've had a few over the years but settled on an acoustic guitar converted to bass by Brandoni. I liked these so much I got another when I saw one for sale. These, when fitted with decent nylon strings, give a lovely woody and thumpy tone via a magnetic pickup in the soundhole. I much preferred these to any piezo I tried, even those in Ubasses which a lot of people love. Then Epiphone released the Masterbilt Century archtop basses and my head was turned. I tried a couple in a shop, both fed back terribly and one the G string had no output. The piezos in them were awful but they played really well. Recently I picked one up after speaking to Aaron Armstrong who said he has could wind me a custom floating pickup. I've now got the pickup fitted and it's working out really well, so much so I've sold one Brandoni and the other is in the classifieds. Neither have much acoustic volume due to the nylon strings, but plugged in I get the acoustic tone I was looking for.

[Soledad]

12 hours ago, Frank Blank said:

If you want to try it through your own amps I’m happy to bring it to you.

Very generous but I'd do the miles, only fair. There is a fine acoustic fretless a bit north of you I'd like to see (play really) so I may need to plan a road trip.

9 hours ago, kristo said:

Then Epiphone released the Masterbilt Century archtop basses

Didn't even know that existed - very handsome indeed. This opens up how the bass is amplified - it seems less than optimum to use piezeo in the bridge when nylon wraps are popular (preferred even) and the bridge is often plastic of some sort. I wonder if either of those materials will transmit the micro-vibrations of the mids and highs very well at all.
This started out an interest (has been for ages) but it may get a bit complex. I really just need to play a couple I think.

[T-Bay]

I love mine which is a cheap unknown one wonderfully named ‘rusty axe’ on the headstock in *best quality paint by the maker or retailer. I have never gigged it but what it’s fantastic for is that instant ability to just do something. So if I need to fix something in my head or try something out it’s ideal. I would gig it but it doesn’t fit with the sort of stuff we do.

[chickenjames]

I have gone halfway on this - I have a fretless U bass which I play through a Markbass 801 for acoustic sessions.

or through a 500W stack for big gigs...

[GuyR]

I have the old style godin A5 fretless. Bought used 10 years+ ago The unplugged sound is sublime. Like a good DB and the notes really swell. A really fat tone plucked over the fingerboard and more electric like plucked closer to the bridge. Mine had quite a high action and I gave it to Martin Petersen to sort out. It is super slick to play now and gets daily use.

[therealting]

I have a Warwick Alien which is fantastic for noodling around the house without having to plug in, also perfect to playing along to songs through the phone speaker. 

[Huge Hands]

I bought a cheap Harley Benton 5 string ex-deco that sits in my lounge.  It is great for quickly picking up and working something out if an idea comes into your head, or a song on the TV, or the missus starts warbling and you want to play along.  If I want to practice properly, I plug in my gigging bass - as the body size and strings/string spacing make the feel a lot different - as others have said..

It came with cheap zingy brass strings on it which would make horrible finger noises when trying to move around the neck.  I put black nylon wrapped Roto 88s on mine, which are great but feel like the brake cables @jbu09 was on about.

I tried to pedal some bass notes under a violin duo/flute trio thing as my DB was out for repair, and it couldn't even be loud enough with those in a small church setting, so wouldn't advise gigging acoustically, but it is great when noodling by yourself on the settee.

I recently has a tuning post snap on it, but that's another thread - all sorted now.

[Beedster]

6 hours ago, Huge Hands said:

It came with cheap zingy brass strings on it which would make horrible finger noises when trying to move around the neck. 

I have no idea why anyone has ever though those things sound good on a bass, I can only assume that on a low volume instrument they are slightly louder than other options which is why manufacturers put them on at the factory, but god they sound awful. 

[BreadBin]

I like the challenge of playing with phosphor bronze strings - it really makes you work on your left hand technique and right hand muting. I have a Tenson Jumbo which is loud!

[itu]

@Soledad: Have you noticed the Takamine B10 in the classifieds? That might be a very interesting instrument.

[Soledad]

@BreadBin - may be deceptive but that looks huge ! From a sound p.o.v I guess big is good. For a typical EB player, I'd expect to have to adapt to the body size - looks v nice though.

@itu - hadn't, looks very nice, quite serious (stand up as well, designed for bowing etc.), and over my 'give one a go' budget.

[itu]

23 minutes ago, Soledad said:

...and over my 'give one a go' budget.

Mine too... but it looks stunning.