Acoustic Basses (sorry if this has been asked before!)

[rasher80]

Sorry if this has cropped up at some point previously, but i wanted to ask about acoustic basses - are they worth it?

I know you're going to say "just try one!" but i do have to point out that i'm a cack hander and the only basses there ever seem to be in my locale are a few Westfield P copies and the occasional Fender - so the option of trying out is not a luxury for me. It's not the first time i've whinged about being a lefty, i'm getting a bit like Uncle Albert from Only Fools... "during the war..."

Anyways, the reason is, the band i'm in are being increasingly asked to do acoustic sets for local radio stations and the odd acoustic night and they want me to be involved - usually it's just guitar and vox. We were told by BBC Manchester that they aren't insured to let us use any electrical equipment so it has to be strictly acoustic and this seems to be quite common. I'm pretty certain from what i've read that it might be a waste of time once the guitar starts clanging, but i thought i'd ask you BCers for any useful input!

Edited January 6, 2009 by rasher80

[The Burpster]

If you can get an Ovation mic'd up they sound pretty good but they nearly all wont have enough volume to compete with anywhare near 1/2 decent accoustic g'tars.

You could try one of the Roland battery powered (busker) amps to give your accoustic the boost it needs (or an electric plugged in). I cant see how they'd complain about that.....

[url="http://www.roland.co.uk/guitar_room_catdet.asp?id=Cubestreet"]http://www.roland.co.uk/guitar_room_catdet.asp?id=Cubestreet[/url]

Or if your're feeling proper flush.... you can use these on 12V(get yerself a little LiPo pack and Bobs your saviour!)

[url="http://www.philjonespuresound.com/PJWeb11_Briefcase.aspx"]http://www.philjonespuresound.com/PJWeb11_Briefcase.aspx[/url]

[chris_b]

[quote name='rasher80' post='371928' date='Jan 6 2009, 12:57 PM']....We were told by BBC Manchester that they aren't insured to let us use any electrical equipment so it has to be strictly acoustic....[/quote]
Last year I recorded sessions for several BBC locals and Capital radio with a full electric band and never had any trouble. BUT, all our gear was less than a year old and didn't need PAT testing. The station electricians had a look and OK'ed us.
Are the BBC saving money by cutting corners with their insurance??

Edited January 6, 2009 by chris_b

[rasher80]

Dunno about that Chris, i obviously wasn't able to play and we decided that the guitarist and keyboardist were gonna play - the show producer told the keyboardist that there was no way he was going to be allowed into the studio with his keyboard as they weren't insured...

I'm not overly fussed, it's nice to be able to kick back and leave them to it. I might have to invest one day for open mics and what-have-you, but going strictly acoustic is probably a waste of time!

[endorka]

In my experience, acoustic bass guitars are pretty much a waste of time for serious use. As someone else mentioned, they don't produce enough volume to compete with even the naffest of acoustic guitars, and once you amplify them they sound pretty much like an amplified electric bass and are prone to feedback, so you might as well have used an electric bass in the first place.

The body on an acoustic bass guitar is just not big enough to get a good sound... there is no way it will be reproducing the fundamental frequencies of the low notes. What you really need is a double bass!

The only thing they are useful for are those "unplugged" sets where everyone is actually amplified anyway, and it is really about having something that looks acoustic as opposed to sounding acoustic.

In saying that, I do own an acoustic bass guitar and I have used it for doing folky stuff at parties etc., but it is very hard work even just to be heard, and the effect is probably not what you are used to as an amplified electric bassist. Your fingers end up in shreds pretty quickly :-)

Jennifer

[chris_b]

[quote name='rasher80' post='372103' date='Jan 6 2009, 03:36 PM']....wasn't able to play and we decided that the guitarist and keyboardist were gonna play - the show producer told the keyboardist that there was no way he was going to be allowed into the studio with his keyboard as they weren't insured....[/quote]
What a bunch of jokers! With such a fundamental restriction, you'd think they'd be careful to book a band that would be allowed to play when they turned up!! I hope you still got paid?

[franzbassist]

My Brook 5 string can cope played against two acoustics when we're all unplugged and providing I'm using a pic (fingerstyle just doesn't have enough bite). Of course it doesn't have massive bottom end or make your trousers flap, but you can certainly hear it as a different sound in the acoustic mix.

Mind you, the Brook is a specialist bit of kit; cusom made so BIG body, solid timbers, properly stressed top and back for decent projection. I doubt many budget ABGs could compete against two guitars in the same way.

I think acoustic basses are perfectly valid, providing you're realistic in what they can do.

Cheers

Gareth

[yorks5stringer]

Acoustic Basses are great in theory but rubbish in practice in my experience. Feedback and poor intonation etc etc!

[Pookus]

I have Crafter acoustic bass which is fine for what it is. I just have it knocking about the house and pick it up when I feel the urge. It has to be remembered that it is an acoustic bass guitar and it is limited - but you can still have fun with it. I often jam with mates and it sounds ok. I too tend to use a pick as someone else mentioned and it does improve its presence.

[Paul Cooke]

[quote name='endorka' post='372156' date='Jan 6 2009, 04:40 PM']In my experience, acoustic bass guitars are pretty much a waste of time for serious use. As someone else mentioned, they don't produce enough volume to compete with even the naffest of acoustic guitars, and once you amplify them they sound pretty much like an amplified electric bass and are prone to feedback, so you might as well have used an electric bass in the first place.[/quote]
that's why I use a small practice combo that goes under my chair so it isn't pointing directly at my bass... either that, or I DI into the PA and make sure my monitor and the PA isn't pointing at me... My Zoom A2.1U gives me the ability to engage an automatic feedback killing notch filter just using a footswitch...

[quote name='endorka' post='372156' date='Jan 6 2009, 04:40 PM']The body on an acoustic bass guitar is just not big enough to get a good sound... there is no way it will be reproducing the fundamental frequencies of the low notes. What you really need is a double bass![/quote]
get a big enough one and you have no problems... a lot of them have bodies that're too small

[quote name='endorka' post='372156' date='Jan 6 2009, 04:40 PM']The only thing they are useful for are those "unplugged" sets where everyone is actually amplified anyway, and it is really about having something that looks acoustic as opposed to sounding acoustic.[/quote]
blame MTV for that... always amused me that those intimate little unplugged sets more often than not had solid body basses and synthesisers being used by the backing band with just the guitarists using miked or otherwise amplified acoustics.

[quote name='endorka' post='372156' date='Jan 6 2009, 04:40 PM']In saying that, I do own an acoustic bass guitar and I have used it for doing folky stuff at parties etc., but it is very hard work even just to be heard, and the effect is probably not what you are used to as an amplified electric bassist. Your fingers end up in shreds pretty quickly :-)

Jennifer[/quote]
get rid of those phosphor bronze roundwound strings... fit a decent set of nylon tapewounds like the LaBellas I use... nice and deep sound, no zing, no string noise, no shredded fingers.


[quote name='Pookus' post='372413' date='Jan 6 2009, 08:49 PM']I have Crafter acoustic bass which is fine for what it is. I just have it knocking about the house and pick it up when I feel the urge. It has to be remembered that it is an acoustic bass guitar and it is limited - but you can still have fun with it. I often jam with mates and it sounds ok. I too tend to use a pick as someone else mentioned and it does improve its presence.[/quote]
I use a felt pick when I need to be loud without using my amps or the PA... Can't get very creative lines with it though, just stick to roots and fifths...