bythesea Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 My wife has decided that she wants to learn to play bass as she feels she is missing out on not being musical, so I have been giving her some simple lessons - she is using a Rockbass Corvette (she picked it as she liked the colour!). She is enjoying it so far, but often can't be bothered to plug it in, put on headphones, turn on the amp and so on. She has now decided that she would like to try an acoustic bass so she can just pick it up and play, but she doesn't want to spend much on it in case she decides against taking it further. When I got home today she had been searching eBay and found this [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290311827782"]Lindo[/url]. Anyone have any experience of them or have any other suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarcher Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 As a beginner18months ago I got a Tanglewood acoustic bass for those very same reasons but found it more dificult to learn on because of the depth of the body. Just athought and something to think about. Try before you buy if you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisba Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 [quote name='tarcher' post='529119' date='Jun 30 2009, 09:39 PM']As a beginner18months ago I got a Tanglewood acoustic bass for those very same reasons but found it more dificult to learn on because of the depth of the body. Just athought and something to think about. Try before you buy if you can.[/quote] +1 for that. I have played a couple of acoustic basses, and they are very awkward to hold , and don't make enough sound to do anything but play in your own house. Waste of time IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Cheap ones are particularly (nay spectacularly) bad. If you really want one, save up and get a good one. You'll still have to plug it in for anything above playing by yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 I have different experiences to the above posters - I wouldn't say I disagree with the others completely though. You need to exercise caution when buying an acoustic bass and certainly don't buy one you haven't played. I had a great Aria acoustic bass which I only sold when times are hard. I've played some good cheap ones. You just need to trust the seller has given them a decent set up. My Aria was great & is one of my bigger regrets from all the kit I've sold on over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 (edited) I find the bodies on acoustic basses are too big to get your forearm over comfortably. I like the sound (although they're never loud enough to keep up with an acoustic guitar), but hate playing them. I think your missus will be more put off by that than she is plugging in her electric bass. Edited June 30, 2009 by thisnameistaken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveO Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Many moons ago I got one of Thomann's cheap semi acoustic basses. I was working in an acoustic project in which we just couldn't get my electric bass sound to fit properly, and I thought it was worth a try. For that task it worked really well, but (as reported in earlier posts), the unpluged sound was terrible, not much louder than an unpluged electric bass. IMO i'd advise her not to bother, and to just get used to plugging in. (it's not that much of a chew now is it?) Apologies for hijacking this thread, but I've ocasionaly played the acoustic against an acoustic guitar (late party, bonfire in the garden, etc etc) and found it terribly wanting, needing some serious digging in to get the level up (I'm talking about grabbing the string with thumb and forefinger and snaping it onto the fretboard to be heard!) Has anyone got any suggestions? My current thoughts are: 1) get hold of a double bass (not very practical for campfires). Or 2) try out a Mariachi bass (one of those huge jobbies usually seen in mexican combo's) Has anyone tried one of these Mariachi's? is it likely to be loud enough? I know I could search the interweb, but I'd rather hear of any experiences of you lot - i.e. people who's opinion I trust (well, a bit more than the stuff on the interweb in general) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 [quote name='SteveO' post='529256' date='Jul 1 2009, 12:11 AM']1) get hold of a double bass (not very practical for campfires). Or 2) try out a Mariachi bass (one of those huge jobbies usually seen in mexican combo's) Has anyone tried one of these Mariachi's? is it likely to be loud enough? I know I could search the interweb, but I'd rather hear of any experiences of you lot - i.e. people who's opinion I trust (well, a bit more than the stuff on the interweb in general) [/quote] TBH a 3/4 scale DB would have trouble keeping up with an enthusiastically-thrashed acoustic guitar. DBs aren't terribly loud in the grand scheme of things (unless I've only played examples that are terribly quiet). The main problem, I think, is that at typical social gatherings the people with acoustic guitars tend not to be "ensemble" guitarists, so they don't generally have any thought for whoever might be accompanying them - they are used to being their own accompaniment, so they thrash the crap out of them in order to sing at full volume (usually results in the best sound a non-professional singer makes). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobiebass Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 the bass in the link is semi accoustic, or whatever you call it, it WONT be loud as it doesnt have the cut away hole in the body. that bass will need to be pluged in to play so you may as well stick with an electric as they are more comfortable. FYI Accoustic basses wont be loud enough to play with a accoustic guitar even with a pick. If she just wants to pick up and noodle by herself id suggest going to a bass shop and picking up a tanglewood, generally about £200 ish, play a few and get a feel for it, the bodys vairy and she needs to find something that suits her. plus find one with a decent setup. Ive found most accoustic's ive played have a massive action. found them much harder to play then an electric. but all this is in my honest opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobiebass Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 [quote name='SteveO' post='529256' date='Jul 1 2009, 12:11 AM']Apologies for hijacking this thread, but I've ocasionaly played the acoustic against an acoustic guitar (late party, bonfire in the garden, etc etc) and found it terribly wanting, needing some serious digging in to get the level up (I'm talking about grabbing the string with thumb and forefinger and snaping it onto the fretboard to be heard!) Has anyone got any suggestions? My current thoughts are: 1) get hold of a double bass (not very practical for campfires). Or 2) try out a Mariachi bass (one of those huge jobbies usually seen in mexican combo's) Has anyone tried one of these Mariachi's? is it likely to be loud enough? I know I could search the interweb, but I'd rather hear of any experiences of you lot - i.e. people who's opinion I trust (well, a bit more than the stuff on the interweb in general) [/quote] try one of those tiny belt clip on marshall amps. they sound TERRIBLE, but at least its loud enough to keep up and it uses batterys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bythesea Posted July 1, 2009 Author Share Posted July 1, 2009 Thanks for all the replies - I will tell her to get used to plugging in the electric, and next time we are in Brighton might be tempted to go into GAK (if she twists my arm ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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