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  #31  
Old 07-20-2016, 01:28 PM
jomaynor jomaynor is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by posternutbag View Post
You just called the opinions of many, many people "rubbish" and cliche'ed based on your anecdotal evidence and your sample size of 1. That sir, is rubbish.

You think upright basses are "ubiquitous?"
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

The hardest thing to find for a traditional bluegrass band is a double bass, to the point where owning a double bass is often the sole criteria for joining the band. That is the opposite of "ubiquitous."

Finally, the points raised about volume are so well-founded as to appear to you "cliche." You may not like it, but that doesn't change the facts. You are welcome to your own opinion, but I stand behind the physics. The body of a bass guitar is too small of an acoustic chamber to move enough air to be heard at low frequencies.

In the end, pitch is the frequency of the sound wave, and volume is the amplitude. In order to have a large amplitude at low frequency (and thus perceived as "loud"), you have to move more air, and a flat top ABG does not have enough sound chamber volume to push the volume of air necessary to produce a loud tone at low frequencies. If I am wrong, prove it experimentally. Right now your evidence is a picture of a bass guitar and a dead youtube link.

If you are going to say that there is an ABG that defies physics, bring it. It isn't like anyone in this thread has it out for the ABG and wants to smear it. If someone (you) can find or build an ABG that is loud enough to keep up with an acoustic band, let it come forth. I will buy it. It would make my life so much easier.

But fundamentally, even in your own post you say you need a small amp in some situations. This is all anyone has ever said. An ABG needs an amp to be heard, therefore it is not loud enough on it own.

Perfectly stated, posternutbag.

And photographic evidence?
This is an acoustic bass whose sound doesn't disappoint.


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  #32  
Old 07-21-2016, 07:48 AM
LesRose LesRose is offline
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We have a few bass players, grandson strictly electric. My son has an accoustic bass, after several years he added an archtop and frankly he digs the differences. He is very happy to have augmented the sound, found his accoustic a bit restrictive.
I dabble on a three string upright that is a stick, got myself a portable amp and haul it into the yard.

The U-bass is a sweet thing that is on the list for next addition, should already have one. really my favorite accoustic bass. Several uke basses are great, but Kala deserves a good look.
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  #33  
Old 07-22-2016, 05:47 AM
ac ac is offline
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Currently being discussed on the Carbon Fiber subforum:

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  #34  
Old 07-22-2016, 11:17 AM
ukrobbiej1 ukrobbiej1 is offline
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Very useful contribution to the debate, and that dos sound huge
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  #35  
Old 07-28-2016, 01:04 PM
The Growler The Growler is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LesRose View Post
We have a few bass players, grandson strictly electric. My son has an accoustic bass, after several years he added an archtop and frankly he digs the differences. He is very happy to have augmented the sound, found his accoustic a bit restrictive.
I dabble on a three string upright that is a stick, got myself a portable amp and haul it into the yard.

The U-bass is a sweet thing that is on the list for next addition, should already have one. really my favorite accoustic bass. Several uke basses are great, but Kala deserves a good look.
I agree on the Kala Ubass. I have the fretless, solid mahogany version and it is a lot of fun to play and a great sound. It's nice to have that sound option when playing bass and works perfect for some music.

Lots of fun to play and no one can believe the tone that comes out of that little thing!
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  #36  
Old 08-13-2016, 06:54 PM
Rudy4 Rudy4 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Growler View Post
I agree on the Kala Ubass. I have the fretless, solid mahogany version and it is a lot of fun to play and a great sound. It's nice to have that sound option when playing bass and works perfect for some music.

Lots of fun to play and no one can believe the tone that comes out of that little thing!
Here's an example of the U-bass in action. Listen with something that will actually reproduce the bass, though.

https://youtu.be/VoJJbybme50
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  #37  
Old 09-17-2016, 08:00 PM
JLT JLT is offline
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My own take, based on the one acoustic bass I have and the few others I've played, is that there is indeed a difference between the solid-body and hollow-body basses, and it's mainly due to the pickups.

My acoustic bass has two piezo pickups under the bridge plate, so it picks up what the soundboard is doing. Most solid-body basses use induction-type pickups which sense the magnetic variations in the string itself as it vibrates. Put this sort of pick-up on a hollow-body guitar, and you're not going to see much real difference in the sound quality.

My AB doesn't have the "punch" of a solid body, and sometimes the notes seem a little muddied compared to what you get with a solid-body. But I'm getting overtones from the soundboard that solid-bodies don't generate, resulting in a sound that has been described as "mellower," "woodier," or "warmer." Since I'm not using flat strings, I also have to be a bit more careful in avoiding finger scrape.

In sum, the acoustic bass has its place in the world, depending on the sound you want to get from your bass. But that's just my opinion.
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  #38  
Old 09-21-2016, 03:36 PM
micahwc micahwc is offline
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Speaking primarily as a bass player and then as a guitar player; I really don't like acoustic bass guitars. If I want an acoustic sound I want to use my double bass.

These are my reasons against acoustic bass guitars:

1: Lot's of feedback when plugged in.

2: Almost no useable volume unplugged.

3: I wasn't a fan of the tone of the ones I have played, solid bodies do electric bass better and double basses do acoustic better.

4: The ones I've played have all had really bad neck dive due to the lengthy neck and hollow body.

5: A double bass in inherently more versatile; being able to be played Arco or Pizzicato.

Edit:

6: The piezo sound can be found with solid body instruments that can have piezo pickups and electromagnetic pickups; as well as on double basses.
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  #39  
Old 09-23-2016, 08:36 AM
Backcountry Backcountry is offline
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I have one of these and I love it played acoustically and amplified. Granted, I don't play bluegrass so I don't need a lot of volume, but with a few other guitar players playing jazz and/or fingerstyle, played as a solo instrument, or recorded, it works and sounds great.

Bobby Vega, the instigator:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BpmY9MKPk8

A wee bit of Bach:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQy0uSfakGM

Last edited by Backcountry; 09-23-2016 at 08:39 AM. Reason: Youtube tags don't work. Nice.
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