Acoustic bass

Ray

Tell me plse, what amplifier do you play these things through. That is the ones that have pickups and all fitted.
Cheers

AlanRatcliffe

Solid-state bass amp or PA works fine.

Ray

Thank you. Because I've cant find any bass specific acoustic amplifiers and was wondering now do you just plug it into a regular acoustic amp or what.

Keira-WitherKay

Ray wrote: Thank you. Because I've cant find any bass specific acoustic amplifiers and was wondering now do you just plug it into a regular acoustic amp or what.

hi ya Ray, i would not use an acoustic guitar amp........ as they normally low powered and bass requires lots of headroom to be effecient... for example an acoustic guitar player could comfortably use a a 30 -60 W amp for everything even live gigs......... where the bassist would need at least a 150 -300W amp cos to generate low frequency requires more power than the midrange of guitar ........

even an acoustic bass....... by this i assume you mean one like the Ibanez AEB 10 where it's a bass guitar not a double bass/upright bass......... just treat as any other bass...so buy a 150W (........... insert any brand) standard bass amp (same as you use for electric bass) and if you not wanting to be in a rock band that should be fine.........

but if you planning on playing in a loud band then a minimum of 300W or you won't have the full fat warm tone you need in the mix and get lost ........it's not that you need the volume just the headroom............ sure the more technical guys will be more specific ...........

so my question..... what acoustic bass did you get ................. cos coincidentally i just found an Ibanez AEB10 in a pawn shop...where else ? on thurs and bought it.......... lovely instrument and great sound ........so what you get ???

Ray

Nothing yet. But I will be soon. Not looking to playing in a band but just want to mess around a bit. Thanks greatly for the info. I am so busy at the moment spending money on gearing up for building that I am not buying too much guitars and stuff. I also want the bass to take a look at because I may think about building one of those. But just to carry on with the amp thing, it would be solid state hey? A Crate or so?

Keira-WitherKay

Ray wrote: . But just to carry on with the amp thing, it would be solid state hey? A Crate or so?

the best bass amps are mostly solid state..since we don't want that distortion in our bass sound unless we put it there courtesy of a sansamp ect....... so solid state amps operate at full volume without breakup.which is a better criteria for bass.........

D-Man

Just a quick slightly off-topic question... Why do a lot of bands use electric basses in "acoustic performances". I've seen bands like seether, three doors down and alter bridge doing this

AlanRatcliffe

Keira WitherKay wrote: the best bass amps are mostly solid state..since we don't want that distortion in our bass sound unless we put it there courtesy of a sansamp ect....... so solid state amps operate at full volume without breakup.which is a better criteria for bass.........

Mostly yes, solid state is the way to go, but not always. Some guys live for a crunchy valve bass sound. Geddy Lee, Lemmy, Chris Squier, Billy Sheehan. The old Ampeg valve heads rule IMO!

D-Man wrote: Just a quick slightly off-topic question... Why do a lot of bands use electric basses in "acoustic performances". I've seen bands like seether, three doors down and alter bridge doing this

Because the real acoustic bass is an upright double bass - which is a very different instrument for an electric bassist to play. ? When Leo Fender invented the electric bass, he invented the bass guitar too (clever chappie, that Leo bloke). The "acoustic" bass guitar is a very modern thing (last 10 - 15 years) which also doesn't work properly without amplification (the box is too small for the frequencies it produces) - it's mostly for show... to look like an acoustic guitar.

Ray

And those lekker big mexican things like Chingon guys got?

AlanRatcliffe

Ray wrote: And those lekker big mexican things like Chingon guys got?

Good question - I'm not sure where they slot in.

Bob-Dubery

Good question. I think you're referring to the bajo sexto.

That's tuned an octave below the guitar. Body size seems to be variable, but the ones you see in the movies usually have a pretty big body - though not that much bigger than a regular acoustic bass guitar.

Ray

Maybe but thinking more along the lines of something with a bigger body like Guitarron. But I really dont think I'll find one of those too easy.

Bob-Dubery

Oh... you mean one of these?

As I understand it that's more like a baritone instrument, with the lowest string being an octave below the 5th string of a guitar (but that's only a 4th shy of bass). Big ass body too - like a cello.

In fact it's not fretted, so seriously getting into cello territory. Obviously the body shape, the bracing etc will give it a different tone.

Bob-Dubery

And if it were fretted there wouldn't even be 12 frets to the body...

aja

Ray, you need one of these:

I love that video haha

Ray

Kangaroo gut is gonna be a bit hard to find to string up with. I think that's what I heard.

Yah! One of those Bob. Or just fit some strap buttonspins to a cello. But actually I was googling and came across some guy (cant remember who) who had one made with an elongated neck with frets.

Keira-WitherKay

well you do know they make 1/2 siza and 3/4 size double bass's/ upright bass so maybe a 1/2 size one will have more of the tone, but if you can find one a true double bass is the coolest instrument in the whole world and i have it on good opinion that women find it extremely sexy to see on a stage ...who said size did'nt count ......... ?

but ray i have one of the acoustic bass guitars Ibanez AEB10 (which is the top of the acoustic bass models Ibanez make at moment) if you wanna check it out sometime......... you have my number ......

Bob-Dubery

Keira WitherKay wrote: well you do know they make 1/2 siza and 3/4 size double bass's/ upright bass so maybe a 1/2 size one will have more of the tone, but if you can find one a true double bass is the coolest instrument in the whole world and i have it on good opinion that women find it extremely sexy to see on a stage ...

The double bass is a magnificent instrument. Get out your copy of John Martyn's Solid Air (everybody has a copy, don't they?) and pay attention to Danny Thompson's fab, sensuous playing.

It's not just an instrument for soft jazzy things either. I've heard (and seen) Danny Thompson on stage with the Richard Thompson Band with R Thompson wailing away on electric guitar and volume levels getting pretty damn high thanks very much.

And, yes, the wife thought that Danny and his bass were a sexy sight.

Ray

Rev Horton Hood throw a double bass around hey. Or used to anyway.

Bob-Dubery

Reminds me of this

That's Fairport Convention on their one and only appearance on Top Of The Pops. Ashley Hutchings is playing not the smallest bass you will ever see. Guitar whiz Richard Thompson is ..... errr... playing accordion.

Fairport's only minor hit in the UK was Si Tu Dois Partir, a Dylan song translated into french and played in a cajun style.