Did you get this?
2 Likes
I’m interested in reviving this topic for all interested. If I could rename it, Acoustic Love seems to fit the trend these days. If I were to expand the bass collection something totally different would be in order and I’m not ready to go upright at the moment.
Based on our Zoom meet I’m so far really liking @Moose_Hofer pointing out the 25” Goldtone. The other main contender is the Ibanez PNB14E.
Based on the fine research by @eric.kiser adding a Fishman pickup to the sound hole with mic over the piezo seems to be the way to go.
Any insight on acoustic bass considerations? I’m looking at short scale with getting the acoustic overtones.
2 Likes
I have a nice little acoustic bass made by traveller guitar It nice for going out and not having to chug you bass and amp. Sound good also has piezo pickup to hook up to amp.
only picture I had on my phone. Weights like 3lbs.
3 Likes
Thank you for the tip!
Oooooh! Nice !!!
3 Likes
Oh. You’re talking about going big with it.
I got the much less expensive humbucker model without the microphone. I believe this one is what @Gio has installed in his acoustic.
1 Like
@DaveT
I’m still around and reading the forum posts once or twice a week. Since that day on Zoom, I have joined a band, and practicing 3 sessions/week, so my recreational free time has diminished. But, it’s been insanely fun!
I am very happy with the gold tone, and certainly feel free to ask any questions. Picked mine up thru Texas Guitar Ranch.
6 Likes
Is it easier to learn play on the acoustic or the electric bass?
What are the disadvantages of an acoustic bass?
Which one is a good beginner’s bass? (both acoustic and electric)
Answers are much appreciated.
I’m only just learning so take what I say with a pinch of salt.
But I have both. You can play much more lightly on the electric by turning the volume up. This means it’s easier to be more nimble and fast. And I suspect a bit more subtle with your tone. Not to mention less damage to your fingers. The acoustic needs a little more aggression to get any volume out of it. They’re noticeably quieter than an electric guitar.
On the other hand they can also be more subtle in tone especially if playing chords with multiple strings plucked together. I find, and this is probably my poor style, that I can get quite noticeable beats when picking two strings together whose notes are close. This doesn’t tend to happen on the acoustic.
I’m currently learning a fairly simplified version of Pachibel’s Canon and it sounds way better on the acoustic.
1 Like
Hail @Ednamacloy !
I am of the very strong opinion that an acoustic bass (meaning an instrument that looks a lot like an oversized acoustic guitar, I’m assuming - and not one of the giant upright basses) is not an instrument for beginners.
The acoustic has a giant body that can be very hard to navigate.
While they don’t require an amplifier to be heard, they are still remarkably quiet, and still require and amp to be heard in most any musical context.
And to spin what @HighlandBass said with more of an overprotective teacher’s eye - they do require more physical effort which again creates an unnecessary extra difficulty for a beginner.
They add physical difficulty to the learning process which I would desperately advocate against, and - to my ears - do not offer something sound-wise that is so different or wonderful that I think it’s worth it.
Electric basses are easier to play physically and - while they are much more quiet when not plugged in - as a learning instrument they are the best. They are easier to get comfortable with, and they sound better plugged in.
I hope that helps!
Also worth noting - when I got my first basses, I ignored absolutely everything everyone told me and got the bass I liked the look of.
So do what feels right for you!
5 Likes
Thank you Gio. Your words have made it clear. I will go electric after all!
Now, the next question is which one plus amplifier used for rehearsal.
An acoustic bass is always an option for later maybe.
Greetings
3 Likes
I bought a cheap acoustic off of Amazon just so I could have something to practice with downstairs where the kids and dogs are. While most people talk about how quiet it is and such, which doesn’t bother me for what I wanted one for, there are a couple of things that cause me massive problems that I rarely see mentioned:
- Anchoring the thumb is difficult as hell.
- Muting is a pain as a result.
- The action on acoustics are ridiculously high and there’s no easy way to adjust it. I thought it was just because of a cheap guitar but, nope, every one I’ve tried is like that. Makes it harder to play fast because you have to push the strings down more and further. Good for strength training, though.
4 Likes
Happy to help, as ever.
Ooof! This is always a challenge.
There are TONS of ideas on this forum about the best way to start out.
Things that I think should be most considered for bass choice:
-
Budget - what can you afford? You can find a bass for free or for a zillion dollars. Decide your limit.
-
How big/small are you and your hands? You might be more comfortable with a short scale bass as they are much kinder on smaller-handed people and still sound and play nice.
-
What looks cool. This was, in my experience, always the most important.
Hopefully you’ll have a chance to go to a music shop and play a few basses to see the difference between them and check out a regular scale bass vs a short scale bass.
For your bass amp - if you just need something to practice on at home, the Fender Rumble series is great - the 15 or 25 - and they are very affordable.
There are plenty of others to choose from, but those are simple and reliable.
2 Likes
- Anchoring the thumb when plucking the E string is a pain. The rest are fine. I tend to just let it float when plucking the E.
- I don’t have a big problem with the muting as it’s only an issue for that E string and the other plucking finger can do that. For all other cases it’s identical to an electric.
- The action on mine was indeed ridiculously high, but I had a local shop fix it. They took the bridge off and shaved/sanded it down and now it’s fine. They did really good job. But certainly way more of a pain than doing it with an electric.
But all told an electric is way easier to play.
2 Likes
Thank you. This is helpful too. I am getting there!
1 Like