How do you feel about an acoustic bass guitar in your jam?

[Cary Fagan]

Hope you don't mind this not-strictly-a-mandolin-question.

My wife plays double bass but just doesn't like, and can't always take it out. Not easy to get in our car, either. So she's thinking of getting an acoustic bass guitar just to jam with once in a while so she won't be left out.

My understanding is they're often not loud enough unplugged. She's hoping that she could play it unplugged (if she got one of the louder ones) in a small jam (for ex, we're going to a small festival for a couple of hours this weekend) and use an amp at other times.

Any experiences, opinions? Thanks. I think we might rent one this weekend just to give it a try.

[Jim Garber]

Might as well rent and try it out. I have a feeling you will not hear it in a large jam or outdoors. It is also a completely different animal to play. For instance, if you do any slapping I would think it would not be a satisfying. I would get a small battery-powered bass to go with it for festivals.

Another possibility is the Kala Ubass. I tried out the acoustic (uke body) version but was not sure if it would be much more than a novelty for me for a short time. Maybe even further than the guitar bass -- I also find the silicone strings a little odd tho the tone thru an amp -- you definitely would have to have one for that -- is pretty nice.

As for other players, I can only speak for myself. I have no problem with any instrument as long as the player can fit in with the spirit of the music. I recall a number of years ago that a woman showed up at Galax with a guitarron and she did a quite admirable job with it.

[ambrosepottie]

Pretty much useless unplugged. And plugged in has that quacky piezo sound. Kala Ubass, electric upright or a guittarron.

[John Duncan]

I just love to see bass players show up to a jam! Seriously, I don't have any problems with electric basses of any kind at a jam.

Sidenote, like Jim said above, you might have some volume issues w/o an amp of any kind. But, rent it, take it to the jam and find out.

[MikeEdgerton]

I bought a Martin acoustic bass years ago. I found out real quick that you couldn't hear it when there was much more than one of two other instruments. I spent some money getting a pickup installed. With that said I played Taylor several years ago that was pretty loud but they seemed to drop off the face of the earth. I'd buy a less expensive (than the Martin, maybe an Ibanez) acoustic bass and the Pignose Hog-30 AC/DC amp. I would have no problem with someone playing that in a jam with me.

[Markus]

In a bluegrass situation, they get drowned out in my experience, unless plugged in. Can work around home, but outdoors the sound disappears (or around banjos).

Comparatively not as nice sounding, but if it the difference between having a bass or none - give me an acoustic bass (thru amp) every day.

[AlanN]

, if you do any slapping I would think it would not be a satisfying.

Could always slap the banjo man, that could be satisfying...lol.

I join the chorus which says it's a poor substitute for the real thing. But from a practical/user standpoint, it beats the heck out of lugging around a dog-house.

[terzinator]

one of the best bassists round these parts sometimes brings a uke bass (and amp) to jams and fests. Great plugged-in sound.

(not sure if his is a Kala, as ambrosepottie mentioned, but definitely worth looking into)

[TonyP]

Nothing short of a doghouse is going to have enough umph to keep up with a band acoustically. But that said, there's some really nice amplified options out there.

You gotta check a Ubass. A good friend and x bandmate who'd always played doghouse showed up a couple of years ago with a Ubass at the big 48hr jam in Bakersfield. I can't remember what the amp is, but it's really small and the sound is absolutely great! It's just funny to see this big ol guy with an itty bitty uke looking thing, and then when you realize it's a bass, all most people could do was just marvel. I would have thought it wouldn't have much range but my buddy doesn't have any problem at all, any key, and somehow doesn't seem to run out of fretboard. He says he has no calluses, no hurtin' fingers, and best of all no more back problems from hauling that big ol' bass around. And somehow the Bluegrass Police haven't got riled up about it.

Just did a marathon crafts faire with a friend who's got a standup electric. Everybody in the audience, including several bass players raved about the sound. He brought the electric because he was camping in his small SUV and didn't have room for the doghouse. For me it was a snap to just come out of the pre out, straight into my board. No muss no fuss and sounded tremendous. Since we were doing a trio, I felt I needed to get his bass pretty loud and it was no problem at all. He was telling me it is fairly cheap($600) and there's forum's devoted to the tweeks that need to be done to make it work great. He also has a little battery powered bass amp so he can go to jams. Unfortunately he didn't mention the make and it had nothing on the bass anywhere as to maker that I could see. Just looked like standup neck with a very emaciated body. Pretty light and no bulk to speak of.

As with any amplified bass, you have be aware of your technique. The tendency is to have too much sustain so you loose the precision of the beat. So you have learn to mute.

[Justus True Waldron]

Jam - sure, but you'll need an amp (actually the past couple really good festival jams I was at were held down with one)
Practice - yes, my dad has one and uses it when we practice, much easier than lugging around the real thing
Show - not in my band!

Still, my hard and fast rule is always any bass is better than no bass...

[Alex Orr]

Pretty much useless unplugged.

Agreed. Might as well get an electric bass if you're not going for an upright.

[EdHanrahan]

... any bass is better than no bass...

YES! Even if you don't hear it, bass can still be felt to a fair extent, and that's the important part.

But that's based largely from playing indoors, where bass sound tends to carry and/or resonate with the building. A non-amplified bass guitar played outdoors at anything larger than a campfire - maybe not so much.

But heck... it'd still be fun to play!

[Adam Sweet]

One time when my brother and I were trying out some mandolins in Carmel Music Co l (he was playing a Martin Bass Guitar and I was playing a mandolin), David Grisman walked by and into the back room. He came out about 20 minutes later and stood behind me for a while. I couldn't see his face. He said "pretty good guys" and walked out.

My brother bought the bass.

[Mandobart]

The best options I've found (besides an actual double bass) is

1. A mandocello. Yes it won't go as low but it is louder than an ABG, and more versatile

2. Best sounding ABG I've ever heard was the Thunderchief made by Tacoma (now part of Fender). Don't know if they are still made. They will hold their own unamplified in an acoustic setting in a small jam. Someone here on the cafe was offering one a while back and I was sorely tempted...

[Jeffff]

I second the thunder chief. A few years ago I want shopping for an ABG and I played them all including the Taylor. The Tacoma was the only one you could hear in an acoustic jam situation. It also came with a passive piezo and sounds wonderful plugged in at a low volume.

However, I found that it only sounded good with Elixer strings that are pretty expensive. I got about 6 months out of a set. Also I was not playing it in a Bluegrass setting. I am not sure how it would stand up to a banjo and a mandolin.


Edited to add, if you can find an old Ernie Ball Earthwood ABG those will also stand up acoustically.

[foldedpath]

I'll go a little against the grain here, and recommend an acoustic bass guitar. Especially if you can rent one first, to see how it works.

The reason has to do with jam culture. Even if it won't be especially loud, and it can't fill the same role as a double bass (it definitely won't), it will be something that's fun to play in a jam. The people sitting near you will hear it, even if it won't reach across the circle. Let's face it, a mandolin isn't always contributing much in a larger jam either, especially if there are enough fiddles or banjos in the mix.

An electric bass would fill the traditional bass role much better, but now you're dragging along an amp, looking for an AC outlet, hoping nobody trips on your cord, etc. An electric instrument is just not a natural match for the usual acoustic jam scene, especially if you're going to festivals and moving between different outdoor jam circles. An acoustic bass guitar won't be ideal in those situations, but it's better than nothing.

You'll also avoid having people wince when they see you walk up with an amp, because there are many players out there who don't know how to use an amp at a low level. With an acoustic bass guitar, people will know how loud you'll be playing... not very loud at all.

[Cary Fagan]

Thanks for the responses so far.

We walked over to the 2 local music stores. Tried an electric stand up, a few acoustic/electric bass guitars, and a kala ubass. My wife liked the ubass best of all! But I think she's going to rent an acoustic first.

[terzinator]

My wife liked the ubass best of all!

Seriously, I was blown away by the sound of that little thing. He had an amp even for the smaller jams... Probably battery powered (or he ran it off one of the camper trailers, but it would have come off battery ultimately, because there were no elec hookups at the campsite.) And he also played it in the big bandshell, in front of a crowd. Sounded great.

Guluk!

[Chip Booth]

2. Best sounding ABG I've ever heard was the Thunderchief made by Tacoma (now part of Fender). Don't know if they are still made. They will hold their own unamplified in an acoustic setting in a small jam. Someone here on the cafe was offering one a while back and I was sorely tempted...

I was trying to remember the name of this bass, and that's it. It is the only one I have played that I felt had a chance of competing unplugged as well.

[mandomedic]

The best acoustic bass I have ever found and used that will standup to a standup is The Earthwood by Ernie Ball.. They quit making them back in the mid to late 80's but those bad boys had some punch... I've been in plenty of jams with acoustic electric bass players and as long as they don't go out of the box as a bluegrass bass player, I'm OK with it.

[Jim Garber]

I wonder how this resophonic Beard Goldtone bass sounds acoustically. Anyone play that model?

[mrmando]

There were some Dobro basses a few years ago. Tried one. Nice and loud.

[Tommando]

My experience is that if you have more than one other instrument, the acoustic bass can't be heard unless amplified. This was true for all the models that passed through the music store where I worked and a few I've seen at jam sessions. There is a woman here who plays bluegrass and her backup is an Ashbory (with the rubber band strings) and a small pignose amp. She slaps the Ashbory pretty well, and it sounds pretty similar to an upright. You can get battery powered amps now. Some of the jams here don't allow any electrification, even if it means no bass. I'd rather have it than no bass, but the main problem with electric instruments just about always shows up - the volume knob, and I rather have no bass than one that is too loud.

[Jacob]

Almost all acoustic/electric bass guitars that I have played had very little acoustic volume, even Martin and Taylor.
Two exceptions are Ernie Ball Earthwood bass guitars, which are hard to find for sale, and those made by Dave Maize. (nfi)
With a limited budget, I opted for the Kala S-U-B solid body UBASS, with Aquila strings, through a battery powered Roland Micro Cube Bass RX amplifier.
Very portable with surprising tone and presence.

[Laird]

I'd have no problem with that. Wouldn't mind even if you plugged it in.