Acoustic bass guitar for mandolin orchestra

[Jim Abrams]

I play mandola for a mandolin orchestra and I'm thinking about adding acoustic bass guitar to the mix. #Does anyone have any ideas about who makes a quality acoustic bass guitar and what to look for? #Apologies for the off-topic question, but it is for a mandolin orchestra. #Thanks.

Jim

[Gutbucket]

I saw a nice one at Elderly Instuments the other day made by Warwick. Very nice. It's on their website as we comiserate.

[coolwood]

Get a Tacoma. Their mandos are only okay but, they make great baritone guitars and acoustic basses. Their bass is the Thunderchief

http://www.tacomaguitars.com/products/search.php

Bill

[Tim2723]

I can tell you a little about what to avoid, if that helps. #I had one of the Ovation four string basses when they first came out. #It lasted about two months, and I understand that they had so many problems that Ovation discontinued the line.

Whatever brand, the two main failure points seem to be the neck joint and the bridge pulling away. #I guess there's more force than you'd expect. #If I did it again I'd be sure to look for solid dovetail construction and a bolted down bridge.

While it lasted, it was a fun, good sounding instrument. But be sure to look for very versatile, quality on-board electronics, as you'll most likely plug it in eventually. #It doesn't take much to amplify it for an acoustic group. #I used a little Fender Frontman bass amp. #15 watts, 8" speaker, dead simple circuit. #Unplugged, these thngs don't have a big voice for their size, and even a couple of mandolins can bury them.

[swampy]

I just wanted to reiterate the point made previously; these things are barely audible unplugged, so be prepared to get an amp.

Go buy one of the really old gibson bass mandolins, I'm not sure of their sound quality, but they would look could in a mando ensemble.

[MikeEdgerton]

I'll third the need to amplify an acoustic bass guitar. I purposely bought a non-electric Martin several years ago so that I could jam with it. I ended up having to install electronics in it to hear it. A single guitar can drown one out without a banjo or mandolin in sight.

[mandroid]

Tape some fret lines or dots on a Doghouse Bass if you need an acoustic and then need some help finding the note locations.

A box that big will generate the tones, smaller than 3/4 is a compromise.

[Gutbucket]

Tape some fret lines #or dots on a Doghouse Bass if you need an acoustic and #then need some help finding the note locations.

A box that big will generate the tones, smaller than 3/4 is a compromise.

I agree. Except for toting an upright bass around, you can't beat that sound. It would fit in nicely with a mando orchestra.

[TNFrank]

Dean makes a nice one that won't break the bank. I had one and loved it. It was great to practice with when I didn't want to drag out my amp.

[violmando]

Please go with an upright bass--NOTHING else will give you the right sound without amplification and I'm sorry but amps just don't belong in a mando orchestra!!! Finding a mandobass is next to impossible and they are NOT worth the amount of money they charge unless you are a collector; they look cool, but don't sound nearly as good as an upright bass. Yes, this is from an upright bassist--classical, jazz, you name it, but I also play mandocello and teach orchestra so I know what I talking about tonally. If you keep the parts simple and put a few marks on the fret board, you can teach someone to play upright. Just don't write the parts up high in the stratosphere and they can do it. Yvonne in Ohio.

[Mr. Loar]

Being a bass player, I once owned a Washburn five string bass. Nice guitar, onboard pickup, but not loud when it wasn't plugged in. I also have a Hofner Club bass and someone remarked at how well that projected unplugged.

[allenhopkins]

Another possibility is a guitarron, the acoustic bass guitar of mariachi music. A bit clumsy, but the big deep box gives you more chance for bass overtones than the basically guitar-sized soundbox of the acoustic bass guitar.

From what I've read, the Tacoma Thunderchief is the best choice for passable unamplified sound. Earthwood basses, which were sold by Ernie Ball for a few years, also get decent reviews, but they're long "out of print" and hard to find.

Your best choice, as stated above, is the standard "bass fiddle." You can find half-size Kay basses that aren't quite as bulky as the standard three-quarters size that most non-classical bassists play.

[latentaudio]

I think that the Thunderchief has a great acoustic sound. If money is not an object, see if you can find a used Taylor acoustic bass. These are great!

However, I have a Dean EAB that I got for around $120. The acoustic sound isn't too bad. It is a lot louder than many of the acoustic basses they have at the local Guitar Center and the tone is decent. I get an amplified sound I am very satisfied with by mixing the pickup with the a microphone. I have even been thinking about trying to install a small condenser mic inside the bass.

[TNFrank]

It just seems like an acoustic bass guitar like the Dean would be more practical to pack around then a stand up bass.

[Jonathan Peck]

I've noticed that alot of bass players play a 3/4 size upright bass. I also believe that Kay is a popular brand....BTW, just wait till you see how much a set of bass strings cost!

[Gutbucket]

Kays are great if you can find one. They quit making them in the 60's.. As for strings, they last for years if taken care of properly.

[buddyellis]

3/4 size is the 'standard' full sized bass. None of the ABG alternatives are going to come even close to an upright in tone and volume. Uprights are a pain to tote around, yes, but if you intend to play bass, well, play bass.

[a12]

How about a Russian Balalaika Contrabass?
They're very loud if using a leather flatpick.

[Steve Ostrander]

I had a Dean for a while but I got rid of it. No volume unplugged but lots of fret noise, and amping just increased the fret noise.

[fred d]

Got a accustal Epipone (gibson) make you good deal on 4 string or try a Irish banjo tuned the same as a mandolin and One octive lower Gold tone mack a good one at a really good price Email me if intrested

[mandroid]

As far as being a chore to haul a Bass Viol in it's Gig bag around, I'd say:
it could be worse, [like a drum set] at least you only have to make one trip to the car.

kind of OT, not at all acoustic, but... the synth bass sounds that I can replicate with my synth access electric 4 string mandola and a Roland GR module are pretty good.
but that's more trips, back and forth, for boxes of gear.

but real bass needs the long string length, for the sound wave.
Synth does that with the pitch to MIDI, program 'patch'.

JimDola,
You got a Conductor to do the out in front sound level equalization?

[Paul Kotapish]

Acoustic bass guitars are easy to play and sound pretty good, but they do need amplification for anything other than a small, quiet session. However, a small, unobtrusive battery-powered amp (Pignose, Crate, etc.) will do the trick for most unplugged events, and a small plugged-in bass amp will be more than enough when mics are on the other instruments. Martin has made some wonderful fretted and fretless acoustic bass guitars, but I've had good luck with my simple Epiphone "El Capitain" instrument. Nothing fancy, but it plays well and sounds pretty natural, even plugged in.

I agree that a true upright acoustic bass is a better solution in terms of the sound, but it certainly is a bigger challenge to learn and a much bigger hassle to transport and lug around. Most of the acoustic bassists I work with use a small amp on stage, anyway, so the amp aspect is a wash in those circumstances.

I also agree that the mandobass is not a great investment.

Good luck.

[lapetrarca]

My $.02......

I had a Fender BG-29 that was OK, but not great. #As somebody else mentioned, alot of fret noise. #I sold that and bought a Michael Kelly fretless 4 string. #Added a set of tape wound GHS Bass Bommers and it sounds VERY good. #Still have to plug it in but it has a thump to it now that is very much like an upright.

I've also experimented somewhat with amplifiers and have found that at lower volume levels, it sounds very nice through my Behringer ACX450 Ultracoustic amp. #For regular stage use, I just use my regular bass setup with no problems.

[Paul Hostetter]

Another vote for a regular string bass, nothing else works nearly as well. Englehart bought all the Kay tooling and continue to make exactly the same basses, BTW. They may be inordinately expensive, and they may be cutting corners in production lately, but they still exist.

Guitarrones can sound great, but require a level of muscle very few players can achieve - you're always plucking pairs of strings in octaves, which requires phenomenal strength and calluses. If you try to pluck them like a regular bass, you hardly get any sound. They're also tuned in straight fourths and have no frets. They're also big and bulky. Earthwood basses were a joke, and can't really be heard without being plugged in. But they and their ilk make an interesting stage prop.

[Jkf_Alone]

tacomas are nice, but they are a bit quiet. Ovation deep bowl acoustic basses are louder for me, but still not loud enough for any situation beyond a trio. why not have someone make you an F5 shaped solid body electric and use an amp? custom solids arent that expensive and you can get one of those 50 watt pignose amps if you dont want to worry about plugging in.

here's the thing, not everyone has room to carry around a big stand up, and nt everyone can afford one either. you could probably get the rig I'm suggesting for abut $1000 or less, or even less than that if you find a regular shaped bass to buy. Who really cares if its electric or acoustic? If you dont mind using an acoustic bass guitar, you shouldnt mind using a solid body.