Newsgroups: alt.guitar.bass
Subject: Re: acoustic vs. electric bass
From: plopper@husc8.harvard.edu (George Plopper)
Date: 12 Aug 92 20:36:12 EDT
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

In article <1992Aug10.143633.25328@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> aa595@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Dan Duvall) writes:
>
>...more advice needed for the new guy:
>
>Is there any qualitative difference between acoustic and electric
>basses aside from means of amplification? That is, are they played
>the same, have the same range of notes, etc?
>
>I'm trying to decide if I want to invest in an acoustic or
>electric bass-- I'm leaning towards acoustic since I'd like to
>avoid having to lug around an amp, and I'm only planning on
>playing for fun anyhow.

I have played both acoustic and electric bass for a while, and in my
opinion, if you want a good, easily controlled sound, go with an
electric. Too many acoustic basses that are priced cheaply enough for
the average beginner are made terribly and they sound it. There is little
that discourages me more than playing a crappy instrument. Think about
it: to get a "Top Of The Line" electric bass you pay anywhere from 
$1,000 to $2,500 and you can have it made for you, to your specs. If
you want a great sounding acoustic bass, it'll cost you at least five
times that amount. So, if you don't want/need a TOTL bass, spend a couple
hundred bucks (or even less), get a small amp, and you are all set. In
short: A cheap electric is easier to play and better sounding than a
cheap acoustic, by a long shot. Plus, I'd rather lug a sturdy electric and
amp around instead of a huge, fragile acoustic (a good soft case for an
acoustic costs the same as a good electric bass WITH case).

My cheap acoustic was not "fun" to learn on, and acoustic bass requires
considerably more strength and coordination to play properly. In addition,
unless you decide on a fretless electric with no fret markers, you'll not
have to worry about your intonation, which is a major problem for acoustic
players. Furthermore, electric basses are much easier to amplify (by
definition) so if you ever do decide to play in a loud group (or even 
with a large acoustic group), your tone won't change, nor will your
playing style. An old acoustic bassist that I know told me that when he
was in his heyday he could hold a lit cigarette at the tips with his
thumb and middle finger and feel no pain- think about the kinds of callouses
that takes (and the time it takes to develop them)! You wanna go through that 
for "fun"? Not me, not again...

Re: your first question- The notes and tunings are the same, but the
scale length (i.e., length of string) is much greater on acoustic basses,
and the action (height of string above the fingerboard) is usually much higher
on acoustic bass, which means you need to move a bigger string a longer
distance each time you play a note, and that ain't easy. The left hand
(assuming you are right handed) is not as mobile on the acoustic- classical
training suggests that you always have your index finger on the string,
either by itself or as a support for other fingers, and that tends to
hinder quick position changes, etc., so rapid-fire runs are very difficult
to execute. The right (plucking/bowing) hand takes a huge beating when you
start plucking away- to get a good tone, you gotta PULL that Mutha', and
that hurts. Don't forget that bowing is an art unto itself- ever hear
a beginning violinist/cellist?

Don't get me wrong: I love the acoustic bass, but if I'd started on one
I'd never have stuck with it. Go with the electric, and get a fretless with
flatwound strings if you want a warm, woody sound. It'll save you $$$, time,
and pain to skip the acoustic.

Hope it helps.

-- 
George Plopper 
Email: plopper@husc8.harvard.edu
"I wish somebody'd tell me what diddy-wah-diddy means."
Newsgroups: alt.guitar.bass