From: asgard@plx.com (J.R. Stoner)
Subject: Re:  Acoustic vs. Electric Basses....
Keywords: n
Organization: Heironamous Botch's Murk Works
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 22:09:43 GMT

;>From the postings it seems there may be some  confusion regarding the
;>distinctions between acoustic "Guitars" vs stand up basses.  Maybe it's just
;>my own confusion.... bet hey.. . anyway.

[History and opinion as to times when an acoustic bass guitar is apropriate
elided here]

;>It seemed that we had different basses under discussion before.  I don't use
;>a bow on this bass.  and the case (a very nice one) was ~$100 not $350.
;>I'd love to try a standup bass sometime.  My dad played one in the airforce
;>band.  I just can't imagine it!

What exactly can't you imagine?

;OK, I think it's time we heard from the original poster, whose identity I
;failed to note. You are right- it was traditional acoustic bass "fiddle" vs.
;solidbody electric bass guitar. Just what was the original question about?
;My "electric advocacy" concerns the kinds of music I'm interested in playing,
;and that means jazz, folk, blues, and world beat (with rock thrown in if
;required). If I remember rightly, the "acoustic advocate" played a fair
;amount of classical and show/stage pit gigs.

I hope I did not come across as being an 'advocate' for anything in particular.

;Big discrepancy there, one worth noting. So, I suppose a central question is:
;what kind of music do you want to play? Seems that has a big impact on the
;kind of instrument you want to use.

I think that is exactly my point.  There are times when my Carvin guitar is
just the right instrument (my R&B period, the Square Dance period, and an
8-week run of A Chorus Line in the most cramped orchestra pit I have ever
played in, but that is another story) and other times when the fiddle is
the only apropriate instrument (even outside the orchestra) like the majority
of show gigs.

;My own experience with acoustic bass GUITARS is that they sound like electric
;basses (i.e., solidbody) when amplified, and like quiet acoustic guitars
;(note: QUIET) when played w/o amplification. I have not yet been won over to 
;the idea that a bass can resonate from a body nearly the same size as a regular
;guitar without sounding thin and weak. Clearly, others do not share this
;conviction. So, my advice to the original poster: Now you've got THREE 
;(actually, four, if you include the electric upright!) instruments to 
;choose from- have some fun, and by all means, throw your two
;cents into this forum when you finally do decide which instrument is right
;for you.

When I went through the bluegrass/squaredance experience I saw bassists using
all three of these basses.  IMO I could not tell the difference in volume and
intonation between the solid bass guitar and acoustic bass guitar, except the
acoustic guitar players sometimes used a pick and 'brightened' the EQ more
than I like.  I have played both and as far as comfort level for me I prefer
the solid guitar, as the neck is typically longer (for bull fiddle players like
me that kind of comfort is important).

I saw one of the upright electric basses in Oakland (Best Music shop at
San Pablo and Broadway - one of the best in terms of selection, and a well-known
site for consignment shipments of basses, so you get a chance to 'test drive'
them before delivery).  I think that axe was a Cleminger (or is that Kleminger).
This was the same instrument used by the bassist in Chick Corea's band for a
while (not Return to Forever).  I did not play it but I think it would be
uncomfortable for me, primarily because the lower part is so narrow.
Much of the support of playing a fiddle, for me, comes from the pressure from
my knees, and the shifting of the mass force to the shoulder and left hand
would be an encumbrance.

;Perhaps I am a fanatic, but this strikes me as a rather important
;issue for us bassists- one worth hashing out.

By all means consider carefully what kind of music you want to play.  Even
within one musical form you can probably find many different instruments and
playing styles worth considering.  Many country dance bassists you hear on
Wagon Wheel or Red Boot records use acoustic guitars because the lighter
playing you can get away with in the studio makes the minor resonant feature
show up better (and if it is mixed well).  On the other hand, if you ever get
to a square dance hoedown with live music from the Ghost Riders you could be in
for a thrill (musically, less like Hank Williams and more like the Dixie Dregs.)

;>PS-  Amps:  I have an old home-made Peavey cabinet w/ 2x15's.  I got one
;>replaced from Peavey ( a black widow nowadays) and they were very nice to work
;>with.  I run it with a Crate head (200W).  It does the trick, and has held up
;>fine for several years of my use.  

;Personally, I hate Peavey's sound: I had a Mark III for years and never
;knew the joys of warm sound until I got my SWR. I had a polytone minibrute
;for years, too, and loved it- just too small for the kinds of gigs I was 
;getting. I guess I may sound like a snob: SWRs, electric uprights, etc.
;are not cheap, by any means, and I guess not everyone wants to spend that
;kind of cash on this type of equipment. Thus, my opinions are qualified
;somewhat by the fact that I dove in big time and spent a lot of money
;on my equipment... not necessary, certainly, to enjoy playing bass. I got
;along fine for 10 years with "lousy" stuff....

A couple of times I was asked to play at gigs where bringing my amp (also a
Carvin) was not feasible, so I was loaned a Peavey Black Widow 4x10 amp and
cabinet.  I found the thing tended to 'pop' too much for my likes and did not
have a very good low-pass filter, so my guitar played 'harsh'.  It was not
fatal, as the gigs were outside, but inside gigs were out of the question for
this thing.  I think the shielding could have been better, as it picked up all
kinds of stray EMI.  I still don't know why people are raving so much for these
things.  These days I still like working my PB200 amp a lot.  The compresser
really makes my current funkalike work more possible (I can pop a G without
cooking a cone :)  [So sue me - I like compression]  The noise gate is nice too.
-- 
J.R. Stoner, DWMIT - asgard@plx.com - sun.com!plx!plxsun!asgard
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