Why An Acoustic-Electric Bass Is Good To Have

Why do I think Acoustic bases come in handy??
First of all, Easy Access - you can just pick it up and play. No need to plug it into an amp so you can hear it. I can only imagine what this bass would’ve done for my playing if I had purchased it 10 or 15 years earlier than I did. Especially when acoustical jams became all the rage in the early to mid 1990s.

I usually only thought of Brian Ritchie of the Violent Femmes whenever an acoustic bass came to mind…and actually thought they were kind of cheesy for anyone else to play. But after Krist Novoselic played that Guild B30-E NT during Nirvana’s Unplugged session…and Dave Grohl, when Krist picked up the accordion, acoustic-electric basses became cool all of a sudden! From that point on, I really wanted a Guild B30-E NT but I just didn’t want to pay the price. Instead, I found myself carrying a little Crate B-10 practice amp every time my bandmates wanted to jam acoustically. This was the only way I could be heard over the ever-so-bright frequency given off by 2 or 3 acoustic guitars in a room jangling away.

With that being said, I want to remind you that the acoustic bass frequency is naturally harder to pick up than the sound given off by an acoustic guitar. This is why I typically played my bass so hard when I was younger. “Damn guitarists”…Drummers have an excuse but you guys??…you know I’m just messing around. You’re gonna hear me saying that from time to time in these videos IF you subscribe.

I always wanted one of those pocket multi-effect, beat machines, such as Korg’s Pandora but I never pulled the trigger. I currently have the Vox pocket bass but I rarely use it because it feels like such a production to play through it.

Another thing you can do with an acoustic-electric bass is play a gig with it if you’re in a pinch. I only did this once out of 20 years of playing live and it happened to be in a small venue mainly suited for acoustic environments. The pickup in this bass happens to be a little too loud, which causes a lot of feedback, so I just dialed the pickup volume back to 50% and I was good to go. Other than that, no issues.

Last but not least, playing an acoustic-electric bass makes playing an electric bass so much easier. The action is not uncomfortably high at all but it does require a little more finger strength to fret. I do wish it had a thumb rest but I don’t want to damage the instrument by adding one, so I’ve learned to adjust. I’m not saying that you should run out and buy an acoustic bass right away. You may be one of those lucky people who has the luxury of being being able to play your bass as loud as you want, whenever you want. But for those of you who want convenience, I think an electric-acoustic bass is a really good fit.

Links to products I use on this channel
Sony WX500: https://amzn.to/2NgJgXx (Amazon)
Fender P Bass: https://amzn.to/2NisRSq (Amazon)
vox pocket bass: https://amzn.to/3iIcIl6 (Amazon)
Boss Pedal Tuner: https://amzn.to/3iyMe5r (Amazon)


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