The truth about acoustic basses from a PhD in bass guitar
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- Опубликовано: 25 июл 2024
- I recently had the opportunity to chat with Dr. Denson Angulo about acoustic bass. As a holder of a doctorate in bass performance, he's not just another RUclipsr hack (like someone I know), he's the real deal! In this video, we discuss the merits of acoustic bass and compare it to upright bass.
Dr Denson Angulo’s channel: / densonangulo
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
1:30 - Upright and the invention of electric bass
6:50 - Acoustic bass vs upright bass
11:48 - When are acoustic basses good?
20:17 - Bowing on the upright
24:50 - Addressing some specific questions
31:52 - Acoustic bass in traditional Mexican music
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So... IMO, he speaks from the perspective of a professional dude who has studied and dedicated his life to play bass. I get it and I envy him. On the other hand, I am a 42 years old dude who has been around computers for also 30 years, I make my living in IT and play the bass guitar as a hobby. Probably just a few hours a week. So...1) I won't be paying $ 10k for an upright bass, 2) playing upright basses require a COMPLETELY different skill level, and 3) my wife would kick me out of my home cause that thing is huge. My conclusion: acoustic basses do the job for people like me. :)
Hi @Ulghart, I am currently thinking about getting myself my 1st bass. Would you recommend an acoustic one for beginners?
@@eaZZy96weeZy honestly you Can start with an acoustic but it will be so much less versatile than a electric bass guitar + its amp
Acoustic basses do *not* sound like uprights. Not even close.
@@eaZZy96weeZy They're fine, as long as you're jamming with one acoustic guitarist. Any more, and you just get buried. You have to amplify it. The sound isn't to my taste at all. Also - this defeats the purpose and most people's idea when they think of getting an acoustic bass.
You should check out electric basses put through acoustic Impulse Responses. An IR takes the resonant frequencies of a recorded sound source, and then filters a signal through them. Usually, IR pedals are to simulate different speakers for a guitar, but you can put it after an electric bass, and load an acoustic IR into it, and get a pretty convincing acoustic tone, in a much more convenient size.
As a bass player the only reason I wanted to get an acoustic bass was to take it camping with me like my friends do with their guitars
Pretty good reason IMO :)
That's great. Portability is NOT something to scoff at. Jamming together on a campout is fantastic.
But then you realised that the average campfire song listener doesn't know what a bass guitar even is, and will just tell you that you're bad and that your guitar is weird
I just got a portable bass amp instead lol
@@georgiykireev9678 If those are your camping companions, you are camping with the wrong people.
I use my acoustic bass for one thing...
Noodling around when I'm too lazy to plug in my electric bass.
Right? I thought they were just for practicing when you don't want to make to much noise.
This is truly what it’s made for
Yup....or some back porch jamming and low volume writing sessions....
I use my Kala U-bass (with roundwounds) for that, but yes, I agree :)
I have a "Dean Playmaker" cheap POS. It stays at home and I use it for practice. The action is good and the unplugged sound is acceptable for what I use it for. It's harder to play than my T40 so when I'm playing it it seems easier.
Best reasons for (mini) acoustic bass: 1) Practicing without an amp; and 2) Going back in time to the early 90s, joining a grunge band, getting really famous, and then doing an MTV Unplugged gig.
Nirvana live and unplugged made me get one, ever regretted it, the ukelele orchestra of london also use the model I bought the crafter ba 400.
@@jh565bbBass has 4 strings, ukulele has 4 strings. So an acoustic bass is literally a bass ukulele!
@@InventorZahran They did one actually called a U bass lol.
Alice in chains unplugged gives me goose bumps today
@@InventorZahranit is a contrabass ukulele with a different tuning
I am an intermediate double bassist that has been playing for about 3 years. I would say that the biggest argument that is kind of ignored, is the barrier of entry into double bass. For me to get even semi-good, I had to take lessons at my local junior college for about a year, and countless hours of practice, and I would say that even then, I am just kind of okay at it.
Another barrier is the cost of the instrument. Even my cheap plywood bass cost around $1300, plus the electronics I installed for live performance, plus experimenting with different strings, which are crazy expensive compared to bass guitar strings. While it is definitely the superior instrument, you have to be seriously dedicated to it both timewise and financially
So much so Ibanez now makes an electric up-right made to the electric bass size to help players transition
Thank you for sharing this.
Yeah, I played upright bass for three years in junior high orchestra class, and I was the only student who wasn't expected to take the instrument home and practice. I did just once, arranged for my mom to pick me up with the station wagon. I can't believe I knew how to sight read the bass clef for three years; I promptly forgot all of it.
Price is a big reason on why I stoped playing upright. Having to go 2 times a week to music school to practice destroyed my mental health
Alice in Chains unplugged is the only reason I ever even wanted one. lol
LEGIT! Sevendust's acoustic was pretty sick too. Incubus's Wireless session was an example of how poor it can sound.
Absolutely nail on head
Silversun Pickups had an acoustic set with one. I bought one because of that, and it was a huge mistake. They're ass, and the ones that aren't ass are too expensive to justify on an acoustic bass
Iron maidens dance of death also does it justice
That's as fair a reason as any
"Acoustic Bass Industry Begs Violent Femmes to Buy Another Acoustic Bass" - John Danek, The Hard Times
Love that bass sound
I own one to exclusively play in the backyard under the summer sun! So fun to get up and go without electricity.
*delete from cart
I own an acoustic bass and love to play it around my house to practice i actually dig the way they sound and it doesn’t annoy my family
I'm thinking about getting one just to play along to songs alone. Is this a good choice?
@@mobloko294 depends, do you play guitar or bass if you play guitar just get a regular acoustic guitar if you are a bass player like me ya a bass guitar is nice to practice and just casually play on
@@crusadercowboy5712 I play guitar..getting bored. I want to play bass
@@mobloko294 then a good option would be an acoustic bass to learn on however I think if you want to learn and get good at bass an electric would be the best option
I've got 6 basses, including an acoustic. It's good for solo practice/noodling while you get sleepy when you're restless. Oh, and power outages.
Gotta agree with Dreamer. If you're rich enough to buy something to play your brand of music on as well as acoustic, great. But, overall, your first instrument should always be capable of playing what you like to play and sound reasonably correct. An acoustic is as expensive as an electric - sometimes more, since they're more niche.
I paid $150 for my acoustic bass almost 20 years ago and it is literally just a practice instrument. It never leaves my home unless I'm writing with someone who is also using an acoustic.
They are good for open mic nights, but otherwise very redundant, though my crafter ba 400 has been my most reliable instrument and I have gigged with it.
As a beginner bass player, I started roughtly 1.5 years ago on a scort-scale electric because of my small hands. After about 6 months, I decided that I really liked the tone and convenience of practicing on an acoustic so I bought a full scale one and am using it still. I found that using the acoustic was significantly more difficult to play but it was worth it because with enough practice if you can make an acoustic sound good then switching back to an electric is an incredible feeling, after practicing with the acoustic I feel like my skills improved a lot by using the acoustic. I plan on buying a full scale electric soon!
I'm not a bass player, just here to get some salt from the comment section for my popcorn 🍿
Two things are inevitable in this life... dying and salty RUclips comments 😎
Move on kiddie clown the grown ups are having a serious conversation.
As an upright player, U-Bass with the nylon strings is GENUINELY closer to the sound of an upright than an acoustic bass guitar gets
It REALLY is! I’ve got an acoustic bass AND a U-Bass (both with rounds) the U-Bass is STUPID louder (and thumpier) than the acoustic....it’s a great couch instrument though.....
I made the deal with my house commander that I could have an upright, as long as it was an NS NXTa. Full scale length (41.75 inches) and I tell you, it is amazing. I've played a U-Bass, and they are really good.
@@dukealbert7017 how do you make the strings less tacky? I’ve read water or vegetable oil. Water didn’t work well veg oil I’m afraid will ruin things. Anyway, I have a 5 string U sub in cherry burst and it is sick.
@@Tanglangfa i thing Thomann have a video about U-bass i can't remember which powder they recommend.
genuinely
Listen to the violent femmes first album. That album is magic because of acoustic bass.
Agreed
One of my favorite bands of all time.
I never liked acoustic basses until I played an Ibanez AEB. I can't explain how, but that bass puts out more sound unplugged than any other acoustic bass I've played. Not at the level of an upright, but more than enough to be respectable. It sounds amazing plugged in too, and it's the first bass I turn to for session work.
I had an Ibanez for a while and I didn’t feel like it was very loud. ruclips.net/video/sOtU4Zg9jKI/видео.html
I got one. It's not bad but low B and G strings aren't as loud as the EAD. You need a compressor and a pre amp. That's just my experience.
His upright tone, is beautiful
Thank you.
Acoustic basses are great. My friend had an Ibanez that, when the power went off during a snowstorm, was perfect for kindling.
Had us in th first half
😂
Pissed myself
An old friend, Herbie Lewis, used to insist I play his studio bass Big Mama. Transcendental is the only word. It was a couple of hundred years old from Germany picked up while on tour with Sarah Vaughn. Your body vibrated in harmony. God rest you Herbie and I hope Big Mama is in the best of hands.
Uooaa what kind of bass was it? :o
@@victorinskipp407 it was an over sized bass, larger than normal and solid black. Side by side with his 'giging' bass it was larger in both bouts and a bit deeper. When you held it and hit a note your whole body resonated with it. Sorry that was roughly 40 years ago and Herbie's sadly passed on, I'm sketchy on the details. He was an amazing jazz bassist and knew just about everybody in the jazz world. I was lucky enough to call him a friend and mentor. There's a few videos of him on RUclips, one of my favorites ruclips.net/video/2lxeV6WbkPI/видео.html
It's nuts to see my buddy's old teacher in such a well thought out video! Thanks for putting this out there!
I got an acoustic bass to play while my family sleeps, very good reason 👍🏽
Why not just play an unplugged electric, or with the amp turned down?
@@kali3828 I have cheap Chinese generic bass and amp horrible sound quality at low volume ☹️ getting a fender Jazz bass soon 😃
Headphones dude
It was pretty interesting to watch him play the bass as a guitarrón.
i have tried that, it is almost impossible to do in tune, that man is a master.
I use my acoustic bass guitar for two things:
1: it's the fastest bass to pick up and play. My electric needs to be plugged in, the upright is heavy and parked in the corner. If I want to try a bass line or play along with radio/spotify, the acoustic bass guitar is the fastest to just start playing.
2: it's good for campfire jams, because it's portable and cordless.
As an added bonus, you can drink a ton for your campfire jams because no one will ever know if you're playing the right notes!
@@ampthebassplayer Additionally, if you run out of campfire fuel...
@@ampthebassplayer ooooh catty 😁😅
The secret sauce of the ABG is when you mic it for recording. With a mic you can hear the air movement, the organic wood tone, and no EB, not even a semi-hollow Godin, can sound as good acoustically as a mic'd ABG. Narrow use case, but a very potent one.
“Do you have a pick?” is the most bass player phrase ever spoken by a bass player.
yes
@@Alex_zaiok That's why I always keep spare change in my pocket.
@@miameramusic quarters are perfect, and they don't cost a dollar...
@@IamUncledeuce Haha, agreed! Plus they have an awesome attack.
@@miameramusicNot to mention that picks straight up disappear all the time but you know what doesn't disappear all the time loose change
If you want to play outside or have an acoustic jam, it's great. If you get drowned out in a bigger jam, just plug in and keep the acoustic vibe going. Plus different instruments change the way you play. I've written stuff on mine I wouldn't have written on my electric
Glad the guy who plays acoustic nirvana covers on a $300 Ibanez at a party where people are trying to have a conversation has weighed in against a literal doctor
@@MeatSnax yes you're right. I should put aside my own opinions and experiences, and agree with him blindly. That's the more educated thing to do. Look he makes great points, but I still love mine. And when I have parties (oh the days before covid), we're mostly musicians so little Nirvana is played
Conspired Pictures = Chill dude, good attitude, entertains friends with fun Nirvana covers at parties, humble content creator, lots of updoots (i.e. mandate of the common people), not afraid to show his real face and stand by his opinions
HandyHemorrhoids = Antisocial weirdo, needlessly aggressive, afraid to upload his own content, doesn't even play (lol), channel full of other people's terrible music, slobbers on the knob of a "bass guitar doctor" (whatever that is), one upvote (which he probably gave himself), cowardly generic avatar
Let's face it, this was over before it started.
@@ConspiredPictures at my church they want to have an acoustic set. The other bass player has to do something and he has an upright. I want to get an acoustic bass for the situation. Should I get one?
@@MeatSnax super funny to know people are still malding over Nirvana being great
Finally I've found a deep dive into acoustic bass guitar, thanks for the comparisons and insight!
Bluegrass and Folk bands are more accepting of an acoustic bass guitar than a traditional electric for aesthetic purposes.
probably true. still upright is king, if you can get one. all the old time string band's i've seen use an upright, or a washtub lol
I know when acoustic basses are good: when they have a pickup and they're plugged in.
Not really, they still sound pretty thin and uninspired without quite a bit of eq/compression. A P-bass sounds good from the getgo.
@@jttech44 precisions sounds like poo, u couldnt pay me to play one
@@EJSjjh talk about unpopular opinion.
@@EJSjjh lmao, sure bro.
@@jery3385 Not a fan of Fenders myself. I have a Rickenbacker 4003 and a 1980 BC Rich Eagle deluxe. My search is over.
I have played ABG for several years, so I have tried many aspects. If one expects the ABG to replace an electric bass or an upright bass, they will be disappointed. I did, however, find ABGs to be really useful when I play it like a new kind of instrument - I don't approach it like a bass, and that works out very well.
It's the absolute perfect tone for Violent Femmes debut album, with its bright edgy tone.
My wife was learning acoustic guitar (prior to two pregnancies in 2 years) she just wanted to learn campfire type stuff, exactly what you brought up. I wanted an acoustic bass to play along with her. I ended up playing mandolin with her, going the exact opposite direction, I tried a ton of acoustic basses and they sound great. In isolation in a quiet room in a guitar store and that's about it. She started playing and the bass just disappeared.
If I was to revisit it I'd honestly look for an acoustic Bass VI (30" scale, tuned E standard an octave lower) but my personal dream is a mandocello but well ... money.
TL;DW - Acoustic bass is a niche instrument. While it has some creative applications and a unique tone, for most bass players, it's usefulness is limited as it's not quite loud enough acoustically to be used in ensembles. It is a convenient option for solo home practice, however.
2 of common complaints (usually from people who didn't finish the whole video):
Brian Ritchie and the Violent Femmes - 29:22
Traditional Mexican music - 31:52
ITT: imgur.com/a/S9s1Mm6
I don't get this, I tried mine yesterday with a clarinet, a Cajon, and 2 guitars and it was awesome.
It was in a small room, silent room, and I was playing harder then I would in the electric but I was actually playing the base groove and no one ever complained of it being too silent, it actually surprised us. Sure, in an open space and a guitarist playing open chords hard with a pick it wouldn't be loud enough, but I personally think all this "hate" is exaggerated
It is used in mexican music, not on mariachi, in sierreño
I agree.
I bring it on the go to jam out some tunes with my friend.
It is intresting that the bass quality differs so much from both upright and acoustic bass. Personally quality is so important in this topic.
The acoustic guitar is good for practice.
The strings seem to muffle the sound coming through from playing finger style on the acoustic, I've experienced it myself.
I really liked the guitarron mention!
That is a unique bass forsure!
@@miguelmarques8824 it’s not hate, it’s experience based preference
Violent Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie showed the only really functional use of an acoustic bass. The band got their start busking on the streets and the acoustic bass provided not just the bass line but also the low end of the rhythm section as the high end of the rhythm section was the grill hit with brushes. In order to make this work you have to play the bass pretty aggressively, almost beating the thing. But it works in that instance.
You are so correct it hurts. It is a great live instrument in the right hands. My earlier statements didn't apply to the Violent Femmes. They do have a pointed point.
I play frestless electric bass when I play bass. When I played bass professionally in the 'old days' when the PA was for vocals(Kik if UR LOUD) I still had lo lump Huge Amps.
Wasn't Ritchie playing a guitarron in those early days?
@Eli Lemke “everything I don’t like is cringe” - some 13 year old
@Eli Lemke be gone, child
I just bought a Martin LXM (Little Martin parlor guitar) and an Ibanez PNB14E (little acoustic bass) and I'm having such a blast with them. It's so cool to be able to just pick up this little bass and jam out on it and then setting it back down on the couch. No cables needed, I can play it in any room, I'm not disturbing my neighbors at all. And it was less than $300 new. You could probably find one used for much cheaper. With the Little Martin, I can have an impromptu jam session with my girlfriend on the couch. I have some very expensive Gibsons and Fenders that I love but I don't think they've brought me as much pure joy as these little acoustic guitar and acoustic bass. So I think I'd have to disagree but this was a great video with good discussion!
I find that no loud music poster really interesting and telling of a jazz lover personality
In college (50 years ago) I was in a music class about writing music for plays. We were writing for Shakespeare's play The Twelfth Night, and one of the characters in this comedy was The Fool. During his theme I stood up, put a strap on my upright, and held it sideways like an electric bass while rocking the neck wildly up and down. Went over great, I got an A, but for some reason it never caught on as a fad.
"Bigger bass louder so more gooder!"
Couple of geniuses right here
The Double Bass is actually Acoustically compromised like the Viola because it's scaled down from the Optimal size that would be appropriate for those low notes.
Fascinating video. Thanks for the perspective. He has clearly made a commitment to the sound.
Leo Fender wasn't the creator of the first electric solid body bass guitar, but he definitely made the first that became popular. If anyone is interested, the first electric bass guitar is the Tutmarc Bass Fiddle 736
The Original Electric Bass was a Fretless Bass cause it was a Scaled Down Electrified Upright Bass morphed into the shape of a Guitar. 5 years later they added frets & the fretless Bass died out until some musicians bought the fretless bass back home.
@@RockStarOscarStern634 the original bass was acoustic you can go to different periods and see that now a lot of the Middle Ages instead of the double bass it’s was cello or 1/2 size double bass. The upright bass double bass/1/2 upright bass and cello are all the same family. Fret or fretless instruments have nothing to do with its octave range the idea behind no frets is that you can play where the frets where and have no buzz where the fret sits in western music isn’t a note but before the idea of western music fretting could be used for tonal sound for many styles of music. The start of western music starts with Baroque music which isn’t even really understood by modern musicians
As an acoustic bass fan (since I played one from Furch), this was a great video to watch. Lots of new stuff I've learned.
I bought an acoustic fretless bass for the slide note options and the fact that it was €150 from thomann and has a pickup for home recording .it's my favourite instrument iv ever bought , cheap as chips and I get that double bass fretless vibe to play around with
This is a great interview, and kick-ass playing!
I was 15 when I've build my first electric bass. Now I'm 50 and a couple years ago I have bought acoustics bass just for one reason - to have a bass I can play in two seconds after I had a will to play. Without delay to switch something on, to connect or some kind of waiting
I legit just leave mine in my living room so I can pick it up and go for like ten minutes and then put it down.
@@Charias14
Exactly.
I think this might do some justice to the accoustic bass: as a classical guitarist I played that in a classical guitar quintet, everyone unplugged, and it sounded great
I do find the tone of ABG mixes well with nylon
i still think electric bass sounds best though@@gxtmfa
I have one and I dig it a lot. I use labella black nylon tape wound and the sound is amazing. It gets pretty close tonally with my double bass. Very organic and warm. That being said I agree with your opinion. The acoustic bass serves my needs for specific reasons: home practicing without cables and amps, just pick and play.
Fascinating video - thank you. The reason I bought an acoustic bass (Hohner, early 90s, about £300) was for the times when our band got together without amps to practice in someone's living room - which happened occasionally, or for similar situations (family musical get-togethers) where I didn't want to or couldn't bring my amp. It's been great - and I still play it and love it (new strings just now, lovely tone). It's the bass I play most often at the moment - and as it's slightly tougher to play, it's great for practising and finger strength. I would so love an upright ... but couldn't afford one, would have to learn it, and have nowhere to store it!
The bowed upright is really an amazing sound. You never really get a chance to hear it just like that in a small room by itself.
Fortunately I once had a cellist for a room mate. She played in an unusual jazz/classical trio of double bass, cello, violin. I got to see them rehearse all the time. They could absolutely shake the walls just as hard as my Fender and 200 watt amp.
3:13
I like to imagine at this point the camera guy was wearing shoes but he took them off in a millisecond to humour the example of how resonant the upright bass is
Really enjoyed yall's take, definitely changed my view on acoustic bass
i watch music nerd videos to fall asleep at night and this is the perfect content for it. subbed
Situations where acoustic basses are practical: when you're playing on mtv unplugged with Eric Clapton and need it for the aesthetic. That's about it. Just buy a UBass.
The UBass is small Acoustic Bass, the GS Mini Acoustic Bass Guitar a little bit bigger & louder.
Yeah an electric bass doesn't look right in a Bluegrass band for example. I'm interested in trying the Gold tone. Tried the ubass but was uninspired personally.
@@stateofblitz Except for a Contemporary Bluegrass band & the Acoustic Bass Guitar matches the Guitars in Shape:goldtonemusicgroup.com/goldtone/instruments/pbb that's a Resonator Bass & it's louder than an Average Double Bass because of the Resonator Cone.
@@stateofblitz I've just ordered a Regal Resonator Bass, I have high hopes.
@@andhewonders I ended up buying a Guild jumbo junior bass and love it. So much fun and easy to play. All acoustic basses will need some amplification. An upright might be the acception in some cases.
Awesome video, this guy is awesome! And upright bass with a bow is by far the most metal acoustic sound I’ve ever heard!
Les Claypool agrees
Great show! Thanks.
another different view is: sometimes i dont wanna the doublebass sound, i just wanna the bass guitar one!
I find a number of practical uses for the fretless acoustic electric bass I own. I bought it from Amazon for less than $200. Its sound is wonderfully full, and with tape wound strings is closer to my upright's sound but in a smaller package. It also gives me the option of amplified or unplugged when played. It is a very useful addition to my collection of basses, electric and acoustic. I'm happy with mine.
19:30 I could listen to that 5th riff over and over
Sounds a bit like Mulagh by John Pattituci.
It sounds familiar to me too but I can't place it...
Excellent report, the high sincerity of Denson Angulo does not deceive anyone who is thinking about purchasing an acoustic bass; very good Congratulations.
for me the perfect formula for acoustic bass is, small setting (room at home, small café, tea bar...) with acoustic instruments (guitar, singer, piano).
I would amplifiy the acoustic bass in that situation with just a small amp, and mostly equalized with the bass range (the mids will be covered just acoustically).
Paul Tutmarc invented the electric bass in the 1930s, in 1935 he produced 100 for his company Audiovox, Leo Fender was the first to mass produce them ...the P bass debuted in 1951
More accurately: Paul Tutmarc invented the electric bass GUITAR. Rickenbacher produced an upright electric bass violin in the 1930s, too. As the author of this video fails to recognize, any "bass" played horizontally is a GUITAR. Any bass that can be played with a bow is a VIOLIN (an acoustic bass violin)
@@musicofanatic how about Lohr he was doing that in the 20s
@@americanjoe5486 How about some capitalization, punctuation and spelling, perhaps aiding the reader in deciphering WTF you are attempting to convey??!?
@@musicofanatic oh sorry! I thought I was talking to somebody was educated in this,,, Lloyd loar who was a master inventor at the Gibson musical instrument company was in experimenting with electrified bass back in the twenties! is that plain enough for you ? now I'll go back and put all the punctuations in because I'm doing this with voice .
So you can understand.
@@americanjoe5486 Oh, Lloyd LOAR! I know him as a pioneer in electrified stringed instruments (Vivi-Tone), and there are rumors of his work on a "quasi-solid body" upright bass before he left Gibson...so that would be different than a BASS GUITAR...quite honestly, I had no idea what you were referring to previously (Lohr?). Thanks for clarifying...
Hey you also Play the guitarrón (which means literally big guitar) kinda like plucking but more important with octaves, that's how you get more power, you can listen a guitarrón as loud as a trumpet in a mariachi when you hear serenatas around the corner
Amazing video!!!
Great vid. Thanks!
Even when jamming with friends on acoustic, if there is more than one person playing guitar an acoustic bass can't keep up. I ended up selling mine and I use a 3/4 scale P-bass along with a Fender Rumble 25 whenever having acoustic jams.
Agreed. Even if a single acoustic guitarist switches from fingerpicking to a pick, I find myself digging in more to be heard.
thanks for your video, it was fun to watch, I've learned a thing or two
holy crap! i didnt expect to see denson angulo here! i almost had him as my teacher, and i just recently saw him playing live with the utah wind symphony
I bought a cheap one pretty much just for solo practice when I dont feel like hooking up my P or J bass. Its super lightweight and easy to just pick up and fiddle with
Bass Ukulele was my key to flow without hurting my hands.
loved this video , great info
This Mexican group Arsenal Efectivo brought the acoustic bass to a new found craze in the genre of music. They play the bass by plucking and slapping it with a wrist technique that’s is very cool.
Mexican Americans use it a lot nowadays. They call it a “bajoloche” derived from the bass meaning bajo, and loche after the tololoche as its an upright bass which is acoustic. It sounds pretty nice the way they play it too. Especially on a song called “el de la h”
31:52 ;)
AMP bajoloche is different than guitarrón, bajoloche is a standard acoustic bass guitar (usually fender kingman or taylor gs) played with a percussive technique
Nice song, here's a link: ruclips.net/video/bf61kHmNb7o/видео.html . The way he's playing bass is like the guitarrón and it makes up for not having drums. Also noticed the other dude is playing 12 string guitar instead of bajosexto.
I own a Traveler Redlands Concert Bass in koa and it is an amazing instrument! I play it all the time with an amp and it gives a totally different sound than my electrics, U Bass, and upright. It's another sound in my palette. Throughout this video, the guy is approaching the acoustic bass guitar as either an upright or electric and it is its own instrument.
Absolutely. Using them as a substitute to the upright or the electric, is the wrong approach.
Just use them for what they are. And, indeed, I don't understand why amplifying them would make them worthless, as the video suggests.
Acoustic guitars are amplified at professional gigs and nobody makes a fuss about it.
the doc's love of his instrument is really communicative
Playing in a mexican regional genre we use the acoustic bass like the upright,slapping it and sounds pretty good acosuticly
But the upright forsure is more pwerfull acousitc
After years of trying to find an acoustic bass I stumbled on to Taylor’s mini bass. Unbelievable how much should comes out. I play it with a felt uke pick.
When I'd play with folks doing lower-volume singer-songwriter type gigs, I'd sometimes get asked if I had an acoustic bass, but I quickly realized that they were more interested in the "look" of it. The hack there is that most laypeople read semi-hollow electrics as "acoustic" and so you get, like, a Jack Casady bass.
I didn’t watch the whole video, so maybe they mentioned this, but I bought an acoustic bass guitar to have in my living room or kitchen when people came over to jam on acoustic six strings. It doesn’t take up space, is loud enough and is over all a perfect complimentary instrument in that setting.
Bass player since 1977 here. I will consider this my Guitaron lesson, thank you!
I’m assuming he’s referring to Yves Carbonne with the 6-string transverse acoustic bass. Phenomenal player!
Excellent video & great explanation. Also, god damn that man can play!
Now, as an owner of a transverse acoustic bass.. I still can't argue with any of that! I love my acoustic, more than my electric, but I don't play at gigs, only at home for fun, and for me and my purposes it is a perfect instrument. I love the convenience of not needing an amp to just play about, and I really love the tone of it. But if I had the financial means to acquire, and means to transport an upright bass instead I'd take it in a heartbeat
I agree with everything you guys said! One thing I might add is that if youre wanting a louder acoustic-electric bass without needing to use an amp, you may want to go with something with the sound hole in the middle, like with a regular acoustic guitar.
I find that you can get a loud, clean tone with that, just finger picking over the hole. I have a Dean like that and I love it.
That being said:
1) that feedback and reverb, plus the lo-fi sound is the sound I want, so this (as stated in the video) isn't for everyone
2) It is not ideal for live preforming without an amp. I'm not claiming that it's that much louder! If I want to record it: I'm using the direct signal and not using a microphone setup. That is due to the buzzing and extra sounds the acoustic makes.
3) Through an amp, I can get it to sound *almost* like my solid body....almost. not quite.
you make great videos, without commercial intentions I get the impression... also applies to the bass professor 🍀☺️👌
Probably the best conversation/explanation about the difference between these things we call basses. There was one other way it was framed that really rang true (I think it was from the Learn Double Bass channel): An electric bass is a bass guitar. An upright bass is a bass violin. It's a quirk of physics that both basses have strings are tuned in the same order (a violin is GDAE vs bass's EADG). That makes it easy to switch between electric and upright, but not so easy to get good at upright. Thanks for the great video!
I learned to play bass on an acoustic. I still play it all the time, but yeah, it's absolutely a practice instrument. It did teach me to pluck stupid hard, and I had to back off considerably when I started playing electric.
I still love playing her though
Good God, I really want an upright now. I don't think I'd likely perform with it, but I would love to play one
Fascinating discussion. My "lifestyle" is with a brass contrabass (tuba). I heard a RUclips with someone playing an acoustic bass guitar (amplified) and was curious. It sounded pretty good. You're video was the first search that came up on the subject and was very informative. That said, as much as I'd love to become accomplished on the stand-up bass, I owe it to myself (and my bands) more to put that practice time in my horn. The foundation makes or breaks the band.
Nice vid!
I play a 6 string fretless acoustic. I play it as a solo instrument to my own compositions. The sound of it it always inspires me to create new songs which I never get from my electric. This also works superbly for me because I can pick it up and work on a song at 2 in the morning without annoying the neighbours and , then, when I'm performing, I'm using the same instrument that I use all the time so my intonation is spot on. I also play a 4 string electric and love that too, but the acoustic is my go too bass. There's no one instrument that's perfect for all situations. Just the one that works for you.
Alright calm down there, Jaco.
@@aussierule Just an an opinion...calm down :-)
Acoustic basses are still loud enough for the campfire. I've literally done it. You can't change my mind
Best example I can think of acoustic bass sounding great was Mike Inez on Alice In Chains unplugged.
I bet most people have not heard an upright close up and personal, let alone played one. The tone and resonance is just so much bigger.
Imagine Kyuss Space Cadet on a standup bass
Hey, about the bass used in mariachi music or mexican music in general
We do use the double bass, but we don't call it like the direct translation would be "contrabajo" (this one is more used by classical or jazz musicians), we call it "tololoche" (used in the tradicional music)
And now Mexican American kids are playing the acoustic bass with a slap style mimicking how the tololoche is played lol
@TheRuta57 Oh really? Thanks for clarifying it :]
Guitarron (with accent on the o)
@TheRuta57 Y ¿hay una diferencia entre el contrabajo y el toloche? O ¿son los mismos instrumentos solo llamados por una otra manera?
Tololoche is used for norteño music. Mariachi use the guitarrón. Just fact checking.
I like the acoustic bass tone when played with a pick and I also find it convenient to use while jamning with friends in an acoustic setting.
WOW..just.. WOOWWW im a bass player and now i want an acoustic one
Great video! Very informative and I learned a ton about an upright. Agree with a lot of people here...if you're jonesing to dabble on an acoustic then buy a Kala U bass or a Taylor mini bass.
I'm in total agreement with Dr. Angelo...been playing electric bass for about 20 years and I have yet to purchase an acoustic bass (transverse - thanks for clarifying because I also think "upright" when I say acoustic bass). This isn't due to a lack of seeking, just never been moved by a single specimen I've ever played (which have been many) and I've come to the same conclusion that the only way to get any satisfying acoustic tone is through the classic upright. Physics don't lie, the transverse sucks. Play electric or upright. If I want to practice, I pick up my main player and noodle with that...still sounds fine unplugged.
Great perspective. Thanks you saved me some cash. I've always been uncertain when it comes to picking an acoustic bass. Now I know why
I'm a drummer/mandolinist building a washtub bass and trying to get all science-y about it by.. so I'm researching bass drums/guitars for things like sound hole placement, resonance etc. as well as string types and fretboard building. I think I want to add 4 frets that will correspond to each bass string. We'll see how it goes. If it works, it will be an acoustic bass that is audible AND (relatively more) portable.
Materials I'm using for first iteration:
-16 Gal Washtub from home depot
-Narrow, mostly rounded stair railing, cut to size
-Larges heaviest washers they had
-Trying both nylon rope and coated steel cable
-Felt washers & plastic guide from hihat cymbals
-Need some rubber stripping for the bottom/ground edge of the tub
Total cost so far (at SF Bay Area prices) is around $75-80. If I made a good working model I could sell it on Ebay for $250-300, which would actually not be bad for an ROI.
Wow you guys make a great combo. I'm a bass player from China but I can totally relate with you guys and even laughed along the video. Educational and also fun to watch, great works!