Archive for the ‘Bass Guitars’ Category

The Acoustic Bass Guitar: A Relative Newcomer

Author: Victor Epand

If you find out someone is a guitarist and you ask them what kind of guitar they play, chances are that the answer will not be “the acoustic bass.” In the world of guitars, this instrument does not have an overly large following. It lacks the historical tradition of the classical acoustic guitar and the sexiness of the electric bass. However, the acoustic bass should not be discounted, as it does hold a certain place in the world of music. Although rarely utilized in its early years, it gained a foothold during the late 1980s when it was used during MTV Unplugged programs.

Acoustic bass guitars are an extremely recent advent as compared with most other versions of the instrument. The first acoustic basses on record are those made during the 1950s, and the first modern such instrument was developed in the early 1960s. The modern acoustic bass is accredited to Ernie Ball of California, who was supposedly felt that since electric guitars had bass instruments, acoustic guitars should too. Regardless of his motivation, Ball went on to collaborate with a man named George Fullerton and together, the two of them developed the first commercially produced acoustic bass, the Earthwood. This instrument was produced from 1972 to 1974 and again from 1976 to 1985.

An acoustic bass guitar, unlike its electric cousin, has a hollow wooden body similar to that of a steel-string acoustic guitar. It is generally fretted and possessed of four strings, although variations on this makeup do occur. The sound produced by this instrument is quite low, and as a result it can be difficult to hear unless an amplifier is used. Therefore, most acoustic basses have pickups that allow them to be used with amplifiers. Manufacturers of these instruments include Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, Tacoma and a number of other companies.

It should be noted that while the modern acoustic bass dates back only to the 1950s, traditional Mexican music has utilized this instrument for much longer. This style of music actually uses several kinds of acoustic basses. One of the most common is the “baja sexto,” which resembles a twelve-string guitar that has simply been tuned an octave lower. This instrument has been used in Texas since the 1920s, when “Tex-Mex” music began to become popular. A variation on the baja sexton is the “bajo sexton,” which is tuned slightly differently.

Finally, it is impossible to discuss bass guitars without bringing up the “guitarron,” the largest of the Mexican acoustic basses. This instrument is very large and has a strikingly deep body. It has six strings, as opposed to the modern acoustic bass’s four, and is commonly used in the music of mariachi bands. Because of its great size, the guitarron produces a loud sound and does not require electric amplification, at least in smaller venues. This attribute, the number of its strings and the fact that the guitarron is fretless all make it noticeably different from the modern acoustic bass. Despite these variations, Mr. Ball is believed to have used the guitarron as inspiration for his invention.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/the-acoustic-bass-guitar-a-relative-newcomer-565450.html

About the Author

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for guitars, acoustic bass guitars, guitarrons, sheet music, guitar tabs, and home theater audio.

Basics of Bass Guitars

Author: melvillejackson

The history of bass guitars dates back to 1930s when it was first developed by Paul Tutmarc of Seattle, Washington. A bass guitar looks similar to an electric guitar except it is larger in terms of body and neck length. The guitar is tuned to pitches that are one octave lower than those of the four lower strings of a guitar (E, A, D and G). Like electric guitars, bass guitars are attached to an amplifier or speaker for live performance.

What are bass guitars made of?

The bass guitars usually have bodies made of wood. The body may also be made of other materials like graphite as in some of the Steinberger guitars. Different types of woods are used for the making of the neck, body and the fretboard of the bass guitars. Usually the body is made of alder; the fretboard is made of rosewood and the neck of maple. Other types of woods used are ash, mahogany and maple for bodies, maple and ebony for the fretboard and mahogany for necks. The bass guitars have various flat and curved designs and oil, wax, or lacquer finishes.

What creates the bass effect?

Most of the bass guitars have bodies with hollow chambers to enhance the resonance and tone of the instruments. This design also reduces the weight of the guitars. Acoustic bass guitars usually have piezoelectric or magnetic pick ups and amplifiers. Bass Guitars may also be classified on the basis of the frets. The Fender basses have about 20 frets whereas modern basses have about 24 or more frets. The Fretless basses produce distinct sound due to lack of frets. Usually the bass guitars have four, five or six strings.

You can take formal bass guitars training in a wide range of styles like jazz, rock, Latin, funk and R&B. You may even learn informally from records or CDs. There is a wide variety of brands and styles of bass guitars. You can buy them along with many different accessories according to your individual needs. Some of the accessories that are often required are amplifiers, cables, straps, tuners, headphones, Instructional DVDs and gig bags. You can even shop online. The different websites will offer you the opportunity to make a well informed buy. They can also create personalized packages that contain the accessories that you want to suit your individual tastes and preferences.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/basics-of-bass-guitars-1357853.html

About the Author

At World Music Supply, we offer acoustic guitars in all your favorite models and styles. From Strats (Stratocasters) to Teles (Telecasters), jazzy arch-tops to cool signatures, metal guitars, and even smaller sized guitars for those just beginning, we’ve got something for everyone, in top brands like Fender, ESP, B.C. Rich, and Jackson.

All about an Acoustic Bass Guitar

Author: Victor Epand

There are different types of guitars producing various sound variations, offering different features. One of the most demanding is the acoustic bass guitar. This is a bass instrument with a hollow wooden body similar to a bass guitar, though usually somewhat larger than a steel string acoustic guitar. A steel strung acoustic bass guitar is louder and sounds brighter than a classical guitar. These guitars are constructed and made using various materials. Those guitars, which are expensive, have a solid top, solid back and sides. Normally cedar and spruce are the materials, which are being used for making the solid wood tops. Back and sides are often made from mahogany, maple or rosewood.

Entry-level acoustic bass guitars are generally constructed entirely from laminated wood. But mid range acoustic bass guitars may sometimes have a combination of solid parts, often solid top and laminated woods. Acoustic bass guitars are most preferably used while playing a folk music or a country song, though many pop as well as rock singers use this guitar quite often in their concerts.

A brief history

The first modern acoustic bass guitar was developed in the early 1960s by Ernie Ball of San Luis Obispo, California. Ball aimed to provide bass guitarists with a more acoustic sounding instrument that would match better with the sound of acoustic guitars. In the late 1980s, MTV unplugged show helped to popularize hollow bodied acoustic bass guitars amplified with pickups.

Information about the construction

The acoustic bass guitar usually has a hollow wooden body similar to that of the steel string acoustic guitar. This is quite unlike the electric bass guitar, which is generally a solid body instrument. The majority of acoustic basses are fretted. Semi fretted versions also exist, although they are quite rare. Frets are raised metal strips inserted into the fingerboard that extend across the full width of the neck. On a fretted bass, the frets divide the fingerboard into semitone divisions. The acoustic bass guitar commonly has four strings, which are normally tuned E A D G, an octave below the lowest four strings of the 6 string guitar. Most acoustic basses have pickups, either magnetic or piezoelectric or both, so that they can be amplified with an instrument amplifier. This is because it becomes difficult to hear an acoustic bass guitar without an amplifier. Piezoelectric pickups are non magnetic pickups that produce a different tone.

Conclusion

Acoustic guitars, which are an indispensable part of folk music and country music as well, are available in different types. The prices of these guitars also vary because of the materials used to make the guitars. The Earthwood acoustic bass guitar was introduced in 1972. The Earthwood acoustic guitar was quite large and deep in contrast to most instruments and gave more volume, especially in the low register. After a few years of its birth it became almost extinct. Some of the very famous guitar manufacturers, who make world class acoustic guitars, are Alvarez, Breedlove, Cort, Crafter, Jerzey, Dean, Eston, Gibson, and some others.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/all-about-an-acoustic-bass-guitar-255853.html

About the Author

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, and synthesizers. You can find the best marketplace for guitars, drums, and synthesizers at these 3 sites: guitars, acoustic bass guitars, drums, drum sets, drum kits, and synthesizers, keyboards.

To Buy Or Not to Buy Cheap Bass Guitars?

By Or Kynan

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Yamaha Bass Guitar Pros And Cons

Author: Or Keynan

The Acoustics can be further divided into F series, FG series and L series. There are three models in the F series and these are F325, FD01S and JR1. Each of these models has a certain distinct characteristic that is unique to it. The F325 is considered one of the best models for beginners and novices. Read the rest of this entry »