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Acoustic bass - acoustic amp?

JavabeanJavabean Frets: 9
in Bass
Has anyone got a recommendation for an amp to bring the best out of an acoustic bass with an active piezo under saddle pickup?

Pushing it through my normal (electric) bass rig makes is sound too electric - it loses its acoustic properties.

Thank you.

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Comments

  • ICBMICBM Frets: 72514
    What sort of bass amp is it? If it's a head/cab you may just need a different cab.

    Trace Elliot used to make a dedicated acoustic bass amp (the TAB-100), but I'm not sure they do one now.

    I would avoid using an acoustic guitar amp, the speakers might not be very happy with bass going through them - and in some cases not the amp section either.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

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  • ChrisMusicChrisMusic Frets: 1133
    Just a thought here, I remember a discussion a while back with a similar acoustic guitar, so maybe the same applies to acoustic bass.

    I think it was ICBM who suggested that it was possibly the one valid use of the Boss acoustic emulator pedals, reverse engineering the logic by using it to improve the sound of an acoustic into a guitar amp.  (Sorry if that wasn't you @ICBM)

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 72514
    edited May 2014
    ChrisMusic said:
    Just a thought here, I remember a discussion a while back with a similar acoustic guitar, so maybe the same applies to acoustic bass.

    I think it was ICBM who suggested that it was possibly the one valid use of the Boss acoustic emulator pedals, reverse engineering the logic by using it to improve the sound of an acoustic into a guitar amp.  (Sorry if that wasn't you @ICBM)
    It was me, and it does work! - with acoustic guitars. I don't know if it would for bass, but it's not an expensive thing to try… cheaper than a new cab or amp.

    I had forgotten that :).

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

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  • fretmeisterfretmeister Frets: 24498
    The Phil Jones Cub is popular with EUB players for keeping the proper tone of the instrument.


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  • JavabeanJavabean Frets: 9
    Thank you all for your help here.  

    ICBM - I have a Genz Benz Streamliner 900 with two Vanderkley Neolite 2x10 and 1x12cabs.  

    ChrisMusic & ICBM - I have a Boss AC-3 which I will try.  I'll post the results.

    fretmeister - I'll give the Phil Jones a try.

    Thanks again.

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  • fretmeisterfretmeister Frets: 24498
    The Mark Bass heads have an XLR in that is supposed to be used with piezo pickups.

    Just remembered that!

    (I'm a big fan of Genz stuff - I have a Streamliner 900 and a Shuttle 9.2. Damn good amps!)

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