Semi acoustic. Mnnnnnfh.

Bridgehouse · November 2017

I have been jonesing for a semi acoustic bass for some time now, mostly to use live and to give an alternate sound option.

I also love Precisions.

Imagine my surprise to discover Fender did an A/E Precision and I didn't even know about it.

Now seriously want one.

Anyone tried one?

mart · November 2017

It does look kinda cool. I’ve not played a Fender A/E, but for many years my main bass was a Warwick Starbass. That was good fun.

TTony · November 2017

Nice.

I think you should buy one.

Probably tomorrow.

HTH.

Bridgehouse · November 2017

Main problem - they don't make them any more and they are quite rare. Just my luck.

Winny_Pooh · November 2017

Guild starfire

Funkfingers · November 2017

Bridgehouse said:

Main problem - they don't make them any more and they are quite rare.

Those were Japanese. They were contemporaneous with the Acousti-caster guitar series. I cannot remember whether some versions had a piezo transducer in the bridge area. Without that, the instrument can deliver neither the sound of an acoustic or a solidbody Precision.

Are there internal organs that you could sell to finance a Gibson EB-650?

Shark_Eyes · November 2017

I love the look of this, but I can't tell if it has a bound edge or not.
Of the few hollow body basses I've tried, I've always found them to be too wooly, this might be a good compromise.

Shark_Eyes · November 2017

Does this scratch your itch?

http://thebassgallery.com/index.php/asat-semi-hollow-4447.html

Bridgehouse · November 2017

Funkfingers said:

Bridgehouse said:

Main problem - they don't make them any more and they are quite rare.

Those were Japanese. They were contemporaneous with the Acousti-caster guitar series. I cannot remember whether some versions had a piezo transducer in the bridge area. Without that, the instrument can deliver neither the sound of an acoustic or a solidbody Precision.

Are there internal organs that you could sell to finance a Gibson EB-650?

Yes, piezo bridge in all of them with lace sensor P blended...

No internal organs - apparently I need them..

Bridgehouse · November 2017

Shark_Eyes said:

Does this scratch your itch?

http://thebassgallery.com/index.php/asat-semi-hollow-4447.html

Not as much, but still nice tho!

Bridgehouse · November 2017

Shark_Eyes said:

I love the look of this, but I can't tell if it has a bound edge or not.
Of the few hollow body basses I've tried, I've always found them to be too wooly, this might be a good compromise.

Yep - bound edge...

Image: https://images.talkbass.com/attachments/img_0196-jpg.1125241/

Funkfingers · November 2017

Lace Sensor bass pickups always sound a bit "off" to me. On the Acousti-bass, blended with a budget piezo, this might actually help.

Bridgehouse said:
No internal organs - apparently I need them.

I can not believe that nobody has made the obvious gag about those organs for which you might have little or no use.

Shark_Eyes · November 2017

That picture sells it. I vaguely remember Fender doing a bound edge p-bass many years ago, so you could go the Gretsch route, get one of those and paint an f-hole on it?

ICBM · November 2017

I've never seen one of these, but it's clearly the brother of the HMT Telecaster - second version, not the Floyd/HB 'metal' guitar which gave it its name. I had one of those, which was fantastic - the most convincingly 'acoustic' sounding semi-solidbody guitar I've ever played - except that I hated the neck, which was a typical early-90s wide/thin profile, with huge frets. It had the 'offset' neck plate which means it's not easily interchangeable for a different Tele neck.

The controls are volume, tone and blend - I don't know about the P-Bass but on the Tele, the blend control works backwards - 'forwards' gives the piezo pickup - but is easily rewired. The one in the OP has had the Lace magnetic pickup and knobs replaced. The fretless one has also had the knobs replaced - they came with 'F top' knobs originally, but they very often get changed because the F tops fall off...

Bridgehouse · November 2017

ICBM said:

I've never seen one of these, but it's clearly the brother of the HMT Telecaster - second version, not the Floyd/HB 'metal' guitar which gave it its name. I had one of those, which was fantastic - the most convincingly 'acoustic' sounding semi-solidbody guitar I've ever played - except that I hated the neck, which was a typical early-90s wide/thin profile, with huge frets. It had the 'offset' neck plate which means it's not easily interchangeable for a different Tele neck.

The controls are volume, tone and blend - I don't know about the P-Bass but on the Tele, the blend control works backwards - 'forwards' gives the piezo pickup - but is easily rewired. The one in the OP has had the Lace magnetic pickup and knobs replaced. The fretless one has also had the knobs replaced - they came with 'F top' knobs originally, but they very often get changed because the F tops fall off...

They did a Precision HMT as well - with a hockey stick headstock and jazzly finishes.

Bridgehouse · November 2017

This is a similar concept - also no longer made and also highly regarded... Yamaha BEX4...

Funkfingers · November 2017

Just needs a Mudbucker, a Hipshot D-Tuner and some fingerboard scalloping.

dogload · November 2017

Is the Fender long scale? Most of the semi or hollow basses seem to be shorter scale which contributes to the thuddiness.

I've got a Duesenberg which is 30" scale but whilst it has a shorter decay than my Fender Jazz for example, being a semi with a central sustain block it has a much smoother sound than a fully-hollow one (just like the difference between a Casino and 335-type guitar).

bandmaster188 · November 2017

That acoustic p bass is lovely. Ibanez have got a couple of semi hollow basses out at the moment. Saw one in GAK a couple of weeks ago. Didn't try it but it looked quite nice. Will have a slinky neck profile unfortunately .

https://www.gak.co.uk/en/ibanez-srh500-def-semi-hollow-electric-bass-dragon-eye-burst-flat-/904880?gclid=CjwKCAiA9MTQBRAREiwAzmytw0PghcLV32Q3OflJVGaFl2eYVg01RzJA8guCVMT0V5iZ3_O_pIbsgBoCWqIQAvD_BwE

Bridgehouse · November 2017

Funnily enough, I've decided to do my own.

I've got a semi-hollow 51Precision style body being made, along with a full scale wide nut vintage style Precision neck.

I am going to go for no pickguard, ultralight tuners and a fairly meaty bridge to try to keep the weight down but the balance spot on.

Build thread will start in a bit.

guitarfishbay · November 2017

I see you’ve decided to build one, but because I’ve just found it in a sale have you seen one of these?

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Schecter-dUg-Pinnick-Baron-H-Bass-Guitar-Black/1M16

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Semi acoustic. Mnnnnnfh.

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