leftybassatl wrote:
Matt-
I will gladly give my review of the Takamine bass, but keep in mind that I don't have much context here; the only other acoustic BG I've ever had was a right handed Ovation flipped over, but I'll do my best to give my over all view of the bass.
Likes: General- Seems fairly well built, built in tuner is nice, like the electronics- easy to use, with a built in EQ. Body is decent size and easy to hold, unlike the Ovation which always fell out of my lap because of the smooth rounded plastic back. Unplugged- It projects fairly well- I can take this bass to a 'campfire' setting and hold my own with unplugged acoustic guitar players. This was the litmus test for me- how well it projected unplugged. Plugged in- IMHO, this is where the bass shines. I can get much more of the tone I wanted by plugging the bass in and messing with EQ. Sounds great plugged in.
Dislikes: Unplugged: I like a big round sound on my electrics, and even on my uprights. NO acoustic bass I've ever played or owned has the tonal quality and resonance that I'm thrilled with. This is just a function of body size on acoustic instruments, which is why I guess we hear so many good things about the near comically large EB Earthwood bass. I chose not to pursue something of like an earthwood not only for cost (and rarity) purposes, but because I didn't want to look like a cartoon character with a gigantic ukulele! The point is that the sound is not unlike any other middle of the road E/ABG, but if you're a rocking electric player playing acoustic for the first time, this may be off putting in the beginning. The tone is also a bit bright for me when unplugged, but this may very well be a function of the strings or my playing style. I'm experimenting with that now.
Plugged in- Not unlike any other acoustic instrument plugged in, you may suffer from feedback issues depending on volume and placement. I began using a $7 feedback buster (soundhole cover) and the issue has all but disappeared unless I'm standing in front of my amp, with the volume on 11.
In summary, I would recommend this bass for anyone looking to spend less than $500 and get a very good bass for the money. I wasn't thrilled with the Kelly basses and the marginal improvements in going to some high end bass like Breedlove or something was so minuscule that the cost difference wasn't even close to justified. At $500, this bass is priced right. I found one on eBay with a case in near mint condition for $350 and couldn't believe I got such a deal.
Hope this helps.
Yep, thanks man. Sounds like the usual issues with an ABG, which are common and no big deal. I'll definitely look into one of these. I'll assume the build quality is good also because a good friend of mine has played a Takamine acoustic guitar for about 20 years and if it survived him, then well...
