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Acoustic "Classical" style, nylon string BASS guitar?!

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  • #16
    Originally posted by Erlend_G View Post

    Cool!

    In west africa they played the "Kora"; which was a harp, with dual sets of strings (one for each hand), a pumpkin? body, with goat skin top .
    And there was a...one stringed fiddle, with no fretboard... the string was stopped at different harmonic intervals.

    Aswell as alot of drums. .

    PS: Couldn't find the "classical bass" anywhere on that list. It had nothing particularily "african" about it; it looked like any "spanish" classical guitar. Just bigger.

    -Erl
    Try looking under North, South, and Central American instruments. There are a number of instruments which match your general description.

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    • #17
      Originally posted by idsnowdog View Post
      Try looking under North, South, and Central American instruments. There are a number of instruments which match your general description.
      Portugese, spanish? I think:

      "Sometimes a 4-string acoustic bass guitar (violão baixa) is also part of the instruments to accompany the Fado singer (man or woman)"

      :/ who knows. I wish these basses were mainstream,
      I can't afford anything else .

      It was wonderful to play. Had a rich, sonorous tone, exactly like the bass strings of a good nylon/classical guitar, but one octave lower.

      It seemed to have mahagony neck, back and sides- with a cedar top.

      If somethings important- send a PM. I might be offline for long periods. Rock on!!!

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      • #18
        Originally posted by Erlend_G View Post
        No. A steel string acoustic, and a classical guitar- is built in two completely diffenret ways. It's two different things.

        Try putting steel strings on a flamenco guitar (or the other way around)... and You will understand what I say! :o
        I totally agree with you BUT...have you ever tried nylon strings on a Tacoma Chief acoustic?

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        • #19
          Originally posted by treyhaislip View Post

          I totally agree with you BUT...have you ever tried nylon strings on a Tacoma Chief acoustic?
          Nope . How come you ask?
          If somethings important- send a PM. I might be offline for long periods. Rock on!!!

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          • #20
            Many guitarrons I've worked on for local Tejano and Mariachi bands have large nylon strings for the basses. Don't know about any sources, but hey - the internet is at your fingertips.
            aka Chris Pile, formerly of Six String Fever

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            • #21
              Would a Taylor GS mini get you in that ballpark? It sounds like a bass and uses nylon core strings (although they've got a metal wrap around them).
              Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

              Originally posted by Douglas Adams
              This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

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              • #22
                :/ I'm thinking that I'd get one of those gigantic, mexican bass guitars. .

                Those seem to be the closest, to the instrument I tried in Gambia. (Though much bigger!)
                If somethings important- send a PM. I might be offline for long periods. Rock on!!!

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                • #23
                  Well... There's plenty of string out there for when you do find it.



                  These strings must play themselves for $77
                  How good could they be for this price? Crazy

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                  • #24
                    Originally posted by Erlend_G View Post

                    Nope . How come you ask?
                    because...a Tacoma Chief with a Cedar top, while designed for Steel Strings, with Nylon/Classical stings actually sounds phenomenal.

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                    • #25
                      Originally posted by treyhaislip View Post

                      because...a Tacoma Chief with a Cedar top, while designed for Steel Strings, with Nylon/Classical stings actually sounds phenomenal.
                      Okay.

                      I once had a Chateau acoustic bass guitar (made for bronze strings),. Made it a fretless conversion, put flats on it-

                      It had no lows *at all*, but a barky and bold midrange; that really stood out for jam sessions, and also free jazz use. My plan was to put a magnetic pickup in the soundhole, aswell as vol/tone pots-

                      But I lost that bass.

                      Is that Tacoma real expensive? :/. I like the thought of a cedar top though; reason steel-string ABG's make "no sound" is because the thick strings and heavy bracing. I think.

                      Rock on man \m/

                      -E
                      If somethings important- send a PM. I might be offline for long periods. Rock on!!!

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                      • #26
                        In Gambia they likely used Cat gut. Probably Lion....
                        Originally posted by Bad City
                        He's got the crowd on his side and the blue jean lights in his eyes...

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                        • #27
                          Originally posted by Erlend_G View Post

                          Okay.

                          I once had a Chateau acoustic bass guitar (made for bronze strings),. Made it a fretless conversion, put flats on it-

                          It had no lows *at all*, but a barky and bold midrange; that really stood out for jam sessions, and also free jazz use. My plan was to put a magnetic pickup in the soundhole, aswell as vol/tone pots-

                          But I lost that bass.

                          Is that Tacoma real expensive? :/. I like the thought of a cedar top though; reason steel-string ABG's make "no sound" is because the thick strings and heavy bracing. I think.

                          Rock on man \m/

                          -E
                          Those Tacoma's are becoming pretty expensive since the company is no longer building guitars (Fender bought them out sometime in the 2000's and then shut them down around 2008?)

                          I remember paying around $350-$600 for a Chief while now they seem to be well over $1,000.

                          I remember the nylon strings really added a unique sound--extremely balanced.

                          Best of luck finding the bass you are looking for!

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                          • #28
                            Hey guys!

                            I finally, accidentally found the instrument I was talking about:

                            Shop for a great value Esteve Contrabass 6 String Guitar here at London Guitar Studio today! Were passionate about Flamenco and Classical guitars, so pop in and check out our selection.


                            The one I played in Gambia was a 4-string classical. But Esteve makes several models. They are a bit out of my budget though, but I'm sure they are wonderful instruments.



                            -Erlend \m/
                            If somethings important- send a PM. I might be offline for long periods. Rock on!!!

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Any old guys remember the Ernie Ball Earthwood Bass? One of the first music stores I worked at carried them. As wide and as deep as a guitarron, they had a full scale neck and big copper wound strings. Sounded great, played well. Very rare, made in the late 70's.

                              maxresdefault.jpg (1280×720) (ytimg.com)
                              aka Chris Pile, formerly of Six String Fever

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                              • #30
                                Originally posted by ICTGoober View Post
                                Any old guys remember the Ernie Ball Earthwood Bass? One of the first music stores I worked at carried them. As wide and as deep as a guitarron, they had a full scale neck and big copper wound strings. Sounded great, played well. Very rare, made in the late 70's.

                                maxresdefault.jpg (1280×720) (ytimg.com)
                                I remember the ads for those in the late 70s/early 80s Guitar Player magazines.
                                Administrator of the SDUGF

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