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

Erlend_G

Erlend_G

New member
Hey guys;

When I was 20 years old, I visited Gambia, (west Africa) with my class, (jazz music school).

And one of the people in the village we stayed in- borrowed me his acoustic, nylon string bass guitar! :o

It was just like a nylon-string guitar, but 34" scale length, and had nylon (wound) strings.

...

I have still NEVER seen anything like this, and I've been wanting a similar instrument since "day 1".

It was/is MUCH louder, and had way more bottom end- than a "steel string" ABG. A wonderful tone, just like a classical guitar, only 1 octave lower.

One time, I found a custom guitar luthier that could make me one, but that would cost me 4000 dollars. :(

I wish instruments like this, was more common. To me, they are far superior to their bronze-stringed brothers. :)

Any input? :o

-Erlend \m/
 
I can't say I've heard of anything like this, but I am intrigued. Was it tuned like a bass? I didn't know they made nylon strings so big. Maybe some weird ethnic instrument? Was it well made?
 
Nylon-wound strings are available for acoustic bass guitars; you can get tapewound or roundwound.
The one you played in Gambia might have had an extra-deep body like the Mariachi guitarrón.
That would likely make it deeper and louder than the typical ABG.
 
Hey y'all! :)

Mincer: Yes, it was tuned E-A-D-G, bass standard tuning. It had a label inside with the name of the maker, but of course I don't remember it.

The strings were like "giant" classical bass strings- silver plated bronze on a nylon core. :o Gauges... I guess about the size of a steel/nickel bass set. :).

Solspirit: This was not an "african" instrument- as far as I know. The man who owned it, came from Jamaica. It was just a bass-size, classical guitar.

ecleticsynergy: Nylon wound, steel core strings, yes. But this instrument had a light top, thin bracing (overall built like a classic guitar)- and nylon core! strings. Like a nylon string acoustic "classic" guitar. It wasn't very deep either. But it had a loud, warm and very balanced tone.

(Nothing like an upright bass- but I'd say, much louder than a steel string ABG.)

:)

-Erl
 
Erlend_G said:
Hey guys;

When I was 20 years old, I visited Gambia, (west Africa) with my class, (jazz music school).

And one of the people in the village we stayed in- borrowed me his acoustic, nylon string bass guitar! :o

It was just like a nylon-string guitar, but 34" scale length, and had nylon (wound) strings.

...

I have still NEVER seen anything like this, and I've been wanting a similar instrument since "day 1".

It was/is MUCH louder, and had way more bottom end- than a "steel string" ABG. A wonderful tone, just like a classical guitar, only 1 octave lower.

One time, I found a custom guitar luthier that could make me one, but that would cost me 4000 dollars. :(

I wish instruments like this, was more common. To me, they are far superior to their bronze-stringed brothers. :)

Any input? :o

-Erlend \m/
Click to expand...


you dont need the instrument at all

you just need a steel-string acoustic bass AND NYLON STRINGS in the right gauge and length

which may or may not be a problem to procure, idfk
 
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
 
Erlend_G said:
Hey y'all! :)

Mincer: Yes, it was tuned E-A-D-G, bass standard tuning. It had a label inside with the name of the maker, but of course I don't remember it.

The strings were like "giant" classical bass strings- silver plated bronze on a nylon core. :o Gauges... I guess about the size of a steel/nickel bass set. :).

Solspirit: This was not an "african" instrument- as far as I know. The man who owned it, came from Jamaica. It was just a bass-size, classical guitar.

ecleticsynergy: Nylon wound, steel core strings, yes. But this instrument had a light top, thin bracing (overall built like a classic guitar)- and nylon core! strings. Like a nylon string acoustic "classic" guitar. It wasn't very deep either. But it had a loud, warm and very balanced tone.

(Nothing like an upright bass- but I'd say, much louder than a steel string ABG.)

:)

-Erl
Click to expand...

Wow, that does seem pretty strange. I am going to ask my bassist, a really great pro that has traveled all over Europe and Africa, if he has heard of such a thing.
 
Clint 55 said:
An acoustic bass guitar right? Those aren't rare. Just stick nylon strings on one.
Click to expand...

As I wrote earlier in this thread-

A classical nylon string, and a western style dreadnaught. Are two completely different instruments. You can't simply "mix and match" strings on them.

Also, I haven't even seen any nylon core, bronze/silver wound "classical" bass strings for sale either.

-E
 
Erlend_G said:
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
Click to expand...


a flamenco might not hold the tension of steel/bronze or hold up to the wear on frets/fretboard

BUT.... a steel/bronze string can and will do nylon just fine.
 
^^ a steel/bronze stringed instrument- has a much heavier bracing, and other differences ++-

and will not sound good, with classical style strings.

EDIT: And also, I cannot find "classical style" bass strings anywhere either.

EDIT #2: I understand if you don't read what I've written, I've done that myself. But...

A steel core, nylon wrap string, is completely OPPOSITE, of a nylon CORE, bronze wrap! string.

I'm completely finished with the "usual", steel/bronze string ABG's- they don't have any low end, and doesn't sound good at all to me.

... But I'd love an instrument, similar to the one I played in Gambia. A classical bass guitar.

:).
 
Last edited:
idsnowdog said:
http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/africa.htm
Click to expand...

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
 
Erlend_G said:
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
Click to expand...
Try looking under North, South, and Central American instruments. There are a number of instruments which match your general description.
 
idsnowdog said:
Try looking under North, South, and Central American instruments. There are a number of instruments which match your general description.
Click to expand...

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.

:)
 
Erlend_G said:
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
Click to expand...

I totally agree with you BUT...have you ever tried nylon strings on a Tacoma Chief acoustic?
 
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.
 
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