# Give me advice on getting an acoustic bass. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 16, 2006, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-advice-on-getting-an-acoustic-bass/356943 "2006-05-16T06:23:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-advice-on-getting-an-acoustic-bass/356943/1 "2006-05-16T06:23:27Z")
I want to get an acoustic 4 string bass, preferably one with 24 frets, which it seems many of them don’t have. I’m looking for something in the 2-300 dollar price range as I’m mainly thinking about getting it to keep up practice when I go to Florida to work for the summer and won’t have an amp. Is slapping an issue with the acoustic, does it sound bad? What about doing two finger tapping? Can you hear it well enough? ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-advice-on-getting-an-acoustic-bass/356943/2 "2006-05-16T19:12:00Z")
**Bump** ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-advice-on-getting-an-acoustic-bass/356943/3 "2006-05-16T19:38:58Z")
Here’s a nice, inexpensive [acoustic bass](http://shop.store.yahoo.com/trcfm/billybass1.html). Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-advice-on-getting-an-acoustic-bass/356943/4 "2006-05-16T19:41:01Z")
I have a five string, but I know they make a 4 of the same model. An Epiphone El Capitan. Perfect action, nice long neck, good resonance. My only gripe is the battery cover falls off sometimes. It cost me $400, so it might be a bit higher than you were looking for, but then again the 5 strings tend to run more than the 4. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-advice-on-getting-an-acoustic-bass/356943/5 "2006-05-16T20:33:17Z")
I’ve never played one myself, but the [Dean Playmate](http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Bass/Electric?sku=519943) is very cheap, has 24 frets, and seems to get pretty decent user reviews. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-advice-on-getting-an-acoustic-bass/356943/6 "2006-05-16T23:59:22Z")
Yeah Biffy that was the one I was looking at, I figure get a cheap one and if I like it then maybe4 get a nicer one when I get back in the fall for when I don’t feel like hauling around an amp. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-advice-on-getting-an-acoustic-bass/356943/7 "2006-05-17T01:11:55Z")
Any comments as far as tapping and slapping on an acoustic bass? I know it won’t sound the same but does it sound really horrible? ---
**Author:** ![MC\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@MC\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_E)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-advice-on-getting-an-acoustic-bass/356943/8 "2006-05-17T02:04:05Z")
I would say you just need to go play one… even if it’s not the model you will buy. There must be a music store somewhere locally that has one. It’s just so hard to explain how something sounds…