Samick AB2 - Natural 4-string Regency Acoustic Bass with Case

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Price: $369.95    

Product Feature

• Single cutaway, nato body
• Bound select spruce top with Rosewood fingerboard
• Die cast tuners and Rosewood bridge
• AT-3000 2 band active EQ
• Hardshell Case included

Product Description

There is something almost indescribable about the warmth of acoustic music.The round tones, the musical purity, and the resonance generated by acoustic instruments draw the listener into the inner circle of the musical experience. The Acoustic Bass provides the foundation on which all other acoustic instruments build their harmony. A strong, sustaining tone yet a richness in its ability to blend, is the pure definition of an Acoustic Bass Guitar.

Samick AB2 - Natural 4-string Regency Acoustic Bass with Case Review

I have owned this guitar for about one year, and have been playing bass (upright and electric) for about 20 years.

First off, the realities of acoustic bass guitar (ABG): it's not a great instrument. I'm not talking about this one specifically, I'm talking about acoustic bass guitar in general. It's a clacky, stringy-sounding bass-light instrument that tends to be dominated by string noise and that has a hard time actually providing BASS tones that can keep up with acoustic guitar, piano, harmonica, etc (forget about playing with a drum kit). There is a reason why string bass (the big violin-shaped one) is so big and comes with a peg that connects its resonance to the floor: bass tones are hard to reproduce at volume, and require a lot of energy and surface area to be audible (same reason woofers are bigger than tweeters). ABG is an instrument that is, at best, going to sound stringy and clacky with a bit of bassy "chunk". It can be an interesting sound (think Violent Femmes), but it's not generally a good approach to big, round, powerful bass. This one comes with a pickup, but it is extremely hard to amplify acoustic bass guitar without feedback: once again, those big, low bass notes just require too much power and a thin wooden shell is going to resonate like crazy at the gain levels needed for live performance. If you're not sure whether an ABG is right for you, it probably isn't. Don't think of it as a compromise between an electric bass and a bass fiddle, think of it as a specialty percussive instrument.

Having said all that, and assuming you know what you're in for and that you are still in the market for an acoustic bass guitar, this is a very good one for the money.

I have fiddled with the setup some, and eventually settled on a pretty high action to minimize string-clacking on the frets. Overall the instrument gives a very balanced tone with a consistent "note" behind the inevitable woody/metallic growl and snap.

I have tried some other acoustic bass guitars. In the store, I compared it to similarly-priced Takamine and Ibanez, and a much more expensive Godin. I have also compared it to a friend's Laguna. I thought this one sounded and played noticeably better than the Ibanez, which sounded boxy and cheap, and slightly/arguably better than the Takamine, which sounded a bit weaker and less powerful, but also maybe a smigden smoother-- I picked the Samick by a nose, after several A/B comparisons. Compared with the Laguna and the Godin, the Samick does not do as good a job at projecting low bass tones. The Low E is slightly stronger and more powerful on the more expensive guitars, probably due to more rigid wood and better construction. But the Laguna also has a more uneven and boxy tone than the Samick. Both I and my Laguna-owning friend slightly prefer the Samick. Only the Godin was clearly better to my ears, but it costs 4x the price for a small improvement on what I consider to be a niche instrument.

The onboard pickup is, unsurprisingly, pretty sucktacular. If you want clicky, brittle, artificial-sounding highs and dull, indistinct lows, with plenty of feedback at stage-volume, then this is your man. Plus it is the infuriating style of acoustic pickup that requires you to either unscrew and disassemble the whole thing, or else to reach in through the soundhole under the strings in order to change the battery. God help you if you need to change a battery in stage-lighting. That said, this kind of sonic and logistical awfulness is pretty standard with acoustic-guitar pickups, so I can really only call it an "industry norm" pickup. As with all acoustic instruments, put a mic on it if you want it to sound good.

Overall construction, build-quality, and appearance is excellent for the price. Gorgeous wood with solid joints and a thick, smooth acrylic finish. The mother-of-pearl soundhole inlay is a very nice touch, although it ironically makes the plastic fretboard dots a bit more conspicuous. Fit and finish are very good on mine, with well-dressed frets and solid joints everywhere. Serious players might want to swap the plastic nut and bridge for bone or graphite, and that might get a bit more tone. I intend to do that on mine but have not tried it yet. Excellent tuners and easy truss-rod adjustment.

Nitpick: The pickup jack is on the "bottom" of the guitar, with a strap peg, but there is no strap peg at the neck-- you need a strap that ties around the headstock (you can do this with a "regular" guitar strap and a shoelace or string tied around the headstock, under the strings). This makes low-slung playing positions impractical, and can make stand-up playing awkward if you are used to resting the guitar against your thigh/hip or playing in semi-upright position. Even a very long strap will not "pivot" the guitar in the same way as with a low-slung electric bass. If you are used to playing with the guitar against your chest/torso this is a non-issue. Guitar players will generally have no problem, but bass players used to a more extended right-arm might find it awkward.

I have found that I get a better tone and bigger lows by holding the instrument away from my body and playing it like an upright bass fiddle, balancing it either on a chair, table, or my thigh. Positioning it like an acoustic guitar pressed against the body dampens the tone and muffles the low-end. I think this is the case with any acoustic bass guitar: the instrument is just not physically big enough to produce powerful lows below 100Hz or so-- it sounds like a woody/metallic percussion instrument with an undertone, not like a real "bass". Putting it away from the body and letting the whole instrument resonate in open air gives it another 6dB or so of clear "note".

I have found this to be a fun and convenient instrument for acoustic jams. It is certainly loud enough to keep up with a couple of acoustic guitars and a piano, it just doesn't really sound like a "bass", more like chunky percussion in the mix. As such, it requires a slightly different technique and approach-- just clacking away as though you were playing bass rapidly becomes obnoxious and distracting. But it's not like you were going to bring a bass fiddle or an electric bass rig to the beach or on a camping trip, and acoustic bass guitar offers an interesting alternative, and something different from all the "regular" acoustic guitars people bring.

Of the ones I have tried, I think this hits the best price/performance knee. I think it is comparable with the more expensive brands in terms of sonics and playability, and a step up from the cheap, boxy sound of the similarly-priced Ibanez. I can't imagine using an acoustic bass guitar as a primary instrument, but if I did, I might save up for the Godin.

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