Hi Frono,
Thanks for the ID on John Lodge's Acoustic Bass. I'm curious about acoustic bass guitars - of course, Guild in particular. The Guild B4CE seems small bodied while the Guild B-30 looks more like an F-size guitar. What is your take on Guild acoustic Bass-es - both amplified and non-amplified - when joined/competing with other players on 6/12 string acoustic instruments.
Al
I've pontificated on this before but I never found a soapbox that I couldn't get to hold my weight.
I own a B4CE and a B50. I played a prototype B54 for about 10 minutes in a solo/noodling situation. The B30 is essentially a B50 slightly reduced in size. I've also played a relatively rare acoustic bass from Kurt's collection - B500 perhaps?
Everything else is seriously smaller and more manageable than the B50. I have been telling people that the B4CE accompanying a D25, both acoustic, could be heard at about 5 feet from the instrument in a living room setting. The B50 in the same setting can still be heard about 10 feet away. I also can hear myself better on the B50. If the goal is acoustic only and maximum projection then the B50 is the only candidate and even then is going to be overpowered if there are enough other instruments.
I've played the B50 in a quartet with a F30 and two non-Guilds. The other players can hear me just fine. Our leader has elected to mike the quartet for projection and an omnidirectional mike aimed at another instrument picks up enough of the B50 that amplifying it separately has never been considered.
Electrically I have a post-factory PU in the B50. It makes the acoustic, phosphor bronze sound louder and is a PITA to manage feedback. The B4CE with the factory Fishman is perhaps the most versatile tone machine in my stable. It can't do everything but I can get three or four distinct tones out of it as opposed to one or two from the other basses.
Primarily because of ergonomics and the social aspect of things, if I can't use an amp I bring the B50 and hope. But if I can use an amp, I am much more likely to bring a Starfire than the B50.
Did I come close to your question?