Acoustic Bass find

[GrantB]

Let's admit it shall we? We ALL want an acoustic bass. Whether we're into guitars or bass guitars. So I wondered in off the street to the local Cash Converters and stumbled on a 1973 Eko 4 string acoustic bass with original case in virtually new condition. Now I (we) an having a baby in May and need to start saving up. So in the last 6 weeks I have bought a Fernandes, $1000 worth of AlNiCo speakers from the states and now this…I’m doomed.

What was the GAS cure again?

[Bg]

oh you are a jammy bugger!

[B45-12]

Well the baby will need something to play with (especially if it's a girl) so I don't really see the problem.

[ash]

What was the GAS cure again?

That would be when your missus cuts all your fingers off. Not only does it inhibit your guitar playing, it makes an issue of getting the credit card out of your wallet, signing cheques and pressing buttons on the eftpos machine

Nice find, it looks immaculate. I didn't even think acoustic basses were common enough in those days for Eko to have produced them!

[GrantB]

There is some confusion about the serials with Eko's and although mine say it's a 73 it is possible, although unlikely, that it is another year.

I think I got this purchase in just in time. We found out she gets an extra months wages than we thought. Yay, as your option sounds very painful Ash!

[Bg]

I used to have a 12 string EKO and it was the only acoustic I never thought was gay

[ash]

You must have been shocked and surprised when it hit on you then!!

[Bg]

not surprised but I had to sell it quickly....

[raz]

I agree, great find. I still have an EKO 12 string acoustic, built like a brick sh*thouse. I'm an open minded sort though, what my guitars do in the corner of the room when they're stacked together is their own business so long as they don't try it on me.

That said, I have had a few guitars whisper to me when I pick 'em up, "take me home, big boy"

[GrantB]

I "know" this bass isn't gay...don't ask me for a I promised not to say a word...let's just say these words - perfect waist, great bottom end, top end well balanced, articulate...

[B45-12]

Would not worry Unique - as one who was around back then (70's) I can tell you the accoustic basses were scarcer than poor lawyers - don't recall seeing an Eko one ever (and I too had the Eko Ranger 12 string with bolt on neck and 60,000 layers of polyeurethane - but you could get a decent action on them eve if it was a shame about the tone).

I recall seeing an Ernie Ball earthwood one some time about the late 70's I recall - but where escapes me - plus a friend advised me that a mate of his took his poofy Gibson 12 string and converted it to an accoustic bass in the mid 80's.

Reckon there's a bit of an opening for Ash in the accoustic bass market as he'd be quids over anything bought in.

[ash]

Can't say I've ever been tempted to build or own an acoustic bass. Seems to me that they only took off when the MTV Unplugged thing was going full force and people asked how you could have an unplugged band featuring a very much plugged-in electric bass pumping away amongst it all...

[GrantB]

I think the sound of an acoustic bass is useful for recording purposes but for live work you do need to have a pickup somehwere. The mix of pickup and micrphone inside the guitar would be nice too.

On that - does anyone have a 4 string bass pickup they would like to do a deal with? PM me if so, or respond to this. Ta

[ash]

Do you mean a 4 string acoustic piezo pickup or the usual electric kind? I probably have something useful of either...

[artyone]

Just get a bunch of those piezo alarm buzzers and get a really high impedance pre amp made up.Piezo doesn't work for bass unless its seeing a really high impedance.If you can find someone handy with a soldering iron and etching PCB's I'll send you a schematic which includes active tone controls.