What Is The Difference Between An Acoustic Bass Guitar And An Electric Bass Guitar?

Electric Bass Guitar Vs. Acoustic Bass Guitar – Which Is Best?

There are several things to learn about electric bass guitars and acoustic bass guitars before you decide which one to choose. The first and obviously, the most important consideration, needs to be the style of music that you want to play, and then other factors follow.

Acoustic bass guitars are lone rangers while electric bass guitars need power and amps in order to make music. An acoustic bass guitar is less expensive than an electric bass guitar but may be a little more difficult to master.

The following information and comparisons will help you make just the right choice for your guitar playing needs and desires:

What style of music do you want to play?
How each type of guitar works
Strings, knobs, and body
Learning curve
Cost of each type
Maintenance
Additional pros and cons of each

What style of music do you want to play?

Your choice of guitar essentially comes down to this:

Acoustic bass guitars are most frequently used for warm and rich tones such as those of folk, country, jazz, and bluegrass music or Americana. They may or may not be accompanied by vocals, a fiddle or a piano.
Electric bass guitars are normally used for metal, rock, and electronic music and often are heard along with loud drums.

How does each type of guitar work?

Both are string instruments that are plucked with fingers or picks.

When the strings of an acoustic bass are picked or plucked, they vibrate and so does the soundboard. The soundboard is the wooden piece on the front of the guitar that magnifies the sound. Different sounds are produced by tuning knobs and by figure pressure between the frets when plucking.

In the same manner, electric bass guitars use tuning pegs and fret pressure to change the sounds produced. While an acoustic bass guitar’s strings send vibrations to a soundboard that produces the sound, the metal strings of an electric bass guitar interact with magnetic pick-ups.

These are a set of six magnets wrapped in a copper wire which produces a current. The current is then passed through a preamp which reduces interference and noise and adds power. The current is then sent through digital processors which amplify it before it reaches the speakers.

Strings, Knobs, and Body

These differ in a couple of ways. An acoustic bass guitar is hollow with a round hole in its face and four, five, six, or even more strings that are made of steel. The strings are of a heavier gauge that has larger vibrations to create more sound than those of an electric bass guitar. They are more difficult to press down and bend.

The strings of an electric bass guitar are thinner, and the guitar has a thinner neck and a smaller body.

Learning curve

Which is easier to play? Definitely the electric is easiest to play because it is easier to set up, and the strings are closer to the frets. Therefore, you don’t have to press the strings as hard. Easier for beginners to play, yes, but there are different knobs and features that may take a while to learn.

The strings of an acoustic bass guitar are thicker and heavier and so playing them takes more finger pressure.

Cost

There is a difference here, of course. Cost is always a major determining factor when deciding which type of guitar is best for you. It is possible to purchase an acoustic bass guitar for as little as $160 or you can pay thousands of dollars for one.

You can get a fairly decent acoustic bass guitar for around $160. An electric guitar will cost twice that, including cables, amplifier, etc. Spending more for a guitar does not mean necessarily that the sound will be better by ratio to cost. The key here is your personal preference. Listen and play until you know the sound that you like best. It is definitely a subjective thing.

Maintenance

Climate control is the answer here as both types of guitars should never be subjected to extremes of heat, cold or moisture. They should not ever come in contact with harsh cleaning solutions and sharp objects that could cause scratches or dents in them.

It is a good idea to store any guitar in its case when you are not playing it. Replace old guitar strings when the sound becomes dull. When you change the strings, be sure to clean the headboard and frets. Both types of guitars need frequent tuning. Electric guitar maintenance includes adjusting the pickups with a screwdriver and taking care of the amp, while acoustic guitars can use a guitar humidifier that goes between the strings to prevent the wood from drying out.

Additional Pros and Cons

Acoustic bass guitars do not require any other equipment. Electric bass guitars may lose some sound quality because of the electrical transitions involved. It is a fact that some prefer the sound of an electric guitar because it can be enhanced, amplified, and modified.

In Conclusion:

The following comparison will simplify the main considerations listed and explained in this article:

Both the acoustic bass guitar and the electric bass guitar are stringed instruments that are plucked, either by fingerpicking or using s pick.
The acoustic produces sound with a soundboard and the sound relies on vibrations through a soundboard.
The electric produces sound with pickups and its sound relies on magnetic interactions.
Both use metal strings.
The acoustic must be larger to produce sufficient loudness, and the electric is of a smaller size.
The acoustic requires a power source while the electric does not.
The acoustic is more difficult to play as it has a thicker neck and a larger body while the electric is easier to play with its thinner neck and smaller body.
As for the cost of an average one, the acoustic bass guitar sells for $160 and up and the electric starts at approximately $250.

Now that you have these basic facts, you should be able to make a wise choice and choose the perfect guitar, whether acoustic bass or electric bass, for yourself.

Let me encourage you to listen and try out both types and several price ranges before making your final decision. You may be in for some surprises, but you will be glad in the long run that you took the time to make the right choice.