Advantages: Lightweight, powerful, active
Disadvantages: Top-heavy, slightly fragile

...I'd been on the lookout for an acoustic-electro four string bass guitar for some time when I happened into a small music shop in Worthing, Sussex, England (mostly to dodge a downpour). This tobacco-sunburst, florentine single-cutaway beauty screamed 'try me!' and whn I did I was impressed first with the incredibly light weight, particularly when compared to my 60's Fender Precision and my Acoustic twin-cutaway. The AB20 was offered secondhand in fine condition and fitted with weird black, completely smooth strings which produced a warm, round thud both acoustically and amplified - just what my retro rock 'n roll band needed. After the 'haggling session' I shelled out £300, took it back to civilization and used it that evening. THe bass features an active, piezo output with both jack and XLR inputs. Plugged in and rocking I was blown... Read review

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Advantages: see remarks
Disadvantages: see remarks

...The trouble with the Bose WAVE musci system is that its acoustic set-up is based (pun intended) on the assumption that one size fits all, and this isn't true. The upper and middle registers are nice and clear - good for a cappella singing - and the enhanced bass works fine for music which is intended to have a strong bass line, e.g. organ music. However, chamber and other small ensemble music comes over seriously different from anything you're likely to hear in a concert hall, unless the band has been reinforced by a pop group. Bose makes Corelli's Concerti Grossi sound as though they were composed for a troupe of dancing elephants. There is no way of getting round this for CDs - no bass and treble controls, no way to turn off the hyperbass effect. Lovers of classical and pre-classical music, steer clear.... Read review

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Advantages: Cheap
Disadvantages: Compromised

...want my amplified acoustic to sound more like an acoustic, so this pickup doesn't cut it for me. I guess I'll have to install an undersaddle pickup and use an external preamp (I'm NOT carving up the sides of my guitars for an on-board preamp). For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play fingerstyle British-Isles folk, medieval, renaissance, baroque, Celtic, and American folk. I don't believe that fingerstyle players would really get along with this pickup. I doubt bluegrass pickers would, either. I see it as more of a strummer's rhythm guitar pickup, where the bass strings would probably come over louder than the trebles. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't buy this pickup. For the tone I seek, it just doesn't work.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Good sound
Disadvantages: Heavy!

...Solid! That's what it is, no question. I bought the cab new in 2000 and use it with a Marshall 3520 integrated bass amp 200w MOSFET. Initially, I had problems. At mid-volumes the bottom end would fart and lose power. After seeking advice, I was told that the amp couldn't cope with the "low" impedance cab. The amp is rated at 200w at 4 ohms; I measured the cab and found it was 3.4 ohms, slightly less than the 4 ohms stated on the rear plate. I then rewired the cab - two 10" speakers in series, then paralelled with the 15". The resulting resistance measurement showed 6.7 ohms. I plugged it back in to the amp and what an amazing sound came out! I'm happy as Larry with it, powerful, ounchy, just magic. I was playing Ernie Ball Stingray (4 string) through it. I bought an Ovation 5 string acoustic bass and found that the internal preamp made... Read review

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Advantages: Economical, Easy to use, Great for beginners, Comes with batteries! Input and output sockets.
Disadvantages: Won't tune cheap acoustics properly.

...I bought this item for £15 from a specialist guitar shop and I have to say it was well worth every penny! I have an electric guitar, one of which was terribly out of tune. It corrected the tuning perfectly and now my guitar doesn't sound in pain every time I play it. This tuner can be used on acoustic guitars, as well as electric ones, also for bass guitars, but I do not own a bass so I don't know how it performs in that area. Electric guitars can be plugged into the side of the tuner for more precise tuning. It does have a built-in microphone, so connecting it to your guitar isn't completely necessary. Due to the microphone, this allows acoustic guitars to be tuned as well. It has a very simple interface, and as a beginner to the world of guitars, I found it extremely easy to operate. It has a digital display (two AAA batteries...