Taylor AB acoustic bass guitars (ABG) megathread

I've had trouble finding an acoustic bass guitar that is ergonomically comfortable to play. Too often the body depth makes playing an entire set or gig uncomfortable, putting great strain on the plucking wrist and arm.

Low and behold, I've discovered the now discontinued series of Taylor AB acoustic bass guitars using the "Manzer wedge" concept where the bass side of the body is narrower than the treble side. Small bits of information on the AB series are scattered in a few TalkBass posts. Very little is found with a Google search. So I'm starting this thread as a repository of information and experiences using this unusual and practical design.

I recently acquired a 2001 Taylor AB-1. A few photos to kick this off:

Taylor%20AB-1%20front%20side.jpg


Taylor%20AB-1%20top%20angle.jpg


Taylor%20AB-1%20battery%20cavity.jpg


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I believe this information about the AB line is accurate but feel free to update if you have other knowledge.

Taylor AB-1 ... spruce top, imbuia body/neck, ebony fingerboard

Taylor AB-2 ... all imbuia body and top, ebony fingerboard

Taylor AB-3 ... all imbuia body and top, ebony fingerboard

Taylor AB-4 ... flamed maple body and top (?), ebony fingerboard

Imbuia is also known as "Brazilian walnut" but apparently is not walnut. According to Wikipedia:

Ocotea porosa is a species of plant in the Lauraceae family, often placed in the related genus Phoebe. It is commonly called Imbuia or Brazilian walnut[2]because its wood resembles that of some walnuts (to which it is not related). The tree is a major commercial timber species in Brazil, used for high-end furniture, mostly as decorative veneers, and as flooring.[3] The wood is fragrant[4] with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon (also a member of the Lauraceae). The tree is also a popular horticultural tree in subtropical regions of the world. In its native habitat it is a threatened species.

Portuguese common names (with variant spellings) include embuia, embúia, embuya, imbuia, imbúia, imbuya, canela-imbuia.​
 
The stock Fishman ABGP-2 pickup/preamp/tone control used in the Taylor AB-1 was known to be the weak point on this bass. My Ukiah-based luthier, Ken Franklin, just upgraded the pickup and preamp. The replacement is the Fishman Matrix Infinity Pickup & Preamp System and Fishman VTB Active Volume & Tone Controls unit. I also installed La Bella Deep Talkin' Bass 760N black nylon tape wounds.

Last weekend I recorded some quick clips of the Taylor AB-1 with different gear configurations. Each included the Fdeck HPF Pre in front of the amp. The clips are my bassline from a 2 minute / two-verse take of "Mule" written by Andrew Robertson. The Reiner Studio 1200 has a three-tube preamp section; the TecAmp Puma 900 is solid state. The Barefaced BB2 cab and Greenboy Crazy8 cab are PA-type high fidelity cabs.

Reiner Studio 1200 DI (pre EQ)
Reiner Studio 1200 and Barefaced Big Baby 2 cab (horn on full for "PA mode")

TecAmp Puma 900 DI (pre EQ)
TecAmp Puma 900 and Barefaced BB2
TecAmp Puma 900 and Greenboy Audio Crazy8 cab ("PA type" tone)

I used a Zoom F8 recorder @ 48kHz sample rate and 24 WAV bit depth. Cabs were mic'd with a Peluso 22 251 large diaphragm tube condenser microphone placed about six inches from the middle of each cab grill. Results above are MP3s @ 192kB/s. There is no EQ or effects applied; these are the raw recordings.

There are distinct differences between the Studio 1200 and solid state Puma. I detect more clarity and definition to the notes with the Studio 1200. Definitely more harmonic content with the Studio 1200. The Puma is warmer and rounder in tone. I slightly boosted the bass on the Studio 1200; ditto for the Puma and also slightly boosted the "Taste" knob. Tweaking the knobs with both would yield different results. What you hear above will at least provide a sense of how acoustic bass sounds with the Studio 1200 compared with a high quality solid state amp.

Taylor%20AB-1%20test.jpg
 
Interesting, thanks Ukiah. I have a Tacoma Thunderchief, but I have a current right shoulder problem and playing around/across/over the large body puts a strain on it The TC is a great-sounding ABG, and if I didn't have a shoulder issue it might not bother me, but it can cause some pain, and playing a whole gig with it would be probelmatic. Good to know about the Taylor. If I ever see one, I will take a closer look now.
 
I have the AB-2.
I'm with you I installed the Labellas.
Tried those coated strings but found that the Labellas do it. They actually "sound" through the body.

I unbolted the end pin jack and secured inside.
I glued the K&K upright double piezos in front of bridge and bolted their pre wired end pin jack in place.
Now it sounds like the body.
Nice decay, warm and woody.

Klein was shaving the braces of these but I've seen no reference to it in a decade. There is a risk of fragility.
That top isn't moving like a traditional acoustic guitar design so there may be little benefit.

I'm glad it fits you ergonomically.
 
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Interesting, thanks Ukiah. I have a Tacoma Thunderchief, but I have a current right shoulder problem and playing around/across/over the large body puts a strain on it The TC is a great-sounding ABG, and if I didn't have a shoulder issue it might not bother me, but it can cause some pain, and playing a whole gig with it would be probelmatic. Good to know about the Taylor. If I ever see one, I will take a closer look now.


I know what you mean! I used to gig a fretless Thunderchief. Sounded fantastic but was SO hard to play! I started a thread on that playability issue:

Ergonomics of acoustic bass guitars (ABG)
 
Below is the original Fishman ABGP-2 preamp and pickup. The luthier removed this in order to install the new Fishman VTB Active Volume & Tone Controls. Note that the distance between the holes for the pots is identical between the ABGP-2 and the new control unit. However, there was a small amount of wood bracing between the holes. The luthier had to file this down a bit in order to properly fit the new unit flush against the inside body wall. He said it wasn't a big deal. Otherwise only minor soldering was required to attach the control unit to the new preamp and existing battery pack located on the back of the access panel. No need to install a new battery pack.

Also worth mentioning: I was advised to go with the new Fishman VTB and preamp/pickup by Glen Wolff, who is Customer Service Manager at Taylor. He also advised going with the 1/8" / 3.2mm wide pickup format (Model Number 1: PRO-MAT-INF) instead of the 3/32" / 2.3mm narrow format (Model #2). The luthier said he had to push the wide pickup into the under-the-saddle receptacle; he said it was a tight fit but would provide a stronger signal for the bass than a narrow format pickup.

Taylor%20AB-1%20-%20Fishman%20ABGP-2%20preamp%20and%20pickup.jpg


EQ is on the left; treble control on the top split knob, bass on the bottom. Volume control is on the right.

Taylor%20AB-1%20EQ%20and%20volume%20controls.jpg
 
You can add one more I bought an AB1 new in 2001, still have it, those round wounds sure do eat up my fingers thanks for the suggestion of the flats.
as for number of production my serial number is 20010409201, if that helps.
 
And some info on K&K pickup systems for acoustic bass:

Pickup and Preamp for ABG

I used a K&K on an upright bass I used to own and it was OK. I've listened to a bunch of YouTube videos comparing the K&K and Fishman. I gather the Fishmen is a bit cleaner and better for higher volume scenarios. I also detected distinct "thunking" sounds with plucking and a K&K, which overemphasized the wood to my taste. Probably caused by directly adhering the K&K to the underside of the bass's top. I bet that's especially pronounced with a thin-body ABG like the Tacoma Thunderchief. So far I have no issues with the Fishman.

Here are a few YouTube reviews comparing Fishman and K&I pickups on acoustic guitar only.





 
And some info on K&K pickup systems for acoustic bass:

Pickup and Preamp for ABG

I used a K&K on an upright bass I used to own and it was OK. I've listened to a bunch of YouTube videos comparing the K&K and Fishman. I gather the Fishmen is a bit cleaner and better for higher volume scenarios. I also detected distinct "thunking" sounds with plucking and a K&K, which overemphasized the wood to my taste. Probably caused by directly adhering the K&K to the underside of the bass's top. I bet that's especially pronounced with a thin-body ABG like the Tacoma Thunderchief. So far I have no issues with the Fishman.

Here are a few YouTube reviews comparing Fishman and K&I pickups on acoustic guitar only.







Taylor's new Expression System (ES2) is quite impressive on guitar. The transducer is still on the bridge, but not directly beneath the bridge. This seems to take a lot of the usual piezo bite out of the equation. No clue how it would work with bass.