Olympia OB3CE Acoustic Bass

Made in China for a Canadian company. This bass is a Great Inexpensive acoustic electric. It is a 34" scale that feels like a 35". I love that about this bass. It has a laminated top with a piezo pickup. It is active and the controls are easy to get to. The battery is simple to change. The only real complaint I have is that the electronics do not put out enough bass or low end. Simple to work with though. Also, I don't understand a "Brilliance" control on a bass? Just does not make any sense to me at all.
The finish is very nice. Matte or satin natural. I don't know how old mine is,about a 2004, but it is fading very well and looking like the top color of the wood is getting a nice yellowing to it.

The end pin jack, I just do not like. Mine is cracklely, but I have not sprayed it with cleaner. I have now used this acoustically and electrically. The tear drop sound hole is wonderful for added bass/low end response and projection. It adds a warmth to it. I ran the bass through my bass rig (SWR Bass 750, Schroeder Mini 12, Schroeder 1212 and a SWR Bass Monitor) and it sounded pretty good. The pickup in it is a Piezo and it is way to crispy sounding. I had to boost the low end and drop the highs. I had to scoop my mids a bit on my amp as well. Finally I was able to get it to sound fat full and bassy! The "brilliance" control on the bass is about as worthless as square wheels. (At least for me). I have to rest the pickup in the bridge as well. The E string sounds muted compared to the A, D and G strings

I bought this bass used. The action was awful. Very high. The neck needed adjusting. Those are common and to be expected with a used bass. The saddle on the bass made the action extremely high. I had to pull the saddle and shave several thousandths off the bottom to get the action low enough to play the bass more easily. The binding is cheap. No more than I expected and no way does anything to my opinion of this bass. The sound whole is offset without any binding. I like this. While it comes across as plain, it has a very simple beauty to it and after an hour or so of playing it, I realized it did not need anything. The frets are very smooth and the edges are nicely done. The neck and fretboard feel good and do not look as though they have much wear on them. Again, I did buy a used bass.

Most of these questions will be answered for my this coming Saturday (9-19-09) where we are playing an acoustic gig for the first time in 2 years! It will be my only bass there. I dont like end pin jacks. It limits the usage of staplocks. Also, I cannot remember seeing a front strap button. The hardware is decent. Not spetacular, but not bad.

I did not have any use for CS. Their web site stinks.

Great bass. Really rather inexpensive. I found them used for a varied price range and very well worth it.

My Olympia OB3CE Acoustic Bass appears to be an earlier model circa 2005? 20 frets in total with a scale length of 34inches, the instrument appears to be totally made with laminate woods with the exception of the neck which is nice and chuncky. It has the Fishman Classic 4 pickup system. This instrument is the cheaper version of the US Tacoma Thunderchief however having owned both an original US model and also this Indonesian version can i just say do not dismiss this model as being inferior to its more expensive US counterpart! Read on........

Tacoma have developed a acoustic bass guitar that really stands out from the competition. The bass has a full 34inch scale, a body that is 22inches in length and 18inches in width and a depth of 5inches, making a bass that is considerably more substancial than any of the competition bar none. Add to this that this bass can be purchased for around ??200 you'd be mad not to own one.

Acoustically the OB3CE is easily capable of holding its own with a couple of guitars in a completely acoustic setting. Not only that but it also has a decent fundamental or bass tone due to the off set sound hole and bracing system. For best volume in a purely acoustic setting i find the Ernie Ball Earthwood phospher bronze strings work very well. However if you intend to play with the bass amplified i recommend the Thomistik 'Phospher bronze wound on nylon' which will give you a darker sound.

Action, Fit, & Finish very good however i had to adjust the action, that means turning the truss rod right to increase action (volume) with an allen key. If you do not know what this means then consult a guitar/bass technician and they will explain.

The bass is more or less completely laminate so it should very well be bomb proof. I still reccommend a hard case though. The great thing about the OB3CE is that it does not come with a boutique price so it really is prefect for those 'around the camp fire' type scenarios and gigging around town.

This is were Tacoma suck, they simply don't keep in touch, don't reply to e-mails. shame on them.

As mentioned previously, every bass player should own one of these simply because they represent such good value for money. Go buy one now whilst you can thats my advice!

Totally laminated bass--back, sides, top. Satin finish. Minimal binding. Tacoma's poor cousin. The only solid wood is in the neck, bracing and fretboard. 34" scale, made in China. Fishman classic 4 bridge transducer( nine volt active type), chrome machine heads, etc,etc. It maybe a plywood box and cheap, but, Its one hell of an acoustic bass. I purchased mine from EBay for $269 and change. Upon receiving the cardboard package I took it out, took off the bronze strings,and stripped it of frets. If you are going to de-fret a bass please buy a few items from Stewart MCDonald. I used a soldering iron to heat up the frets to loosen any glue. A pair of SD fret pullers to pull the frets. I filled the slots with a light hardwood tapered to fit snug. glue them in. Then, sand the remains off using a radius sanding block-- 16" Put on a set of Fender taper wound nylon strings and there you are. Its the closest thing to a stand up bass sound you will get under 5 feet tall. I mike the sound with an instrument mike stuck into the paisley shaped hole. It has that stand up bass growl, and is quite loud even without amplification.

with a few modification the sound is fantastic. The thin strong plywood helps create a deep full sound.

Needs to be worked on to suit your style. I loosened the truss rod a bit to accomodate the less tense nylon strings. saddle bone material needs to be shaved a bit

seems sturdy enough

Features: Spruce ply top, mahogany back and sides, rosewood fingerboard, satin finish, 34" scale, single cutaway, Schaller tuners, Fishman piezo electronics w/ 3 band EQ, brilliance and vol.

This is a pretty stripped down bass. Not a lot in the way of features, but nothing less than youd need/expect in an acoustic instrument. The electroncs are clean, clear, accurate, and flexable. The 34" scale is nice for most bassists as its pretty much the norm. Though many acoustics are 30" to tighten up the low end which can often get lost on acoustics, the Olympia doesnt need that compensation (Ill cover that in the "sound" section) so the long scale length is welcome in its familiarity and added depth.

The lack of adornment gives it a very workman like appearance. But what Olympia saved in pearl and abalone, they spent on sonic design. Simple white fret markers (including an unusual double mark at the 7th fret), b/w/b/w/b binding around the body only, and nothing on the face of the guitar but the Tacoma/Olympia signature paisley sound hole. Its an instrument designed to be played, not gawked at.

One more thing ... this bass is huge. Smaller folks should definitely try one on in person before purchasing as they may find it really cumbersome. Its larger, in all dimensions, than a typical dreadnaught acoustic guitar. Im 6' and dont find it at all uncomfortable, I just want to make sure that people know what they may be getting into. This decision to make a larger instrument was a really wise one on Olympias part honestly. Most makers seem to think acoustic means hollow-but-plugged-in-all-the-time. So their basses are smaller and easier to handle, but loose acoustic sound. So its a compromise, but a worthwhile one. If you want electric, buy electric.

Take the price range into consideration for all my ratings. The only thing this bass is lacking in features is bells and whistles that youd just have to pay more for. Id rather the investment be in sound quality than fancy inlays and quilted tops. But an internal micro condensor to blend with the piezo wouldve made this a 10

Acoustic bass guitars are a bastard breed. Really they are an as yet unperfected instrument. To get ample projection an acoustic bass needs a body large enough to convey the larger waves of low frequencies. Thats why upright basses are big. And more often than not, acoustic bass guitars are based on guitar designs, which are too small to pull it off. I shopped and shopped and found many acoustic bass guitars to be too quiet and wimpy on the low end to really work in a REAL unplugged situation. The Olympia succeeded. Just barely, but better than any other I tried.

I believe it has to do with a number of factors. The larger body (which i mentioned above), the top design including the off center sound hole and bracing, the bridge, and the finish.

The low E is solid and rumbley, and from there on up it just gets better. Rich resonant tone across the whole guitar. Playing with fingers gives a nice thick rounded sound up by the neck (the soundhole kinda works as a thumbrest!), move down to the bridge and you get a little more snap to the sound, though it does quiet a bit. Play with a pick and the volume picks up all over.

This bass was obviously designed to be an actual acoustic bass, to be played acoustically. Ive played it with guitarists strumming and it can be heard well.

Electrically, its Fishman. Good, solid, reliable, clean, clear, flexable tone. It sounds like the bass, but through an amp. Bear in mind, it is a giant resonant chamber. It WILL feedback, so take precautions when setting up an amplified situation.

Pulling off an acoustic bass guitar that sounds like a bass and can compete/compliment acoustic guitars in a genuinely unplugged situation is a rarity and the Olympia has done it well.

This is where the Olympias differ from their more expensive Tacoma counter parts. While this bass is highly playable, its less than perfect. But again, the money saved was worth it. The flaws are minor and dont effect the playability or sound.

The gluing of the neck to the body is sloppy. Some glue was obviously pressed out of the join. Not much but some. It was smoothed out and covered by the light satin laquer, but its there. If you look.

The biggest issue is the frets. While they are fine along the top, the ends are a little rough and in one or two cases, not seated entirely in the slot. Only enough room for a piece of paper to slide under the very end of the edge, but, less than perfect. Running my hand up the neck, I can feel the fret edges. Not a cut or scratch danger at all, but I can feel 'em.

The action and playability are excellent. Not to high, but high enough to avoid buzz.

From what I gather, Tacoma has the Olympia lines made in China to their spec, and then does a final setup at the US factory. The cheaper manufacture and lower QA expectations of the Chinese factory are evident here. But the most important part of any instrument, the sound and playability are here in spades, and most likely attributable to that initial design and final setup. What this means is that you get a cosmetically less than perfect instrument with the playability and sound of a perfect one for half the cost.

Again, my rating is relative to price point. It looses points for the fret job and slop, but regains 'em for raw usability.

Any acoustic, any satin finish can be sketchy at best and needs to be taken care of. This bass feels solid and I can beat out chords on it with a pick and it maintains that solid feel. With a case, I would have no more issues with this guitar than any other acoustic instrument.

Another testament to the workhorse vibe of this bass.

Have had no issues, but have contacted Olympia/Tacoma via email with pre shopping questions for this and another guitar. Always nice, always timely, always helpful.

Ive been playing bass and guitar for about 18 years. Everything from upright bass to Fender Jazz and Mustang, to Ashbory. This was my first acoustic bass guitar though Ive been wanting one a while I waited until I found one that was actually usefull as an acoustic bass and cheap enough to feel comfortable buying. All in all it cant be topped by anything under $1000 in bang:buck ratio.

This is an acoustic bass with 4 strings. It has mahogany back/sides/neck/bridge, and a spruce top.

It comes with a Fishman Classic preamp (though I have yet to plug it in). The finish is satin, the body has a single cut away on the bottom, and a paisley-shaped soundhole on top. The neck has 20 frets, nice feeling tuners with plenty of precision, and a rosewood fretboard.

I am giving the bass a high rating in this category because it has all of the features I would want in an acoustic bass. It is hard too imagine any features you could add to the instrument that would contribute to its funtionality.

The bass was carefully made in China.

The bass has an extremely (shocking, really) full sound. If you play it fairly aggressively, it actually projects quite well, and it is warm and clear. Very pleasing!

If you are wanting to get the Brian Ritchie/Violent Femmes sound, this bass can do it pretty well. It has a sound that is a bit clearer than his vintage Earthwood, but you can come pretty close.

I cannot speak to the quality of the onboard electronics, as I do not have an amp currently.

The fit and finish on my example is outstanding! There is a little glue visible on the neck joint, but would not be visible to any one else and does not bother me in the least. I am glad that they used plenty of glue!

My bass was used, but unless you give it a very close inspection, you would be very hard pressed to tell.

They quality of the wood is fantastic, the neck has no dead spots, the action is better than that on either of my previous basses (Fender Jazz fretless and a vintage G&L L-1000 in need of a fret job!). The quality of this instrument for the price is simply awesome. If I would have paid $825 for the Tacoma version at musiciansfriend.com, I would have been thrilled. Having only paid $220 used, I think I got an absolute steal! One thing to know about this bass (if you have not tried one out at a store) is that it is very large! The body is very deep and very very wide. I have long limbs, so it is not a problem for me, but some might find it uncomfortable to play unless standing.

I have heard (possibly from another review on Harmony Central, actually) that this bass is essentially identical in sound/materials/playability to the Tacoma model - the only real differences are the lack of a pickguard and the country of origin (China vs. US).

Though I have only had the bass for a short time, I think that I can provide a good assesment of the build quality.

I had never had an acoustic bass before, and I was not sure how sturdy the instrument would be. I am quite impressed! I would not use the bass to paddle across the Pacific, but I would certainly feel comfortable using it for a gig without a backup.

The top/sides/neck all feel very solid. Like all acoustics, you want to treat it with care, but I am not worried about it breaking.

I will certainly be purchasing a hardshell case for it, as it is large enough/akward enough that I would rather keep it safe in a case than risk tripping over it with my size 13s!

Never had a problem.

I have played bass for about 5 years. I previously owned a modified Fender Jazz bass fretless (Schaller bridge, Dimarzio DP123 pickups) and an ealry model G&L L-1000 which I played through an SWR Workingman's 15 combo.

I purchased this bass because it seemed ideal for my current situation:
Living in an apartment (not wanting to anger my neighbors), just getting back in to playing bass after a nearly two-year hiatus, and not intending to play live. I wanted something that would sound great, play great, not annoy the neighbors, and that didn't need an amp, as I wanted to get myself practicing again with minimal outlay of cash.

This bass has exceeded my expectations by a long, long ways. As I mentioned above, if I had paid far more, I would still feel as though I had gotten a great deal. As it is, I feel I got a steal. This bass comes HIGHLY recommended!

If it were stolen, I would write an 80s hair band-esque ballad about it and then go charge another on my nearly maxed out Diner's Club card (thanks, Telly!) ;)

Copy of Tacoma CB-10 Acoustic Bass. It's made in China, not U.S, so it's more affordable. Solid top. Solid back. Off center, teardrop shaped soundhole. Fishman pickup.

I use this bass mainly unplugged and for home recordings to accompany acoustic guitar. But I think it's loud enough to play with friends. Plugged in, of course, it's as loud as I need it. The sound is rich and warm. I shopped around a lot before buying an acoustic bass. This is by far the best.

The action was a little high. My guitar tech says it needs fret leveling, but I'm going to wait on that. I get a little buzz up around the 20th fret. I can live with it for now. Otherwise, everything was fine.

I play mostly at home. I'll probably never travel with this bass. It needs a hard case. I worry about scratching the finish. But after four months, there are no marks. And I haven't really babied it.

I haven't played bass very long. I'm a guitar player, who wanted to add bass to home recordings. But I'm very satisfied with this instrument. And I would buy another one if I lost this one.

This bass is made in China, but faggedaboutdat. This bass is awesome. I was looking for something to play with my buds when we sit around and jam on acoustics, and the other acoustic electric basses just werent loud enough. This bass BOOMS. I love it, and it looks really good too. OK, the neck doesnt feel so great, but you get used to it, and the sound is awesome, especially for the money. The Fishman electronics make it sound really good, plugged in too. Solid spruce top and mahogany sides and back.

Great round, deep boomy sound unplugged, almost like a guitarron. I tested a few of them and some have some fret buzz, so look out for that. Mine didnt.

No flaws, set up nicely. The action is a little high, but I'd rather have that than the fret buzz.

Not too sure about its use for heavy gigging. Satin finish scares me a little, but I havent really given it a shot yet. I'd use it on a gig without backup so far.

N/A

Love the bass!

A brand-new model, copy of Tacoma CB-10 Acoustic Bass (Olympia is distributed by Tacoma). Made in China, which accounts for the lower price. Solid top/back, 34-inch neck (20 frets, ebony board), teardrop soundhole in upper bout, Fishman active pickup (4-band EQ), matte finish. Other than different headstock and no pickguard, it is virtually identical to Tacoma model.

Unplugged, this thing booms! It is about 90% there as compared to the Tacoma model. Much louder than the Epiphone, Martin, and Fender acoustic basses. Will be able to cut through in a jam with other acoustic instruments when no amplification is available. The Fishman system gives it a cross between a solidbody bass and upright, even with roundwound strings.

Setup is a bit low, so there is some fret buzz. All hardware is pretty tight. Frets my need a little filing. The matte finish does give it a "formica" look and feel. Neck back is a bit sticky and needs a buff-down.

So far so good. It seems to be a durable bass for an acoustic. I don't see myself doing any theatrics with it, so it should be able to handle the job. I installed a 2nd strap button (I hate the tie-to-headstock method). Definitel needs a hardshell case (as all acoustic basses)

I haven't yet contacted Tacoma for support, as I just purchased it. Their website has no direct contact. Seems durable enough that it shouldn't need any major service.

I usually play guitar, but play bass for this acoustic band. This bass seems to be built well, and is perfect for anyone looking for Tacoma reliability but cannot afford the cost.