Taylor Guitars AB-2 Acoustic Bass

Built in 1996 at the Taylor factory in El Cajon, CA. The back, sides, and top are made of solid Imbuia, also known as Brazilian Walnut. The 34"-scale Jazz-size neck (1.5" at the nut with a thin profile) is made of Mahogany with an Ebony nut and is finger-jointed to an matching Imbuia headstock. The 24-fret fingerboard is Ebony with co-designer Steve Klein's signature inlayed in Ivoroid from the 17th to 24th fret. The chrome tuners are made by Grover.

The satin-finished body is larger than most acoustic basses on the market (which allows it to be heard while playing unamplified with an acoustic guitar) with a length of 22 1/4", a width of 19", and a bi-directional taper (from both front-to-back as well as top-to-bottom) from 3.5" to 6 1/4". Overall legth is 51 3/4". The soundhole is offset to the treble side underneath the classical Venetian cutaway. The bridge is made of Imbuia with a phenolic saddle which holds the piezo pickup. As opposed to the usual bridge pin to hold the strings, Taylor's bridge is grooved for the ball end of the string to slide into place, providing a firm anchor. A well-padded gig bag is included.

The bass' electronics are made up of a Fishman ABGP-2 piezo pickup with onboard preamp, powered by a 9 volt battery attached to an access panel at the rear of the bass. There are two controls: one for volume and a concentric pot for boosting or cutting of treble and bass.

I've used this bass live and in the studio for unplugged versions of original rock songs, a variety of cover material, and an all-acoustic project. it is one of the loudest acoustic basses ever mass-produced, loud enough to project against an acoustic guitar or two but other than that you'd want to amplify it through an acoustic-based amplifier or the PA system. However, while there are one or two other models that have more "pure" volume, the Taylor has a "sweetness" to its tone as opposed to the more generic "thud" from the other basses. Played through an SWR California Blonde acoustic amp, the tone is certainly as loud as you need it to be, as well as bright, focused, and "sweet" - all coming from the high-quality wood, design, and construction you'd expect from Taylor. Their description of the AB-2 model compared to the 1, 3 & 4:

"The acoustic-electric bass for the player who prefers more tonal separation from string to string, while retaining plenty of the essential bass "thump." Using harder, denser Imbuia for the back, sides, and top produces a tighter, brighter, more direct sound - more like that of our 6-string guitars."

The bass was purchased used, as it has not been in production since 2004. It is in surprisingly excellent condition for a 16-year-old instrument, needing only a wipe-down with acoustic polish to have it looking top-of-the-line again with only a very few minor (1mm) "dings". The body is completely solid with no splitting of any pieces of wood, the bridge is firmly attached and not pulling away from the top, the electronics are in fine condition, and there is only a minor case of "fret sprout" - the previous owner likely didn't store the bass in a properly humidified environment

I have not played many gigs with this bass, but I imagine with Taylor's reputation in the acoustic instruments field that taken care of reasonably it would last just fine. I have a friend who is a clinician for Taylor, does clinic tours for several weeks every two years or so, and whose Taylor AB-series bass has held up just fine for over 5 years of touring and various recording sessions.

After my purchase I contacted Taylor and asked them several questions I had about the bass (what type of polish to use, do they have any NOS gig bags in stock for sale, etc...) and despite it being a 16-year-old instrument they were able to answer all of my questions curiously and friendly. The warranty is for the original owner only, but they welcomed me into the Taylor family nonetheless. A classy company to deal with.

I've been playing for 20 years, and other basses include multiple Spector and Mike Lull basses, Music Man, Ibanez & Dean. My Amplification consists of SWR preamps, QSC power amps, and Avatar Speaker Cabinets, and my effects include Aphex, DigiTech, Electro-Harmonix, Tech-21 and Xotic units.

This is a bass that I've desired since approximately 2001, and had honestly never thought I'd get the chance to own one based on the limited availability as well as the high price on the used market. However, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came along and I now own one. If stolen I would absolutely attempt to purchase another. My favorite feature is the sheer quality of the bass, and that it's a handmade piece made by the top luthiers in the country. Now, if I could only find fretless version...