Tacoma Bass Guitars

Tacoma bass guitars, which are now owned by Fender, are nice looking, well designed acoustic basses. They are made with a technology Tacoma calls VS, or "voiced support" technology. This is done by placing a firm brace in the center of the top while leaving the edges able to move and flex. The goal is to allow the bass to move air so that the notes are crisp sounding, even in the lower registers.

Tacoma bass guitars are made with lower mass for more vibration and response. The bridge on a Tacoma bass is also designed strategically, being wide on the bass side, but narrow with a peak as you progress to the treble side.

One difference you are sure to notice about Tacoma basses is that they feature a paisley shaped sound hole offset toward the top of the guitar. This makes them look unique. They are made of Sitka spruce on top with mahogany sides and back. The fingerboard is of rosewood, and the strings are from D'Addario.

Tacoma bass guitars retail for $1000 and up. One model is called the CB10 Thunderchief. It has a bolt-on neck and four strings. It can be played unplugged when with a group of acoustic musicians, or can be plugged in for more volume. It has a few problems, though, according to owners. One is that the input jack tends to get loose. Since it has the unusual design of the sound hole, it makes it hard for the owner to tighten up the nut to the input jack.

Tacoma basses are innovative and move a lot of air, but they are reported to be somewhat fragile and require special care in transporting. The service offered by the factory is not reported to be real good either. Still, for the right person, a Tacoma could be just what you're looking for.

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