Review – Boulder Creek EBR1-TB4FE 4-String Fretless Acoustic Bass

Review – Boulder Creek EBR1-TB4FE 4-String Fretless Acoustic Bass…

In the market for an acoustic fretless bass? Look no further then the Boulder Creek EBR1-TB4FE 4 String Fretless Acoustic Bass. From the stunning appearance of the tobacco sunburst finish to a tone presenting itself in between the sound of an acoustic bass and an upright bass, the Boulder Creek EBR1-TB4FE 4 String Fretless Acoustic Bass looks as great as it sounds!

Dave Pomeroy
Session Bassist – Solo Artist – President of the Nashville Musicians Association AFM 257

Boulder Creek basses are well made, fun to play and unlike many Acoustic Bass Guitars, they sound great plugged in or unplugged. The extra sound hole facing the player is a smart and effective innovation in ABG design and makes it much easier to hear yourself when jamming with other acoustic instruments.

The body consists of a solid spruce top with mahogany sides and back. The top is supported with the suspended bracing system, as opposed to the standard bracing system that most of us are used to. The suspended bracing system consists of two aluminum tone bars and provides better support,  while allowing more resonance and better tonal quality.

Another thing I really like about this bass and other Boulder Creek basses are the sound hole on the side of the bass, facing upwards toward the player. As most acoustic basses are a little quieter than their counterpart acoustic guitars, this is a welcome relief and brings with it more volume.

Christoper Shepard
Bassist for Trailer Choir

I have always been a legacy brand player…Martin, Gibson etc.  While touring with a popular country act “I needed an acoustic bass that would be able to go from a live application, to radio, and eventually in the studio.  Boulder Creek was the first choice…and last choice for me.”  Here’s why:

I like being able to sound FANTASTIC night after night, city after city, room after room, etc.  Boulder Creek has that consistency.  I love the look on folks’ faces in the meet and greet line when they ask about my guitar, and THEN they find out they can actually AFFORD one!  If I see them again, they always have glowing reviews that they can sound JUST like the pros, but not break the bank.  That says a lot. Now you don’t have to compromise tone or playability because of a budget.  Boulder Creek fixed that with innovative design, friendly price point, and really awesome tone and quality.  Trade your legacy brand for 2 Boulder Creeks!  You’ll be twice as happy. The onboard electronics make it relatively easy to harness the sound, and not compromise tonality.  Often times in a live setting, sound engineers are intimidated by an acoustic instrument on stage… especially an acoustic bass.  With the onboard electronics, it makes their job easy, and makes you sound better!  (I may or may not have accepted a couple of free beers from a back line tech simply because my acoustic bass was so easily managed in the mix!!) I think Boulder Creek could easily be the next household name in acoustic instruments.  It certainly is with me.

The 34” scale fretless board is made of ebony and is lined with side dots. The side dots are placed in position with the lines on the fretless ebony board as opposed to being placed in the middle of a fret. I found this very helpful, as finger placement on hitting the correct note of the fretless was made much easier.

Jonni Lightfoot
Bassist for Air Supply

I have used my boulder creek bass in recording sessions and on the live stage. Nothing compares to the tone and feel of this bass. I wouldn’t even think of using anything else!!

The AB4-T pickup system is proprietary to Boulder Creek basses. The AB4-T pickup system has controls for volume, bass, mid, treble, balance, and a phase button for in/out phase. A built in tuner is also part of the pickup system. The outputs are unbalanced 1/4” and low impedance.  The AB4-T pickup system is powered by a 9-volt battery, with the battery compartment being located next to the output.

Check out the Boulder Creek EBR1-TB4FE 4 String Fretless Acoustic Bass and the all the other fine Boulder Creek Basses at a Boulder Creek retailer near you and our previous review of the Boulder Creek review for EBR1-B5 here!

Visit online at Boulder Creek bouldercreekguitars.com