The scoop on the EUB: This thing is straight up awesome. I used to have a solid body version, which sounded about 70% acoustic upright and 30% fretless bass guitar, which was the best I had found of all the EUBs I tried. I wasn't quite happy with this ratio though, so I just spent the money on a full double bass. But after lugging that thing around for a while, I decided that maybe the hollow body BSX Allegro would get me closer than 70/30, while simultaneously saving myself from another hernia operation. I was correct: this thing is capable of 90% of the sound you can get with a full acoustic upright. Sounds great, looks great, and Dino at
BSX DOES NOT UPCHARGE FOR LEFTIES!!!! He is professional, detailed, and cares about his legacy, so he stops at nothing to make sure he is making great basses and that his customers are happy. He is constantly tweaking his design to make improvements as well. This bass is much better than the old one I had, and I loved that one! If you want a lefty, contact Dino directly through the BSX bass website at
http://bsxbass.com/.The scoop on the Takamine AEB: I love the sound unplugged, and I love the feel of the bass. I haven't quite mastered the art of using this thing amplified though. Of course I haven't tried too much- it is mainly my 'around the house' practice bass. But on the few occasions I've plugged it in since I bought it, I definitely would give the sound a 6.5 to 7 out of 10. This score is impacted by feedback problems which are pretty common on these. I bought a feedback stopper/sound hole cover but haven't plugged it in since I bought it, so I don't know if that will help or not.