Some years back Tim Hostetler, luthier and friend, convinced me it would be a worthwhile endeavor to undertake the construction of an acoustic bass guitar. Being that these large-bodied instruments are not suited for production companies (keeping in mind that what production companies offer is the undersized version of an acoustic bass, and what
makes an acoustic bass acoustic is an appropriately large sound chamber), and, after 30 years of being a bassist myself and 20 years of guitar building, it seemed like an interesting idea. We decided that a composite body was the most logical choice, and carbon fiber, with its great strength to weight ratio and reflective acoustic qualities, would be an ideal material for the body of such an instrument, and that the shape of this body should take advantage of the unrestricted possibilities available to it. From there, I went about mating this body to more standard acoustic guitar components, while taking the liberty to modify or discard guitar construction techniques that didn't enhance the lower frequencies of the bass.
After building the prototype instrument, and refining the design in subsequent models, I developed something worth the attention of the serious bassist. After my years of playing electric bass, I found that there is something transcendent in playing an acoustic bass that produces un-amplified bass notes (although, for less intimate venues, each bass is fitted with a Fishman pickup and pre-amp). The fretless version, strung with Rotosound flatwounds satisfies that longing to produce qualities similar to an upright bass (admittedly, the very size of an upright bass creates qualities that cannot be matched by any guitar version). Furthermore, one is not burdened with the cost, lengthened scale length, and transportation difficulties that accompany the upright. I think you'll find a Groat acoustic bass guitar to have wonderful tone, volume, bottom end, very playable, and possessing an unsurpassed stability. If you are searching for an acoustic bass guitar that is dedicated to the experience of unamplified bass notes, then this might well be the bass for you!
- Bob Groat
The History of Groat Instruments