Acoustic or Electric Bass

Are there criteria for deciding on acoustic or electric bass during a set?

 

String bass is my preference for most jazz styles. For “straight ahead” 4/4 swing, upright bass is preferable. I believe it is hard to achieve an authentic jazz swing feel with a rhythm section propelled by electric bass. I would consider using electric bass for styles where jazz is fused with contemporary popular music (rock, funk, Latin styles) where electric bass is the accepted norm on recordings. Without question, the electric bass would be my choice for funk-oriented pieces where the subdivision is the sixteenth note.

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