Hofner Violin bass on sale today only

[Pilgrim]

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid

$249.99. This tempts me, as I like the violin basses and I have a soft spot for green.

[Dave W]

Did you buy one?

[Pilgrim]

Tempted, but as little as I'm playing these days, I look at the dozen in the basement and can't bring myself to do it.

[ilan]

IME, the Icon/Ignition Hofners sound and feel nothing like the old "real" Hofners. I did some setup work for a friend who bought a light blue one. Not a single screw that didn't come loose. It's like they don't have screwdrivers in China. I strung it with TI flats which improved the tone. Still, you get exactly what you pay for with these basses. By the way, the wrong angle of the control panel drives me crazy.

[Pilgrim]

I had one of the Rogue VB-100 violin basses for a while, and although I enjoyed playing it, I had other basses that I liked more and reached for more readily. I eventually decided it needed a new home. This one would have probably suffered the same fate. I'd have had the Cougar bass, a Gretsch Thunderjet and a few others in front of it.

[bassilisk]

I've still got a Jay Turser that I bought many years ago, just when they started offering colors other than sunburst. I got a black one.
For what it is, it's not bad at all. They came with a limited lifetime warranty! Neck is straight, no discernible dead spots
and I have to admit those crappy pickups sound pretty darn good. Right after I got it I strung it with a set of Pyramid flats
(1/4 of the price of the bass itself) and they've been on it ever since.

I play it very infrequently, but it was inexpensive, it's there when I get the urge and it fills the niche.
I could never justify buying a real Hofner, though my friend has two and they do sound excellent.

[Pilgrim]

My wife gave it to me at Christmas, so I struggled with keeping it. Probably should have, as it was paid for. But I asked her permission before selling it, and got another bass I use more.

I thought the VB-100 sounded just fine, and I had the Labella Hofner Flats on it. Nice bass, light, pickups sounded surprisingly good to me. Just turned out not to fill a need. I still kinda wish I had it, but I hang onto stuff too long.

[Granny Gremlin]

I've never liked the look of those, but that green is stunningly good.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Years ago, maybe 15-20, I tried an old Univox Hofner knockoff that color, maybe a little darker green, and it was far and away the best "Beatle bass" I'd ever had in my hands, but the "real" Hofners I had tried were then-new production. In the end I decided I didn't like short scale and it was another decade before I paid $50 for my SX Jazz-knockoff shorty, which is an amazing bass regardless of price.

[Dave W]

Years ago, maybe 15-20, I tried an old Univox Hofner knockoff that color, maybe a little darker green, and it was far and away the best "Beatle bass" I'd ever had in my hands, but the "real" Hofners I had tried were then-new production. In the end I decided I didn't like short scale and it was another decade before I paid $50 for my SX Jazz-knockoff shorty, which is an amazing bass regardless of price.

I remember playing a dark green Beatle bass from Japan. It was well built and sounded good. May not have had the Univox brand name on it -- may have been Conrad or Greco -- but it was the same bass as the sunburst ones I've seen with the Univox name.

[Chris P.]

Hofner makes three series Violin basses.

1 - Of course there's the real deal.

2 - HCT. If you change the controls to teacups, it's hard to see the difference between a HCT and a German one. Of course we nerds see the different kind of sunburst and imho the HCTs are very, very, very well made. I have seen some German's with little flaws, but that is part of the charm of some guys making them by hand:) Of course the real one has the case, the smell, the lacquering and it's... hollow. The HCT has some sort of middle block. It sounds a bit tighter, but with flats still very nice and Höfner-ish.

3 - The Ignitions are different animals. Different shapes, different control panel angle, different pickups and the neck is set flat to the body on both the Club and Violin. Makes them a bit easier to play if you are used to a normal solidbody. They are hollow like the German ones. All in all they look a bit wrong and a bit cheaper, but in fact they're nice basses. They sound good and I know many Höfner collectors and players who have one and like it. Paul Weller, who started in the Jam with a 500/1, has several custom shop Höfner guitars and basses and last couple of albums are recorded with Club bass and Verythin guitars. He ordered an Ignition!

I think a lot of players won't buy a Violin bass as main bass, but as a second bass, for an acoustic project, for recordings, and I know some guitarists who bought an ignition for recordings. Small, light, nice retro sound and easy to play for those pussies who are used to Strats;) So I think the Ignition has a reason for existence.


Having said that. When I started playing bass, there was one local guy with a 500/1 and a local shop had a Club which costed double of a Fender American Standard, if I remmeber well. Last week I was at a local band contest and I saw two of five bands with an Ignition! And no Beatle references, but one more acoustic band and a Tame Impala (Höfner bass!) kinda band. I like that! I see more and more Höfners on stage (Roots with that US talk show, the guy of Amy Winehouse, Tame Impala, Last Shadow Puppets, Guy Garvey's (Elbow) solo project, etc. Great to see Höfner getting of that Macca Only path.

[uwe]

 "I have seen some Germans with little flaws."

That's biologically impossible. Wir sind alle perfekt.

[Dave W]

"I have seen some Germans with little flaws."

That's biologically impossible. Wir sind alle perfekt.

Don't make me break out the Angela Merkel memes.