Hofner Icon "Beatle Bass"

[askcounsel]

What is the recommended string scale for this instrument, long, medium, or short? Also, I purchased some Rotosound RS77LD flatwound strings (45,65,85,105) for this model but they don't fit through the holes in the tuning keys since the gauges are too large on the E, A and D strings. I assume I am limited on the gauge size I can use for this model?

[JimmyM]

Medium. And you're not limited to gauge size, but you have to make sure you have enough thin part of the string to fit in the hole.

[Parabolic Box]

Hofner violin basses are short scale... if you want to take some guessing out of it, you could get La Bella Beatle Bass strings: http://www.juststrings.com/labellael...tarhofner.html

[JimmyM]

Hofner violin basses are short scale, but there are two extra inches of string length behind the bridge, which pulls the silk winding of small scale strings past the nut. That's why they use medium scale strings.

[Parabolic Box]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Hofner violin basses are short scale, but there are two extra inches of string length behind the bridge, which pulls the silk winding of small scale strings past the nut. That's why they use medium scale strings.

Oh. I see. I didn't know that. Thank you.

[mr sprocket]

Originally Posted by Parabolic Box

Hofner violin basses are short scale... if you want to take some guessing out of it, you could get La Bella Beatle Bass strings: http://www.juststrings.com/labellael...tarhofner.html

Another recommendation for the La Bella set. They work and sound great.

[mario222]

I've got Rotosound 88's black nylon strings on my violin bass. I use the short scale version. No problems with gauge these things ar 65-115 its the scale you have to look out for so just the thinner silk wound part only goes through the holes.

[rfclef]

Got TI Flats on my Epi viola... wonderful.

[funkytoe]

I use that same Rotosound set on my Hofner Icon and I have no problem stringing it up. Best sounding flats for that bass in my opinion.

[JimmyM]

If only those tapewounds weren't so darn fat...I'd love a bass with them on it for the sound but I would get irritated playing them.

[primitiveworker]

Any idea what precise strings come shipped from the factory on the Chinese Hofner Icon?

I'm a total bass noob, but a little googling allowed me to make the less-than-1/4 turn truss rod loosening to an otherwise perfect setup fresh-from-the-box.

I'm concerned that better strings will come with an added headache in the form of a post-restring setup that is beyond me. The floating bridge terrifies me.

Alternatively, is there a way to find out exactly what they are by examining them?

Or is my fear unfounded? Will any big chain music store be reasonably cool about new-tension setup for this goofy bass?