Hollowbody Bass Recommendation

[bigsnaketex]

Originally Posted by disssa

I dont know the price in the US for the Warwick Star Bass Pro Series (Made in Korea), but this bass is a really versatile and nice sounding Bass.

You can get one of these for $1400 USD and I think they look great!

[electracoyote]

For that kind of money, you pretty much have your choice. I've been in and out of a lot of semi-hollows lately, even vintage stuff like the Fender Coronado, Hagstrom Concord, most of these can be had for under $1400.00.

I'm also having great luck with the less expensive reissues and copies like the Epiphone Rivoli, Eastwood Classic IV, Jack Casady, etc.

With that budget, I'd try to play as many as possible before putting money down.

[Feral Feline]

The Gretsch long-necks are cool, but also consider the Italia basses...

Maranello Zed


Mondial Classic


Mondial Deluxe


Imola (5 also available)


Rimini


Torino



The Zed and the Torino are my faves, very cool finishes other than what's pictured above are available.
NB* I have no affiliation with Italia

[TN WOODMAN]

Just got my ultimate hollowbody, the 1965 Rivoli beautifully restored in Dakota Red by Instagator.

The Korean Rivoli (out of production) are great for the money and getting scarce as well. The Laklands are nice and sound great with the Chisonic pickups (Barts on the early ones).The Skylines are very nice and use the exact same pickups as the American built ones.

[mcm]

Lakland

[Rob Martinez]

Eastwood Club bass, if you can find one.

[f64]

+1 On the Warwick Star Bass for versatility - if you want to go medium scale. It's probably the most versatile bass I use. Check youTube and you'll get a good idea. The Pro is made in Korea and the street is about $1400. The Star Bass II is made in Germany and if you watch eBay and other boards you can get a deal. Dealers wanting to move stock are spinning them just above the Pro. Last year I picked up a fretted for $1800. and a fretless for $1700. Not bad deals with an MSRP of $4700.

[petch]

+1,000 for Lakland Skyline HB. Sounds terrific, plays beautifully, looks fantastic.

[bigsnaketex]

What kind of pickups are in the Skyline HB? Those look very old school!

[Crabby]

I have a Gibson Midtown semi hollow on order and am really excited as this will be my first semi hollow bass. According to their website, they are not laminated at all. Solid mahogany body with a flat maple top and the chambers are routed out from the body. $1250 for a USA Gibson with case isn't bad but there are not enough of them out there yet to get a feel for what people think of them.

[bigsnaketex]

I like the 335 look of the Midtown but I have only seen pictures thus far - I'd love to hear what real musicians think about them (as opposed to what the Gibson marketing department wants us to think!)

I'm a Gibson man from way back but besides my old EB-3, I've never been horribly impressed with the bass line from them. The Thunderbird is very cool but not my cup of tea and the RD and Les Paul weigh more than I can to tote around for 3 sets!!

[WarwickOfficial]

Originally Posted by f64

+1 On the Warwick Star Bass for versatility - if you want to go medium scale. It's probably the most versatile bass I use. Check youTube and you'll get a good idea. The Pro is made in Korea and the street is about $1400. The Star Bass II is made in Germany and if you watch eBay and other boards you can get a deal. Dealers wanting to move stock are spinning them just above the Pro. Last year I picked up a fretted for $1800. and a fretless for $1700. Not bad deals with an MSRP of $4700.

f64 - The Warwick Star Bass II (Germany) is 34" long scale. However, we've just released the Rockbass Star Bass - the 4-string is 32" and the 5-string is 34" scale. Also, the Framus Vintage Star Bass 5/150 is 30" scale. Please let me know if you've got any questions. Thanks!

[petch]

Originally Posted by bigsnaketex

What kind of pickups are in the Skyline HB? Those look very old school!

They are Chi-Sonics. Clear sound with a broad tonal range. Actually single coils I believe.

[bigsnaketex]

Originally Posted by petch

They are Chi-Sonics. Clear sound with a broad tonal range. Actually single coils I believe.

I did some research on these and they appear to be very cool pickups - maybe akin to the TV Jones stuff?

I have not heard any but have made it my goal to find some to listen to in the next month or so.

I'll report back!!

[bigtexashonk]

Epiphone Jack Casady or Lakland Skyline Hollowbody. Both excellent, but I preferred the rounded edges of the Lakland.

[bigsnaketex]

Originally Posted by bigtexashonk

Epiphone Jack Casady or Lakland Skyline Hollowbody. Both excellent, but I preferred the rounded edges of the Lakland.

The Lakland looks good but I haven't run across any anywhere. I've had a Jack Casady and while it played very nicely, it was a bit of a one trick pony for me although I think it's an excellent value for the bass. I sold mine for what I payed for it after a year and a half and you can't ask for more than that!!

[jeffbonny]

Originally Posted by bigsnaketex

I've had a Jack Casady and while it played very nicely, it was a bit of a one trick pony for me although I think it's an excellent value for the bass.

No more of a "one trick pony" for me than a P Bass is. I'm using a Casady for a wide variety of styles from roots rock to pop covers to hard rock. If anything it's more tonally and dynamically responsive to touch than most basses I've used and that's a pretty long list.

[bigsnaketex]

Originally Posted by jeffbonny

No more of a "one trick pony" for me than a P Bass is. I'm using a Casady for a wide variety of styles from roots rock to pop covers to hard rock. If anything it's more tonally and dynamically responsive to touch than most basses I've used and that's a pretty long list.

I certainly agree with you on that - but for me, the P-Bass is the sound in my head that I grew up with. It is the definitive bass sound FOR ME.

And I certainly didn't mean to disparage your experience with the the Epi, but for me, I use different basses to get the sounds in my head out and into the mix and the Jack Cassidy didn't do that for me. I did try for over a year to make it work because I really liked the way it looked and felt, it just didn't work from a sonic perspective in my world.

So right now, I'm down to using my P-Bass and my Ric (in stereo) in live sets and am looking for a hollowbody to augment that for another one of those sounds I have rumbling in my head when we play Ryan Adams covers and a few other singer/songwriter folks.

I've been using my acoustic bass on those type songs and it does well enough - but I want to find a hollowbody that I can use through my rig, DI'd into the board instead of straight into the board with my acoustic.

[jeffbonny]

Originally Posted by bigsnaketex

I certainly agree with you on that - but for me, the P-Bass is the sound in my head that I grew up with. It is the definitive bass sound FOR ME.

And I certainly didn't mean to disparage your experience with the the Epi, but for me, I use different basses to get the sounds in my head out and into the mix and the Jack Cassidy didn't do that for me. I did try for over a year to make it work because I really liked the way it looked and felt, it just didn't work from a sonic perspective in my world.

So right now, I'm down to using my P-Bass and my Ric (in stereo) in live sets and am looking for a hollowbody to augment that for another one of those sounds I have rumbling in my head when we play Ryan Adams covers and a few other singer/songwriter folks.

I've been using my acoustic bass on those type songs and it does well enough - but I want to find a hollowbody that I can use through my rig, DI'd into the board instead of straight into the board with my acoustic.

I totally hear you and caught the "for me" loud and clear. Just goes to show that we're all different what works for us. Not to derail here but you ever try the front p.up on the Rick to get an upright type sound? I've never owned one but I've heard guys like Danny Brubeck do amazing things with them.

[pineapplerobot]

Warwick Star Bass, they are on eBay and used around $1300 all the time. They are built well, set up nicely, and sounds ballsy.