The violin bass club

[JimmyM]

[quote=RED J;13159734]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Sorry folks, but I have the best violin bass of all since McCartney's:

I've got one just like it called Univox. My Icon and Douglas fretless's wide shouldered brother. Love 'em all !

Yep, they came out under the Univox and Greco names, too. Some of the Univox and Greco basses had f-holes, too. I'd like to get hold of one of them, too. The way these generate feedback being sealed, think what cool feedback stuff you could do with one that has f-holes

[CnB77]

Oh man, in an email Kurt at Rondo hinted at new basses coming in (as well as releasing some pedestrian SX models today). Hopefully some new WVEB colors will come!

[MAJOR METAL]

Anymore violin bass players out there?

[zon6c-f]

Paul's Hofner was my inspiration. Greco and Univox were available in department stores. JimmyM owns a Realistic. I drooled over these choices. In late 60's, I won a 75% discount for a real VOX "violin" bass. Even with the so-called "discount" it was still waaaaay over priced and I wasn't going to do that to my dad; we lived on "the other side of the tracks". So, they bought me a used $25 Kay single cut-away hollow body with crap-ola tuners and dead tone. At least I had my first electric..quite different from my High School String Bass.

The Kay died a year later and my parents bought me a new Epiphone. I thought I was the baddest; with that and my Kustom 200, until my friends from the wealthier side of the tracks who introduced me to the tonal genius of Jack Casady and Entwistle, taking pity on me, my bass, my amp and flat wound strings and forgiving my desire to be like Jack Bruce.
They also told me about Rickenbackers and Roto-Sound rounds. I saved for a year. When my Epi died, I bought my first Rick in 1972; skipping the Fender phase until late 1990's.

Meanwhile, I still lusted in my heart for a Hofner "Beatle-bass"..Then, I saw Pappalardi with a Gibson violin bass; EB-1..I wanted that badly, too..but my more "knowledgeable" friends advised me to get the Rick, mocking Pappalardi, when we now had the eloquent, melodic bass of Chris Squire.

Now,with a handful of basses, I still want a violin bass, however, I believe my next bass will be a Squire "Jaco Jr", as I no longer believe in boutique-priced basses..I have a Zon already..LOL..

In early '70's, I met my first luthier, Jay Riness of J-Rhyne Guitars, near Atlanta.. Jay hand-made basses, guitars and hand-wound pups. HE WAS THE MAN. He made a volin bass with a scroll head..I would gladly buy one of those if available. His work was legendary. Jay taught Greg Curbow luthiery. ...R I P Jay...Another gentle soul gone too soon...

[offhand35]

ok, here is mine! I had 3 criteria when I was looking for a bass. It had to be symmetrical, so I could play it left handed and look good without bumping the controls, short or medium scale so I could play it even with [3] severe trigger fingers in my right hand, have a neck pickup for that boomy warm undertone that I wanted. Voila, the Epiphone Viola Bass!
I am playing it through a GK 250BL and very old Bag End 12" cab with no model number.

I have since gotten the lefty MIK Squier Precision Bass to satisfy my curiosity, but the Viola remains No. 1.

[banikek]

Here is my unlined fretless Epiphone EB-1 reissue. Not a true reissue of the Gibson but close enough for me. I put the Hipshot bridge on it which drops in with no mods. Made some homemade string mutes so I can get a dull thump out of it.





I also own a Hofner Icon bass is black which is also fun to play.

chris

[jumbodbassman]

some of my hollowbody love.

one on the right is Univox


turser


pan (univox) my favorite.




mid 60 Hofner club bass


Hofner contemp



i have an Epi reiisue EB-1 around but not a very good bass.

[mongo2]

One of my violin basses:

[Pimpernel Smith]

Jumbodbassman:

Check your A string bridge saddle - the fret wire on the Hofner contemporary. It's about to go flying off!!!

[RonChase]

Here are mine, I have had about a Half a dozen others but this is the current lineup

[RonChase]

oh the Galaxy just happened to be in the picture because it is after all a Hofner

[jumbodbassman]

Originally Posted by Pimpernel Smith

Jumbodbassman:

Check you A string bridge saddle - the fret wire on the Hofner contemporary. It's about to go flying off!!!

i was restringing when i took the picture...:-)

[BassHappy]

Hey

Can I join up?

My viola bass is slightly bigger than a violin bass at 17" - (17" body = viola, violin is usually 16")

Bass is the second one in the gallery here:

www.innertainment.net

Click on any photo of the viola bass to see the entire build....


BassHappy

[godofthunder59]

Here are mine! Three Kliras and a '65 Hofner. I got a thing for Violin shaped basses

[godofthunder59]

Love that realistic badge!

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Sorry folks, but I have the best violin bass of all since McCartney's:





Yes, it's THAT Realistic. Made by the Matsumoku company in the late 60's. NICE!!!

[godofthunder59]

Those Douglas's are super nice for the $ I bought my daughter one and liked it so much I bought one for myself.

Originally Posted by dabbler

Why? If it works for you play it! Don't ever apologize for getting a good value!

[bill reed]

Here is my LE. MARQUIS. N.Y.

[ffutterman]

Saw this scroll-headed bass pop up on Craigslist a year or two ago and couldn't resist.



Anyone able to ID it? The seller said it was customized, so it might be a mismatched neck and body. In any case, it's kind of a clunker but it sounds good enough and is pretty fun to have around.

[Shawn Luckman]

Here is my May 1964 Hofner Violin bass s.n 687, not played much now but I love it. It was my main bass from 1988 to 1998 never had a single problem with it.

[widerberg]

Hi, All:

Wanted to share my violin bass. Late '60s Aria 1420B with the scroll headstock. It's en route and I'm chomping at the bit to play it. Going to string it with some Hofner-length LaBella's. It's pretty stock, I'm told, although from pics I can see the original tuners have gone missing.

Here's a pic . . .