Beatle bass?

[Bernie P.]

I started playing on a Sekova "Beatle Bass" about 40yrs ago.It was a hollowbody red burst with two pups,3 pup switches,vol and tone control.I really liked the sound.Can anyone familiar with this bass suggest something available today that sounds about the same?

 

[electracoyote]

I started playing on a Sekova "Beatle Bass" about 40yrs ago.It was a hollowbody red burst with two pups,3 pup switches,vol and tone control.I really liked the sound.Can anyone familiar with this bass suggest something available today that sounds about the same?

Hofner still makes their McCartney violin bass. You can get the real deal for several thousand dollars, or the Asian made Icon-B bass for around $349.00. I have 3 Hofners in my collection, gawd are they fun to play.

 

[toomanybasses]

I have a Hofner CT Violin Bass with TI Jazz Flats, can I say, WOW, it is a really nice bass.

 

[GM60466]

Sekova came out of the Teisco factory. There are a number of "beatle" style basses that sound pretty much the way your 40 year-old bassed did. Stay away from the Icon serion by hofner.

G

 

[Caksi]

Stay away from the Icon serion by hofner.

This statement have nothing to do with bass playing!
I have both German Hofner and Icon B-bass... german hofner is better crafted, but chinese one is THE REAL VIOLIN BASS... sounds just as it should, and plays fantastic... + it looks good!

So, i could say... GO FOR IT! It's about 5 times cheaper than the original!

 

[iamthebassman]

I have both German Hofner and Icon B-bass... german hofner is better crafted, but chinese one is THE REAL VIOLIN BASS...

I don't guess I understand that statement.

 

[kayakbass]

The Hofner Icon is a viable option if you're on a budget. You'll need to put some flats on it as they come with round wounds. If money is no object, the German Hofner is the cats *ss!

 

[Pilgrim]

For an affordable (@$200) hollow-body without F holes, the Rogue VB-100 is excellent once you put Labella Hofner flats on it. The strings that come from the factory on it are horrible.

Reviews here.

Musicians' Friend has discontinued this bass, but it's essentially the same as the Jay Turser and other Asian-made violin basses.

 

[Eric Scholz]

well the hofner is of course great, but pricey.
the epiphone is decent, i was playing it at work and it would have been much better with a proper set up. i was playing it just acoustically and it was a fun time.

 

[Mr. Mig]

I have two Hofner CT basses. One in the original burst, with Labella flats. And the other in black with LaBella round's. Both basses sound really good.

 

[Rob Martinez]

Don't listen to the negative comments about the Hofner Icon. It is a solid, cool bass. I play one, I have LaBella Beatle flats on it, it plays and sounds great. If you want to be fussy and pay $1800, get a German made Hofner. But no way is it 6 times better a bass than an Icon. And I have played both. THe German made may be a bit better, but not by much.

 

[no1likesme]

am I the only person who hates the term "Beatle Bass"?

 

[Pablo Fanque]

am I the only person who hates the term "Beatle Bass"?

Don't "hate" it but I'd use the terms "Violin bass" or "Hofner copy" instead.

To answer the OP's question, I like the sound and feel of the Epi Viola but I couldn't promise that it sounds like one of McCartney's old Hofners. It's light-weight with a warm sound.

 

[Mastermold]

For an affordable (@$200) hollow-body without F holes, the Rogue VB-100 is excellent once you put Labella Hofner flats on it. The strings that come from the factory on it are horrible.

Reviews here.

Musicians' Friend has discontinued this bass, but it's essentially the same as the Jay Turser and other Asian-made violin basses.

I agree 100%. I bought the Rouge II viola bass last year, strung it up with Fender flats (long scale yes but they worked) and get great tone out of it. It's built well enough to gig with, and I have, and for $199 you don't have to worry about hurting it.

 

[rfclef]

I love my Epiphone Viola... TI Jazz flats... nice.

 

[vespasian1]

I don't think Hofner is making the Icon series any longer. It's been replaced by the pricier CT series:

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They use the same pups and electronics as the German made basses, and have a tone board (probably mahogany) inside the body. They go for about $750.

I tried a German Hofner back in the '70s, for a few minutes. Very powerful lows, almost like a Gibson EB3. Way deeper than a PBass. It took me by surprise.

Two thumbs up.

 

[WalWarrior]

I own two older Hofners. A cavern Bass and a 500/1. They're from the bealtlemania era, and they are waycool. I would like to get a "lefty" Icon series just to see if I can learn to play left handed for the accurate beatle look. Gary Grimes did it years ago ( he was and still is a right handed guitar player ) and he is badass at it. He's one of the best Macca impersonators in the world. Great musician. I'm definately going to try out an ICON.

 

[fretlessman71]

Allow me to stand up for the Univox Lectra bass. It's my "poor man's beatle bass copy" (sorry, no1likesme). I've had at least THREE people hire me for studio work not because of my chops, but because I owned THAT BASS, and it's currently on loan to a friend who owns a studio - having a really hard time reaching him, too; maybe he doesn't want to give it back...?

Worth looking for. GREAT sounding bass.

 

[Decker]

I've got the Rogue with TI flats on it. Lots of fun!

 

[RickenBoogie]

Of those I've tried out, in the "economy" class, the Jay Turser feels and plays the best. Better than the Epiphone Viola, or the Rogue. If you can find a used Hofner Icon, that's the one I'd pick, but the Jay Turser would be my second choice. The newer Hofner's are also very nice, but twice the price.