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Does anyone make a 5 string BEATLE bass?
- Thread starter jlepre
- Start date
LeCompte offers a violin shape, but it doesn't have the proper Hofner specs (solid instead of hollow, wrong pickups etc,.)
http://www.lecomptebass.com/bass-models/vb
That bass looks strangely familiar. It was built to be reminiscent of a Höfner, but with features to make it a bass you'd actually want to play. Aguilar OBP-3 preamp, Nordstrand dual-coil pickups. Mahogany/walnut body with birdseye maple top, macassar ebony 'board and knobs. Monster tone(s).
Photo by George Himmel.
Is that yours Munji? My comments weren't meant to be disparaging at all, I actually think it's really lovely.
Your comments were correct - no butthurt here. I had been thinking about getting a violin-shaped bass, but have never liked the sound of the Höfner-style basses. When I saw pictures of Bud's VB series, I decided to have one built with electronics that would give me some versatility and robust sound. Bud hit the mark with this one - the finest craftsmanship and sounds that compare well with any of my other custom basses. Unfortunately, for the moment, Bud isn't taking any new custom orders. Hopefully he'll start up again soon.
"They" said that about the '51 P-bass. With reasoning like that, we'd all still be playing uprights with gut strings, nay, we'd still be banging our fists on hollow fallen logs to get bass notes.
If it is just the low register notes you need, can you fit a somewhat lighter gauge B string, file the nut, and string it BEAD? You'd only lose the top five notes of the G string, and how often would you play those?
This is true but I still need my G on many songs. I don't necessarily use the B for the notes below E
My next project will be a 5 string Beatle type bass. It will be 34" scale with the body scaled up. I will use a bridge close to the bottom of the bass, and will use two metal covered humbuckers I have that look the part, placed where the Hofner pickups are visually. Where the bridge "would" be on a Hofner, I'll put a noise cancelling J bass pickup, with a solid cover, disguised to look like a Hofner bridge. I'll post pics when I get it done. The neck will be a bolt on I have, but I have to redo the headstock to look like a Hofner. So 3 pickups, Jazz, and then two humbuckers. The humbuckers are polished brass, so I'll use gold hardware. The whole thing will be larger, but to scale, and I'm a pretty big guy. I use a waist strap, so balance isn't an issue. The control plate will have three on/off switches for the pickups, volume and stacked bass and treble.
maybe just pick up a cheap/used rogue/epiphone/hofner violin 4-string and use it for the beatles tunes. i know you'd like the low-B to reduce the need to change positions, but if you're used to 34" scale, the typical violin bass's 30" scale might work for you due to the frets being much closer together.
I was interested more in this case. I went to local guitar shop, and asked for a 5 string Beatle bass, but the seller threw me away, and closed the shop immidately. An old hobo sunbathing nearby took my hand, and hold me to his lockup.
His small room in very old building was full of the most vintage guitars you'd never know they existed. Just like the first Jimi Hendrix guitar, the Burns without pickups, that were used later in Brian May guitar, and even the red Rickenbacker. I tried to touch it, but suddenly he took me on side, and ordered to sit down. The very old and dusty case he brought included a 5 string Beatle bass. The bass could have been used as lefty or righty, you just had to pull a little switch. One of the switches was named "Not now", asked why, but he never replied.
Then he told me the history about it. In 1941 at Burkitsville, shortly after Rustin Parr has been hanged, a local police officer gone to his home, where he discovered this beauty. It was strange, because he've foundt it in the murder scene, while about a week ago the cellar was cleaned out. So he took it to his home, and started to play. During first few days he improvised songs as "You Shook Me All Night Long" or "Crazy Train", even tough he havent been playing any instrument before. He attended dance party, where he played as a lead instrument. Later that night he was visited by a mysterious man, who took his bass. Everyone asked him to come and play, but he couldnt remember a thing.
The man was him. A member of secret guitar council. The same that created The Pick Of Destiny.
During his travel to my country, he left the bass in Germany, that was stolen by a young guy named Karl Hofner. He was impressed by bass abilities, so he tried to make its copy, to be resold. The first bass was very good, but when he tried to play, the B string was dissapearing in magical way, and the bass remained 4 string for the rest of its life. Every other bass Hofner made, transformed the same way. Thats why he started to make 4 strings - these worked fine. Being so angry on the bass he threw it away to the river, where a young fisherman got it. And then the bass was going from hand to hand, and slowly dissapearing ...
The old man recovered his bass about 45 years ago, when it belonged to an young african child. He traded it for a banana, and got it back safely.
I asked him about the secret of a 5 string, but then he threw me away, and told that I already know too much. Later that day I saw an ambulance, that took him. One of the medics told me that he is dead. He wasnt looking in my eyes, but I saw a strange yellow reflection, like in lizard eyes. I came upstairs, but the place was empty. No guitar was present, just the same dust. I called to hospital to find out whether he is there or not, but actually they havent been informed about any accidents today. Strange isnt it ?
Unfortunately I didnt managed to ask about the secret. I think you'd have to play another 5 string, because now its too late to get a 5 string Beatle.
His small room in very old building was full of the most vintage guitars you'd never know they existed. Just like the first Jimi Hendrix guitar, the Burns without pickups, that were used later in Brian May guitar, and even the red Rickenbacker. I tried to touch it, but suddenly he took me on side, and ordered to sit down. The very old and dusty case he brought included a 5 string Beatle bass. The bass could have been used as lefty or righty, you just had to pull a little switch. One of the switches was named "Not now", asked why, but he never replied.
Then he told me the history about it. In 1941 at Burkitsville, shortly after Rustin Parr has been hanged, a local police officer gone to his home, where he discovered this beauty. It was strange, because he've foundt it in the murder scene, while about a week ago the cellar was cleaned out. So he took it to his home, and started to play. During first few days he improvised songs as "You Shook Me All Night Long" or "Crazy Train", even tough he havent been playing any instrument before. He attended dance party, where he played as a lead instrument. Later that night he was visited by a mysterious man, who took his bass. Everyone asked him to come and play, but he couldnt remember a thing.
The man was him. A member of secret guitar council. The same that created The Pick Of Destiny.
During his travel to my country, he left the bass in Germany, that was stolen by a young guy named Karl Hofner. He was impressed by bass abilities, so he tried to make its copy, to be resold. The first bass was very good, but when he tried to play, the B string was dissapearing in magical way, and the bass remained 4 string for the rest of its life. Every other bass Hofner made, transformed the same way. Thats why he started to make 4 strings - these worked fine. Being so angry on the bass he threw it away to the river, where a young fisherman got it. And then the bass was going from hand to hand, and slowly dissapearing ...
The old man recovered his bass about 45 years ago, when it belonged to an young african child. He traded it for a banana, and got it back safely.
I asked him about the secret of a 5 string, but then he threw me away, and told that I already know too much. Later that day I saw an ambulance, that took him. One of the medics told me that he is dead. He wasnt looking in my eyes, but I saw a strange yellow reflection, like in lizard eyes. I came upstairs, but the place was empty. No guitar was present, just the same dust. I called to hospital to find out whether he is there or not, but actually they havent been informed about any accidents today. Strange isnt it ?
Unfortunately I didnt managed to ask about the secret. I think you'd have to play another 5 string, because now its too late to get a 5 string Beatle.
That bass looks strangely familiar. It was built to be reminiscent of a Höfner, but with features to make it a bass you'd actually want to play. Aguilar OBP-3 preamp, Nordstrand dual-coil pickups. Mahogany/walnut body with birdseye maple top, macassar ebony 'board and knobs. Monster tone(s).
Photo by George Himmel.
I remember seeing Raphael Saadiq playing one of these...it was a custom red, white and blue one. I found it! Invalid Link Removed
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
Somebody shot us with a cheap cell phone ... lots of compression ... but the bass come through good ...
