After I posted in the hollowbody thread that I'd recently gotten an Eastwood Hooky Viking Pro, another user asked me in a PM more about the bass, so I figured I'd post a thread about the bass and my thoughts on it.
So, for those wondering what the heck this bass is, it's a signature model for Peter Hook of Joy Division/New Order fame. For recording Joy Division's second album, Closer, and the single "Love Will Tear Us Apart", he replaced his hated Hondo 4001 copy with a Yamaha BB600. When that was stolen while on tour in New York, he went shopping for a replacement and found a BB1200S, a model he's played on every album since the early 80s. Not long after, wanting a semi-hollow bass like his Gibson EB-2D that could feed back on stage but was more like his Yamaha, he commissioned luthier Chris Eccleshall to build him a semi-hollow based around the electronics and neck of the BB1200S. He had several made before Eccleshall passed away.
The Eastwood Hooky Viking Pro is a faithful replica of one of these, which Hooky named "Viking" and still uses to this day (I saw him play it live a few weeks ago in fact, from about 10 feet away - pic attached!). He was so impressed by the prototype that he asked to keep it for himself, calling it "Lola" and using it on tour.
I ordered mine early last year, and finally got it about a year later. Total price was £1639.20, including a custom hard case.
So, the basics. It's a 34" scale, 22 frets, with a neck-through design and hollow wings with F-holes. There's a single split-coil passive pickup, oriented opposite to the usual P orientation, and placed quite close to the bridge. There's an active pre-amp, activated by a switch, and single tone and volume knobs. Nut width 1.65", neck radius 16". When I ordered, it was either cherry red or black, but they now offer goldtop and sunburst too.
Tone: with the pre-amp off, the bass has a great all-round tone. Plenty of bass and middle, but the close placement to the bridge gives it a bit of extra treble than you'd get from a P-Bass. I've used it on songs from heavy to light, and it works well with them all, even working great for some pick-played funky lines. Then with the pre-amp turned on (what I call "the Hooky switch"), that's where you get what the bass was meant for: the Peter Hook tone. Of course it can be more versatile, but if you turn up the bass and treble (and add chorus), you get a perfect replica of his tone. But of course it's much more.
Playability: I find the neck really comfortable to play. It's a good width, very smooth, with great upper fret access (as you might expect for a model used by one of the great high-register bassists). It does have some pretty significant neck dive, but the neck is light enough that it doesn't make playing it difficult. And with a decent strap, or playing it low like Hooky, you won't notice it much. It's fairly light overall, and feels great to play.
Quality: I did have a couple of very minor QC issues with the bass and its hard case. The binding on the body had a couple of tiny flaws, but I was able to repair those with a nail file myself, and they gave me a £100 refund for it too. Plus no one else would've ever seen them anyway. The case also has a slight dent in the top, but not enough to compromise its structural integrity. Other than that the fit and finish is great, no rough frets, set up perfectly out of the box, and of course it looks incredible.
Overall: I really love this bass, and not for the reason I thought I would. I bought it for the Hooky tone, and the looks, but it does a lot more than just that tone. It's a great all round bass that I really enjoy playing, and it's converted me to the idea of onboard preamps. Convenience at your fingertips.
If you're a Hooky fan, or want a good semi-hollow with split coil rather than humbuckers (hard to find at times!), then consider it as an option. But be aware - stocks are very limited, and I'm not sure how long they'll be making it for.
So, for those wondering what the heck this bass is, it's a signature model for Peter Hook of Joy Division/New Order fame. For recording Joy Division's second album, Closer, and the single "Love Will Tear Us Apart", he replaced his hated Hondo 4001 copy with a Yamaha BB600. When that was stolen while on tour in New York, he went shopping for a replacement and found a BB1200S, a model he's played on every album since the early 80s. Not long after, wanting a semi-hollow bass like his Gibson EB-2D that could feed back on stage but was more like his Yamaha, he commissioned luthier Chris Eccleshall to build him a semi-hollow based around the electronics and neck of the BB1200S. He had several made before Eccleshall passed away.
The Eastwood Hooky Viking Pro is a faithful replica of one of these, which Hooky named "Viking" and still uses to this day (I saw him play it live a few weeks ago in fact, from about 10 feet away - pic attached!). He was so impressed by the prototype that he asked to keep it for himself, calling it "Lola" and using it on tour.
I ordered mine early last year, and finally got it about a year later. Total price was £1639.20, including a custom hard case.
So, the basics. It's a 34" scale, 22 frets, with a neck-through design and hollow wings with F-holes. There's a single split-coil passive pickup, oriented opposite to the usual P orientation, and placed quite close to the bridge. There's an active pre-amp, activated by a switch, and single tone and volume knobs. Nut width 1.65", neck radius 16". When I ordered, it was either cherry red or black, but they now offer goldtop and sunburst too.
Tone: with the pre-amp off, the bass has a great all-round tone. Plenty of bass and middle, but the close placement to the bridge gives it a bit of extra treble than you'd get from a P-Bass. I've used it on songs from heavy to light, and it works well with them all, even working great for some pick-played funky lines. Then with the pre-amp turned on (what I call "the Hooky switch"), that's where you get what the bass was meant for: the Peter Hook tone. Of course it can be more versatile, but if you turn up the bass and treble (and add chorus), you get a perfect replica of his tone. But of course it's much more.
Playability: I find the neck really comfortable to play. It's a good width, very smooth, with great upper fret access (as you might expect for a model used by one of the great high-register bassists). It does have some pretty significant neck dive, but the neck is light enough that it doesn't make playing it difficult. And with a decent strap, or playing it low like Hooky, you won't notice it much. It's fairly light overall, and feels great to play.
Quality: I did have a couple of very minor QC issues with the bass and its hard case. The binding on the body had a couple of tiny flaws, but I was able to repair those with a nail file myself, and they gave me a £100 refund for it too. Plus no one else would've ever seen them anyway. The case also has a slight dent in the top, but not enough to compromise its structural integrity. Other than that the fit and finish is great, no rough frets, set up perfectly out of the box, and of course it looks incredible.
Overall: I really love this bass, and not for the reason I thought I would. I bought it for the Hooky tone, and the looks, but it does a lot more than just that tone. It's a great all round bass that I really enjoy playing, and it's converted me to the idea of onboard preamps. Convenience at your fingertips.
If you're a Hooky fan, or want a good semi-hollow with split coil rather than humbuckers (hard to find at times!), then consider it as an option. But be aware - stocks are very limited, and I'm not sure how long they'll be making it for.
