I've been looking for an affordable violin bass and these two are the best options that I found. Can some bassists give me some pros and cons of each bass and perhaps which one you would prefer?
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Epiphone Viola Bass VS Hofner Ignition
- Thread starter Eric Nguyen
- Start date
All I know is that the Hofner Ignition is fully hollow and sounds the way a Hofner should, when you have Labella flatwound strings for Beatle bass, light gauge on it.
I believe the Epiphone is largely solid, but with some chambers.
I believe the Epiphone is largely solid, but with some chambers.
They sound fairly different. The Hofner gets you the Beatle tone. The Epiphone doesn’t really. The Hofner has very tight string spacing and is very fragile, in my experience. I think the Epiphone has generally higher quality.
I can only speak first-hand for the Hofner Ignition Pro, which I got recently. Very nice instrument for what you pay. While not a German-made original, it's a screamin' value, with authentic features and great fit & finish for its price point (no visible flaws on mine). Vintage details and construction for that true Beatle bass sound, if that's what you seek -- but it's definitely recommended to upgrade the sub-par stock strings to LaBella's for Beatle Bass.
My understanding is that the Epi is a bit heavier, chambered rather than fully hollow, has more sustain and range of tones, and costs more. But from the positive reviews I've read on it, the Epi may be preferable to some.
My understanding is that the Epi is a bit heavier, chambered rather than fully hollow, has more sustain and range of tones, and costs more. But from the positive reviews I've read on it, the Epi may be preferable to some.
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In my opinion the Epiphone is more versatile and a bit better build quality.
