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epiphone viola bass?

Johnny Tsunami

Johnny Tsunami

Oct 26, 2013
26
1
Yorktown Heights, NY
#1
hello all. thinking of maybe purchasing another bass, or at least figure out which one i should get next. im drawn to the epiphone viola bass. i currently play a fender modern player jazz bass, so i want it to be at least on the same level, so does anybody know how the viola compares to the fender i currently play?

thank you all in advance
 
#2
I haven't played a MP but the Viola is a fine bass. It's super playable due to its scale, and it is capable of a pretty unique and dub-like tone if you throw some flatwound strings on it. That said, it's a bit one dimensional. I certainly wouldn't use one for anything modern sounding, but it can serve a good spot in any folk, country, or blues band.
 
#3
I would try one at GC or a local music store first. It's a different animal altogether- not versatile but does what it does well, ie. not for funk (lol) but great for old school rock music. The slim neck and short scale makes it easy to pick up and play too.
I don't know what your budget is, but is a Hofner Icon within your price range? You can get a Hofner Icon used for $299 at GC.
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Epiphones are the next tier below the Icon in terms of quality.
Whatever you get, if you do get a viola bass, put flatwounds on it.
 
#5
Maxdusty said:
I would try one at GC or a local music store first. It's a different animal altogether- not versatile but does what it does well, ie. not for funk (lol) but great for old school rock music. The slim neck and short scale makes it easy to pick up and play too.
I don't know what your budget is, but is a Hofner Icon within your price range? You can get a Hofner Icon used for $299 at GC.
Invalid Link Removed
Epiphones are the next tier below the Icon in terms of quality.
Whatever you get, if you do get a viola bass, put flatwounds on it.
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Yeah its only $299 then that's well in my budget and seeing its a hofner that's a pretty good deal. But I'm guessing you wouldn't use this bass for say alternative rock? It's more for blues-based rock and roll right? Is it like a jazz bass as far as tone?
 
#6
I actually use the bass for other kinds of music that requires a more "earthy" type sound - think of a double bass type sound- Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads used a Hofner Club (a similar type bass).
Like I mentioned and another post pointed out, it's not a versatile bass overall, it doesn't have a punchy sound even if you put roundwounds but it has a sound all it's own. As a primary bass I wouldn't recommend it - more like it would complement other basses that you have.
 
#8
Maxdusty said:
I actually use the bass for other kinds of music that requires a more "earthy" type sound - think of a double bass type sound- Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads used a Hofner Club (a similar type bass).
Like I mentioned and another post pointed out, it's not a versatile bass overall, it doesn't have a punchy sound even if you put roundwounds but it has a sound all it's own. As a primary bass I wouldn't recommend it - more like it would complement other basses that you have.
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+1. I use mine (have 2, but neither is an Epiphone) for a lot of music that could be/was done with an uprght, and, of course, early Beatles. Since I'm a lefty, and Epi doesn't make one for me, I've never played one plugged in; casually noodled around with a couple, though. They seem OK to me; the controls would definitely be a lot easier to use than the arcane things on most of them (including mine). I have to agree, though, that the Hofner Icon is probably a step up from the Epiphone. The nicer of mine is an older, Korean Rogue VB-100. It is amazingly well-made, with beautiful wood and finish, and while not up to German Hofner tone (the pickups see to that), it would likely give a Hohfner CT a good run for it's money. And I paid $150 for mine used. Worth a look,maybe.
 
#9
IME, the Epi Viola has better fit & finish than all the other violin-style basses in the price range including the Hofner Ignition/Icon.

This is based on the older Korean-built one I have, so I don't know if the current ones are any better or worse.
 
#10
landau roof said:
IME, the Epi Viola has better fit & finish than all the other violin-style basses in the price range including the Hofner Ignition/Icon.

This is based on the older Korean-built one I have, so I don't know if the current ones are any better or worse.
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My Epi viola is the only bass I currently own, but then I've never been a gear hoarder. It's surprisingly versatile if your picking hand isn't glued in one position. It will always sound like a hollow bodied instrument, but I find it very responsive to different attack styles. Down stroke, side stroke, tip of the finger, pad of the finger, play towards the neck or the bridge. All produce very different tones. It can work fine for things like funk unless you want that modern hyper "clacky" sound. It can handle slap but not as well as other basses. The action feels best a smidge higher than on a typical Fender and miles higher than on an active bass where you're supposed to just look at the strings to make them ring. You can't "dig into it" like a Fender, but it can handle a little roughness. I had to file the bridge a little to keep the strings from popping out though. I also had to file the nut to get the low E flat wound to fit. The hardware is a little on the cheap side, but it's a cheap bass. You get more than your money's worth.

I love mine, but I've seen others in stores that seemed poorly made. It could be the country it was built in or just inconsistent production. Either way, I wouldn't just order one in and expect it to be perfect like you can do for higher end instruments.

If you want the most modern of sounds, this won't do it. For most anything else, you should be fine. It's inexpensive, looks classy and sounds distinctively good. It's a bit different and might take some getting used to, but it feels great too.

P.S.: The viola, being a hollow bodied instrument, is fairly loud acoustically. Nice for practising in a somewhat quiet room. It also tends to rattle quite a bit. Nothing that comes out in the amp, but if you're playing acoustically, it gets aggravating. I have bits of cardboard and foam wedged into the thing to quiet it down a bit, but this is only because I like practising unplugged.
 
#11
The Epiphone has a zero fret, the others don't, true?

I've seen this feature, in an old Greco viola style bass. It wasn't set up right, though - the nut was too high on some or all of the strings, so the zero fret wasn't getting a chance to do its job. Would have been easy to fix.
 
#13
I really liked my Epi Viola a lot and thought it felt more substantial than the Icon I tried several times. I've had both the older (back when they were $469) and newer ($299) versions and they seemed the same. I preferred round wounds on it myself, and thought it was fine for a classic, oldies style band. Might just get another one day soon.
 

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