Never mentioned the body shape as the issue. I was asking generally if it was an all rounder. Not will I look like a punk while playing a violin bass. I don’t particularly care what it looks like. It’s how it feels n plays.
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Famous acts using such basses...
- Beatles (so that's vintage pop/rock)
- Mountain (heavy rock)
- Tears for Fears (so that's more modern pop rock)
- Dread Zeppelin (so that's er, reggae?)
- Talking Heads (that's New Wave covered).
And there will be many others. I don't recall having seen a Goth band with one.
- Beatles (so that's vintage pop/rock)
- Mountain (heavy rock)
- Tears for Fears (so that's more modern pop rock)
- Dread Zeppelin (so that's er, reggae?)
- Talking Heads (that's New Wave covered).
And there will be many others. I don't recall having seen a Goth band with one.
Indeed…I remember reading an interview with her somewhere in which she said that she started out on shortscale basses because she figured they’d be easier with her small hands, but later found that fullscale basses were not really more difficult at all and that she actually preferred their sound over shortscales.
As for the question asked: I sincerely believe that every instrument is as versatile as you make it to be. The question is, as always: are you?
Granted, they may not be used much for slapping, but if that’s your thing I’m sure you can even make that work too!
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Captain Sensible of The Damned played a Hofner style bass in the early days. That's what we're most likely hearing on the first album.
The body shape has noting to do with a Hofner's limitations. That fact that it's hollow does.
I think that most any bass can do most any genre.
I wouldn't say this is true with most any player.
I wouldn't say this is true with most any player.
I’m not a fan of the violin body. The Hofner Club bass has the same neck and electronics as the BB. Sir Paul only chose the violin bass because he could flip it over and play it left handed. He later played a Rick and a P bass, either of which I would pick over a BB.
Curt Smith plays a hollow body short scale.
Jack Casaday, Phil Lesh, JPJ, Ken Casey (Dropkick Murphys), Tim Skold (KMFDM, also played with Marilyn Manson a while), Santomi Matsuzaki (Deerhoof), Mike Kerr (Royal Blood), and um Thundercat have all used hollows.
Hoping you can see there’s more than one type of genre and more than one technique you can do with a hollow or semi hollow.
So yeah (hail yeah) I circle back to my earlier statement that this is not veiled sarcasm, the limiting factor in this conversation is “do I look good playing “X” genre with a hollow or violin body bass?”
Can you play country with a Thunderbird? I wouldn’t know. But I recorded a lot of southern rock sessions “near Florence, Alabama” with a headless Kubicki.
If it sounds good and feels good it is good.
Jack Casaday, Phil Lesh, JPJ, Ken Casey (Dropkick Murphys), Tim Skold (KMFDM, also played with Marilyn Manson a while), Santomi Matsuzaki (Deerhoof), Mike Kerr (Royal Blood), and um Thundercat have all used hollows.
Hoping you can see there’s more than one type of genre and more than one technique you can do with a hollow or semi hollow.
So yeah (hail yeah) I circle back to my earlier statement that this is not veiled sarcasm, the limiting factor in this conversation is “do I look good playing “X” genre with a hollow or violin body bass?”
Can you play country with a Thunderbird? I wouldn’t know. But I recorded a lot of southern rock sessions “near Florence, Alabama” with a headless Kubicki.
If it sounds good and feels good it is good.
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Let's see... Four strings tuned E A D G, magnetic pickups wired to controls and fitted with a 1/4" output jack, fretted fingerboard with position markers, usable scale length. Seems like you're good to go. Oh, yeah, GENRES. If you figure out how to EQ this instrument along with your amp and any effects, you should be able to conjure up almost any tone you can think of. Have at it. Hope this helps.
Were I you - I would pull the blinds and wait for the screaming - "Armed Police!!! Stay where you are!!"
I really don't like how people tide certain basses or instruments to genres. I get that bagpipes in a jazz band can be odd (But it has worked and happen!) if you are just having fun and other musicians agree which if they are chill they shouldn't care, it's all about fun. Want to have a Ukulele, concertina, taiko drum band? Who cares, it's all about fun, theory helps us jam! Yeah money is important in music and may stop these things like odd jams but when jamming have fun. Hofner bass is still a bass. Some people think it doesn't mix well, with the programs today it doesn't matter. Play any genre you like. Hofner basses have been used in everything. Talking Heads, The Beatles, Tame Impala. Go crazy and play anything!
Ric5
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- Jan 29, 2008
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It will offer less sustain than a slab will. That is true of nearly every true hollow body bass I have encountered. But between pick/fingers, pickup selection, strike point, and (perhaps) rewiring, you can get a lot of tones out of a Hofner.
There is "Love Me Do" Hofner. And then there is this:
