Yeah... used I think 800-850 it might be doable? There is a 90's rivoli a local store has listed on ebay for 1200 and that just seems nuts to me.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Hollowbody shopping
- Thread starter Budro00
- Start date
Yeah... used I think 800-850 it might be doable? There is a 90's rivoli a local store has listed on ebay for 1200 and that just seems nuts to me.
I think the Fender Starcaster bass at $750 is way cooler than the Midtown for instance, or any variety of strange old quirky holowbodies like we’ve talked about. I’m sure that the Rivoli or Midtown are worth $1,200 to someone, but I’m not gonna spend it this summer.
Yep...and after you fix any potential issues, be ready to have vintage tone, twice the character, and more interest/complements.
I don't mean to sound conceited about this, but if there's one thing I've learned in twenty years of session playing and touring and working with artists: the vintage almost always wins out. My circa '98 Starfire is the only exception. Again: especially with hollow-bodied instruments. It's simply a more viable investment in your career.
I don't mean to sound conceited about this, but if there's one thing I've learned in twenty years of session playing and touring and working with artists: the vintage almost always wins out. My circa '98 Starfire is the only exception. Again: especially with hollow-bodied instruments. It's simply a more viable investment in your career.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
I have nothing but good things to say about vintage Japanese hollow bodied weirdness. Those can be dirt cheap if you find one, and they are absolutely great if you find a good one. You will be the only kid on your block who has one, too.
I spent like 13 hours cleaning up, resetting and shimming the neck, and fixing the tuners on my late 60's Realistic violin bass when I first got it. Then I had to have the pickups repotted. All totaled I've got about $325 into it. It now so smokes my 2005 Jay Turser violin bass and any other newer hollowbody I've ever played that it's not even close.
I'm with JMJ, at least in my vastly more limited experience (which includes no recording experience, either).
Newer designs tend to take the tonal quirks out to make more commercially viable instruments, but in the process they lose what is unique and really interesting about some of the old designs. As to the sound of the wood developing I can't honestly say if I have compared enough old and new example of similar designs.
I have defended my Harmony H-22 on threads here against accusations of it being a junky old poorly made cheapo instrument aimed at students and only now desirable due to vintage nostalgia. My answer has always been that nothing else sounds like it, and its huge upright-like tones and interesting mids textures and surprisingly clear and present highs make it an entirely unique and cool voice to have in your arsenal.
I recently got a '66 Starfire and it is another monster bass, with a very different tonal profile, and the attack is way different too. What I like is that these shorter scale HBs cause me to think and play differently than I would with my good ols Ps and Js and that's a great thing.
Newer designs tend to take the tonal quirks out to make more commercially viable instruments, but in the process they lose what is unique and really interesting about some of the old designs. As to the sound of the wood developing I can't honestly say if I have compared enough old and new example of similar designs.
I have defended my Harmony H-22 on threads here against accusations of it being a junky old poorly made cheapo instrument aimed at students and only now desirable due to vintage nostalgia. My answer has always been that nothing else sounds like it, and its huge upright-like tones and interesting mids textures and surprisingly clear and present highs make it an entirely unique and cool voice to have in your arsenal.
I recently got a '66 Starfire and it is another monster bass, with a very different tonal profile, and the attack is way different too. What I like is that these shorter scale HBs cause me to think and play differently than I would with my good ols Ps and Js and that's a great thing.
Hey JMJ,
As for shopping for a hollow, what are your thoughts on the Kala U-bass type basses?
Have you played any Kala U-basses?
As for shopping for a hollow, what are your thoughts on the Kala U-bass type basses?
Have you played any Kala U-basses?
It seems kinda weird that getting into the 3rd page of a twice revived zombie thread no one is really talking much about the variations in sound of hollowbody basses like they're all kinda the same sorta. A single p.up thick body Kay sounds different than a Hofner Club bass, an Epiphone Casady sounds different than either of them and the new Lakland sounds like a solid body.
Then there are the old cheap solid body basses like my '61 Supro Pocket Bass with their crappy microphonic pickups that sound like hollow bodies. The OP is probably long gone but I'm still wondering was this a sound thing or a look thing or a bit of both?
Then there are the old cheap solid body basses like my '61 Supro Pocket Bass with their crappy microphonic pickups that sound like hollow bodies. The OP is probably long gone but I'm still wondering was this a sound thing or a look thing or a bit of both?
This thread is a good read, probably because it's vintage. 
I think Justin's point about old basses and sonic character is a good one. That's become my litmus for basses new or old: is the sound interesting? If so, feel, looks, ergonomics, price, etc. are worth considering, if not, pass. I will say that among new basses, Hofners (at all price levels) deliver a rich, interesting tone, so if a vintage find isn't happening, that's a good option. And from listening to clips (no hands-on experience with these), it seems like the new Guild Starfires and Epi Casadys are, too. And maybe the Epi Rumblekat.
I think Justin's point about old basses and sonic character is a good one. That's become my litmus for basses new or old: is the sound interesting? If so, feel, looks, ergonomics, price, etc. are worth considering, if not, pass. I will say that among new basses, Hofners (at all price levels) deliver a rich, interesting tone, so if a vintage find isn't happening, that's a good option. And from listening to clips (no hands-on experience with these), it seems like the new Guild Starfires and Epi Casadys are, too. And maybe the Epi Rumblekat.Right, nobody asks for solid body bass recommendations, assuming they all deliver a similar sound! I think you're right, some of the old solid body basses (usually import brands of some sort) can have a sound with lots of character. Some of the builds are a bit junky, so that's a consideration, but the tone is often there. Hi-fi, schmi-fi!
