I stand corrected, thought the Viola were solid or semi hollow based on the weight alone. They do sound solid body though, not bad, just different than a Hofner.
No apology necessary. I only posted to inform others reading along vs. chastising anyone.
I had seen similar posts from many people before buying mine (used, quite the steal) that I believe were confusing the 'Viola' bass with the 'EB-1 Reissue Bass' (often called the 'Violin' bass)- which is indeed solid bodied, and features a single mudbucker and 3 point bridge. It also features painted-on F holes and a bolt on neck... Yuck (IMO).
Despite sharing a few of the anachronistic features that we have all come to love (?), the Epiphone seems to be constructed far more sturdily than the modern Hofner offerings that aren't exceptionally expensive, and perhaps that is why it feels heavier. It still weighs less than my Mustang though, and yet feels similar on a strap. And it also has a predictable VVT knob setup, unlike the strange Hofner circuit.
As a big fan of (a certain period) of MMW, I bought it to emulate Chris Wood's tone with his vintage Hofners. I have since learned a few important things, though...
1- Don't assume that you can put (medium scale) Chromes on them like I did. The pulling force of those strings is almost 40 more pounds per set than the Labella LTF option. I'm not so sure that the un-supported top of a Viola would like those Chromes over time...
2- The scale length isn't actually 30.5"- it's a bit less. There is a zero fret, but the measurement from the crown top of the 'zero' to the 12th fret is 15 1/8" (so a scale length of 30.25"). The measurement from the forward face of the Zero Nut 'nut' is indeed 15 1/4" to the crown of the 12th fret however, which is likely why Epiphone is claiming this to be a 30.5" scale. Lay a notched fretboard ruler over the neck and you'll see the same thing- it doesn't line up. Only a huge deal if you have fat fingers (I do) and plan on spending a lot of time higher than the 15th fret (I don't).
3- Full disclaimer= I live in a condominium setup (IE- there is a lot of stray electrical noise flying all about). The stock pickups / electronics are pretty noisy (since it can't be shielded via the traditional means of paint or foil). Yes, the stock pickup leads are shielded, but it is still very loud in places the Mustang is silent (full cavity shielding with MG paint, plus internally shielded EMG GZRs). Despite the cost being much more than I paid for the instrument, I am considering replacing the pickups for Bartolini models (the only internally shielding mini-hums I can find that fit into the same footprint).
After all of that, I apologize to the OP for vomiting too much unrelated information into his query.
Sorry, man
