Hey! I would have never thought that I was going to own one of these, but since I'm currently rehearsing with a Beatles tribute band, I thought "Why not?". So, here it is: My brand-new new Höfner HI-BB Ignition (a.k.a. Icon) bass!
Of course I have my FireGlo Rickenbacker and I've been playing it with this band, but I feel that the association between the Beatles and the violin bass is much stronger from a visual standpoint (unfortunately I can't play like a lefty to enhance that visual association).
This bass is a real fun to play! I received it two days ago and can't put it down. It's super light. Actually, it feels like a toy. But sounds real good! After reading lots of opinions about the different brands/models of Beatle basses, I settled on the Höfner and I feel I made a great decision. I also ordered the teacup style knobs, but haven't arrived yet.
I also bought a set of LaBella flatwounds for Beatle bass (.050 - .100) and I instantly noticed the difference. The McCartney vibe is there! Flats with the "Bass" and "Solo" switches on give a real thumpy tone. Unfortunately, after half an hour of playing the instrument, the A string broke at the headstock end. But a good friend of mine could fix it since the "playable portion" of the string didn't suffer:
(Still have to cut the excess - I hate those guitar tuning posts) Not a nice sight, but it works anyway (really!). I talked to Just Strings and they told me to contact LaBella directly. After explaining the situation to them, they are going to send me a replacement.
Something that makes me scratch my head: The bass has something rolling loose inside the body. If it were a violin, I'd think it's the sound post which fell out of place, but I don't think this instrument has a sound post, doesn't it? The only way I think the instrument could be inspected is removing one of the pickups, but I don't dare to do that since this is a totally new kind of instrument for me. At least I can say that the electronics are working perfectly fine. No scratches or noises. Both knobs and switches work as expected.
A new (and unexpected) baby at home, and I'm enjoying her a lot. Thanks for reading!
Of course I have my FireGlo Rickenbacker and I've been playing it with this band, but I feel that the association between the Beatles and the violin bass is much stronger from a visual standpoint (unfortunately I can't play like a lefty to enhance that visual association).
This bass is a real fun to play! I received it two days ago and can't put it down. It's super light. Actually, it feels like a toy. But sounds real good! After reading lots of opinions about the different brands/models of Beatle basses, I settled on the Höfner and I feel I made a great decision. I also ordered the teacup style knobs, but haven't arrived yet.
I also bought a set of LaBella flatwounds for Beatle bass (.050 - .100) and I instantly noticed the difference. The McCartney vibe is there! Flats with the "Bass" and "Solo" switches on give a real thumpy tone. Unfortunately, after half an hour of playing the instrument, the A string broke at the headstock end. But a good friend of mine could fix it since the "playable portion" of the string didn't suffer:
(Still have to cut the excess - I hate those guitar tuning posts) Not a nice sight, but it works anyway (really!). I talked to Just Strings and they told me to contact LaBella directly. After explaining the situation to them, they are going to send me a replacement.
Something that makes me scratch my head: The bass has something rolling loose inside the body. If it were a violin, I'd think it's the sound post which fell out of place, but I don't think this instrument has a sound post, doesn't it? The only way I think the instrument could be inspected is removing one of the pickups, but I don't dare to do that since this is a totally new kind of instrument for me. At least I can say that the electronics are working perfectly fine. No scratches or noises. Both knobs and switches work as expected.
A new (and unexpected) baby at home, and I'm enjoying her a lot. Thanks for reading!
Not good. I'd be taking it back.
