Rogue Viola (VB100) Bass Club

[Roger Ford]

After watching them for several years, I believe you made the best choice. The earlier models were made from a plywood block hence the black sides and somewhat different sound. With the present model with maple sides, it's built like an acoustic guitar, albeit plywood. Much more acoustic sound.
The tuner buttons are not bad, however I had bushings made for the Grover StaTites. The originals have a much larger shaft and bushing. I believe that your idea of finding new buttons for the existing makes good sense and is much less work.
I've had an older style for 10 years and a new one for 2 years and I see no reason to change them unless you have problems. They are integrated to a circuit board with the switches and may be a chore.
I did change the output jack as, after a while it didn't have a good connection.
I've never been disappointed with the pickups, sound or their output.
Overall, I've been happy with both styles, especially the newer.
I've had a Hofner Ignition Club bass for about 2 1/2 years and I play them interchangeably.

 

[eldoryder]

Well, my Rogue VB100 "Beatle Bass" just arrived, and it appears to have a problem. I have now tried running it through a Peavey Megabass amp & cabs, an Ampeg Micro-CL "mini-fridge", and a Kustom K150-1 amp w/215B cab, and in EVERY case, I'm getting this irritating feedback at any volume. I have tried changing up 3 different instrument cords to no avail. It's a real steady hum, and the volume control makes no difference. The only thing that seems to abate the feedback hum is for me to place my hand DIRECTLY on the input plug where it fits into the Rogue VB100. THEN the "hum" dies down almost completely. It's like my body is producing the needed "ground"!

Do I have a bad input switch? Do I have bad electrics on the pot? Is this the dreaded "hum" that "humbuckers" were invented to nullify? Surely this is not a result of the near-hollowbody design?

What would YOU do? All advice and opinions gratefully accepted!

 

[dewbass4]

Well, my Rogue VB100 "Beatle Bass" just arrived, and it appears to have a problem. I have now tried running it through a Peavey Megabass amp & cabs, an Ampeg Micro-CL "mini-fridge", and a Kustom K150-1 amp w/215B cab, and in EVERY case, I'm getting this irritating feedback at any volume. I have tried changing up 3 different instrument cords to no avail. It's a real steady hum, and the volume control makes no difference. The only thing that seems to abate the feedback hum is for me to place my hand DIRECTLY on the input plug where it fits into the Rogue VB100. THEN the "hum" dies down almost completely. It's like my body is producing the needed "ground"!

Do I have a bad input switch? Do I have bad electrics on the pot? Is this the dreaded "hum" that "humbuckers" were invented to nullify? Surely this is not a result of the near-hollowbody design?

What would YOU do? All advice and opinions gratefully accepted!

I know it might seem a hassle but returning a defective new bass and waiting for the replacement IME it is easier than tracking down electrical issues and voiding the warranty (unless that's something you're really comfortable with and I'd guess it's not by your questions). My VB100 does not exhibit any of the "hum" or feedback issues you're describing and I've used mine in everything from small acoustic coffee house shows to very loud blues environments. The only sound you should be hearing from your VB100 is fat semi-hollow body goodness. My $0.02 and YMMV

 

[eldoryder]

Sorry for posting this in two threads, but I wanted to get the attention of Rogue VB100 owners as well.

Does anyone know which terminal of the plug switch the blue bridge wire is supposed to be soldered on?

Here's what I found when I removed the control plate on my HUMMING new Rogue VB100.....

I'm assuming that simply soldering it back on (to the right place!) will fix this baby up and stop the hum. I know the prudent thing would have been to take this brand new bass, pack it back up, and ship it back to MF for an exchange. BUT, I don't really want to wait the six or seven days it will take for the return shipment.

OK, I'm an idiot. The day this arrived, I also got my La Bella Deep Talkin' Beatle Flats from Jason at BSO in the mail, so I'm growing impatient. I want to string this baby up and start Rockin' out to the Beatles! First, I need to get this bridge wire soldered up in the right place. I've got a 50/5o chance of being right, but it would be SO much nicer if someone could tell me which terminal on the jack is the correct one!

Anyone?

 

[-=101=- Falcon]

Have you checked the Rogue and Jay Turser wiring schematics online? I recently picked up an all Maple (with Rosewood fretboard) Jay Turser JTB-2B that had been sitting in the music store for almost five years. It seems that everyone preferred the vintage sunburst. However, when I got it home and started my setup, to include wiring check, I found a lose ground wire. Quick soldering... and good to go.
I've been playing it for a couple of months now... and I've decided to sell my full scale Ibanez SR-305. The tone and short scale are fantastic, and after reading boards like this one, I've been looking into picking up a Rogue too.
All the info here has been a real education on the various iterations of the VB100. So, I've been following a few Rogues on ebay and now feel that the older Korean models should have the characteristics that I really like in the Turser.

 

[eldoryder]

Thanks for the suggestion, 101 Falcon. As it turns out, I did a lot of searching on the webz over the holiday, and found the excellent German site "Caelfeld's (sp?)". It had the original Hofner violin bass schematic, and that showed me the bridge wire going to the ground on the jack. Two minutes with my soldering station, and done. The Rogue now plays beautifully with no hum.

Best of all, I didn't have to wait the 6-9 days for a return replacement VB100. I restrung her with La Bella Deep Talkin' Beatle Bass flats yesterday and she sounds great! I've never played an early VB100 from Korea, but I can tell you I'm loving the low weight on this little hollowbody gem. It sounds wonderful through my vintage Kustom stack, and even better through a 100-watt custom tube amp. Even more impressive is how it sounds through my Peavey Megabass in biamp mode.

Even though reading here and elsewhere that this type bass could be versatile, I halfway expected the old cliche about these being a "one-trick-pony" to have an element of truth to it. Actually, I'm really enjoying the different tones and sounds I've been able to coax out of this little bass. I know that part of it is the "honeymoon period", but for the moment, this Rogue violin bass is receiving all of my attention.

Put me down as yet another satisfied Rogue VB100 owner!

 

[dewbass4]

Thanks for the suggestion, 101 Falcon. As it turns out, I did a lot of searching on the webz over the holiday, and found the excellent German site "Caelfeld's (sp?)". It had the original Hofner violin bass schematic, and that showed me the bridge wire going to the ground on the jack. Two minutes with my soldering station, and done. The Rogue now plays beautifully with no hum.................................................
Put me down as yet another satisfied Rogue VB100 owner!

Very glad it was an easy quick fix. Now you can list bass repair / modification to you list of accomplishments. Well done!

 

[maestrovert]

My youngest Brother (also a TB member) gifted me this Rogue VB-100 11-12 years ago...
Strung with LaBella "Beatle Bass" flats, it sounds GREAT and plays wonderfully and records VERY well....it's definitely a top contender for the "best bang for the buck" Bass instrument awards.

 

[Medford Bassman]

Please add me got one yesterday and it's fun

 

[-=101=- Falcon]

Thanks for the suggestion, 101 Falcon. As it turns out, I did a lot of searching on the webz over the holiday, and found the excellent German site "Caelfeld's (sp?)". It had the original Hofner violin bass schematic, and that showed me the bridge wire going to the ground on the jack. Two minutes with my soldering station, and done. The Rogue now plays beautifully with no hum.

Best of all, I didn't have to wait the 6-9 days for a return replacement VB100. I restrung her with La Bella Deep Talkin' Beatle Bass flats yesterday and she sounds great! I've never played an early VB100 from Korea, but I can tell you I'm loving the low weight on this little hollowbody gem. It sounds wonderful through my vintage Kustom stack, and even better through a 100-watt custom tube amp. Even more impressive is how it sounds through my Peavey Megabass in biamp mode.

Even though reading here and elsewhere that this type bass could be versatile, I halfway expected the old cliche about these being a "one-trick-pony" to have an element of truth to it. Actually, I'm really enjoying the different tones and sounds I've been able to coax out of this little bass. I know that part of it is the "honeymoon period", but for the moment, this Rogue violin bass is receiving all of my attention.

Put me down as yet another satisfied Rogue VB100 owner!

Very glad to hear that you were able to make the fix! I've been playing my maple Turser for the past few months and I'm continually impressed with it's range. I've also continued looking, on the various auction sites, for an inexpensive Korean made Rogue. Unfortunately, the prices have been slowly climbing, both for the Chinese and Korean models. I guess we're not the only ones reading this blog... lol.

I even took a drive to Guitar Center and demo'd a Korean Epiphone Viola. Nice bass, VERY similar to both the VB100 and my Turser JTB-2B, but I'm just tooooo cheap to pay retail.

And then last night... I stumbled into a one day auction on ebay and, in the last eight seconds, "snaked" the winning bid on a very nice looking Korean VB100, at a mere $93.00.

Although it was described as, "...Cherished by its previous owner. Some signs of wear, comes with guitar stand, guitar has dirt and scratches on the hardware", the pictures look pretty good, with more dust and dirt than wear. I'm anxious to receive it, clean it... and enjoy tinkering with the setup.

Between now and then, I'll be reviewing Youtube demos of LaBella, D'Addario and Rotosound medium scale flat wounds. I've got GHS 45 - 105s on the Turser and I'm looking for something a wee bit brighter and haven't decided on either 45 - 100s or 40 to 90's. Any suggestions and/or comments would be greatly appreciated.

In the next day or so, I'll be posting another pic of my Turser, but this time, standing next to it's "new" Korean VB100 colleague.

And then the side by side evaluation and comparisons will begin...

 

[eldoryder]

101 Falcoln- After reviewing all the comments about strings on these violin basses, I took a chance with the La Bella DT "Beatle Bass"flats, in the 45-100 gauge. I'm glad I did! I think that half the battle with getting a more versatile tone (rather than a "one-trick-pony) has to be in the strings, and these La Bellas really brought this bass to life! Having nothing else to compare to it than the original round wounds, I'm still very happy with my choice. Good luck on your string search.

 

[GIBrat51]

Already a member, but here's a picture of my Korean lefty with a set of Roto RM 88 tapewounds on it. They're a little heavy (65-115), but it seems to be handling them OK. The sound is.. monstrous. IMO, this is what one of these (or any hollowbody bass) should sound like; very bassy, woody, and LOUD.

 

[-=101=- Falcon]

101 Falcoln- After reviewing all the comments about strings on these violin basses, I took a chance with the La Bella DT "Beatle Bass"flats, in the 45-100 gauge. I'm glad I did! I think that half the battle with getting a more versatile tone (rather than a "one-trick-pony) has to be in the strings, and these La Bellas really brought this bass to life! Having nothing else to compare to it than the original round wounds, I'm still very happy with my choice. Good luck on your string search.

Thanks. I first learned about the La Bellas via a Youtube video titled "Review: LaBella Beatle Bass Stings." Excellent review of the strings, as well as some great info on the VB100. In the video, he suggests 39 - 96 gauge. Compared to your 45 - 100s, do you think they might be a little brighter, or would the minimal difference be negligible? I'm trying to push the versatility envelope with this new set of strings.

And one other question to the membership. How do you determine the manufacture date on these basses? I contacted the ebay seller, who wrote, "Unfortunately we do not have any information of the history of this beautiful guitar." The bad news: no info. The good news: he called it "beautiful."... LOL

My Turser has an inspection sticker with date indicated, and Epiphone Violas can be "aged" via the serial number. I'm hoping there's some way to set the approximate age of my new VB100.

 

[Flyingfrets]

Hey guys,

Glad to see "The Club" has turned out to be a nice place to exchange information on these often overlooked instruments.

Haven't been around lately (left music when my oldest daughter passed away this past February 17th), but thought I'd drop in to see what I've been missing...and the music bug is finally starting to nibble again. We'll see where time brings me, but it's nice to see that a seed I planted has borne some fruit.

Best to all...
Don

 

[-=101=- Falcon]

Don,
My sincerest condolences. I am at a loss for words that could offer even marginally sufficient solace, for your loss is any parent's worst nightmare. I can merely hope that you do find your way back. For now, please accept my heartfelt thanks for your creation. It has been a wealth of information, with both informative and entertaining submissions, in a scant few pages. I am in your debt Sir.
V/r
David

 

[Reyalpabut]

Just discovered the VB100 club! I bought mine a few years ago at a local music store for $179 used. It was pretty filthy, but it cleaned up very nicely. I had to spray the matching gig-bag with Febreeze and lay it out in the sun to get rid of the cat pee smell.

I've posted several videos of my bass on YouTube. I'm, apparently, not able to post links on TalkBass, but the names of the videos are:
"Review: Rogue VB100 Beatle Bass"
"Review: LaBella Beatle Bass Strings"
and
"Wonderful Tonight - Solo Bass"

(I recorded Wonderful Tonight before I properly intonated the bass)
My YouTube username is bass6300

I was surprised that I was able to get the intonation almost spot-on by adjusting the position of the bridge and moving around the fret wires. If you look at the attached photo, you'll see that they're not in a nice linear line like you'd expect, but it plays in tune all the way up the fretboard. You can also see the piece of mouse-pad I put under the bridge... Partly to give the bass a more "thumpy" sound and partly to cover up where I marked the bridge placement when I intonated it.

 

[gip111]

Where can I get fret wire for a VB100 and what size?
Seems one fret (the 11th to be exact) keeps moving and after tapping it back in place a few times plus filing the high spots its pretty ruined. It never set in properly from day one, either the slot is too big or the fret itself fits loosely.
Any input appreciated.

 

[-=101=- Falcon]

If, after "tapping it back in" you noticed that it was still loose... and didn't immediately go to plan B, "glueing it", perhaps your repair aspirations exceed your experience level. I know that's a reoccurring worry, whenever I'm working on my guitars or basses... and more often than not, has brought me to the "You REALLY better stop and take this to a professional" moments that have saved me Lots of additional repair costs. Either way, if you install a new wire, you will be filing it... and if you don't have all the right crowning and fret leveling files and tools... I would Definitely suggest a good Luthier in the area. The cost of have one fret installed correctly would be FAR less than the cost of the correct tools to do it yourself. However, any good electronic caliper (another one of those critical tools) would give you the correct measurements (size) of the fret wire.

 

[gip111]

Hey 101, I appreciate your comment. I'm not new at bass work especially leveling, crowning and filing frets. Being a tool maker I have acquired and made many tools to get the job done. At the moment the bass is playable as is with low action but I guess knowing the fret is not sitting properly bugs me. I can always remove the fret and take measurements but much rather have the fret wire in hand before doing the job ... if I can that is.

 

[gip111]

Ok so I'd like to keep this club thing going....
Just today I decided after a year of owning my VB100 to restring it with rounds, the "thud" I was getting out of the bass was not making me very happy, it had almost no sustain at all . With the exception of the somewhat squeaky sound the rounds make, I like what I hear, almost as if the sound opened up.
While changing strings I also noticed the bottom part of the bridge that makes contact with the body had a gap in the center, basically was bottoming out only on the ends of the bridge leaving most of it not making contact with the body, a little sanding took care of that.
Im not sure if the bridge should be making full contact with the body or if it has anything to do with the sustain?
My next project will be a solid bridge, haven't figured that one out yet but I'm looking forward starting the project as soon as I find the right material, synthetic or hard wood.