Difference between a hollow body and a semi-hollow body.
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The Combo Club
- Thread starter ChefKen
- Start date
The Contemporary series have a sound block in them, or a big chunk of wood. They are supposed to be semi-hollow, and there are gaps, but when you hold it feels like a solid body. It also sounds like a solid body. I like mine, but it is not my number one. Likely number two.
I love your philosophy, PT, but I just go find other trouble to get myself into. Now I’m trying to figure home recording. Luckily, there’s like 23 YT videos to help me through the recording/mixing process. I just want to play!
Good explanation. If you don’t have a traditional bass then I suppose the CT might be interesting, but if you already have that P, J, Sting Ray, T-Bird tone, why would you want more of it? The hollow-body is the way to go!
I play it mostly for muscle memory and because I like the aesthetics, but it is not the concept Hofner is known for for sure.
A hollow body, a semi-hollow body and a solid body. The way I look at it, they are like different flavors of ice cream...you have a preference for one of them until you go grow tired of it. Then you try another one and so on...to some that is!
Come to think of it, amps and combos are the same...to some that is!
Then there are those who settle on one type of body style and amp type.
None of those choices are wrong just so long as you get enjoyment from playing bass and can afford them, IMHO.
Come to think of it, amps and combos are the same...to some that is!
Then there are those who settle on one type of body style and amp type.
None of those choices are wrong just so long as you get enjoyment from playing bass and can afford them, IMHO.
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,155
- 256,591
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
Pretty much I'm going to look with my eyes and look with my ears at any bass and bass rig I see. Kind of expect a violin bass + Vox for some tribute bands ... and maybe even happier seeing a black P bass in full flight in front of stacks of WEM cabs ....
Nicely-said, SoulReflection. I’m beginning to think that taking one’s favorite bass and combo and playing them for the rest of one’s life is one way to become one with your music.
Or maybe not...
Nicely-said, SoulReflection. I’m beginning to think that taking one’s favorite bass and combo and playing them for the rest of one’s life is one way to become one with your music.
Or maybe not...
I think it is
.
It's the difference between a mediocre wannabe and a tru hollow body sound. My Lakland Hollowbody has a real hollow mahogany body with a deep and throaty woody voice. You will never get that from any semi hollow or sustain block equipped bass.
I think it is
Thr more equipment I play with the happier I am with my hollow-body bass and either the Rumble 100 or Stage 800. That’s about all I need at the moment.
I currently have my 67 NR TBird, a Short scale Squire, and a Gibson Les Paul 5er-all solids-plus an Ibanez semi-hollow for a more 'upright-y' tone. If I hadda have just one, 'twould be the 'Bird, no doubt.
So you are back to playing the Violin bass more again? I thought the Jazz had resumed the number spot again. I better keep myself better informed it seems ...
Our bass is an expression of ourselves. I love my Hofners, and especially the hollow bodies. It is the tone I was chasing for years. Amps are part of that tone. Got to put the pieces together like a good sandwich!
Doc, on my tombstone it's gonna read, if you missed a little, ya missed a lot! The Jazz sounds fine when I'm looking for that deeper tone, though I'm not happy with it overall after putting on the LaBellas. I personally don't feel they work with that bass, or for some reason, it's taking forever for them to settle in. Thee's still too much brightness unless I drop the tone control. Plus, for some reason, right now it's heavier than my car.
On the other hand, I do miss some of that super bottom end with the Rogue, but it's still the woodiness champ, plays with ease, and is as light as a feather. Add that up and it's a much more enjoyable experience. For the music I play here at home, the Jazzer does fine, but for my trio music, the Beatle bass is much more suited. We're finally playing again Friday morning prior to the crack of dawn and I'm not exaggerating!
I'll send ya a scorecard soon...
And your sandwich, my friend, is multi-layered with lots of extras!
To all who know what I'm talking about, I'm still awaiting the arrival of the Rumble Stage 800/Studio 40 firmware update. This Rumble patch is getting wet from all the rain we had today. Oh well, not much longer, right G'Dog?
Doc, an update before beddy-time. So I thought I'd relax and jam to a song (a favorite rocker, "Down the Road," by your boys in BTO) with the Jazz and Stage 800. Selected the Super Bassman OD with Sine chorus for just a slight edge to it; dropped the tone to a quarter, bumped the neck volume up a hair and rocked it. The tone was perfect for the song and the strings, of course, felt great. Maybe I'll just have to keep the tone buried for a little longer. This bass hasn't been played as much the past couple of months so maybe there's still some adjusting going on. The Jazz is surely my go-to for the uptempo, grindy stuff, but I'm still relying on the Rogue for "In My Life."
Goodnight World!
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,155
- 256,591
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
... forgot which LaBella flats you're using? I put the Low Tension Flats on my semi-hollow as an experiment after playing LaBella and D'Addario tapes in search of "the sound". They are breaking in without barbecue sauce and it's sounding incredibly thumpy. Not sure how I feel about the E string at and above the 12th fret, but who plays there? (me).
Did a full setup with the change of gauge from .105 to .100, dialed in the neck relief, and now kind of wonder just what I got into because these are going to stay on the bass for a long time.
Only about 3 more weeks 'til the end of the month, Your Excellency. I know, it's like a hundred years until then. Hopefully, then we'll have a glorious new interface on our Studios & Stages, with several new models and presets, and any and all glitches totally eradicated!
In reality, we'll probably have a few diffugilties loading the new firmware/app/whateverall it is, either on our phones, or amps, or both, with some confusion over new menus and a couple new patches to play with after the electronic dust settles. Hey, it's a digital computer, after all! So, I don't wanna get my hopes up too high.
Mrs. Dog says I'm a pessimist. I prefer to be prepared for the worse case scenario which, of course, never actually happens. Then the inevitable few minor setbacks, that do occur, don't seem so bad. I call it my pessimistic optimism.
"Lower your expectations.".
