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Why get a Viola Bass?

Dude, the violin/viola bass is just downright cool!

I own these 2:

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Hi,

Can you all explain to me the benefits of the Viola bass? I've played a couple, and haven't really enjoyed it. I think maybe I'm not using it for its intended musical situation.

So why would someone buy a Viola bass over, say, a P bass?
cause it worked for Sr. Paul McCartney, why wont it work for anyone else?!
 
I've never owned a violin bass, but I have had a few Club basses.

Light weight-- it's great after a long gig or practice.

Easy playing neck-- skinny and short scale neck is super easy to get around on.

Huge low end--if you need to fill a lot of space on the low end, nothing is better.
 
holyjaguar : i'm definitely not dissing the quality (i can generally make an instrument work if the neck is right for me), but rather the short scale. i'm also not dissing SS instruments: i'm just not sure it would work for me at present. but for $160USD, i may take the 'plunge' just to see for myself!

thanks for your description...and the endorsement! :thumbsup:
 
I'm not sure The Doors used Viola basses much. Doors like to fire their bass player as often as we saying "fire the drummer" on TB, or it seems. There been many bass players used on their albums that it's probably mix of different basses.

I keep wondering, after checking back into this thread, why the Doors have become a side-topic!
They did use bassists, as documented about a dozen times, and I also highly doubt (tho I could be mistaken) that any of those players used a "Viola"-type bass on their work with the Doors, so wassup with that? Did I miss something? Maybe so!

At any rate, when I first took my German Club bass outta the cool case, it almost flew outta my hands its so light!
And they do sound amazing, even for the Funk style I play 90% of the time!
But alas (for me) Short-scale NO, string-spacing- NO.
Keep in my "inventory"-NO. It was very easy to sell tho- I had a buyer the next day.
 
The club bass intrigues me. I'll have to looking into them and try one. They are Infinitely better looking to me than the Viola style. Of course that is subjective.
Ultimately, I would have loved to get a club bass rather than the viola bass but, alas, I could not find a new specimen for less than $150, like the Rogue VB100 that I wound up buying.
 
Oh, yeah, I'd definitely go for that Kay K59 reissue!

I had Roger Fritz build me a Jazz Special a few years back (before they were intro'd) in Sunburst no less, and Man, did it thump.
With Labella tapewounds, that bass was dangerous!

Of course-sorry I let it go during a mass "instrument house-cleaning" some years back.

Both the offshore-built and the NoCal Fritzes are sweeeeet!
Like a "Viola" or Beatle Bass...except better!:help: