Advice on buying a Bass

[Facemask93]

Im seriously thinking of splashing the cash on a Hofner violin Bass , retail £499 , any things good or bad id like to know about this type of Bass , not forgetting i have never played one in my life , but i would like to learn , and this is the one i fancy

Rob

[cuthbert]

I've never actually played a Hofner bass before but if it's good enough for Macca, I think I'd probably also like it myself. He did get some great tones out of his!

[FuzzFace]

I am not an expert by any means AT ALL, however I LOVE the Hofner Club Bass.
To me the feel is better than the violin bass:

http://www.woodbrass.com/hofner-500-2-club-bass-p27094.html

[Burtog]

I think the violin bass is a cool idea...................go for it!

[Facemask93]

thanks guys , does the hollow body make a big difference to a solid body i wonder

Rob

[Flash Harry]

Rob

Buy the guitar that fits you. Buy the one that feels right and sounds right.

Having said that, I much prefer a solid body, there's more life in them. You could get a nice Mexican Jazz for that price. Or a good musicman copy.

My advice is to take your time. Every guitar I have bought on the spur of the moment I have subsequently sold. Play lots. Plug them into some good kit - I use Hartke, but Ashdown and Trace Elliot are superb. Just don't rush. Let your ears and your hands tell you. They are seldom wrong.

[Speed Demon]

Rob, stick with a solid body bass. Better sustain and no wolf tones when playing at high volume.

Flash is correct. Play the ones you are interested in. Then come back and play them again through different amp/speaker combinations.

I do not recommend using speakers smaller than 12 inch for bass guitars.
Use an 18 inch folded horn cabinet if you can afford it. Real nice low end.

For many years my bass rig was one 18 inch Accoustic folded horn bin and two sealed/ported bins, each with two 15 inch Altecs.

When I hit an open string E note everyone within 30 feet of the stage peed on themselves.
700 watts scorching their short-and-curlies.

[Facemask93]

Thanks guys , I'm probably only going to use the Bass for recording and LitLR , would that influence getting solid or hollow body , and or the size of cabinet

Rob

[Speed Demon]

Rob, a solid body bass is up to any task you put it to. Not always true with hollow body basses. Ultimately the choice is yours.

I never achieved the sustain I wanted from hollow body basses. Higher volumes always meant uncontrolled feedback during live performances. Not good. Ugly to the max.

One medium-sized cabinet using a single 15 inch speaker should work well for recording, as well as jamming with your friends and playing club gigs. A decent amp producing 60 watts or greater will work fine. I prefer the higher powered amps mostly because I use multiple cabinets when performing live.

Hope this helps you in your decision.

[Flash Harry]

Rob,

I have to agree with Gene, solid body with a flexible pickup configuration.