Hollowbody/Semi basses

stickyfiddle

What's the score with these? I'm well aware of the Hofner thing as a big Beatles fan, but little of any other models that have been produced over the years. I'm thinking EB-2, Hofner 500/1 & Club, Guild something-or-other? 

Does anyone play one regularly? 

Musicwolf

My first bass, bought new in 1977, was a Vox semi-solid.  I bought it from Dawsons in Warrington for the princely sum of £25 and it had been in their stockroom for years.  I don’t know the model and I’ve no pictures of it.  I’ve searched online but I’ve never found a pic that matches my memory of it.

Kristo

I love them! I currently have 3 Guild Starfire 1's; 1 set up with Labella flats for the soul band, 1 with TI flats for the old time band, and a spare. I've had the following in the past: Hofner Club, Hofner Violin, Fender Coronado, Epiphone Rivoli, Guild Starfire II, plus a few others I can't remember right now. All have been fun, with some much heavier than others (Fender & Epiphone) for semi hollows. The thing I like about the Starfire 1's is the bridge isn't too far up the body, so they feel more compact. Some I've tried have felt massive. The Guild's are also nice and light, and the pickup is great. Well worth a try.  

Creed_Clicks

Those Guild ones look tasty! G&L make some thinline basses as well which are probably very good quality.

Funkfingers

stickyfiddle said:

What's the score with these? 

They are (usually) lighter than a solidbody bass. The frequency response is different - particularly the midrange. The amplitude envelope is a little more like a double bass. Allegedly.

String up with flatwounds and enjoy the short sustain thud.

Koa

The Epiphone Rivoli bass I had was a thunderous thing although to be fair the pickup probably has much more impact on tone of these basses than the semi hollow nature of them. Hofner 500/1 is just right, the tone with flatwound strings is immediately recognisable although the body’s tiny in comparison!

Creed_Clicks

Koa said:

The Epiphone Rivoli bass I had was a thunderous thing although to be fair the pickup probably has much more impact on tone of these basses than the semi hollow nature of them. Hofner 500/1 is just right, the tone with flatwound strings is immediately recognisable although the body’s tiny in comparison!

I have an Epi EB0 and have played a Rivoli and yes, quite similar in sound. There's also the Epi Allen Woody which is chambered I believe, but the Hofner probably the most recognisable... but man, it's so ugly.

Teyeplayer

Try an Epiphone Jack Casady bass, a buddy has one and it sounds immense. You’ve already mentioned the Hofners, I’ve the classic Beatles bass which is a wonderful thing with flatwounds on. 

Creed_Clicks

Jack Casady is 34". I'd imagine it's a handful?

Jalapeno

I've got a Yamaha BEX4 that's really easy to play.

Teyeplayer

Creed_Clicks said:

Jack Casady is 34". I'd imagine it's a handful?

Doesn’t feel it tbh, although that’s when flipping between a precision and the hofner (which has a chunky neck despite the short scale). It felt more like a medium scale when I tried it.

Creed_Clicks

Those Casady basses look really cool!

roberty

Yeah I really want a Casady. No real use for it but I want one

stickyfiddle

Thanks all. They look like a lot of fun, if not something I'd ever used as a #1 instrument. I'm headed in Seattle in a couple of weeks and have my eye on trying some stuff I can't get my hands on in the Middle East..!

UnclePsychosis

roberty said:

Yeah I really want a Casady. No real use for it but I want one

I really want one - they look ace and sound even better - but I can't get on with the physical size. Sad face. 

Teyeplayer

roberty said:

Yeah I really want a Casady. No real use for it but I want one

Always the right answer, usually followed by ‘I’ve ordered one’.

stickyfiddle

Teyeplayer said:

roberty said:

Yeah I really want a Casady. No real use for it but I want one

Always the right answer, usually followed by ‘I’ve ordered one’.

Lolwis. They do sound great from YouTube demos. 

I also want a Rickenbacker of course. And another P bass….

Teyeplayer

stickyfiddle said:

Teyeplayer said:

roberty said:

Yeah I really want a Casady. No real use for it but I want one

Always the right answer, usually followed by ‘I’ve ordered one’.

Lolwis. They do sound great from YouTube demos. 

I also want a Rickenbacker of course. And another P bass….

I’m on a similar journey, and have found that it’s the same as the need for a strat, Tele, LP, 335, Gretsch, etc. You’ve got to catch them all as you might be missing something.

Reggaebass

I really like the hofner verythin, especially the early ones, but the bodies are quite big, the Ibanez SRH500 is nice too 

Schnozz

I play a Peerless Smoked Bass Custom with Rotosound flatwound strings. I took lessons on a Harmony H27 as a kid.

Peerless are a South Korean Co. Est. 1970 that shadow built for Gibson and made the Jack Casady Signature and Rivoli etc.

For their 40th anniversary, they released some really nice kit under their own name and then stopped exporting.

https://i.imgur.com/Wr3x9xP.jpg
The main improvements are the tune-o-matic-esque roller bridge and a 3-piece neck, for changing between rounds and flats.

The EB pickup config should be used a lot more in my opinion, because I think the J is too weak in the P/J config. Works for any genre.

Tannin

Seen the price of those Beetle basses? Strewth!