Hofner Icon Series Vintage Violin Bass  

I'm switching to bass because my left hand has developed problems that won't let me form cords on my regular guitars, and I love playing guitar.  This is light weight and easy to play.  I'm enjoying it.

I'm not a pro on bass (but have played guitar professionally for years), but I like this one.  Nice tone, especially after changed strings to flatwound.

I have no idea.  I'm on a fixed income but I thought this bass was very affordable.  I'm a little disappointed that the MF Rep. recommended strings that didn't fit it.  It takes "short scale" strings, so the strings recommended did not fit.  I had to order the correct strings separately.

The only other problem was that this was supposed to arrive Christmas Eve and managed to arrive within 10 miles but wasn't delivered.  This was not MF's fault.  They sent it next day air and it should have made it.  UPS has not explained why it wasn't delivered correctly.  But in all fairness, almost everything I order arrives from MF in a respectable time and in good shape.

I've already stated my disappointment in the incorrect strings (MF Rep's fault) and the delayed delivery (UPS' fault), but otherwise, I'm pretty happy with this bass.  I'm having a lot of  fun with it and I think that's what really counts.

Well, I'm not a very experienced musician when it comes to differentiating features and quality, but I found that this bass guitar was not lacking a lot. It features a knob for bass intensity and a knob for treble intensity. It also has a solo/rhythm, bass, and treble switch. The solo/rhythm switch does absolutely nothing. It's a waste of space. The bass is gorgeous!

I think it's made of good quality stuff. It doesn't really sound like the signature Hofner sound, but I happen like its sound. I recommend playing it without a pick for a softer sound (that obviously works great with flatwound strings).

The price is great and the sound is about decent. It's a great value, but if you buy it at Sam Ash, they'll package it with a hardshell case for $429.99!

Get it if you're new to music and you want to sound like you sound like Paul McCartney. It looks pretty, so why not?

I have a recording studio and a lot of instruments. The Icon bass may not suit every style of music, but I love the sound it makes, and none of my other basses sound like it. It's a nice, full, acoustic-like sound.

When it arrived, the set up was as nice as I could have wanted; easy to play, and it tuned up perfectly. Maybe it was set up by Musician's Friend, or maybe it cmae from the factory as is, but I played it for hours, and it was inspiring and downright fun to play. I can think of several projects where it will be my bass of choice.

I ordered the black finish and couldn't be happier. I didn't want a Beatle clone, I just wanted a different sounding, fun bass to play. My friend said it looks like it's wearing a tuxedo. It does have an elegant, distinguished look, and the sound is incredible... maybe not just like the $2600 model, but I don't like to compare instruments... they are all different, and that's why I continue to collect them.

The light weight, the short scale, the narrow neck... it is a "different" bass, but then, it can do some things that other basses can't.

The pickup switching is a little tricky, but once you get it, it'll make some wonderful sounds, Beatles to bossa nova and beyond.

For the price, I feel that I got a fantastic bargain.

It's hard to say how an instrument will wear over time. I imagine that, at this price, the components are not the highest grade, but I am pleased with it so far. I intend to use it in my studio, so it will not have to endure much abuse.

The most fun I've gotten from an instrument in this price range... truly remarkable.

Many of the reviews that I read when considering this purchase, were obviously written by people who had particular expectations, and were perhaps not open to judging the instrument on its own merits, choosing instead to compare it with the tone, quality, looks, and basically, replication of the original Paul McCartney bass. Well, I never got to try Paul's bass, but I hear that he had some intonation problems with it. I've got a good one.

I own some very expensive instruments, and yes, there is a difference; but I am sure that I will enjoy playing this one as much as any of the others which I have chosen to keep in my collection. This Icon bass is a very welcome addition... and I am elated that it comes at such an affordable price.

I think if this was my first bass, I may have never tried another; it's that hard to put down... and it would certainly have saved me money over the years.

There are sounds it will not get, so you should consider your music style, if this is to be your only bass... you may prefer this as a second instrument.

If you, like myself, enjoy uniqueness and variety in instruments, this is a huge bang-for-buck deal.

This bass Is great, with the treble, solo, and bass switches, and the double volume knobs.  It is perfect for beginner Beatles/British Bassists.

To make it look just like the original, you can easily modify it, by painting the switches, moving the bridge, painting the nut and pickups, removing the trademark lettering on top and put La Bella Flatwound Bass Strings on it.  Though, on my second day with it, i did have trouble with the input jack.  The washer and nut fell off, making it impossible to amplify.  This was quickly fixed with a flashlight, flathead screwdriver, and needle nose pliers.

This bass has a great sound and feel to it, even though it's hollow.  Still, it makes it lightweight.   Mine has been banged around and recieved no scratches whatsoever, (though there is a lot of fingerprints like anything else).  The bass is great for the price but I would not recomend buying it for anything over $450-$500.  This is my first bass and I'm proud of it.

My dad had a guitar that could fall out of a truck and stay in tune.  It was stolen, and the Les Paul he has now you can look at and a string will practically break.  This is the same for all guitars.  It is great or it is horrible.  The Hofner is leaning more to the great side, and I;m sure after modifications it will be there.