Hofner Icon Series Vintage Violin Bass
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Authentic details inspired by the original.
With authentic details inspired by the original, the Hofner Icon Series Vintage Bass makes the legendary violin bass available to the rest of us. Don't get the idea that this a just a "nowhere man" look-alike. This quality instrument features a real spruce top and beautiful flamed maple back and sides. The semi-hollow body and set neck will give you the warm, round tone you expect from the violin bass.
The Icon Series Vintage Bass is featured in the video game Guitar Hero II for PlayStation 2.
Features
- Authentic details inspired by the original
- Spruce top
- Flamed maple back and sides
- Set neck of Maple/Beech/Maple
- Rosewood fretboard
- 42mm nut
- 30" scale
- 22 frets
- Dot inlay
A quality instrument that's value priced. You'll love it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Review Snapshot®
by PowerReviews(based on 110 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
100%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Fun to play (6)
- Good feel (6)
- Good tone (6)
- Good pick up (5)
- Solid electronics (4)
Cons
Best Uses
- Recording (7)
- Jamming (5)
- Practicing (5)
- Small venues (4)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Experienced (4), Professional musician (4)
Most Liked Positive Review
This may be heresy, but...
Okay, I've owned this Hofner for six months now (Made in Indonesia), and I've put it through rehearsals and gigs. It's by far the cheapest bass I own, and yet has become ...Read complete review
Okay, I've owned this Hofner for six months now (Made in Indonesia), and I've put it through rehearsals and gigs. It's by far the cheapest bass I own, and yet has become my absolute favorite. The neck is marvelous: narrow and round, and combined with the short scale makes it a dream to play on. If you're used to a P-Bass or Stingray neck, this neck is going to seem awfully small, but give it 20 minutes and you'll have a hard time going back to your baseball bat neck. I actually much prefer the Hofner neck to my J-Bass' neck. The lightweight hollowbody is great on the shoulder, especially for those 4-set gigs. The finish on the new Indonesian models (they used to be made in China) is browner; more traditional and more like a German model. The tone out of the pickups is just fantastic, whether you're playing with roundwounds or flats (I've opted for the latter, but I put the bass through it's paces for a month with good roundwounds on it just to check it out). The tone is deep, very well defined, and works great for everything except slap-and-pop.
Now for the heresy part: I've had the opportunity to compare this Icon side-by-side with it's much more expensive German cousins (two '63 reissues, one '62 reissue, and one '68 original). I actually prefer the Icon. The neck on the German-made '63 reissues was slightly chunkier, the neck on the '62 reissue was substantially chunkier, and the '68 was pretty close to the Icon. I've got pretty large hands, and I normally go for chunky necks, but the Icon has the best neck of any bass I've ever owned, and I've owned all the major players at some point or another. Moreover, I actually like the Icon's sound much better - it's more defined and has more top end and clarity than any of the German ones. I'm not sure if the laminated wood of the Icon makes the top vibrate less than the solid wood of the German Hofners, but the Icon is also a lot less prone to feedback. Now, if you're a pro bassist wanting to add a Hofner to your arsenal and your livelihood depends on other's perceptions of you, you should probably get the German model, because snobbery plays a big role in musicians' perceptions (I'm just as guilty of that as the next musician). But, short of that, I strongly encourage anyone who is looking at getting a Hofner to try this baby out. It blew me away. My Jazz, Precision, Gretsch and MusicMan are sitting in their cases, while I take my Hofner to all my rehearsals and gigs now. Fortunately, even though my bandmates aren't immune to the snobbery factor, either, they all much prefer the sound of the Icon. This is an exceptional deal. Just watch out for those fret ends.
No tone knobs and weird switching arrangement, but if they made it different it wouldn't be like the original German model.
Everything on this bass is very well put together, but the fret ends were a bit sharp, so I used masking tape on the neck and took 0000 steel wool to the frets. Solved the problem with all of 10 minutes worth of work. It would be nice if they came from the factory in perfect condition, but for this price what can you expect?
It's a great playing, great sounding, lightweight hollowbody bass for $430. You can't get a better deal than that.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Not better than the Rogue
I have played the Rogue model that is most similar to this - and to echo another reviewer's comments about the 'cheap' feel - yeah, this one felt (but did not look) cheaper...Read complete review
I have played the Rogue model that is most similar to this - and to echo another reviewer's comments about the 'cheap' feel - yeah, this one felt (but did not look) cheaper than the Rogue.
My main problem with it (of course the strings are crappy, but you expect that) is that the nut is impossibly high. You don't slap a violin bass, so this setup was intolerable for me. As it came from the factory, the intonation was poor at the 12th fret, even when tuned precisely. And don't even bother playing on the first two frets - the high action means you will be sharping your pitch noticably. My Korg pitchblack tuner confirmed this, though it didn't have a 'cents' measurement to say exactly how far off. But noticably to even my drummers ear.
I decided not to pay to replace the nut, but to send the instrument back. I expect to replace strings even on a higher end instrument. But not the nut. If I had to compliment this, I'd say the finish (black) and the electronics, including pickups, were nice - nicer than the Rogue, but what does that matter if it wont play on pitch ???
Stick with the Rogue. And of course, flatwounds sound lovely on this type of bass - you will be so happy if you do !
Reviews
Reviewed by 110 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-10
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Pros
- Comes With Case
- Easy Action
- Good Feel
- Good Tone
- Nice Tone
Cons
- And More Stock Strings
- Stock strings
- Stock Strings Again
Best Uses
- Jamming
- Practicing
- Recording
- Rock Concerts
- School Bands
- Small Venues
Comments about Hofner Icon Series Vintage Violin Bass:
Being a huge Beatles fan, I absolutely had to get this bass sooner or later. Having owned Fender & Epiphone basses and being a regular P-Bass user i had high expectations. Don't let the price fool you. This 470 has decent tone for the price. The short scale neck makes it easier to play. The one downside to it was the stock roundwounds, make sure to replace these with flatwounds as soon as you get it. my two main things to the buyer considering....IT COMES WITH A CASE, and also, BE SURE TO CHANGE THE STOCK STRINGS
....IT COMES WITH A CASE, and also, BE SURE TO CHANGE THE STOCK STRINGS
....IT COMES WITH A CASE, and also, BE SURE TO CHANGE THE STOCK STRINGS
....IT COMES WITH A CASE, and also, BE SURE TO CHANGE THE STOCK STRINGS
Pros
- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
Cons
- Fret Buzz
Best Uses
- Jamming
- Practicing
- Recording
- Small Venues
Comments about Hofner Icon Series Vintage Violin Bass:
Been Playing decades. Finally got to third bass. This was a suprise Christmas gift and not intended to be a professinal quality instrument
(he has two other more expensive basses).
The first bass had electrical problems so I returned it. The second bass was returned, it had "wood knots" visible on the neck.(I never have seen such a low guality wood used). The third bass the electronics worked and the quality was OK for the price - new strings and professional setup needed.
Keep trying, they will work it out for you just keep track so that you do not get doubled billed.(they fixed that too, NOTE: they will work with you)
After the pro setup and new strings (flatwounds) nice for the price. Hope you don't have as much trouble.
Pros
- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
- Solid Electronics
Cons
- Fret Buzz
Best Uses
- Church band
- Jamming
- Practicing
- Small Venues
Comments about Hofner Icon Series Vintage Violin Bass:
Better than described, condition was exceptional,shipping fast
Pros
- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
- Light On The Shoulders
- Solid Electronics
Cons
Best Uses
- Jamming
- Practicing
- Recording
- Small Venues
Comments about Hofner Icon Series Vintage Violin Bass:
I love the Beatles and I've always coveted Paul McCartney's bass. I also like the wooden bass tone of their early songs. However, the Germany-made Hofners costs 2K so this a very good alternative to the budget minded. You get the look and feel of the original for a good price. The tone of the guitar is a bit different than the German-made but you can adjust your amp to mimic it. I've been using this bass for my rehearsals and gigs. And I love it!
Pros
- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
- Solid Electronics
Cons
- Intonation
- Strings
Best Uses
- Jamming
- Recording
Comments about Hofner Icon Series Vintage Violin Bass:
I have been wanting a short-scale bass for years, so I finally picked this one up just yesterday. I've been trying to get that "Beatles" sound for years with my P-Bass, which just is not possible. From the minute I picked up the Hofner, I knew I was going to love it. It's super lightweight, the action is close, and it really does play very much like a standard electric guitar - in fact I can do guitar-like rifts and bending on it that I could never do on my P-Bass. Yes, I am primarily a guitarist, and I think this bass appeals to them.
Like almost everyone else is saying, this is NOT a pop 'n slap bass, so don't even try it (I did while in the music store and the string slapped the pickup and nearly blew out the amp). The best sound you can get out of this is to basically palm-mute and use a thick bass pick, which is exactly how I play it now. This may seem like heresy to "real" bass players, but McCartney was definitely on to something. Now I can get that thick and smooth "thud" I've been chasing.
The only disappointment is that the intonation seems to be a bit off in the upper frets. Also, the stock strings are complete, thin, and buzzy-sounding junk - I just ordered some Rotosound Monel flatwould shortscale strings - I have read these are the absolute best strings for this bass. Can't wait to do some recordings with it!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
- Playing in band
- Recording
Comments about Hofner Icon Series Vintage Violin Bass:
great bass
Pros
- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
- Solid Electronics
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Hofner Icon Series Vintage Violin Bass:
Was looking to pick up a Hof for 50's and Beatles music - read lots of reviews and the consistent comments were that the Icon and Hi Series were not only better than the $800 model, but better than the original German made models that go for $3k+ on [@].Played AMAZING right out of the box - extremely easy to play - lots of fun - great tone - and with all the talk of flat wounds - Ill tell you - playing Entwistle (My Generation) licks on this bass with Round Wounds - is E.A.S.Y!!!!!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
- Recording
Comments about Hofner Icon Series Vintage Violin Bass:
People will gripe that this isn't quite the same as the more expensive original German made versions but what they fail to realize is that the original Hofner's were cheap basses! (The price has gone up due to the prestige). The Icons are everything you'd expect from a Hof -- the finish is absolutely beautiful and with flatwound strings it's the classic early McCartney sound. The only thing I changed was that I "antiqued" the pickquard and the pegs which have a cheap white plastic look to them. They say the short scale doesn't play in tune, but unless you're planning on playing above the 14th fret of the E string, I don't think you'll have a problem. In short, this baby gives you what you'd want from a Hofner.
Pros
- Fun To Play
- Light body weight
- Shorter scale length
- Symetrical body
Cons
- Strings hard to find
Best Uses
- Practicing
- Recording
Comments about Hofner Icon Series Vintage Violin Bass:
Let there be no confusion, the top is laminated with a spruce vernere. This said it's still a must have.
I've gotten the best sound with the LaBella flat wounds that every one uses. Flats also help reduce string noise which the stock strings seem to intensify. Also raising the action will help give slightly better acoustics which in turn affect the amplified tone. I also added a thumb rest which improved right hand comfort a good bit.
I would describe the tone as being deeply voiced with a slightly out of focus fundamental and a somewhat subdued attack. This is ideal when adding bass to songs that are mainly accoustic. For rock I would still grab a full length solid body. Still, this is my most frequently used electric bass.
Comments about Hofner Icon Series Vintage Violin Bass:
I can't recommend this bass enough. It truly shines with some flatwound strings (I put Rotosounds on mine). The tone of the violin bass is all its own, yet can still be highly variated with the controls. I am a guitar player at heart, and the short scale neck allows me to play bass riffs with the same speed and fluidity that I would on my favorite Les Paul.
The bass has two knobs--one for each pickup--and three switches. The rhythm/solo switch serves as a tone adjustment/boost, while the other two switches turn on and off the bass and treble pickups. In my bass guitar, the "treble on" switch actually turns on the bass pickup, and vice versa. It's confusing to someone playing who doesn't know this, but once I realized what controls do what functions on the bass, the label for those controls was somewhat irrelevant.
The hollow body makes the bass incredibly light, and the thin short-scale neck plays both fast and smooth.
I got the black model bass, and it is beautiful. The finish is flawless, and all the details are perfect. I had to tighten the input jack to keep in from falling in when I first got it. The black finish looks very fancy, and distinguishes itself from being a Beatles copy.
For the price, this bass is an amazing deal. I never want to stop playing it, and would choose it over many far more expensive basses any day.
