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Another hollow body/semi hollow query. Advice?


barrycreed
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Hi all, looking down the line, and it'll probably be a while before there are any gigs again, but thinking about a hollow or semi hollow bass for home use.

I have a Gibson SG faded short scale bass, and like the thump off the neck pickup, but beside my Rockinbetter and P bass, I'd probably just as easily choose those over the Gibson. I will say the intonation and neck on the SG is nice.

I might have it sold in a month or so when the buyer has money together, will make a small profit, so think a hollow or semi hollow would or could at least offer something sonically very different.

Thinking of the Jack Casady Epi maybe. Something with a fixed bridge for sure I think. The Hofner beatles bass sounds cool, but I'm not sure I could get on with the body shape. It does sound good though, and maybe the contemporary could also be thrown into the mix.

I know Epi did make a hollow or a semi hollow with a mudbucker, but long since discontinued. That could have been a contender.

I had an Ibanez semi hollow, or was it a full hollow about 10 years ago or so and couldn't get on with it.

Any others to look at?

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1 hour ago, ikay said:

If you like the Hofner vibe but not the Beatle bass shape then take a look at the Club. Cool little bass, I love mine.

 

Very much this. 

I wanted that sound but really, really didn't want the Beatles link, so much so that I got a black club as the sunburst, as great as it looks, still looked too Beatlesy. I think the ignition is fully hollow and the contemporary has a centre block, but I could be wrong. 

 

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16 hours ago, barrycreed said:

Hi all, looking down the line, and it'll probably be a while before there are any gigs again, but thinking about a hollow or semi hollow bass for home use.

When you say home use are you hoping to be able to play it without amplification? IME semi hollow basses are only marginally louder than solid ones, so there is little advantage.

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I think one of the Hofner ones might be suitable. Went through some video demos, and while I shouldn't take the audio as gospel, it gives a rough idea at least of what they can do. I'd go for non violin body, so very thin or club. 

Not sure whether to go for a centre block or full hollow. Wouldn't be too bothered by long v short scale either.

I did see some Ibanez models too, not sure if anyone has ever tried these? The fixed bridge one especially.

https://www.ibanez.com/eu/products/model/agb/

https://www.ibanez.com/eu/products/model/afb/

Epi Casady and late entry for the Chowny, and think I'd keep it narrowed down to all the above for now...

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Sounds awesome, and I know I know, it's most likely a vintage bass, played through vintage equipment, and the mudbucker might essentially be doing with my Gibson SG bass is doing....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oil1xrRIEWI

I'm in Spain at the moment, for the foreseeable future, and these are for sale in a store, but no idea what they're like, or worth a punt to be honest.

https://guitarshop.es/producto/meriken-sab-bass-by-samick-90s/

https://guitarshop.es/en/producto/samick-bass-sab-tb-90s/

Those 3 point bridges seem to get an awful slating from what I've read.

Edited by barrycreed
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2 hours ago, barrycreed said:

Sounds awesome, and I know I know, it's most likely a vintage bass, played through vintage equipment, and the mudbucker might essentially be doing with my Gibson SG bass is doing....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oil1xrRIEWI

I'm in Spain at the moment, for the foreseeable future, and these are for sale in a store, but no idea what they're like, or worth a punt to be honest.

https://guitarshop.es/producto/meriken-sab-bass-by-samick-90s/

https://guitarshop.es/en/producto/samick-bass-sab-tb-90s/

Those 3 point bridges seem to get an awful slating from what I've read.

Samick- EB2/Epi Rivoli copy but you can get a replacement bridge for them that has intonation!

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I haven't played that many hollow/semi-hollow basses, and they have never been my main instrument (Stingray5 has been for the last 20 years), but I've still been to a few places...

I've had an Epiphone Viola, after extensively trying the (then) available cheap Hofner options (Icon and Contemporary) and liking the Epi better, seemed considerably more solid, better built, while being the cheapest. Sound wasn't exactly the same but close enough on flats (which I put on only for a short period, I either used this for "acoustic" gigs or HC/punk -tuned BEAD, yep, worked thru' some crunchy SansAmp and heavy compression-). Later in my owning life I used it in a more "reasonable" fashion, regular tuning and worn in (pretty dead indeed) roundwounds.

Sometime around 2011/2012 I became aware of the Warwick Star Bass (by about the time they started manufacturing the RockBass version). At that time they were hard to spot used, and I couldn't justify the cost. But also hadn't realised its real potential. Over the years I've played the Jack Casady many times, also the Ibanez Artcore/ABF. I really like the Gibson tone and vibe (just not single cut basses), in fact I was this close to getting an Epi EB3 ad one point in time. I did appreciate that the Casady doesn't sound as nasal as the mini humbuckers (and their position) on my Viola. Then I finally tried a couple RockBass Star Basses at a couple stores and that changed it all. Still it wasn't until a couple months ago that I got lucky enough to find one I could afford. Happened to be a black Korean ProSeries 5er from 2011, at the bargain price of 600€.

Now, what differentiates the Star Bass with any other semi-hollow? Simply put, the only thing hollow about it is it's louder when unplugged. Has a thick maple core all thru' the center of the body. There's no microphonics, no feedback, and it's both more "precise" and more "virile" sounding than usual semi-hollows (the 4 string RockBass version is 32", all others are 34"). It can definitely sound in the semi-hollow ballpark with flats (and mostly on the neck PU), but its tone is like that of a Jazz Bass but extra warm and fat, super punchy and with supernatural sustain (lows keep pushing longer than those out of my Rays, you notice that in the way it pushes your preamp, surprising).

So, I'm starting to feel bad for the kind of advice I'm giving. Not that I regret my preference, but it's clearly cheating, you know, a Star Bass is the semi-hollow for people who don't get along much with typical semi-hollows. I even modded it to get rid of the other semi-hollow "thing" that I hate 100%, THEY HANG HORRIBLY, NOT JUST THE OMNIPRESENT NECKDIVE BUT THEY TILT FORWARD BECAUSE OF THE STUPID STRAP PIN POSITION AT THE HEEL. Took care of that 2 days after getting mine, flooded the tip of the upper horn with epoxy and put the strap button there, hard as a rock. Now it faces front like a usable bass, and it also helped neckive.

This is how it sounds with rounds and in a "rocky" mood...

So, take my "advice" with many grains of salt. Probably heretic to the semi-hollow concept (also heretic to Warwick, as I only like the least Warwick models such this one or the Jack Bruce SG shaped one), but I still prefer the Star Bass over any other hollow/semi-ollow bass I've ever played or heard. So much so that it's my only  and all-purpose 2 pickup fretted 5er nowadays (selling the Schecter CV5 I've had for occasional "Fenderish" duties, great bass, but the SB can do it all, it's THAT great for my needs).

Edited by andruca
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@andruca interesting experience you had with your journey! What did you think of the Ibanez basses? I am looking for something that sounds like a semi hollow or hollow body. I have solid body basses, so something sonically different would be great. I am tempted by one of those Epirphone Rivoli copies, but I am in Granada, and they are in Barcelona!

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16 hours ago, barrycreed said:

@andruca interesting experience you had with your journey! What did you think of the Ibanez basses? I am looking for something that sounds like a semi hollow or hollow body. I have solid body basses, so something sonically different would be great. I am tempted by one of those Epirphone Rivoli copies, but I am in Granada, and they are in Barcelona!

Haven't played the Epi Rivoli. On the Ibby Artcores, well, let's say I WAY PREFER the Jack Casady, or the Epi Viola for the case. Didn't like those Artcores much, thin and nasal sounding. I think many of those are completely hollow body, not even semi hollow, sounded both dead and thin to me in comparison. Beware, I even ditched any acoustic from my life because of how they feel (even the uke-bass, most useless bass related thing I've ever bought), so YMMV.

Edited by andruca
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If you think the Hofner is a runner and want it more audible acoustically there’s always the Senators and Presidents or even the Verythin which have hollow thin line bodies . The contemporary line has a solid block in the middle to reduce feedback but it kills the audible too. 
There are a couple of the 90’s retro Epiphone Rivolis on EBay at present but they are getting expensive. High time Epiphone made them again,  I’m sure Peerless would oblige, incidentally Peerless make a couple of cracking good semis themselves, if you can find one.

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35 minutes ago, Grahambythesea said:

If you think the Hofner is a runner and want it more audible acoustically there’s always the Senators and Presidents or even the Verythin which have hollow thin line bodies . The contemporary line has a solid block in the middle to reduce feedback but it kills the audible too. 
There are a couple of the 90’s retro Epiphone Rivolis on EBay at present but they are getting expensive. High time Epiphone made them again,  I’m sure Peerless would oblige, incidentally Peerless make a couple of cracking good semis themselves, if you can find one.

The Ignition series is fully hollow and reasonably audible unplugged. I play along with music quietly with my Club. One of the main reasons I bought the Ignition over the Contempary,  pleasantly it was half the price too. 

I'm sure I read that the Ignition pickups were more traditionally voiced where as the Contempary were more, well contempary, but I could be wrong. 

 

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45 minutes ago, barrycreed said:

I’d be using an amp with whatever I get.

Anyone ever play the Samick Rivoli copies?

Never seen one before, wish I had. For a short while I had a Bach EB2 copy as well, very much like the Samick but with proper elephant ear tuners. Pretty good but they’ve been stopped selling them by a Gibson. I’m surprised they haven’t caught up with Samick or perhaps they have and that’s why they’re rare. Decent price though. I wonder if they’d courier it to U.K.,, preferably before we end up on WTO rules and paying duty on everything but chlorinated chicken! 

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@Grahambythesea I’m in Spain currently and am tempted by one of the Merikens. I notice both models have slightly different pickups and while the specs on the website state they are 34” I was under the impression these copies were medium scale. They have two Epi Rivolis listed as sold which also seem to be 34” according to the website specs. 

I had a full scale Ibanez semi hollow years ago and it was ok, just remember feeling it a big thing to get around! 

A short or medium scale would be very comfortable.

The Jack Cassidy also seems tempting but back to my original post, so does the Hofner club ! Decisions decisions...

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Right, I´ve narrowed it down to the following:

This Samick *maybe* https://guitarshop.es/producto/samick-bass-sab-tb-90s/

An Epiphone Jack Casady

Maybe, but might rule it out, as it doesn't shout "wow, cool!" to me is the Ibanez abg200.

One potential issue I have with Jack Casady is based on the video demos, it can sound like a conventional solid body, to my ears anyway, but I like the simplicity of 1 pickup and they three gain options switch. Flatwounds might set it off too.

The Samick would tip a hat to the Rivoli, and I'd be taking a chance ordering online. With the neck pickup, it would at least sound very different.

I'd be adding fuzz, wah, reverb, delays, or at the very least experimenting with them with whatever I get.

The Ibanez? No other reason than they are reliable and it's a medium scale...

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I've found that all semi  hollow bodies, with the centre block, can sound very much like a solid body. In the way that sticking a pair of hollow wings on a cricket bat bass won't make it sound like a hollow body. 

If you plan on gigging it then a fully hollow can bring feedback issues, unlike a semi hollow. But no where near as bad as an acoustic. If it's the fully hollow sound you want but you need to gig it then, as with doublebass, it's a balancing act between the sound you want and resistance to feedback. The more resonant a bass, the more inclined to feedback. 

If I were in your shoes, from the reviews I seen, read and heard, I'd be going for the JC. 

 

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@Maude I hear you. Funnily enough I find that semi hollow guitars sound very similar to solid bodies. The JC might be the one, but sorely tempted with that Samick, which I believe is semi hollow as well...

I have a Rockinbetter Ric faker and a Gibson short scale SG (which I may or may not hold onto), and a Vintage brand P bass which I will probably sell down the line, so as long as the new one sounds different to those, I'd be happy to justify it! I'd love to gig any bass, whenever we can do so again!

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