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Epiphone Viola Bass part 1 - Teardown and Upgrades
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- čas přidán 6. 05. 2021
- Introducing the well known Epiphone Viola bass. We take a look at some of it's quirks and try to resolve some of them, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss part 2 where we'll actually do some serious work to it.
It might also be worth noting that yes, the camera frame rate is reduced in this video, this is because I'm an idiot. At some point while setting up, a camera setting was accidentally changed and I only discovered it after I'd filmed the whole thing. Many apologies, and the problem had now been fixed for future episodes.
this channel is CRIMINALLY underrated, i have binged your videos for idk even know how long
When you lowered the camera into the bass I felt like I'm having a tour in some fancy, nicely finished basement.🙃 Love your work. Thanks!
Paul had so many workarounds ... he played his with such a light touch to keep it semi-in tune. There is also the possibility that the bridge was backwards and he never realized.
I had a 65 Hofner that I had to sell. Replaced it with 67 Hagstrom hollow body because they had same width neck. The Hagrstrom sounded horrible ,but electronics were fine. Cured it and would highly recommend on new or non collector hollow body bass, adding aged wood running like a spine from neck to tail. Also put solid block under bridge area. Result was a much deeper tone and nice sustain. Tone wood maybe a fantasy , but the construction / natural vibration through body makes a huge difference. The same body type 6 string guitar can get away with the total hollow construction but rarely works on a bass. Forgot to mention it cured the annoying neck dive
Hi! I'm a bit late, but I just wanted to say how phase switch + blend knob is my favorite thing ever. With phase switch engaged, blend knob becomes this new control which changes the amount of out of phase effect and allows you to get some cool tones. Especially on an instrument with pickups far apart, which violin bass is.
That's an interesting idea... I'll definately have to give that a try for sure, thanks.
Hey, I just started watching your channel and I just wanted to say I have been thoroughly enjoying it! You have a nice soothing voice, a simple and nice vibe, and really nice music. Thanks for the content!
You know that you watch this show often when you can hum the montage songs 😂
This batch of songs are from an album I recorded earlier this year, here"s a link to the free download: alonetone.com/powerlounge/playlists/cicada-sock-fire
@@fanbladeinstruments thank you I'll give it a listen, i enjoy the montage music
very nice job = and very nice guitar - so epiphone before fender and gibson brought them = so i just brought one a 1995 viola epiphone beatle bass guitar ! cleaning it while watching you and thank you sir ! i will watch more ! - i have a les paul junior also epiphone ! another smashing great powerful guitar !
Great video mate roger loves the video thanks from roger…
Thanks for this. I thought I was going nuts with the pickups but you answered my question. I went to the 2 different stores and tested 2 new basses:
Volume knob(s): hum at levels 9 to 10
Tone knob: hums at levels 1 to 10
I guess this is a known issue.
I had a roommate who stuffed his ES175 with foam and played it in an incredibly loud band. So it must help with feedback.
Hey I have a viola he is the first base I ever have a had. It'd be nice he can be brought to my size. Emma self-taught beginner had it for some years. Is it possible that you can repair it.
Fascinating! Great video! :)
These sound 100% more authentic with Pyramid flat wound strings. The strings cost 2/3 the price of the instrument but make a huge difference and are worth it. The bridge is a pain to set up but not impossible - then just leave it.
Pyramids are great strings and will probably last a lifetime. However I prefer La Bella 760FHB2. Perfect fit, flatwound and E is .096.
Awesome video. Love your band as well.
I think he's playing al Instruments. Kraut like
Yes, I'm doing everything on the soundtrack, glad you like it. The songs in this episide are from an album I recorded earlier in the year:
alonetone.com/powerlounge/playlists/cicada-sock-fire
@@fanbladeinstruments could I use some songs in future videos of mine? You'd be credited fully.
Yeah dude, chop em up, sample them, do whatever you like, I'd love to hear what you make from them. Cool😁
You can move those little pieces of fret wire on the bridge to any slot you want to for proper intonation. That's why it's made that way!
Those slots are not even close to being accurate enough!
i just brought one of these thank you i will play around with their positions ! great info !
I just tilted the bridge a few degrees closer to the G string and I’m in nearly perfect intonation.
Get some flats on it then it's neck pickup all the way 😊 Divine
Rumor has it that McCartney used a Hofner because as a lefty he could flip it over and it still looked the same.
Seems like rumor though, because even the early pics show him with what appears to be a lefty version since the controls were flipped as well.
You know.... rumors. 😉
Half rumour, he played a Hofner because they were the only manufacturer that would make him a left handed one for no extra charge. His first one was custom made, then by the time that one went missing they'd made lefties a standard option. I'd love to know if his Rickenbacker was a custom build, I'm sure it's googleable when I get around to it.
Great review! Would be interesting to know your opinion of this epiphone bass comparing with Horner ignition series or equivalent! I am primarily a fender, which viola bass would you recommend to start of with if I am on budget? Thanks.
Does anyone have a wiring diagram for that mod with the blend pot. Or does the channel guy have one. It was done so fast and far from the camera it is really hard to see what you did. I want to add the blend pot to mine
Excellent
See would big man Roger like this he loves dogs but not cats what are your thoughts?
PS. Roger love you
Love you roger
Just got a johnson jj200 for $120 cash on Facebook marketplace. Thrilled.
i just got a 1995 epiphone viola bass made in korea = 26 yo perfect condition ! = $425 cash ! $700 odd new ! made in china now !
Great video, subbed!
My Viola bass, 2019 model, has a hum when I turn the volume and/or tone to 9 or 10. Does yours do the same thing? It should have NYR/NYT mini humbuckers.
I replaced my bridge with one I made, I made little slots for the strings made out of carbon fiber to give it that mute mccarntey sound
Hi! thank you for sharing this really great content. I recently acquired an epi viola and found out it has the same phase issue with the pickups. Could you please detail what you did with the electronics to solve the problem?
I have no problem with this bass(5 years of playing live)Sounds great, and much better from hofner ignition.
Great channel!!! Apart from epiphone and hofner… have you heard about the samick viola bass??
No, I didn't know Samick had done one, I just quickly googled it and found one on Reverb.com, it looks fairly similar to the Epiphone (flame top, headstock, choice of tuners), and the pickups look like they're from a les paul (a big plus) but the bridge somehow looks even worse than the Epiphone. The listing says it's a semi-hollow body, if that means there's a center block like the Hofner CT series then it's probably a really nice instrument. I'd be quite keen to take one for a test drive, Samick are really underrated in my view, they used to make all the Korean Epiphone stuff that people are so keen on these days. Thanks.
@@fanbladeinstruments i guess you cannot have everything but hey theres upgrades, i think that resides internally (the guitar accesories) and or externally (devices to make sound signal of your guitar sound good )
which begs the question
Is better to upgrade componets of your guitar? or to upgrade the componets that you plug your guitar into??
I'm pretty sure I'm any taught musician's worst nightmare. I play an epiphone viola bass and that's all I know about the bass, I found it in my late grandfather's guitar collection about half a year back, and just started looking up song tabs and that's basically what I'm still doing. I couldn't tell you a thing about notes, scales, chords, or anything music theory-related. I'm just having fun with it the way I do with everything. Trial & error until I get good at it. Is it practical? Gods no, by no means whatsoever, it takes a lot longer than otherwise to learn songs. I still just think it's rly fun to work through it though.
Far from a nightmare, if anything it's pleasent memories. We all had to start somewhere, just keep on playing and good luck😁
Perhaps you could use some of that clear double sided tape that they’re advertising constantly , to secure the Bridge… I had a pair of German 1964 Hofner Violin basses back in 1968-69, but sold them both to buy a 1967 Gibson EB3 .. those Hofners were far superior to any of any of the newer ones I’ve played since then.,
Amazing video thank you 🙏🏽
Love your channel, mate :) Not saying its a good design, but are you supposed to remove the metal pieces the string goes over from one slot to another in the wooden part of the bridge, to intonate each string separately? Or are they stuck in there good? Even if that is possible, its not a good design...
Each of those little metal pieces can be inserted into one of four slots, so it's "adjustable" just not precisely intonatable. Thanks.
These basses sound and look good but I remember them being really bad for slap🤔
The guitarist in my band wanted to slap me for buying it🤣
well the strings are too far apart to be able to slap away anyway
Hey, do you have these bridges and modifications for sale?
Sadly not yet, think of this one as an instructional prototype. With the time I actually put in to make it it'd be far too expensive unless I could refine the process and do a batch run of them to keep the cost down, but that's all for another time in the (hopefully) not too distant future. Thanks.
I think next 2 steps
1-put flatwound strings
2-put a pick guard on
I WANT TO GET THE MCCARTNEY SOUND, WHAT NUMBER SHOULD I SET EACH KNOB TO? 2 ARE FOR PICKUPS AND ONE FOR THE TONE, SOMEONE HELP ME
It's more than just pickup selection, but you can start with neck on 100% and bridge on 70%. Then you will need flatwound strings, a felt pick, and play really lightly. That'll get you very close to McCartney's tone, and you can adjust your amp to refine it even more. Hope that helps, good luck.
@@fanbladeinstruments Thank you very much for responding, and how far do I leave the Tone knob? . Indeed, I do have flats strings, just yesterday I bought them
@@fanbladeinstruments Thank you very much for responding, and how far do I leave the Tone knob? . Indeed, I do have flats strings, just yesterday I bought them
Fully hollow? Were they always that way?
Yep, all the way back to the very first Hofner models, although predating that was the Gibson EB-1 which was a solid body. There's been variations over the years, the Hofner CT series have center blocks which increase the weight but improve virtually everything else (balance, tone, sustain, not feeding back at high volume), if I were to spend the money again I'd almost certainly get a CT series. Thanks.
Those pups are severely microphonic.
I wouldn't say 'severely', in fact I never noticed it before. It's hanging beside me as I type and I just checked, and yes they are a little bit microphonic, nowhere near as bad as some I've encountered but on a hollow body that might make enough difference to be noticeable. It's about due for a restring so I'll use the opportunity to drop some other mini humbuckers in there to see what happens, thanks.
Also, Hey, are you the Uncle Nerky that does custom decals? I've been hearing about your good work and will be looking at getting a batch in the near future, Cheers.
@@fanbladeinstruments yes I am!
Cheers to you as well, kind Sir!
@@fanbladeinstruments I find the artec mini bass buckers to be a good substitute. Ceramic-based, but they have a lot of bottom-end to them and they are well constructed. These basses scream for flatwounds, if ever you're so inclined to get some.
I had a Hofner violin bass bought for me by my dad in 62. It was a piece of crap. The pickups howled like wolves at anything like stage volume and the "bridge" with fretwire bits on snapped strings all day long. It was crap and the mystique attached to them is bullshit. Buy a Fender at least it will do the job. Avoid this design like the plague it is an apology for a bass.