Talk me out of a hollowbody

DON'T DO IT. :eek:

Just kidding - go for it. That way see, I can live vicariously through your purchase! Seriously, been pondering a hollow-body bass myself, but just not sure I really need one just yet. :bassist:
 
To clarify, I probably should have said "semi hollowbody" in the title; I would be looking for something with a mid block, like the Casady. I never had any feedback problems with my Artcore, which is similar construction (but otherwise apples to donuts).

ABGs are tough... I probably wouldn't really want to go that way for my #1 axe.

For the last year or so I've been seriously wanting to use the upright, now I'm wondering if I can. I suppose I owe it to myself to keep trying.
 
After finishing my P-bass build, I needed another project, so I picked up a Rogue VB100 (Beatle bass), which is still on sale at MF for $150.

I was very surprised at how well it played and sounded right out of the box. Most people are happy with them the way they are, but I've got mine stripped down to an empty shell awaiting upgrades (haters gotta hate, modders gotta mod).

This is a fully hollow bass, so feedback will have to be averted, but you can get really close to an upright tone with the stock pups and LaBella flats. I'm putting a pair of Allparts Hofner clones in it (mostly for the look), but if they don't sound better, I'll be happy to put the stock pups back in.
 
Actually, if you have never owned a hollow body you should get one.
Buy a nice used instrument that you can get out of if you don't like it.
You never know until you try.
You may love the sound and get super inspired.
If not and you end up selling it for close to what you paid it is no great loss and you will have learned something and then have your own opinion on the matter.
Hell, if you buy right you could maybe sell it for more than you paid.
Either way it is only money.
Good luck.
 
I had a Cassidy, a gold one. Personally it seemed not a good bass, it didn't cut through clearly, it seemed muddy and boomy. I had swing rotosounds on it. And there were wolf-feedback problems with a svt and a 4x10 HLF cab, at medium volume, not fun to play. With a stiff pick it sounded maybe a bit better. Jack Cassidy is an awesome player, but for me I went back to an usa P bass, among other basses. I got rid of the Cassidy taking a loss. Some people may love this bass. I couldn't make it work.
 
Brand new Spirocores, with a K&K, going into a Tonebone PZ-Pre. Even playing with gain staging and EQ I was getting heavy feedback, boominess, and lack of sustain. I played with the EQ and notch filters last night and got a better overall sound and volume, but lost a lot of bottom end. Still might work in ensemble. Also the transporting angle.

I bought an FDeck series 2 and hung it on the tailpiece with rubber bands. I roll off the extreme lows(that don't really sound right coming out of a DB) But the really awesome part is the Phase Switch. "Click"....I can even blast over a very heavy handed drummer (and shake the dust off the dust off the trusses that hold up the warehouse roof). My bass fits(almost) in the cab of my Tacoma. The head sticks out the back sliding window. My Stack and the PA fit in the back under a tonneau cover
 
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Love the sound of the Epiphene JC but this is how it feels for me:
 
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$2800? Yikes. That's not terribly "affordable" in my book. But thanks for the idea.
1stnamebassist hit it. The contemporary series are like $800 new. They pop up on here and Reverb/EBay anywhere from $5-700. They have the German staple pickups and a center block. I owned one of those $2k German Hofners as well and actually preferred the contemporary.
 
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Brand new Spirocores, with a K&K, going into a Tonebone PZ-Pre. Even playing with gain staging and EQ I was getting heavy feedback, boominess, and lack of sustain. I played with the EQ and notch filters last night and got a better overall sound and volume, but lost a lot of bottom end. Still might work in ensemble. Also the transporting angle.
Maybe you need to resort to plugging the F-holes. A lot of folks do that when they have a feedback problem.
 
1stnamebassist hit it. The contemporary series are like $800 new. They pop up on here and Reverb/EBay anywhere from $5-700. They have the German staple pickups and a center block. I owned one of those $2k German Hofners as well and actually preferred the contemporary.
Thanks for the clarification. That makes a lot more sense in context.
Maybe you need to resort to plugging the F-holes. A lot of folks do that when they have a feedback problem.
That'll be my last resort, short of an EUB. Next is getting the amp off the floor. I also use FOH where possible from a preamp/direct box. I'd really like to use the upright more rather than less. Gotta build up my stamina on it, too.

Thanks again for the replies!
 
Ibanez ASB140 with a Curtis Novak Darkstar pickup. No feedback issues, tone for days. The only reason I don't have it any more is my switch to 30" scale bass guitars.
One of my current basses is an Ibanez AFB200 archtop; it is not muddy, although that could be due to how I play and EQ. If it does start to feed back (hasn't happened yet), it's just telling me I brought the wrong bass to the gig. My Lakland semi-hollow short scale is one of the best basses I've owned as well.
 
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