My compulsion to collect instruments that are just a little different is never-ending. Here's a blast from the past: Hondo Longhorn Bass. It shares the style and the 24 frets of the Dano, but otherwise it's basically a rockin' P-bass in Danelectro drag.
This bass is phenomenal. Built like a tank, super low action, obvious great access to the higher frets, and all the tone and impact of a heavy body and massive brass bridge. It's near-mint, sounds killer, and plays like a dream. I hope you enjoy these shots and comments.
Full shot. 34 inch scale, brass nut and bridge. Heavyish, tone and sustain for days.
Here's a closer look at the body and the lower part of the neck. I guess we'd call these vintage size frets today. I like 'em. Neck is genuinely "fast," even if that's hard to define objectively. Let's just say that I ripped through some T Rex, Deep Purple, Golden Earring, and Mott. Pickup is DiMarzio (Hondo was moving upmarket with some instruments) and sounds GREAT.
Minty as a mouth full of LifeSavers. Those ancient strings ring and growl like new Roto 66s just because of the mass and general solidity of the instrument.
If you ever call me a knob, I'm going to tell me you are talking about these and take it as a compliment. Those little serrations are unusual. I've seen the switch called a "bass booster" but since it's a passive instrument, it's maybe a low-pass filter? I don't know and it's so nicely put together I don't want to take it apart to find out. It makes a bit of difference in tone.
Back when men were men and the coolest bridges were brass. It *is* a pretty sweet bridge.
The back is like the front, but with a little less stuff on it. Good look at the finish here. The pics have a little bit of a green cast to them. The color is warmer in real life. Honestly, it's not my first choice of a color, but it was 1981, after all.
This bass is phenomenal. Built like a tank, super low action, obvious great access to the higher frets, and all the tone and impact of a heavy body and massive brass bridge. It's near-mint, sounds killer, and plays like a dream. I hope you enjoy these shots and comments.
Full shot. 34 inch scale, brass nut and bridge. Heavyish, tone and sustain for days.
Here's a closer look at the body and the lower part of the neck. I guess we'd call these vintage size frets today. I like 'em. Neck is genuinely "fast," even if that's hard to define objectively. Let's just say that I ripped through some T Rex, Deep Purple, Golden Earring, and Mott. Pickup is DiMarzio (Hondo was moving upmarket with some instruments) and sounds GREAT.
Minty as a mouth full of LifeSavers. Those ancient strings ring and growl like new Roto 66s just because of the mass and general solidity of the instrument.
If you ever call me a knob, I'm going to tell me you are talking about these and take it as a compliment. Those little serrations are unusual. I've seen the switch called a "bass booster" but since it's a passive instrument, it's maybe a low-pass filter? I don't know and it's so nicely put together I don't want to take it apart to find out. It makes a bit of difference in tone.
Back when men were men and the coolest bridges were brass. It *is* a pretty sweet bridge.
The back is like the front, but with a little less stuff on it. Good look at the finish here. The pics have a little bit of a green cast to them. The color is warmer in real life. Honestly, it's not my first choice of a color, but it was 1981, after all.
Congratulations.
