Rogue VB100 Violin Bass

I have the 'made In China' Series II and once owned the Korea model , they play about the same, A little intonation problems with the floating bridge, but not too bad. Has a great rock sound, 2 humbucker pickups.

I can hear this good without an amp, good for pratice.

I seem to always come to this bass when I lay down demo recordings, it is very light and small. to me thats a plus, I love the smaller scale, it's closer to the neck of a guitar...

I tried flats on the Korea made model, i did not like my fingers slipping on the strings...

this is my go to bass and i love it...

Love the size and scale of neck, I also like round wound strings over flat wound.

Action was good, had to do a bit of setup for my playing style. Great finish, this bass cost me $133 as a scratch and dent special with free shipping, no scratches nor dents bought from MF.

No problems... Look and feel is great

I think Musicians Freinds hadles customer support center handles this, their customer service reps stink!! So, from past experiance...BAD

Great for what I paid... I also got a good deal on a case...around $200 for both.

Ok this yet another beatles bass copy. I bought this bass new from musicians friend. I have played out with this bass now for eight years, and let me tell you this thing is sturdy for a hollow body.

It has all the features as the Hofner violin bass same style controls, but i hear it's a bit heaver than a hofner.

I play mostly beatles and oldies and this bass is perfect for what I do. It has a deep hollow sound to it almost like a standup bass.
it has a rhythm and a solo switch which is pretty cool so when you switch it to solo this thing gets loud! Most people put Flatwound strings on there violin bass i just use light gauge strings on mine.
But if your looking for a McCartney sound this thing has it!

The bass was set up prety good from the factory. I only had to make minor adjustments to the action. other than that the bass was fine.

The hardware is really good on this thing except for the strap buttons, replace them as soon as you can. They will get loose on you.
the finish is real good but the binding turned kind of yellow over the years. Over all this is in my opinion a very well made bass guitar. and I have giged with it a lot.

never used it, never had to!

I have been playing over 10 years and had a few bass guitars I sold them all and kept the rogue! If it were stolen i would buy another one. It's just a good bass.

Copy of Hofner Beatles bass (500/1 or something like that) made famous by Paul McCartney in the Beatles musical combo. Mine was made in Korea (the Series II currently selling at Musician's Friend is made in China). Very nicely finished, silky smooth frets, fret ends are beautful; body is glossy and perfect. Really nice. Looks great; flamed maple body.

Pickups are silent, with no hum; sound is vintage Beatles, 62-66. Great big thumpy, round tone, especially if controls are set like Paul had them: Treble OFF, Bass ON, Solo ON.

Got it second hand, set up is good. Easy to play.

The bass is a solid instrument. I think gigging with it would be fine, and at the price it goes for, no great loss if it ends up trashed somehow. but I don't think it's any more frail than the original Hofner, which was quite light in build. And that is still kicking, having traveled the world with Paul for 45 years and counting...

No info on that--second-hand buy, and no need to repair it so far.

I've alkways woanted one of these (or maybe always wanted the original Hofner...) And this is a great guitar; get one, you'll love it. It's a blast. I bought mine on eBay, complete with a hardshell case, for about 175 USD. Great deal...

Nicely built and finished instrument. Very close match to the Hofner body dimensions, but not perfect. Probably the best I have seen, though. Really nice flamed wood finish. No buzz on frets. I got mine today used and need to do a couple of things to get it just right. Not happy with the electronics at this point and would appreciate some help from veterans on this thread. I can be reached at jphayek@aol.com. Want to replace the pots, tuner knobs.

The actual instrument looks and plays very nicely, with the characteristic thumpy early-to-mid Beatle sound.

The electronics are another story...read on

There is a lot lacking in the volume pots and I want to replace them, but don't know what to buy or were to get them. They only attenuate on the last 10% of the knob range, and are scratchy. Therefore, the sound has pretty much one color. The "lead" position switch just makes it louder, but adds a hum.

I need to find a cover plate for the truss rod opening, as the previous owner removed and lost it.

Also the tuner knobs are completely out of place for Hofner copy. Who knows what knob mode to replace them with? I heard banjo tuner knobs would work, but what model?

I took some fine sandpaper to the upper edge of the cheezy pickguard to smooth it out with a slight bevel. Be careful not to scratch the front of it or touch the back at all. Feels better to the touch now.

I think it would be fine for a gig, but I would not use it for every genre of music. The Fender P-bass suits me much better for most material. I would not call this a versatile bass, but it seems well made and would hold up fine...once the electronic noise is fixed.

No info here

I play a Fender P bass and a Gibson 1974 Ripper, so the short scale feels really small to me. I have a Crate 100 watt combo amp. Play classic rock and Beatles/Stones mostly, and also like to play funk which this bass does not have the feel for. I am more excited about just having a "Beatle bass" in the arsenal than playing it exclusively. Paul is one of my all-time fave bass players.

It looks very nice and the physical body and pickups seem identical to the Epiphone; the elctronics and headstock are different, though.

2006, Korean made knock-off of Hohner 4-string viola bass made famous by Paul McCartney. Came with fairly protective hardshell case.

It looks, sounds, and plays a lot like the vintage 1960s Hoffner viola bass for a beginning to intermediate bass player. If you're really good, and you're looking for the authentic 60's sound, you need the quality of the actual Hofner. This is a very affordable bass guitar, and for some reason, is made better than the other Rogues. This was my first bass, (I'm primarily a horn player, this is a second instrument for me), and it's a good bass to learn on. It remains my choice for classic rock 'n roll, and other music where I'm looking for the warm, woody sound of a semi-hollow body.

The bass was not well set up coming from the factory, but was perfect after a professional set up at my favorite local guitar-music store. It came with some cheap strings, upgrading to high quality flatwounds resulted in further improvement.

I would never go on any gig with only one instrument, I think in life, in general, it's a good idea to always have at least one back-up plan ready to go. This is a surprisingly well made bass for the price.

I have not had to deal with Rogue.

I briefly wondered if I should have gotten a better, used, actual vintage 1960's viola bass, but this is actually cheaper. Would I get another if I lost this one? Hard to say, I've been playing less than a year, but I've been a musician for decades (horn player). This was a great bass to get started on, and I'll continue using it for classic rock. If and when something happens to it, I expect to be a much better bass player by then, and I'm not sure I would come back to the Rogue, but then maybe I will. You know how it is to try and forget your first... whatever.

Arched flamed maple top
Hollowbody
Pearloid pickguard
Front and back body binding
Custom trapeze
Traditional 31" scale length

I went along with the majority of everyone else and put the flat wounds on this bass. I'm glad I did. I get a serious thump that I don't get with any of the other of my 8 electric basses. I play a lot of bluegrass, so the sound I get is just right for that. I haven't recorded with it yet, but that's coming. I'm lovin' this "new" sound so much I find it hard to put the bass down.

The bridge on the bass needed to be raised which was an easy task. The bass is certainly a beauty. The binding on the body is a very nice touch. Love the glossy finish and overall look.

I've only had the bass for about a week, but I have sure put it to the task playing it so much this week. Everything seems to be very solid to me. I'd take it without a back-up.

Musician's Friend......for the most part they are easy to deal with.

I have been playing now for over 40 years. I own so many fretted instruments I've lost count. I own 10 basses counting my upright. I am so very pleased with this bass and would replace it if it were stolen. I love the sound I get with the flatwounds and the visual appeal. The short scale is fast and fun and is one of my favorite features. I only compared prices since I ordered it without playing it first. I chose the Rogue because of the price and my experience with other Rogue products.

I'll leave this one blank as everybody else has provided a lot of detail on all the features.

I play some jazz/blues/R&B styled originals, and this is perfect for some of my material. Yeah, my J bass is better for some stff, but this gives me some great tones. It can do the Macca sound, and a lot more. I swapped the standard round wound strings out for some nylon tapewounds. I've also installed a K&K piezo pickup intended for acoustic bass guitars under the soundboard from more tonal options, and am really pleased with how it came out. By blending this w/ the magnetic pickups I can get close to upright bass territory, or a pretty good rock tone, or anywhere in between.

Fit and finish were great - Exactly the same as an Epi Viola bass I played in a local music store the day before my Rogue arrived. Bookmatching was a little off, but not noticeable from a few feet away. Body seams, binding, fretwork, etc. were nice and clean. I spent some time inside the thing installing the piezo pickup and everything looked good in there too. The action/setup needed a little tweaking out of the box, but every instrument does. It's not hard to dial a new instrument in to your playing style, and if you don't know how, this is a great guitar to learn on.

No problem so far, but I just got it. The build quality seems good inside and out, so I expect it to last a lifetime with proper care.

N/A - I'm sure I voided the warranty the day I got it by doing some modifications, but I'm comfortable fixing it if something goes wrong.

Great product - I'd buy it again for twice the price. Highly recommended.

All the same features as described 1000x before on this thread. make in Korea, sold by MF as house brand. Purchased used / with Rogue HS case for $199. It cannot be more than 1 year old as the guitar looks and plays wonderful. Pick ups sound nice and electronics make it possible to customize sound. Finish is awesome, although made of plywood with veneer.

Nice, warm sound I suspect is due to the hollow body design.Just replaced the strings from roundwound to flatwound.

Bass was purchased used on Long island from a retail guitar shop. The tech gave it a once over before I purchased it and it seems fine. For the money paid, I feel as though I got an exceptional buy.

Have not had long, I purchased this for my 11 year old who just started a band and is learning. From the look and feel of it, with proper care, it should be around for a while.

Guitar was missing a pickguard as the former owner took it off or broke it. Called MF looking for a replacement. No response to 2 e-mails. Got fed up and sent them a nasty one and told them to call me asap on my cell - they did. Told me no good on replacement parts - the guitar is made in Korea and I was told they could not tell me who the mfg was because they didn't know. Was also told that they probably do not speak English. I think they just wanted to blow me off and not bother. I have been searching for a replacement and was told probably best to buy a Hohfner guard which might need modification.

I have been playing for over 25 years - Rickenbacker exclusively. When my 11 year old told me he was starting a band I was so excited for him. I rushed out to get him something small and light so as to not turn him off to it. Guitar is very light and the short scale is much easier on his smaller hands. I actually like playing this bass - it feels good, fun to play and sounds good. He loves it to. I'd give a higher rating overall were it not for no replacement parts being available. That to me is unexcusable and downright stupid.

New 2004 model. The features have been pretty much covered by everyone else.

Like the original Hofner, this is a one-tone bass- but it's a great tone. Even though it's made of plywood there's a great tubby, woody sound- especialy if you play it with a pick. I put Rotosound medium scale flts on mine, following the advice of an earlier revier.

Fit and finish is mostly great. Binding is flawless. The only things I can fault are the pickguard control plate, which have unfinished edges, the cheesy control knobs, and the bridge, which needed a little sanding for a better fit to the top.

The fretting job is the best I've ever seen on an inexpensive bass. Fret ends are perfectly smooth- better than I've seen on a lot of expensive instruments.

This is a solid, giggable instrument, although if I planned to use it regulalry I think I might replace the jack with a Switchcraft, and perhaps the pots, too. The slide switches are an unknown quantity, but being soldered in they'd be a bit more trouble to replace.

I adjusted the truss rod once, after changing strings, and it seems to be solid.

Musicians' Friend has always given me great after-the-sale service.

Been playing a very long time ;-) I have two other bass guitars that cost a lot more than this puppy (as well as a couple of uprights) but I find myself spending a lot of time playing the Rogue, usually with a list of Beatles tunes and other 60s tunes in front of me. It's just a fun instrument. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as a first instrument, except perhaps to someone who really liked that 60s sound.

I love the tone, the look, the lightness and the playability. I don't care for the crummy pots and the so-so slideswitches. (I wish I could find a beat up one cheap for a project I have in mind.)

I think a friend of mine who plays Sadowskys and similar instruments put it best when, after playing it for a while, said "That's a lot of bass for two hundred dollars."

Mine is a 2005 model. I won't go into the details as they've been well covered elsewhere.

I bought this almost on a whim. I've always wanted a Hofner, and from what I've heard and read, these are as good or better at a tenth the price.

This is not a bass with a hge palatte of sounds. What it does do well is that classic 60s bass sound. There's no tone control, just two pickups and a set of cheap volume pots with a pretty non-linear response.

But for what it does, it's great. This little bass has more low-end boom than my 70s Japanese Fender P-bass, and a nice woody tone besides.

Set up was very good. I only tweaked the truss rod a fraction after replacing the strings. FInish and trim is absolutely perfect- not a flaw in it. It's better than a lot of far more expensive guitars. The binding puts a lot of Gibsons to shame. The pickguard and switchplate are kind of cheesy, but they're easily replaced.

Everything about this bass says reliable EXCEPT the volume pots and pickup switches. I plan to replace them, and the jack, with good Switchcraft parts asap. I'll probably replace those cheesy knobs with something larger and grabbier, too, and turn the LEAD/RHYTHM switch into a tone control as others have described. I replaced the strings with flatwound Rotosound RS 77Ms- not the best choice, as they're just a hair too long, but they work well enough. Even with the stock strings it sounds great.

Been playing for 30+ years- everything with strings. I love the light weight, conpact neck, and deep tone. It's a pretty little thing, too. And even at the regular price it's a bargain.