Product: Apollo Amplifiers Beatle Bass Copy
Price Paid: US $89.99 used
Submitted
04/25/2005
at
08:08pm
by
Delbert
Features
:
9
Looks like a 60's era, I assume from the vast line of Ibanez copies which came under this name and several others (like Greco, Univox, etc). 22 fret, narrow but beefy neck, easy to play. Very cool copy of the Beatle Bass, also known as the Hofner 500/1. Controls panel a tad different, 2 vol,2 tone, 2 on/off switches. Pups are identical to the Hofner, I'm sure an issue that came up in the "lawsuit" era. Nice two-tone tobacco burst. Hollow, but no F-Holes, very light. A cool piece for dirt cheap! I give it a 9 here for "it is what it is" categorical rating.
Sound
:
8
Warm, woody, mellow....very much the Hofner sound. Basically a cheap weak pickup. Hofners were really cheap actually, McCartney bought one because it's all he could afford. It's a joke that the "real" Hofners are going for over a grand now, they're basically cheaply made instruments. But they do have a cool sound and are pretty easy to play. I dig this Apollow version very much for ease, and again, it was DIRT CHEAP!
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
8
It is what it is. A little tweaking and it plays fine actually, no string buzzes. A surprising pleasant discovery here.
Reliability/Durability
:
9
Well, it's lasted 30-40 years already. Expected wear for it's age, but it's held up and still plays pretty great.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
10
Cool for the price, I've played real Hofners. I don't understand who in their right mind would pay $1000.00 for a Hofner, but for under $200, or in this case, under $100.00, it's a very cool piece.
