Epiphone Viola Bass

I picked up this 2007 Chinese made USA setup Epiphone Viola bass almost by accident. The last digits of the serial are 7 so I am assuming its an '07 but could be wrong. The floating bridge is something I always figured was for stricly jazz players but this beast can take it. The passive humbuckers are beefy

Like most musicians, I test out a lot of gear before settling on one ax for a particular type of music. So before even plugging it in I was very impressed with the sound un-amplified
The warm loud tone is to die for and with the right settings it comes through with a Geddy Lee sound or just a fretless tone. It has truly an amazing pallet. I guess I will change out the tuning machines as it does go out quite frequently. Any advice on which good grover or Schallers would go with this ax would be appreciated
(rlwizek@earthlink.net)

I am not a pro and so had the guy at Guitar Showcase swap shop play it and give me his take. He ran it through some serious fret work and I was very enamored with the changes in tone he was getting. If he had given me a negative response I'd have bought it anyway Set up was just great and for this price. I has a Music Man sterling that didn't sound this good for 5 timess the bread.

I would not play any gig without a backup, but I'm not a hard player either. I like getting the tone I want working within the instruments capabilities. I would not play this bass like a P. Haven't had it long enough for truss adjust, the tuner I use shows no waver right from the factory on each string. Gorgeous sunburst finish like my Epi Les Paul. A marvel for a great price.

I'm about 5 years into bass and as a regular drummer I find bass like playing melodic drums. I am hooked. I own a 5 string TBC and the Epiphone only having paired down my arsenal recently. I'd beg borrow or steal (well maybe not that)another one of these basses in a heartbeat. I wish it came with stock Grovers but I know for the price thats asking a lot.

Same features as all the other Epiphone Viola Basses. I added strap locks as I don't like dropping my rigs. Love the finish, a small spot under the neck where it meets the body was less than perfect but not worth sending back to get touched up.

Perfect sound for what I play. We do Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Beatle's covers as well as using it in church for worship. I love the semi-acoustic sound that it makes and the thump is as close to an up-right as I have heard in an electric 4 string bass with no pedal.

Played it straight from the store, no extra set up needed. I may change the strings to flat wounds eventually but I am content with the factory strings. Only flaw was a bit under the neck in front of the front humbucker.

Seems good to me, changed to Schecter strap locks, personal preference.

Never had to deal with them, bought it from Long and McQuade and they are fantastic.

I just started playing bass about 2 years ago, I was primarily a six string both acoustic and electric. I took to the bass like a duck to water and it is now my main instrument. Strictly amateur but lots of fun.
If it was lost or stolen I would replace it, I love this bass even though I have only played a couple of others. I tried lots in the stores and this was the one for me.

The physicals features have been covered many times. I will say that for the money, I don't know how you can pass this up. The two humbuckers offer a great deal of range... they are not the most powerful pups out there but look at the price. It is light and comfortable for hours of play. The laminated maple top and back look great. The neck scale is great for us guitar players.

At our last jam, we played Metallica, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Bush, and the Beatles. With a few adjustments to the pups and amp, it was ready to change directions. The best sound is clearly the acoustic tones you can pull out of it. It offers a warm natural sound. Even the true rockers in my group gave it a nod.

The neck came adjusted perfectly. Intonation took a minor adjustment which would have been needed anyway. The floating bridge comes with a plastic protector installed. I was expecting to pay for a set up. Not needed on mine. The frets were nicely finished. The body had no flaws. The flame is beautiful. Everyone keeps commenting on how great it looks.

Don't know yet. It's only two months old. If it is like my other Epiphones, if there is an issue, it will be handled. I purchased the big box store's extended warranty just the same.

No need yet. Chances are I won't ever need it.

Buy it. Don't even think about it. I have a friend who picked one up years ago for $400. He loves his. I ws sure there had to be a difference between the $399 versions of the 04-05 and the $250 version of today. We held them and played them side by side. We couldn't see and significant changes. This bass is a steal!

The finish and look of the instrument could not be better. The tuners are bigger that the Hofner, which makes it easy to tune. I use it as a bass for around the house. It is small and semi hollowed bodied; so you can play without an amp and it doesn't take up much space. The short scale makes it a fun and practical instrument.

The viola bass has two pick-ups for differnet styles. You can get a stand up bass feel with one pick, with two a rock feel. The pick-ups are humbuckers that really deliver. At one jam the guitarist said my amp was loud for a small one, but it wasn't that it was the Viola's humbucking pick-ups. It has a warm likeable tone to the instrument that everyone I have come in contact with likes.

My bass wasn't set up from the factory. I ordered it specially. It can take alot of time to get it set up just right,and if it is not set up right it will go out of tune easy. I set the bass at the G string as low as I can, which brings the strings closer to the instrument. The E string I set higher because of buzzing and tuning. It seems I can get a truer pitch at the higher end with the bridge raised a bit on the E string. With the floating bridge you can't be play it as hard as other basses, yet the Viola is sturdy.

It is a very durable bass for a hollowed bodied instrument. The finish has to be relatively solid with the foating bridge; or the paint would strip off when you postion the bridge on the bass. When I change strings I have to take the bridge all the way off the instrument, and I noticed no marks at all after doing this. I have a picture of the bass I use as a guide for putting the bridge back on the instrument.

I have played bass for many years, abouts 35. Compared to other bases the Viola is more comfortable. I have Tendonitis in my hand and this bass gives my hand less stress than others that I have tried. I will have this bass for as long as I live. It is fun, sounds good, and looks good.

Bought new in early 2004. Paid $AU 189 extra for fitted case. Price has actually fallen, you can now get them for about 25 bucks less.

Hollow laminated body, with almost bookmatched top and bottom, no F holes. 30.5" scale with zero fret and rosewood fingerboard. Floating bridge with tailpiece. 2 passive mini humbuckers with 2 volume/1 tone. Violin 'Beatle Bass' shape. It looks like the side and 'binding' is actually one multi coloured piece of black/white plastic, possibly with a wooden back.

Same tuners as are used on numerous other cheaper instruments. Rating was marked down slightly because of the 2 Vol/1 tone setup. I would prefer a pickup switch.

Not suited to slap or lowered tunings.

See also other reviews for other features.

I play my age.... Mostly 50's, 60's rock and pop with some later rock and pop. No slapping, popping or detuning for me. I primarily play with my thumb, the original strings do give a nice midrange thump but they are cheap, the large diameter winding wire makes them rough and quite floppy. Pickups are LOUD for passives.

I am strictly amateur and play through either a Yamaha PA or Bass Cube 30 (mostly on the Bassman setting), very rarely with effects. The pots are dead silent and the mini humbuckers are very low noise.

I recently changed to a set of Thomastik-Infield Jazz flatwounds. You need medium scale (32") strings because of the length of the tailpiece. The difference was immediately obvious. The instrument is now one of the most versatile around.

No more floppy strings and the sound is unbelievable. You can go all the way from a classic rock thump on the neck pickup to a Danelectro like hollow 'thunk' on the bridge with lots of treble (with or without a pick).

Very versatile instrument (for its intended market that is).

Very high standard of build. No adjustment required for me straight out of the box. No flaws in the finish. Fretwork is well done. No buzzing or flat spots. Good chromework. The tuners feel loose but stay in tune. The only possible flaw is that the G string tuner is very slightly misaligned compared to the others. However it took me a while to notice, and you wouldn't notice unless it was pointed out.

The floating bridge and tailpiece are an obvious problem with rough treatment. I would recommend the fitted case, although they are specific to the instrument and therefore tend to be expensive. The finish is thick and should last without any problem. A pickguard would make the Viola look more like a 'Beatle Bass'. However if you play with a pick the body curve is such that it shouldn't be a problem.

Strap buttons are quite deep but the top button is on the back of the neck heel. The strap leans back a bit and if you use a skinny vintage style strap like me it could easily come off. I fitted Schaller straplocks.

Truss rod has never needed adjustment, even when the flatwounds were fitted (they have a higher tension than the original strings).

No reason to think this instrument will be less reliable than a solid body, provided you protect it.

Rating marked down slightly because of the extra cost of buying the straplocks. Factor in the cost of a case and deal harder when you buy !!!!

Never dealt with Epiphone but the local dealer (Better Music) is excellent.

Have had a guitar for 20 years. Switched to bass about 4 years ago. I have gone through several instruments (Yamaha RBX 170, Danelectro Longhorn)in the last couple of years to make up for lost time. I currently also have one other short scale (Fender Mustang) plus a Japanese '51 P Bass and a Belman (Aussie made) active Jazz style bass.

The Viola is much better built and more versatile than the Dano but due to the shape is not as comfortable to play, either seated or standing. It also suffers from a bit of neck dive which seems to be typical of small bodied basses (funnily enough mostly Gibson/Epiphone guitar shaped basses).

The Mustang is better built and much more ergonomic (it's really in a higher price bracket). However the sound isn't as versatile.

An ideal instrument for classic rock. I would recommend you try and do a package deal with the extras (case, straplocks) and maybe even the flatwounds (or better quality roundwounds). The original strings really are rubbish.

The facts:

This is a 2003 Epiphone Bass, made in Korea (don't know which).
22 frets, 4 strings, 30 5/8" from nut to bridge.

It's marked as a 2nd, but I have no idea why. It's perfectly
functional and sounds great.

This instrument has a hollow body with an arched top
and back, but no f-holes.

Two passive pickups, don't know what type (solid metal
rectangular -- hey, I'm not a hardware guy, I'm software!)

I'm still getting used to the controls. This is a three-knob
job, with separate volumes for the bridge and neck pickups
and a single bass-treble control. It does give all the
sounds I've looked for so far.

The finish is a nice sunburst effect.

The bridge is floating (i.e. not fixed to the body, and
the intonation can only be adjusted by moving the individual
metal bridge pieces into one of four slots each. Fortunately
the intonation was nearly perfect when I bought this
axe (from a brick-and-mortar store).

The tuners are good -- nice and wide, and I've had no problems
tuning this axe, and it stays in tune even though I pluck
rather hard.

This bass came with no extras -- I heft it around in a padded
gig bag that I bought separately. It's sturdy enough to be
placed even not-so-gently in the back seat of my car.

I'm a former guitarist turned bass player (strictly amateur).
I play rock'n'roll oldies: Zep, Clapton, Stones, Doors, Beatles,
etc., but I'm also a fan of blues, some jazz, and some (but
only some!) commercial stuff. This bass suits these styles
very nicely.

I do not use any effects with this bass. I chose it because
it speaks very plainly -- like an upright string bass. The
on-board electronics are all the variation that I need for my
style and taste.

This bass has a nice tone that at its extremes echo every finger
movement or can be toned down to give only the most subtle
accompaniment. I can't see it doing head-pounding music.

I have little experience either recording or playing live, but
I believe that this bass is up to both.

This is a gorgeous instrument.

The action is perfect, as far as I can tell. No buzzing at all.
Great height.

The pickups were too low for me, so I raised them a bit. I pluck
hard (for that upright bass sound) so they didn't have to come up
too far.

I've scrutinized this machine pretty closely, and played it a lot
in the month that I've had it, and I have yet to find a serious
flaw.

I like a thumb rest, and I can use the pickups to some extent,
but I'll probably have to have one put between them as well.

I don't have much experience with live playing, but I think
a conscientious player should have no problem with this bass.

The hardware seems just fine.

The finish is definitely delicate. There's no pick guard but
my picking style (I mostly pluck) will probably not require one.

N/A. Haven't had to call them. Don't expect to.

Overall opinion:

I bought this bass when I was looking for an inexpensive
short-scale instrument. I'd decided on the Fender
Precision Bass Jr. on specs alone, but when I had the
chance to play the two face-to-face, the Viola Bass
was clearly superior.

The only thing I'd wish for that this bass doesn't have
is controls like my telecaster: separate volume and
tone, and a five-way switch. I still may have someone
do this modification.

I love this bass!

This bass is apparently made in Korea, but that is not a deterrent.
It's light weight and gorgeous looks are what attracted me, and I
obtained this one (sold as "6 month old") on eBay for $350 U.S.
I was able to find a good fitting case at a large music retailer.
The neck is only one and one-half inches wide at the nut, which is
just like my old Mosrite bass that was getting too heavy after
thirty odd years.
What I didn't like was the Viola's TWO volume controls instead of
a pickup selector switch, so after two on-stage jobs, I installed
a 3-position rotary switch in place of one volume control, and wired
the other as a master volume control.

With two pickups and a tone control, I can get all the sounds I want,
whether I'm backing up cajun or bluegrass fiddlers, or playing surf
and Ventures type stuff. It seems to be set up very good for finger
picking, but I get the odd string rattle when I pick it hard with
the nail of my index finger (a habit left over from using a pick in
the past). It came with round-wound strings, but I intend to install
flatwounds, mostly to prevent fret wear.

Everything seems to be set up very well, but this may be because it
had a previous owner. He says he wasn't really a bass player, and bought it on a whim, before learning he was about to become a dad.
Construction seems to be very high quality, with smooth edges everywhere.
I was concerned about the ease with which the tuning pegs
can be turned, but after two on-stage gigs, and no required re-tuning,
I am no longer worried.

The instrument has a solid feel, and appears to be of quality
construction. The new strap I bought for it has tight slots for the
strap buttons, so I feel safe that it won't come loose.I don't jump
around on stage, so I trust this bass completely. I've used it twice
without a backup, and will continue to do so.

No warranty on used guitars, but as an electronics tech, I
am not worried. If you would like a schematic of the bass
with the pickup selector installed, just e-mail me and I'll
reply with the image attached.

I've played bass since the mid sixties, mostly with a 2 pickup
Mosrite. I use a Fender Bassman 25 for small venues, and a Traynor
Group One (2X15s) for others. If I lost this bass, I would quickly
start looking for another one just like it. Of course, I would again
replace one volume control with a 3-way rotary switch for selecting
either or both pickups.

Purchased new in 2003. Korean made. Two mini humbuckers with lots of punch & bottom end. Passive electonics. Floating bridge, some reviews say it has a center block in the hollow body, but I don't believe so. You can play it without an amp for practice. Mine has Grover tuners. Beatiful neck, great action.

Wide variety of sounds, perfect for Beatles, blues, rockabilly, C&W, some progressive rock like Yes, Rush, or ELP. Probably not for metal or punk style. You can get everything from a well rounded thump to a warm low purr from it. Very rich sound. I will however switch to flatwound strings on the first change; the factory ones are a little "twangy" if you don't muffle them a bit with your palm (I play with a pick). Only one dislike; no pickguard. I am having one custom made.

Action is fast and no buzzing on the frets, I adjusted the bridge up slightly on the E end. I also raised the neck pickup as it was too low; it improved the low end considerably. No flaws at all.

I have not gigged with it yet, but don't anticipate any problems. Very sturdy bass. Feels substantial in your hands.

No dealings with them so far, although they did reply immediately to my e-mail request for a pickguard (they do not supply).

Been playing guitar for 35 years. Always wanted to learn bass too. Have Epi 335 Dot, Epi Hummingbird, 30 yr old Gibson Flying V and an old Les Paul copy. I would replace the Viola if lost. I chose it because it not only is fun to play but it looks great too. Great aesthetic appeal. Very nostalgic.

Not sure of exact year. Bought in 2003. 22-fret 4-string. Flame maple top. Passive mini-humbucker pickups. Maple set neck. Classic violin-shaped body.

Awesome classic Beatle-bass sound. Vintage thump works great for old & some new rock. Warm semi-acoustic tone.

Set-up & action was near perfect when I bought this baby off the rack. Made a few minor adjustments & it was ready to go. Input jack & all 3 control knobs work perfect as well. Intonation is dead on.

This bass will definitely withstand live gigging. Strap locks are a definite must for this bass, though. I would gig without a backup using only this bass. Those guys at Epiphone know their s**t !

Haven't had to contact them.

I've been playing bass guitar for about 17 years now, and have gone through about 20 basses so far. I also own a Spector 4-string bass which I run through a Peavey T-MAX amp & 4x10 cab. I love this bass. For that vintage semi-hollow tone, you can't beat the quality & sound at this price. I've tried many other "Macca" copies out there, and nothing comes close to the Viola. If it were stolen, I'd definitely track down another of these beauties. Awesome bass !

well all of the features at at epiphone.com but a few stand out

i really love the 2 mini humbuckers... its sort of like a dream come true... having a bass with humbuckers! also this is an extremely beautiful instrument... the finish is fantastic! there is no pick guard which is fine by me sence i dont use picks. the bridge is not connected... which means if you take off all the strings... nothing good will come of it... but there is no real reason to take off all the strings at once anyways... one at a time is much better for the instrument. i bought mine used, so it came with a soft case. i would liked to have had the hard shell... but what can you do? also i added flatwound strings... making it sound much better... i suggest everyone do this. The three knobs on it are two volume and a tone... one volume for each pick-up... the way they are put on the bass is very attractive... i truly love them... but would possably consider new tuning pegs.

This bass is great for my style of play. I play a lot of classic rock such as the beatles... im a huge beatles fan, i have been listening to them sence i was 8 years old... but im sure most everyone buying this bass is a fan of theirs. I play in a rock band... and the beatles are one of our biggest influences, making this bass very nice. Also my guitarist will be purchasing a semi-hollow guitar very soon. That will sound very nice when played with this bass. I would not advise this for heavy rock.... that simply isnt what this instrument was designed for. This bass produces a very warm, welcoming sound.

Very well put together.... quite sturdy. It was inspected and set up in the US. I get minor buzzing past the 12th fret on my A string.... but nothing worth worry. There are no flaws in my finish... at least none that i have seen. I am pleased with the cunstruction of this bass.

So far, no problems, so i cant say it isn't reliable. There is but 1 scratch in the finish on the back of the neckboard... and i am not sure how it got there... i did get this bass used. I wouldnt use this bass live without a back-up, but thats not because i dont trust it, its because i have had problems with basses in the past... though i seem to have less trouble with passive basses.

havent had to deal with them

I also have owned a warwick... which i would advise no one to own... mine died after 3 months of play! and trust me, i treated it very well... i have also owned a squier (my first) and truly do love it... but more for sentamental value than for playing. During the two gigs my warwick was in the shop i played a fender jazz bass which buckdancers let me borrow for free because they were fixing mine (what great people!) and i thought it was alright... If i were to lose it i would probably buy it all over again! I love how it looks, feels, sounds... the only problem is that the neck weights considerably more than the head... but its hollow... so thats to be expected. Overall i love this bass, but i also think it is only for a certain style of play, it really isnt made for everyone... so only buy it if u know it is right for you.