Hohner B Bass

Bought my B-Bass IV new May, 2007. I think it was made that year. It cost me $700 Canadian, which was way below list ($999 US). It is made in USA from solid AAA maple and has the quilt maple top. The entire bass is has a transparent cherry red finish (very nice). The body is the standard shape and perhaps slightly smaller than most basses. It's a neck-thru design with 24 frets and a rosewood fretboard.

It has two jazz-style Select by EMG pickups. There's a switch to go from passive to active mode. There are two volume control knobs and a bass/treble knob stack. The mid range is controled by a small, inset plastic "screw" in the back of the bass which controls the pre-amp's active level (i.e., volume/mid range).

The Steinberger bridge has fine tuners with a d-tune switch for the E string. The fine tuner for this string only affects the string when drop tuned. This allows you to use the Hip Shot Y tuners to tune the bass regularly and adjust the d-tuned string without affecting the regular tuning. Very nice option in my opinion.

This bass is fairly bright sounding because of the solid maple construction. The Rosewood fretboard mellows it a bit (which I really like), but not much. The jazz pickups are brighter (i.e., more mid-range) than I'm used to using. (I usually use umbuckers which are very full, but kind of equal on tone.) It is bright without being "tinny" which is likely due to the rosewood fretboard. It responds very well to finger style and you can slap/pop with great response, but still smooth enough to not get that tinny twang. I don't use a pick with this one much because it's too bright. Played a few Lamb of God tunes to demo it with a pick and d-tune. Sounded ok, but much better when fingers used to reduce the attack noise.

No hum or static. I have used it in jams and it was great. It will be my backup bass on stage until I complete my 5-string project. Never used it to record, but I'd have no issues with this. I'm in the studio within the next few weeks. If I use it, I'll edit this part.

I always have the bass/treble stack set at 100%, same with volume knobs unless I'm dialing out one of the pickups. I usually use it in passive mode, which has a somewhat full sound with a bit more mid-range. When I use active mode the EQ probably resembles a V (high bass, low mid, high treble) which is closer to my usual tone, but still brighter than my favorite/preferred bass (Ibanez SR885 5-string with humbuckers). Of course, I bought it for the somewhat brighter tone and response to practice slap/pop style. . . . I still need practice! LOL!

I use a rack-mount system (power conditioner, tuner, sound maximizer, Ampeg SVT-3 Pro) with Trace Elliot cabs (4x10 & 1x15). It sounds very nice through this rig. I use a NADY bass wireless and a Boss ME-50B between the wireless and rack (mainly for the limiter and nose gate properties).

The sound it nice and clear with each note easily articulated. If you run heavy OD/Distortion, sustained notes sound good and slow rhythms as well. Play quickly or chord some notes and it's a mess. Humbucker style pickups solve this problem since my other basses don't seem to suffer this issue and they all have at least one each.

Bass was set up well out of the factory. I took it to a guy I trust to set up all my gear and he lowered the action slightly. The factory strings were "sticky." It felt like my fingers got stuck in the grooves and there was excessive finger noise. Changed to D'Addario stings and it went away. Using GHS Boomers now and also no issues with finger noise.

Pickups were/are fine. No flaws in the finish. This bass plays very well and is the only 4-string I use. It's fun and fast. Perfect for my style and genre (fingers playing metal). The entire neck seems to vibrate or rattle a bit on certain notes, likely some sort of sympathetic resonance frequency thing going on. However, it does not come through when playing with an amp. So, it's of minor consequence.

So far, the bass has been reliable and I have no issues/complaints/suspicions that it would negate that opinion. Hohner has used quality parts and great craftsmanship to yield a terrific product. Most stores don't carry them. Perhaps worst, most bassists won't deviate from their Fender (gag!), MusicMan, Warwick, or whatever to try one out. Pitty! This is a quality bass that offers a lot for a great price.

N/A

Never used, but I think the warranty is lifetime.

This is a great bass! At the time that I bought this bass I was looking at the Peavey Grind and Schecter Elite 4. The Grind was great and had a low price. The Schecter had the EMG humbuckers I'd normally look for. I went with the Hohner because of the features and I didn't have a bass with jazz pickups. If it were stolen, I'd get another. If that was too much of a hassle, I'd get the Schecter.

When shopping for a bass, give everything a try, even if it's not you usual thing. You might find a gem. More importantly, it'll be your secret weapon and you'll stand out against all the usual suspects.

i bought my 4 string hohner b bass 15 years ago it came with 24 frets an active/passive option, emg pick-ups,de-tuner black gloss finish and it cost ??320

i've played mainly rock/funk with this bass and used a hartke rig.it gave me a full tone and found that i had quite a range on the tones to suit any style of music.i now play a warwick and the difference would be that the hohner didnt have as much sustain or growl at the bottom end...but then the warwick was four times the price!

everything was spot-on with the settings and still looks like new now considering its probably done close to 800 gigs and hours of rehearsals!

never had a problem with this bass and it has never let me down,i've never had a back-up bass i completely trusted this bass...infact its my backup bass now!

never had anything go wrong with it so i've never had to use customer support

to sum this bass up i would say its a solid,reliable work horse.i have had many many great times with it...well worth the money and i'll never part with it

Active + Passive electronics (switchable).
Good response on tone knobs (depending on quality of sound system).
Drop tuner is a great add-on for a 4-string bass, works well (though lately I've had a hard time setting it up, not sure what happened).
I've got the dark black finish and it is BEAUTIFUL!

For the price, this thing sounds AMAZING. I bought it for $350 from a local shop (owned by a 70+ year old man and now out of business so this might be way lower than normally offered). The sound is more of a rock style, but that's exactly what I'm using it for.

As a point of reference, my bass player has a $1200 Gibson 5-string and he uses MY HOHNER when we play live. I must have lucked out here. I hope they all sound this good.

In order of my skill/knowledge: Guitar, Drums, Keys, Bass...I know nothing about this bass as far as these details...no opinion. I know sound because I've been running it for 10 years, but I don't know what makes a bass have good action.

Although, like I said above, the finish is amazing...absolutely love it.

The Drop-D switch has some issues now, but they are likely due to my lack of knowing what I did. It worked at first, now it's having issues.

The stacked tone knobs for use with the active pickup gave out (see below for how Hohner handled the support).

Even given these issues, I know how bad my stuff gets beaten up, and this bass has held its own.

I put a call in to see how much a replacement knob would be. All I needed was the actual pot, but no questions asked they sent me the whole device for free. I got it quickly and it was more than enough to solve my problem.

I've had this thing for a long time and paid next to nothing for it compared to how great it is. I love this bass. I brag about it as much as I brag about my Taylor acoustic (and it costs quite a bit more).

Four string, 24 frets, drop tuner at bridge, active/passive toggle switch, two tone knobs, volume.

I've used this as a reserve bass for gigs and recording and have had no problem with it.

It's been ran through a Trace cab and sounded excellent, but sound is lost through cheap bass amps. You really need the volume to really appreciate the true sound.

I was given this bass so the action was okay when I got it, although the intonation can be a bitch on this thing. But a little adjusting here and there and it's nothing to be concerned about.

I prefer to use five or six strings, so this bass is mainly for reserve. I've used it on stage a few times and it will take a pounding although the strap buttons and input jack will become loose in a short space of time.

The drop tuner at the bridge is reliable (if set up properly) as I used this recently for a Pantera coverset and it saved time on having to tune/retune through the set.

The finish is tough and takes a lot to get through that laminate.

Never dealt with them in the seven years I've had this thing.

A nice guitar which holds its own during recording, gigs, practise or just jamming and sounds shithot with slight distortion or fuzz =)

I bought this bass second hand from my guitar teachers friend who was selling it because he bought himself a stingray.
My model has two singlecoil pickups and is both active and passive!
It also has a drop-d tuner at the (steinberger) bridge.
Switch between active and passive with the a flick of the switch.

This bass is quite rocky but it wouldnt sound bad in other genres.
The tone is outstanding for its price and gets even better once the pre-amp is on.

I bought it second hand, so i dont know how it was set up at the factory but the action was perfect!
The only flaw i noticed was the soldering in the pre-amp which i got re-soldered for a cheap price.
The plain wooden finish is very good and the wood is very resonant.

This bass can take a beating, its been dropped down the stairsand bashed against the wall (accidentally) a few times! I think it would fare well live and i would gig without backup.
The finish on this bass wont wear off because it doesnt have one!
The strap buttons are solid as a rock a the truss rod hasnt been adjusted in the 2 years i've had this bass!

er...i have no idea

I own a fender american deluxe precision bass and this, and they are both in the same tone range. Considering i spent 1300 euros on the fender and 15 quid on this...
I love the bass's looks and most of all the warm tone. The pre-amp and drop d tuner make this bass perfect!
if you see one of these beautys, buy it!

1995 Hohner Professional B-Bass, 24 frets, rosewood neck, solid body and 'thru' neck. Two volume controls, one active volume and tone control, active switch with LED, 2x Select emg single bar pickups, natural finish, steinberger tuning bridge with Drop B lever.Adjustable pre-amp, battery holder, 2 strap buttons on base. Packed!

Full range of sounds. Bit limited without the pre-amp on as there is no tone control. With pre-amp on, the sounds achievable are very good. One problem is that in 'active mode' it eats through batteries like pigs through swill. Very good for stage work, adequate sound for studio. Not a distinctive sound, but good nevertheless. Lacks a deep gutteral growl. Active setting along with the single pickups a bit more harsh than warm, lacking a mellow sound.

Everything about this bass exuded quality from the moment I opened the box. Top quality finish, quality hardware, set up excellent.

Action very good indeed, although neck very flat in profile - might prove cumbersome for some, but very good for me.

This bass has been through hell over the past 8 years I've owned it. I've gigged, practiced, accidentally set fire to it, even thrown a television at it and it still remains solid as a rock. No fittings have come loose (aprt from a volume control that snapped off - see above), tuners still amazing, neck brilliant. Finish still top notch (albeit with a few knocks to the lacquer coat, but not the wood itself). The electrics are good quality although I have had to adjust the jack plug input on one occassion for a faulty connection.

Not needed to contact them

Been playing for fifteen years. Own various other basses, all completely different to this. This bass is my "Ol' Faithful". It's the one bass I can always rely on. It looks the part, feels the part, is made from absolute quality and will not ever let me down. The sound though is not distinctive enough for me to rate it as my favourite, but in every other respect this bass is the business. Have never really used the drop B Tuner switch though although as a little tip, by using it as a mini tremelo arm on the e-string you can get some class effects. Prefer to use a five string though in preference. The Steinberger bridge though is excellent. It never goes out of tune, is easy to adjust and just exudes quality. Excellent.

Bought new in 1993 w/gig bag. Paid $958.00. Made perhaps in Japan or USSA. "Hohner professional B Bass." W/Steinberger (lic) bridge (massive) w/drop tuning on E-string which can tuned down as far as low B w/.125 metal string (perhaps lower w/larger string.) Quich flip switch for drop tuning. Fine screw tuners at other three saddles. 22 fret - mediun size frets. Hard maple wood neck-thru-body. Solid wood, neck has three/four ply construction. 34" scale. Rosewood fretboard. Dot inlay markers. Abalone "H" in headstock. Very cool.
Gotoh tuners. Active Select/EMG pick-ups. Knobs: vol., vol.,treble/bass, active/passive switch w/LED light. Very cool. Beautiful natural satin finish. Has two strap screws at base: stands up nicely. And adjusts very quick for comfort. Very comfortable and fast neck. Slim & trim and tapers nicely. Holds 9v battery for actives. Also has pre-adjust: low / high screw at outside of plastic
back plate.
Very solid instrument build w/integrity.

Great sound! W/actives on she'll cut through. Passive sound is more mellow. Little or No hum pick-ups. Rich sound from lows to mids to highs. Nice variations. Slaps nicely. It suited all my styles of music:
classic rock, blues, country-rock, jazz & jazz-fusion. Great stage instrument. Sounds good on live recordings. Great sustain. And when the battery goes she doesn't die, you can still play it in passive mode. But sounds best w/fresh battery. Note. In active position, light dims when battery is going. Note. Amps with high/low inputs. Use high imput w/passive setting, and low input w/actives on.

Set-up was fine, action fine, pickups were fine. Finish fine. Everything was fine. Quality parts.
Great quality control and craftsmanship.

This is a solid instrument. All its used for is live performence.
No "back-up" needed. I have only needed to adjust neck a couple times
in almost ten years. Bridge a few times for different action.
Saddles a few times for different string size intonation. I maintain my own instruments. I have had only a couple problems:
Volume knob came off. I replaced. Drop tune threads stripped last year. Probably because I dropped it the first day I bought it, it bounced on concret steps entering my home after a jamming with a fusion group that night. Cheap gig bag clasp slipped off shoulder strap. Tuner screw bent inside mount threads, all of which are very fine. Hey, it still lasted for almost nine years. This bass has also fallen over many times; "takes a lickin and keeps on tickin!"
Maybe someday they'll invent a decent stand, til then I'll lean her up
against the amp. I've played a lot of gigs with her carrying her in that cheap bag. I have a case but they're too balky.

Good question. I recently emailed them about a replacement bridge, like
yesterday. If I don't hear from them, I'll buy my next instrument, a 5-string bass from another manufacturer. They're loss.

Out of the past ten years I've only been playing bass guitar for five years. But have played guitar since I was eleven and played with bands since the age of fourteen or so. This is my only bass at present. I have a couple Lp guitars and a 3/4 flat-top which I practice on.
I have several bass amps: Peavey TNT-160, Peavey Mark VI head, and a Randal 2000 bass bi-amp. I usually play through two cabs w/15" SPN & 15" BW. I compared it when I bought it and it beat all the others for sound and comfort. (Not to skinny and not to wide, just right.) I like all the features. It it were "lost or stolen", I'd miss it, but would buy something else comparable. Note. My bass is a fine instrument for when it was made, the new ones I've seen nowadays don't compare in quality.
If you're looking for one try and fine an older model. Rock on amigos!

Retails at $825 without case. This late 90's model 4 string bass is maple neck-thu with a 24 fret rosewood fretboard. It has 2 tone controls and a double volume knob (I would much rather 2 volume knobs) along with an active/passive selector switch. Scale is 34". The pickups are 2 J-EMG select active pickups with the bridge pickup offset. The active pickups are puchier than passives but the bridge pickup on mine seems a little weak. The passive setting works better with blues or melow playing. Active is not quite as stong as I would like, and not as much tone variety as I expected. That being said, you can get nice sounds out of this bass if you experiment a little. The bridge is a Steinberger detunable bridge. It has a drop D switch which is a novelty that I don't really use. The bridge is very easy to adjust. At first I was afraid to play with it, but the intonation was off, so after 10-15 minutes of messing with it I got her fixed up. The best thing about this bass is the feel. It has a jazz neck and is light easy to play. I had bought a B Bass B as a backup. It is a lower end model (bolt on neck, passive pickups, traditional bridge) but it felt great to play. So, I sold my main bass and bought the B Bass. I still have the B Bass B as a backup.

I currently play punk, rock, and blues. The passive setting works great for blues. I don't use a pick, and wanted active pickups to ad punch for punk sound. The active EMG's are ok for most of the alternative rock stuff, but I still don't have that "Green Day" punk sound. I have more of a "Social Distortion" sound. This bass would be great for jazz. I has a conservitave look to it. More like a music major's bass than a rocker,s. As I stated earlier, I was mildly disappointed in the tonal variety, but I can get by with it. I sometimes use a Korg multi-effects pedal to compensate when needed. I'm playing through a monster Acoustic 370 with a Warwick 400 watt 15" cab.

I bought the bass used, so I can't tell you how it came from the factory. I did my own intonation adjustment (which was a snap with the steinberger bridge). I was getting a slight buzz from fretting on the first fret from the A & G stings. I set them a little high to compensate. One day I'll get the fret shaved down. The contol knobs fell off very easily (I had the same problem with the B Bass B). I bent the control stems a little and fixed that. Wood and paint are great. My color is blood red--I don't think Hohner offers that color on this model anymore. The Steinberger Bridge show some fade or wear on the black paint, but nothing major. The electronics are quiet. Electronics have not given me any trouble yet.

This bass is neck through and feels solid. If the active electonics were to go out, the bass has a passive setting that could get you through a gig. I did put new felt under a strap button because the prior owner had taken it off. The bass has 2 stap buttons at the base, the top is more comfortable for me.

I've heard that there is a lifetime warranty. I've never delt with the company.

Don't expect it to sound like a $2,000 Warwick. But for a retail of $825, this is a bass that feels great and plays easily. The active EMG Selects aren't the best in the world, but you have a neck thru with some great qualities that you can usually find used pretty cheap. Because Hohner doesn't have a high collectable value, a player can buy a bass with some high end features used on ebay dirt cheap! I got a good deal on this bass. If it were stolen, I'd probably watch Ebay and buy another in the $200 range.