Hohner B2-ADB headless

This is an update to my previous review - username Ruppertjiles.

I indicated in my last review that the control cavity cover didn't have threaded inserts into the body but I was wrong. They were painted over and I didn't see the brass/metal inserts because of that but they are there.

I took it in for a pro setup and it will take a fret level and dress to get the action down more. It's fairly high now but it's not hard to play and notes ring clear so it doesn't concern me and I'm not going to invest in a fret level at this time.

Gigging with it as my main bass and I'm very happy with the tones I'm getting. Plus it is a bit of a novelty bass and get's looked over a lot by other players and audience memebers.

2007 Korean made 4 string with gloss black finish, neck-thru maple\rosewood neck, 2 EMG humbuckers, 2 volume controls, 1 concentric bass\treble control, active\passive switch with a red LED, a de-tunable E string that???s activated by a lever on the side of the bridge and tuned to the desired pitch by a knob on top of the bridge (I???ve only used it for drop D but I believe it will go lower) and a lap brace for seated playing. The output level of the active mode is adjustable.
It's an attractive bass and a good facsimile of the 'boat oar' Steinberger (a term used with total reverence and respect for NS), but made of wood not composite materials. I expected it to be light, and it sort of is, but I think my 5 string Yamaha BB415 may be lighter or about the same. Accepts dual ball end strings out of the box but I don???t know if it can be converted to accept single ball strings.

I???ve never owned EMG pickups but I???m very impressed with the pups in this bass. In active mode you can dial in a tone for most playing situations; important for me since I play in cover bands. The tones range from round and deep to bright and cutting, all of them usable. I don???t care much for the passive mode on this bass, it???s too thin and anemic sounding. The sustain is more than adequate and I haven???t noticed any dead spots in the neck or other sound quirks. I wouldn???t really see a fusion player, jazzer, or funk/slap master buying one of these, however with some tone tweaking it could fit in with all of those styles plus the traditional rock, country, and blues. That being said, Alexis Sklarevski slaps the crap out of a Steinberger in his best selling video, 'The Slap Bass Program'.

The first thing I noticed was that it felt like I was really reaching out to play on the first 1 or 2 frets; they feel a long way off in the distance compared to any of my other basses. So much so I had a little forearm strain for the first week but I got used to it very quickly. The bass intonated farily well up and down the neck when I received it but I???m taking it in for a professional setup. While the action is high there???s no string buzz and notes ring really clear. As another reviewer pointed out the bass stays in tune very well but is sensitive to temperature changes.

Playing is easy with minimal effort needed to bring the string to the fret board. Bending is much easier than with my other basses. After getting use to it this bass has a wonderful feel to it. I haven???t noticed any flaws in the electronics or finish although the concentric bass\treble control strikes me as a little low quality in the way it turns and in that it feels a little flimsy. The detune lever on the side of the bridge may get in your way if you like to play back by the bridge. Looking for a place to rest your thumb? Probably won???t find it on this bass, it???s a little weird but it is what it is.

Feels very solid except for the tone control but I wouldn???t gig without a backup for this bass. Also you need to remove the control cavity cover to change the battery and there???s no metal inserts for the screws, its right into the wood. I was nervous changing the battery. The entire assembly comes out and it would be easy to tear a wire. Follow the advice of another reviewer and unplug the bass before changing the battery. I???m a little concerned over the strap buttons and don???t know if there solid enough but that???s a minor concern.

Lucky for us that the headless designs have regained so much popularity because finding strings is very easy now and are made by most of the major manufactures, even in flat round. Because the dual ball strings don???t get twisted and weakened at one end like traditional strings I believe I could put a dual ball set on, use them a while, take them off, put another set on, then put the first set back on without worrying about tone loss or breakage. Theoretically I could flip back and forth between flat and round wounds without breaking the bank. But I haven???t tried it so it???s just a theory.

I???ve been to the Hohner website and it seems OK, although if you expect a manual, brochure, or even a pamphlet about your bass, it???s features, setup, etc, it???s not available as far as I know. I got one sheet of paper with some info on it about my bass (and the same sheet covers the headless guitars as well!). Others have reported good response from Hohner and the company has been around a long time. Actually if I need anything for this bass I???ll go to our local repair shop.

I???ve played bass and guitar for 34 years and own a Yanaha BB415, a G&L Tribute L2500, an old Japaneese hollow body, and a 70s Fender Jazz. I have an Eden WT800, a GK 700RB II, and a Behringer bass head, all through Avatar 2X10, 1X15, and/or 4X10 cabs, Furman power protection and BBE Sonic Maximizer. I???d like to have a Sadowsky, a Stingray, a Lakland, and on and on but the reality is they make really good basses cheap these days, and you don???t have to worry about scratching them or having them stolen. I bought the Hohner for its vibe for an 80s band I???m playing in at the moment, but after I got it I fell in love with the overall tone and feel. It???s truly great bass to add to your collection and at six bills including shipping and a hard shell case, a no-brainer. I didn???t look at other headless models, i.e., Cort, Synapse, or the Music Yo offerings. I saw this on Ebay and bought it because of the reviews and the well recognized name of the Hohner company. If they???d add a place to rest your thumb and beef up the tone control I???d have no complaints at all. As it is today, I???d buy this bass again, no doubt. I rated this bass high, but I feel anyone, causal player, working musician, or weekend warrior, would be extremely happy with the tone, playability, durability, and sweet vibe of this bass.

top bass

Great tonal capability for such a budget bass.

nice low action.Pickups are fine.Jack socket wore out and left the lead very loose in socket.Everything else fine.

Definately stands up to gigging and studio work.The finish is very strong with just the odd bump on mine due to copious amounts of alcohol consumed.Strap buttons i made myself on my lathe at home which i custom designed to suit strap.I use the jack bass everyday, whether its just going through modes,or going to a local gig.

never needed them

played 10 years.
Own fretless jazz bass.

Its a top bass suited to amateurs and pro's alike.

Made in Korea;24Frets;2xVolume,1xTreble,1xBass,active/passiv Switch with LED; "x EMG Humbucker; Active and passiv is switchable,the output in the active mode is regulated by a small poti at the backside, the state if active or passive is shown by a red LED;Body:solid maple ;neck-thru (maple), rosewood fingerboard;
Looks like the "Paddel" of Steinberger, but made of wood;detuneable bridge

This bass could be used for nearly all styles. The Humbuckers are abolutely noiseless. I use ich for slapping also for fingerpicking. Because you can switch between active and passive mode there is a wide varity of sound possible. This bass has a lot of sustain and beats every other bass I've benn played or tested before!
If you boost the lower frequencies in the active mode your heart will start tremble.
I think it could be used in studio as on stage, because the handling of this instrument is wonderful.

The Bass was checked in the store before i saw it, therefore i got a well playable instrument.

For a Gig its a good decicion. Ich you have to change a string its done in 20 to 30 seconds, including tunig!!! because of the double ball system. You also can't hardly detune the strings.

Got easily informations by internet also by post from germany. it took some time (about 2 Weeks, but it worked)

The bass is wonderful to play. The handling is perfect and the small body is filled with all technical features used today. I also enjoy the detuneable bridge. You can tune the E-string down to C during playing; back to E and you are still in tune!
The only big problem are the strings. You need doubleballs and those are definitly not available in the shops in Austria!!!! There's also no possibility to order them by a shop, don't ask me why.
Therefore the Rating is just 8. It's a wonderfull bass which should get a 10, but the availability of the strings is a real problem in austria.