Jay Turser JTB-2B Violin Beatle Bass

I just received this bass---probably a 2002 model--bought from Jammers and Jerry on ebay. Most questions have been answered, so I'll just fill in my ideas. I purchased a case too, which is a perfect companion piece.

The sound is better than I thought it would be. It does closely resemble the Hofner. There was slight string-vibration, but I have raised the action a little, and it is much better now---a little more tweaking, and it will be perfect. Other then that, it is fantastic.

Came set up beautifully---as mentioned, I adjusted the action a bit. Finish is extremely nice for such a budget guitar. There are some marks on the back, which look almost like scuffs. They are in the middle, and are seen when looking at an angle. It appears to be underneath the clearcoat. Perfect besides this, and even that is virtually unseen. I think Jay Turser has listened to some of the other comments---my pickguard is extremely smooth, and doesn't need any sanding at all. Pickups and pick gaurd came with protective plastic, which I pealed off right away, leaving the shiny chrome to stand out nicely. All screws were perfectly seated, as well. From a few of the other posts, I think they have worked on their quality- control a little. Frets all are tight and smooth. One thing I notice is the outside black-plastic rim of the pick-ups has slight plastic sticking out in some spots, along the wood of the body. Probably along the same lines as the rought pick gaurd in other posts. Will easily come off with a few minutes work---I just haven't had time, what with all the playing!!

As for the durability, I think it is heavier than most give it credit for. I was expecting it to be like a feather reading the other posts, but it does have a nice balance and weight to it. I have a Peavey T-40, which is heavy with its solid wood construction. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the feel of this bass.
If you get a chance, buy a hard case if you can. I bought one for it from the same dealer, and it is awesome. Very well finished---comes with a key, which didn't seem to work, though! I would never need to lock it anyway!

Jerry from Jammers on Ebay was fantastic. I received it one day after payment was made, but I am only 90 miles away. Still incredible! Carefully packaged, too. I will give no opinion on this, because I haven't dealt with Turser's customer support.

Because of the great sound, beautiful finish, and extremely low cost, I give it a 10. If this was made in USA, and the very quality that this one is, this bass could fetch $500.

This bass cost me $220. I got a hardshell case for another $75. And replaced the strings to Rotosound Trubass Black Nylon MEDIUM scale (RS88M) for $30. I got the black with gold hardware JTB-2B model. It goes well with my custom VOX bass rig. http://www.zumbido.com/my_rig/my_rig.html

The tuners seem better than the original Hofner's. The tailpiece is shorter - causing the scale of this instrument to be 30.5 inches.

It's truly a copy. Fat, deep and characteristically a bit out of tune high-up-the-neck. More time spent on that issue would be necessary. But overall usable. A blast to play!

The bass was initially delivered set up well. I, however, immediately replaced the strings to Rotosound Trubass Black Nylon MEDIUM scale (RS88M) - just like Sir Paul used from Revolver through Let it Be. I had contacted Rotosound and it was suggested that I get the MEDIUM scale (32-34"). The tailpiece, on the Turser, is shorter than the Hofner and therefor the scale is actually 30.5 inches - a half-inch more than the Hofner! The MEDIUM scale allows for the needed extra string length over the nut and bridge. I was pleased with the pickup adjustment.

Appears to be reasonably durable. I play relatively hard, mostly with fingers, occassionally with a pick. The finish looks great. As to the metal plating, time will tell. Personally, I don't get the feeling, as others have stated, that the bass is frail. It is light weight, that's all.

No experience with JAMMERS MUSIC STORE other than the quick delivery after purchasing this bass on line. At this price I would not hesitate on buying another bass from them.

I have been playing since 1968. I at one time owned a Hofner Beatle bass. This JTB-2B is totally reminiscent of that instrument. I have not stopped being amazed at the quality of this bass - and for $220!

Just like everyone else, mine has all the standard features of a real hofner, but the tuning pegs are different (although I cant complain, because they hold their tuning really well). Also the part at the bottom of the guitar that holds the strings onto the guitar is a bit different. But this is relatively unnoticable to most people.

It sounds great! I've never played a hofner, but I cant imagine that it sounds much different. Once you record a bass track I would recomend tweaking with the EQ, but in the end you can get a sound almost exactly like Macca's

The bass looks and plays great! Ive never had anyone pick it up who didn't insist on having to buy there own because they were so impressed.

Being a hollow body, i did not expect it to hold up, but I've had it for over a year now, and despite my efforts to keep it out of harms way, it has been tested, and it has more than stepped up to the challange. The bass is still in perfect condition.

I dont know cause I havent had a problem with it, but I hope I never find out.

Overall, it is a 10. I bought it so that I would have a Hofner knock off because I could never afford a real hofner, and it has been everything that I could have imagined it would be. I love playing it, I love recording with it, and I love showing it off. Its an Unbelieveable guitar and every beatle fan should have one.

black finish gold hardware,2 pickups,pretty much like a 70's hofner but made in china

i am a picky s.o.b when it comes to sound, i want NO noise,lows where i want them to go,highs and brightness where i want them to go,too.i had 3 hofners in my life a 55,a 68,and a 70.they sounded good but a bit noisy,and a pain to to get the sound where you want it.this bass completely BLOWS THEM AWAY,i was not expecting much and i am very pleased.you can actually slap on this sucka! cant do that on a hofner

i had to readjust the neck,reseat some screws,fiddle with a few things,but hell i have had to do this with 2000 dollar basses to get them the way i like them so,this rating is negotiable, minus the neck adjustment.

have not really had it long enough to tell,so i will get back on this one,but i do not agree with a previous rater about a hofner not being able to take a beating,my 55 did not even have an adjustable neck and never went out of wack or out of tune in the 18 years i had it,and believe me it went thru some real canadian arctic weather.i feel this one could not put up with that kind of beating,but i could be wrong.

have not had to deal with them,so i will let you know as time progresses too.

i have to admit,i sold my hofners because i hated their ugly look(that brown sunbust,yucky!),and there uncontrolable sound,this one takes the best from hofner and adds a little common sense,and bam !you have a winner,plus much much less exspensive.but i will have to keep an eyeball on the durability,hofners were extremely well made.but that does not justify their high cost.

China made, 2000 I think...

I play rock; in fact a lot of 60-70s influenced rock. The notes at the low end of the bass are not clearly distinguishable, mid-range she sounds like a dream, esp. playing live and again not so great but okay at higher end. Studio use is out of question.

Super finish. Believe it: this baby looks incredibly beautiful the first time you pull it out. It's been 6 months and it still has that wonderful gloss.
The fit appears good. The action needed some adjustment at the bridge, (one string buzzed terribly initially) but was pretty good otherwise.

Have used it for plenty of live shows now and I'm still dragging it along in a gig bag and it's been through some travel. So far, no issues, except for the cable plug bolt falling off it's threads, which happened while I was playing, but took about 5 minutes to reset. Can't comment much on reliability otherwise...yet. But it looks okay if you take good care of it.

Dunno...not needed any support. Lifelong warranty?

Okay, here's the thing: I've been playing bass for 3 years and have had 3 basses so far: the previous two were solid bodies and I am also using a Peavey Milestone now.

If you play regularly in a band AND sing (like Paul did), I can almost gaurantee you you will not find a better bass (at this price). It's the easiest bass I can play, let's me focus on my singing and is light, yes very very light and that's a huge plus, which you will appreciate after you've slugged around a heavy solid body for a year!

If you're looking for something to get serious about bass playing, to plug into your computer and record an album, there are better basses out there. Eventually, it's all about the sound, and I think this bass falls short on that.

All in all, it's a super bass for me, and I'm going to make sure I have one by my side at all times. I love it live. Just love it.

Price paid: 237.00 including shipping.
8 Best copy of a hofner that I have ever seen, Everyone including my band members, have asked me , is that a hofner? A Beatle nut would know right off, that it's not by the look of the pick-ups and look of the electronics.This bass is made in China

9. Hofner sound all the way, especially through a big professional sound system. If you listen to Lonley Road on McCartney's new album, it sounds just like that, There is also a video on the internet that shows Paul playing this song and he is on the Hofner (his main bass again these days)I also changed the strings to ernie Ball 100's (light), the originals were a little too light and didn't stay in tune as well. On Beatle songs, it's the sound! Sounds nothing like a Fender though, so bring a Jazz or Percision for the other stuff!

8, Plays great, especially if you have small fingers, I don't! I am 6'4", I play the Fender much better, The Turser's fret board is more like a guitar (if you ever played a Hofner, it has the same feel)The finish is great, High luster, I have a slight fret buzz (even after I changed strings) on the B note (second string, 9th fret) Doesn't come through in the amp though. No intonation problems, stays in tune great, again, after I changed the strings, I chose round wounds because I want the sound to be closer tho my fender.

9, It seems really durable, I play between 3 and 6 nights a week, every week! I use this bass a lot, I always have my Fender with me, I wouldn't think of going out without 2 guitars no matter what! The Turser is really light, great after playing the heavy Fender for 3 hours, I don't trust the strap buttons on this guitar, or any other guitar, so I put on strap locks right away, but the original buttons seemed solid and tight

Jerry at Jammer's music store (where I bought it via e-bay) seemed real friendly and responded immediately to any questions I had. the bass comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

I have been playing 38 years, I also have a Jazz, Percision, a Hartke 3500 head with 4-10's, various 6 sting guitars. Our band, The Fabulons, has a huge Pa. and several mixing boards so everything is lined out, The Turser is huge through all that, I would definitely buy this bass again, $200.00 is a good price for it, better than $1500.00 for a Hofner just because "He" plays it. The Hofner went for about $60.00 in Hamburg in 1962. I've played a Hofner, trust me, that's all it's worth! The Turser feels a lot more solid and durable than the Hofner

Near identical copy of Hofner Beatle Bass. 30" Short Scale. Made in China I think.

Looks beautiful. I'm amazed at the quality of low end guitars these days. Twenty five years ago I learned to play on a Japanese copy of a Fender Mustang. Like all copies in those day, it looked and played like crap. Not this one.

Exactly what I was looking for. The warm thump of the Hofner without the extravagant price. If you're looking for heavy metal growl, keep looking. But for pop, classic rock, spot on.

Mind you, this is after I changed the strings. Comes with cheap roundwounds. If you have the money, go with Pyramid flatwounds or if (like me) you're on a budget Fender flatwounds (light gauge) will do.

Action was pretty good on arrival. Pick ups needed some tweaking. No other flaws.

Fair warning. Intonating this bass is a challenge. The "floating bridge" makes it thus. Took me a while, but eventually got it set. Some will disagree, but one on the tradeoffs of these kinds of basses is the intonation problems as you go up the fretboard. Hey, it doesn't worry me.

Remember, it's a Hofner copy. You want to be careful. It's held up well for me, and everything seems solid on it.

Comes with a "limited lifetime warranty" from Jay Turser. Emailed them with a question about the pickups and got a speed reply.

Playing casually for twenty five years. Last bass was an Ibanez SR800. Way too much for what I do. For the money, this bass looks great, sounds close enough to a Hofner that I would absolutely buy another one if lost or stolen.

Same as a Hofner - thin, short neck, slider selectors that are a pain to understand, great nostalgia look, distinctive sound. I love it.

I borrowed a Hofner from a friend at a music store and played it side by side with the Turser while deciding if I should buy the Turser. The Turser kicked Hofner ass! Louder, deeper ouput, with the distinctive Hofner 'thump', more solid-feeling body and neck attachment.

Excellent in studio, a little thin live (probably the EQ/amp).

Great multitone tobacco sunburst, nice flaming on the back. Neck is short, narrow and fast, with good medium, pick-playin' action. Also plays clean and deep with fingers.

The pickups don't look like Hofner, nor does the tailpiece and knobs, but they are minor to the overall look.

The Turser felt more substantial (and heavier) than the Hofner, less likely to crumble in your hands. This probably also helps with the deeper bass output.

Some cheap (but great) mods I made:
- The tuners are ugly, BUT, I removed the wings and heat-pressed some ukelele (!) tuner knobs on the original Turser tuners and it looks and works great. Very cheap fix, too - less than $10.
- Had the guitar tech at Rufus' bevel the backside of the white truss-rod cover so I could flip it over and have the black back showing instead of the ugly white front.
- I also got some Hofner creampot knobs off eBay for $20 as replacements.

This bass is tougher than a Hofner - at a gig, my guitarist knocked the Turser over, and it hit the concrete HARD. That would have easily wrecked a Hofner. The Turser took only a minor neck-heel crack that didn't affect tuning at all. Solidified it and it's as strong as ever.

Nice deep lacquer, neck is straight and stable.

ALWAYS have a backup when playing live - but I haven't needed t use it yet.

I found the owner of Rufus' Guitars to be a bit dismissive of my ilk for buying a cheaper instrument - even though he stocked quite a few of them. His guitar tech, however was great. He beveled the backside of the white truss-rod cover so I could flip it over and have the black back showing instead of the ugly white front.

I've had this bass 4 years now and it's the only bass I play. My aggressive, guitar-based style is appropriate for this bass, and it sounds great in the studio, but less so live (probably the amplification/EQ).

Hofner for a collector, Turser for a player.

Good features on it, almost like a hofner, except how the egdes are half curved. The pickups are good, like the cavern beatle bass.
It has a good rosewood fretboard,which makes it easier to play than a fender.(to me, anyway)

The sound is great when playing on an amp. When playing without the amp, the strings can buzz after a while.(which get annoying)
Rich sound/deep sound.

This bass can withstand live playing, and the strap buttons are solid.

I have been playing for two years or more, and I really enjoy it. I seldom play this bass with my thumb, like paul m., because it makes a better sound. I wish it had smaller tuners like the hofner, because it looks better without those metal T's. I also have a YAMAHA six-stringed acoustic guitar, which I use when I'm not playing bass.
Overall, I think this bass was worth buying, especially on the internet. I would buy it again, because I wouldn't spend $2,000 or more for the orginal because personally that's a rip off.(especailly since I wouldn't have the money...)

I guess it was made in 2002 in china, it features all the gifts it advertised for.Great looks and sound.

I play beatles music in mexico city in a couple of bars,i think is better for the studio than gigs.but te looks are just awsome
Very rich sound,deep and nostalgic ,remindes me of a diferent era.

I couldnt sleep for a couple of days thinking that I was going to be disapointed:but I was not, I dont even think that the original looks this great;it is beautiful and sounds great. Nothing was wrong with it ,except a couple of minor flaws,very easy to fix with a little patience. factory sent this in perfect condition.thanks

I dont know yet?????

i hope I dont have idea ,because i am happy

it took me 4 hours to get to you,and I look all over the web ,and let me tell you something ,even if I dont get my bass stollen I am going to get another one for my collection.