Norma Beatle Bass

When I got mine, it was in rough shape. The neck was coming off, the electronics did not work, and it was covered in dirt and dust. I took it home from the flea market and took it apart completely. I found the pots to be faulty, so I hardwired the pickups from the selector switch straight to the jack. I found that the neck simply wasn't completely attached, so I just tightened it down and cleaned/oiled the fretboard. After re-assembling it, I cleaned it up, strung it up and it sounded and played great, the neck was dead straight. It's a pretty spartan bass, but there are so many ways you can use what you have, and the hardware is very solid.

Sounds and plays awesome! It sounds like a fat jazz bass with roundwounds on it. The pickups are silent too, almost no buzzing at all. Since it's hollow you can induce some nice swelling feedback too, always fun.

It plays great, but it left the factory decades ago, so it's seen quite a few hands since then. The neck pocket is cut too wide, but the neck is very secure and aligned properly. As I said, the pots were shot, but I prefer controlling the sound with the amp, and I have a volume pedal anyway. Look sgreta though, the finish is a natural sunburst that has checked nicely with age like the Eko and Vox guitars/basses this is a copy of.

It has lasted this long! My only worry is that teh wiring is free to move aorund inside, which could break a solder joint in time, but otherwise, very solid and I have used it on a gig already.

non-existent, scrounge the net for info, www.vintaxe.com has stuff about many brands including Norma.

Great value. I've been playing guitar for 9 years and bass for 5 years, and this is by far my favorite violin bass i have played. Sounds great, plays great, I just wish I could find a decent case for it. Obviously different from my Jazz Basses and my P-bass, but it holds it's own and is just plain awesome.