Rogue VB100 Violin Bass

I had a 1969 Hofner. Yea, I sold it sorry to say. This is not a Hofner, but it's darn close! Did a cpl of things to make it work for me. 1st thing I did was get rid of the cheap looking pic guard. Gives the bass a whole new look.
The metal butterfly tuners make the bass look funky. Replaced them with ivory banjo type tuner knobs. Was VERY easy!
Next, the black small volume knobs dont look very good. Replaced them with original Hofner knobs. Im leaving the electronics alone because it sounds great! Last thing, I put a set of Rotosound Black Nylon string on. Gives it that upright sound!

I go right into my board, this bass will pretty much give you the sound you want. I don't play out anymore so this is just a studio bass for me. Use the neck pup mostly, gets me the sound I want.

Had to raise the bridge a bit after the new strings, but that was no prob. Neck is straight & intonation is there from the start. One thing dont go any higher than 115 on the low string. Rotosound sells a 135, but it's too big.

Finish is not bad for a $200 Bass. Looks pretty good in my opinion.
Since im not going to play it out, the bass should last, least I hope so?
Don't waste your time with the gig bag. Spend the $79 for the case. It fits great!

Musicians Friend has a good CS dept. They seem to be happy to support any problems you have with your purchase

Im pretty much a guitar player & havent owned a bass since 1973. This is my last bass I will ever buy. Really fills out my collection.
For the $300 I spent on the bass and upgrades, I would buy this again in a heartbeat. If anyone needs info on the upgrades I did, feel free to email me.

Others have described the features many times. It looks great, sounds great (once you replace the strings). The vollume pots are crappy... it goes from off to a little louder to a lot louder with no in between, but this doesn't bother me because I play with an acoustic piano and horn, so any volume adjustments I need can be done with technique.

I ordered the optional gig bag, just to get some more protection during shipping. The bab is a throw-away, offering no more protection than a paper sack. Would rate the guitar higher if they shipped with a decent case.

I use this bass for jazz gigs in small restaurants. It complements an acoustic piano beautifully. It sounds more like an upright bass than an electric bass. I only use the neck pickup, and don't adjust the sound or volume while playing. Every note sounds beautiful. Even response. I get a great sound just playing thru my Polytone with a 12" speaker, and if space is really crowded I even use my Polytone with an 8" speaker or my Crate with an 8". I don't have to play loud, so it is wonderful to carry a small rig on the subways and in taxis.

Set up required a change of strings, repositioning the bridge a little bit, and raising the action a little. Pickup adjustment was fine (I only use the neck pup). Everything else was great. This is a gorgeous guitar!

I've only been using the bass for about three months. I only worry about dependability because others have mentioned it. I myself have not seen any reason for alarm. I get around by taxi and subway, so there is not an option of having a backup guitar or amp, so I'm used to having that anxiety anyway. Seems solid and reliable, but I haven't been using it very long.

I've been playing guitar for over 40 years, bass is my second and occasional instrument. I keep a simple amp setup. Playing only jazz (now) My two Polytones (mini-brute and mega brute) and my crate-30 are all I need for both bass and guitar. This is the only bass I own now. Guitars are a Fender D'Aquisto Elite, PRS Cedar hollowbody, Foster 7-string tele, Rick Turner Renaissance nylon string.

I would get this bass again without any hesitation or reservation. I love it's sound, it's appearance, and it's llight weight..,very important when carrying all your equipment by hand.

I won't bother here with all the details. You know them already or you wouldn't be here. This is an update to my original post some four plus years ago when i first bought the VB100 Beatle bass copy.
I have never regretted this purchase to this date. It has held up well, and, with a few mods it has performed like the champ that it is. I cannot say how current production models are but this one was made excellent without flaws. The Rogue has played, performed and held up to daily playing in the normal mode all to my satisfaction without reservations. This is a great little bass ! not a Hofner, but then, it was never meant to be either. At this point, for what they want for those.. they can keep them. I purchased this instrument because it was lite, looked great ! and still does, it is not daft looking left handed like some would be played upside down and, was a great value.

Here is where i made some mods to the original setup. First off i had Lindy Fralin rewind and repot the original Epiphone pickups that came with the instrument even though they sounded just fine. I then had the instrument re-wired with better wiring than what it came with to improve reliability and durability as well. I left the original switch plate but installed Switchcraft switches replacing the cheap electronics that it came with even though once again..they worked fine. I also at this time installed the nylon taped Rotosound strings on the bass which made it a dream to play and looked great with the black nylon strings on the instrument. I would say at this point that i did NOT try and make this look like the Hofner. I didn't set out to do that. You guys out there have to take pride in how and what you play. Stop looking at whats on the headstock and buy and or modify for playability. Either you got it.. or you don't A Gibson or Fender name on the headstock is strictly for ego food. Can you play? or do you just wish you could?..
At any rate the pots were replaced with better pots and that was that.

This doesn't need much here. The action and finish were fantastic when i received this bass. But, Musicans Friend could have done a better job of protecting the thing other than shipping it in nothing other than a cardboard box. That was funky, but it did arrive alright despite their shipping methods. I found not a flaw on the instrument anywhere and never have to date. The binding, finish and all were as good as it gets and it is a working instrument. I use this thing allot. I did however purchase an Epiphone case that was made for their version of the same thing. It fit like a GLOVE in that case! way more protection considering that the Hofner comes in a bullet case that is not form fit and it can move around in there. I don't like that. I want that sucker a tight fit and padded and protected which this does for me. That was a good $100.00 investment for this dinky little bass.

The only thing i can say here is that this bass has held up to playing at home, out and everything else. It seems durbale considering that i have had it now for four plus years. I do tend to take care of my stuff. Maybe more so than the next guy but then.. i cannot afford to purchase stuff twice. I own several nice stringed instruments besifes this including a real left handed Hofner that i have had since about 1965. This Rogue is a more sturdy bass than the original. It is i believe stronger in the neck joint area. This will last if you take care of it like anything.

I don't know. They may be good.. they may be bad. If they're bad it won't matter as i will seek stuff somewhere else. All a company has to offer is customer service. Lots of places have "stuff". But the ones that do give good follow up or general customer service deserve your business.. otherwise?... they can bite me really. I have money to spend sometimes. It could be them.. or, it could be somebody else.

I've been playing for 40 plus years. I have owned some of most everything. I don't like to read here about people's stuff like they own this..they own that. none of your business what i have or don't have. What i do have is the ability to play at will anything i chose. I have been doing this for awhile now. i have enough stuff that i could throw a grenade into my music room and straighten it up a bit. I think the important thing here is that after four plus years of playing this little bass that it has stood the test of time and as i can see it will continue to do so. Take a backup along?..I use to set my Hofner up behind me when i played out until i figured out that it was my ego not the need for a back up that caused that. I would play this thing out without a backup because i know before i leave for a gig that it is going to last the night. Break a string?..if you did on bass you should probably leave the booze alone for the rest of the night. Once again, this little bass is a gem. Now.. i have read the good and the bad about this little dude. The ones that don't like it are worried about whats on the headstock or, they didn't think it through and didn't get what they expected or wanted it to do. If you are living in the past as far as music goes then this will do it all no matter what. If you are a head banger or whatever it won't. If you are a walking bassman such as i then this thing really sounds and looks great and i would recommend it to anyone looking for a light weight little bass with a big sound. Not a "heavy" sound but a good general bass. Can you record with it?..sure. If you know how to get sound and how to process it properly..you bet! I generally use about 4 to 1 compression, a very small amount of reverb and again, the smallest amount of delay and i get a great sound. I also usually go direct into the board but i have good results splitting the signal with the live amp sound and a direct signal as well.
I can say that i am still very happy with this little Hofner knockoff.

I think the features of this bass have been covered over and over here, so I'll just say that I love the look and feel.

I just recently ordered my Rogue bass from musiciansfriend.com and after reading reviews posted here, I immediately replaced the strings with Fender flats and the sound is just terrific.
It has a round boomy tone with no buzz at all.
I get plenty of volume from it, so this bass would be suitable for any playing I have to do.

The set up was perfect right out of the box, the only thing I had to do was replace the strings, as I stated earlier, and the finish is gorgeous.
This bass is a really beautiful piece of work, except for the big tuning buttons that came on it.
I saw a review on the Jay Turser Beatle bass where a guy said that he didn't like the look of the tuners but didn't want to go to the expense and trouble of replacing them with Hofners, so he ordered some banjo buttons from stewmac.com and replaced just the big butterfly buttons that were on it, just like on the Rogue.
He got the look he wanted at just 67? per button.
I thought that was a good idea, so I also ordered the pearloid banjo buttons from stewmac.com and replaced the ones on the rogue with them, they fit like a glove and they look great.
They give a much more vintage appearance and seem to go better with the rest of the bass than those huge shiney things that came on it.

This bass seems rock-solid to me, but just like any fine piece of equipment it'll take some care and proper handling to keep it nice.
It'll stand up plenty well to normal play and I have no plans to kick it down the stairs or anything like that.

The bass was well packaged and arrived at my house promptly and in excellent condition, so I've had no need to contact musiciansfriend.com further.

I've been playing for about 4 years now, mostly guitar, but I've decided to concentrate on bass a bit more now.
Besides this bass, I own a strat and a couple acoustic guitars.
I love the look, feel and sound of this bass, and if anything were to happen to it I'd definitely buy another one.
I looked around at a lot of other basses, but the look of this one really drew me in as I've been a Beatles fan ever since seeing them on the Ed Sullivan Show when I was 5 years old.
If you can't afford a Hofner, like most of us, I'd recommend getting the Rogue instead.
It has the sound to carry off thos McCartney bass lines.

This has been sufficiently covered by everyone already

Thanks for the info on the strings...once I changed them it was like a brand new guitar! Really the strings (Fender flats .50-.100)make this instrument sound like a ten

I had to mess with mine...some say they didn't but I'll bet they all buzzed some...the set up across the board seems very weak

Everything is adequate

Musicians Friend is unusual...if you're persistent they will do what you say or ask them to...but if you don't speak up they run over you just like every other company will...when it's your money screaming and whining is acceptable! Plus...Fed ex it...UPS is extremely unreliable because they do so much volume and MF doesn't pack it so good all the time. As a matter of fact MF has a deal with Fed ex...all their returns are done through them even though the ship is done UPS

Been playing since a teenager am 54 now...have a Ric 4003, a Hohner acoustic and a Fender standard Jazz fretless...each of these has such a different and unique sound...I got the Rogue because my first bass was a Japanese Hofner knock (Ayar)for $125...it was really terrible in the long run...bad unfixable action etc...but it was made in the late sixties...got rid of it and then couldn't decide on the Turser from Music 123 or the Rogue...but the Rogue was $76 less and Hofner actually does make a honey colored sunburst like the Rogue so I went with it and was extremely pleased. I mess with all the guitars even the Ric so factory set up doesn't weigh big with me...I get it the way I like it to feel and sound and then go...the hardshell case is available with the Turser for $56, I think, I've never known the Rogue to have one...could be wrong...just have a heavy-duty gig bag for mine....and because it's a replacement for the old one I am pretty attached to it. It is small comparatively but is just so much fun to play...and sounds ...well, like everyone is saying, the Hofner...best quote.."80% of the Hofner sound for 10% of the cost and that's the truth!

Okay, this is a $200.00 Bass, so what. So what is.... I have been a professional musician for 35 years on stage and in studio. I have played with some big names and on some big stages, and simply, I LIKE THIS BASS! I have played everything from an original Hofner to a Ric, and frankly, though no Rickenbacker, this Hoffy knockoff is the best available... It sounds and is finished better than the Epiphone knockoff, and yes, some things are cheap... but FYI, the electronics and wiring are IDENTICAL to the 63 McCartney Model! Of course it doesn't sound like a new style bass! It sounds and plays very similar to the original. Sorry, but I like that. It fits in sonically with my 65 Rickenbacker 12 string! Hats off to Musicians Friend and the Korean craftsmen who managed to make it for about 200.00!

It is perfect for classic rock, not a metal machine, but neither was the original. It works well with most amps. At first it is a bit buzzy, but with better strings and some tweaking, perfect. The sound is rich and warm with good variety. Simply, I like it.

Set-up was good when I opened it, the pickups fine. No obvious flaws. In fact the finish is really nice for a hollow plywood body. A Ten for the price.

Musician's Friend (Rogue Parent company) is always great to work with.

Short and simple...I had one of these a few years ago and it was okay..but I got rid of it......it wasn't a Hofner...so, what the hey.
Well, cut to the chase...it is two years later and I bought another one...simply because I could not muster up the money for a Hofner. So, I bit the bullet and ordered another one from MF catalog. WELL....THEY MUST HAVE DONE SOME PERFECTING HERE...COS THIS ONE NOT ONLY LOOKS MORE LIKE THE REAL DEAL...BUT FEELS AND SOUNDS LIKE IT....
THE HONEY SUNBURST IS MUCH MORE LUSTROUS.....THE GRAIN ON THIS ONE IS SUPERB...WITH BEAUTIFUL VERTICAL GRAINING AS WELL AS GORGEOUS QUILTING.....THIS IS SO MUCH MORE AUTHENTIC THAN THE JAY TURSER. FOR ONE THING THE ROGUE HAS THE BODY
DIMENSIONS MORE CORRECT. THE WAIST PINCH ON THE ROGUE IS ALMOST AS DEEP AS THE HOFNER AND THE ROUGE HAS THE POINTIER BENDS ON THE CUT....THE TURSER IS TOO DULL AND ROUNDED.....
ADD TO THIS THE SOUND SEEMS SO MUCH BETTER THAN BEFORE (DEEP,MELLOW AND THERE).....THE NECK IS SO MUCH MORE PLAYABLE ON THIS VERSION....
BUZZ-FREE ACTION AND A WELL POLISHED FRET EDGING...NO SHARP SNAGS THERE..THIS IS A GREAT BASS PERIOD.....I SWITCHED TO
FLATWOUNDS AND PUT ON A HOFNER ISSUE TAILPIECE....VIRTUAL HOFNER, BABY......VIRTUALLY THE REAL DEAL....GET ONE NOW....I have been playing bass since 1966......and I like this bass.......they should make them in colors....and get jiggy with it...

First off I know this was built in the same factory as the Epiphone Violin bass because it is scarily similar.
New 2004 Korean made copy of a Hofner 500/1. 21 frets and 4 strings. Lets face it it looks kinda cool but when you look closer it's not so much. It is made out of plywood. Granted for what I paid I don't expect engleman spruce and flamed maple like a real Hofner.

It has a decent feeling neck, a nice finish and has typical Hofer appointments(MOP pickguard and control plate, 2 vol, 2 on offs and a rythm/solo switch. Unlike a Hofner it does not have a zero fret or spruce top.
The tuners are of decent quality. Sort of a cheaper Gotoh look and feel. The wooden bridge and trapeeze tailpiece are similar to the Hofner
It is a 31 inch scale which is either really comfortable for some of totaly odd. It feels like your playing a guitar more so than a bass. My other basses are 34 and 35 inch scale although I did have a 32 inch scale Alembic for a while but it felt much longer than the Rogue.

What makes it stand out is it's look. From 5 feet away It looks great. I have even fooled a few people for a couple of minutes thinking it was a real Hofner.

It really does not suit my daily musical style but I bought it because it was cheap and thought it would be fun to screw around with. I am fond of hollow body basses as well as guitars so I was looking forward to a warm woody roundness. It does sounds cool by itself playing picked and slightly muted (think McCartney).
I brought it out the other night to play with a jam band and the sound was lost in the mix. I fiddled with my amp's tone and gain (GK RB1001 through a 4x10) but never got it to a happening point.
The pickups were quiet enough not to cause any concerns. I found myself playing with both pickups on and on the solo switch.

This may be fun to play at home or maybe in an acoustic gig but it just doesn't have enough tone to rip it up. Again it was cheap!

The set up absolutly blew!!!!!! It was obnoxiously buzzy and the intonation was practically a 1/2 step out. I set it up immediatly and it was much better.

From what I can see there are no glaring flaws with it although there is some slight ply lines in the sides (again plywood body).

The neck does have a substantial feel to it. It feels strong and is decently finished despite some polish and filler in the fretboard grain and in the truss rod cavity.
Again it was cheap!

I can not play this live. As stated before maybe in a quiet acoustic setting it might me ok but loud stage volume it does not cut it. The bass seems well enough made that it will last a long time. I'm sure I'll find it in my attic 20 years from now and say "Wow! I forgot I had this."

Again it was cheap!

Well Rogue, as a company, I have never heard of. It is a house brand for Musicians Friend. My experiences with them have been good so I figure the same but I don't know. I can't offer an opinion yet.

I have been playing bass for roughly 20 years. I own a large collection of basses for various gigs, recording and some just because.
Currently I have a Peavey GV, Peavey TL5, 85 Yamaha BB3000, 84 Yamaha BB1200s, 78 Fender Jazz, 75 Fender P, 77 Rickenbacker 4001, 87 Steinberger, 94 Schecter Custom Jazz 5, 99 Schecter custom Baron 5, 98 Schecter Custom Baron 4, 84 BC Rich Mockingbird, 01 Gibson Blackbird, 93 Fodera Emperor Elite, 02 Musicman Stingray and an Epiphone Jack Casady (nice hollow body for the money). Amps I have are Trace Elliot AH350, Ampeg SVT, Ampeg SVP and/or Bass Pod through Crown power amp, Galien Kruger RB1001 and an SWR Super Redhead plus various 4x10,1x15,1x18 2x12 and 2x10 cabinets.

Musicians Friend had these on sale for $199. I have seen them in the catalogs and have read good reviews on them so I was curious. For a $200 bass I guess I can't complain. You get what you pay for. Maybe a bit more in this case but it is not a professional instrument. I sprung an extra $20 for the fitted gig bag and it is laughingly bad. It offers no protection for the bass except maybe keeping dust off.
Perhaps I have been spoiled by better basses but I feel this is a fun toy or a beginners bass only. Don't be misled but others saying it is just like a Hofner. I have played real Hofners and this is not one! Hofners have a very distinctive tone feel and oddball quality. I'd say this Rogue hints at it but certainly does not nail it.

Again it was cheap!

New 2004 Hofner copy, made in Korea. I must admit, most of my inputs are initial impressions -- not having had it very long. But after waiting over a year before ordering, a lower sale price plus knowing what to expect (thanks to all of you previous reviewers) allowed me to take the plunge. 4-string, 22-fret, etc., as described elsewhere. As has been pointed out, the passive mini-humbucking pickups and chrome mini-tuners are very nice. And the flamed maple archtop, light sunburst finish looks more attractive than the darker finish on other violin basses. The passive electronics/switches are only OK, but then again I knew what to expect for the money. I too removed the plasticky pickguard -- looks too cheap compared to the rest of the instrument. Not a lot of features, but a lot of bass for the money, honey.....

I play a lot of Christian and light-rock music, few if any effects. So thrash is not my style. As others do, I just set both pickups on -- plus keep the "solo/rhythmn" switch to solo -- then just let our soundman control the rest "out there". Has sweet bottom and definition, but better strings will help. And do make sure you get light-gauge sets only. Not a lot of different sounds, but it has the sound I like and want -- and doesn't sound cheap.

Very nice fit and finish for the price, better than I expected. And it is a very pretty design overall. But I agree that weak points include the fragile-looking tailpiece and bridge, along with cheapie original strings. Having been forewarned, I adjusted the treble pickup and also ordered Fender light gauge strings for quick replacement. The neck is narrow and the action is very low, but fortunately mine does not have the string buzz experienced by some others. As for flaws, I'm being nitpicky here: a couple of pinhead-sized blemishes on the fretboard, and a few very tiny dark marks on the binding. Otherwise a real looker, and with fit/finish as good as other, more expensive basses I've seen.

Treat this bass as you would an acoustic guitar, enuf said! After all, we're not talking rugged Fender P-bass here. With that in mind, I too replaced the standard strap buttons with Schaller strap-locks to prevent future "dropsies".

Haven't had to deal with Musician's Friend other than just ordering from them, but via website it was a customer-friendly process. After reading some horror stories about sloppy shipment, I was concerned. Fortunately (though my case was back-ordered, rats!) my bass arrived well-packaged in a box with plenty of packing and in fine condition. So I will rate them "very good" for ordering and packaging, but I have had no real warranty issues as of this time.

Not the one and only bass for everyone (especially if you are a heavy-metal thrasher), but a nice one to have if you want more than one OR are on a budget. A great value for sure, don't know why anyone wanting a violin-style bass would pay top dollar for a Hofner after trying this one on for size.
I've played Gibson EB-OL, Rickenbacker, Carvin AC-40, Washburn XB-200 on & off over 20 years. This one is the cheapest I've ever bought, but a very nice bass for the money. Looks and sounds like I paid 2-3 times more for it.
Again, thanks to all you other reviewers -- your comments were dead-on and are truly appreciated!

this is rogue's copy of the famous beetle bass, picked this up cheap thank goodness. the fit and finish is not to bad but electronics are a joke, like a lot of cheap equipment. I would never buy this bass again. I bought this to play in a bluegrass band next time ill get an ephiphone. I also had to change the turners right off-it would not stay in tune with the junk ones they had on there.

I'm playing this on a fender rumble 100 good amp but the pickups are crap. if they were changed I might hang on to it.

this bass guitar is thowed together at the factory. This guitar might make a good first guitar no pro would go for this guitar. the pickups are noisy the voulme control is almost non-exisant.

used this for a few gigs not to dependable, lost the sound a few times because of the cheapass plugin in the guitar it had to be changed also. the finish is not bad the only thing its got going for it.

no customer support bought used.

bass player for 20 years. If stolen I would not miss it. i'll steer away from rogue from now on.