Rogue VB100 Violin Bass

New 2000 Hofner copy. Looks excellent, and plays pretty good. If you put an authentic Hofner pickguard on you could play in Beatlemania and the most ardent fan would need high-powered binoculars to figure out this isn't an actual Hofner. I've even seen people pass these off as real Hofners by replacing the headstock logo. It is a dead ringer.

I have an actual Hofner, and the Rogue looks the part but does not match the Hofner sound-wise. Don't get me wrong, it sounds very good but it is hard to compare a $250 instrument to a $2000 one. Mathematically speaking, you are getting 80% of the Hofner sound for 10% of the cost, which is a great deal. I play it in church through an old Roland Cube 40, and it plays well and sounds good.

The bass looks beautiful--nice wood finish, chrome, etc. However, I had a big problem with fret buzz, especially on the A-string. I tried adjusting the action to no avail, so I brought it into a shop and had it professionally setup. They put on a new set of strings, adjusted the truss rod and the bridge for intonation, and it has played fine.

Seems like a solid player. The tuners are particularly good--this bass stays in tune.

I was very happy with Musician's Friend. I ordered over their website, they emailed me a UPS tracking number and it arrived promptly and well-packaged. PS. A hard case is available, but they have an excellent gig bag, their deluxe model, for only $39.99--great bargain.

If you want a Hofner but can't afford one, buy this bass. If you own a Hofner, but don't want to play it for fear of dropping it and ruining a large investment, buy this bass and keep your Hofner in a display case. It is a steal at $250.

This is a Korean Beatle-Bass copy probably manufactured in 2000. It's a 4-string, 21 fret short scale base that's very easy to handle. It's got a laminated top, dual volume controls and cut-off switches for the bass and treble pickups, and a solo/rhythm switch that seems to just cut the output level down by about half. The controls are kind of cheap, but I can't imagine they were any good on the original Hofner, so this may actually be authentic :) The pickups are passive mini humbuckers, and they are very very nice. The neck and bridge are made of Rosewood, and as others have stated, the bridge looks incredibly fragile. The tuning pegs and machine heads are very solid.
The neck is very thin, and the strings are a little closer together than I am used to on my SoundGear, but getting around on the neck is pretty damned easy. The frets are nice, not too small, not big and fat. It also came with a patch cable, which I quickly threw in a box. Overall, the features are very 'Hofner-esque'.

This bass is incredible. First of all, it's completely different in sound that what I had been used to. It sounds like a friggin' piano. It has both beautiful crispness and amazing low-end, which are rare to find in an economy bass. My Ibanez is a good example. It's nice and punchy, but it's low end sucks. The VB-100 actually sounds great running straight through to the amp. I've been searching for a couple of years for my sound, and trying to duplicate that Beatle sound on a lot of different Basses, and I think I've arrived. I do have to warn that if you're too close to your amp, the hollow body will feed back a bit if you ring long notes. My only complaint is that the strings that came with it aren't all that great, but the bass itself seems to do a good job of compensating for the bad strings and shitty playing :)

The bass was perfecly intonated when I got it. The pickups seemed to be responding fairly well, though the treble pickup could have been adjusted a little higher. The action was low, which I have no problem with.

I don't know if this bass could withstand live playing since I don't play live, but the hardware, except maybe for the bridge, is excellent quality. It might last quite a while, standing up to a good beating or two. The strap buttons seem solid enough, but because they're in awkward places, I wouldn't trust them 100%. I probably would gig with it without a backup, but again, I don't gig.

Before shipment, and after reading some of the delivery nightmares others have had with Musician's Friend, I emailed them to tell them that I'd really like them to make sure they do an excellent packing job and to ask them to assure me that they'd be responsive to any problems. They responded with their stock 'quality guarantee' message, and I was saying to myself "oh crap." I had it shipped FedEx next day, and when I got the box, it was filled completely to the rim with packing material. No chance of anything moving in that box. So I'm a happy camper.

I've been playing for a few years. I've owned a Fender P-Bass, an Ibanez SoundGear, and a Squire P-Bass (which my wife made into a chair), and I can definitely say that out of the basses I've owned and the ones that I've played, this is the best sounding bass I've ever held in my hands. I bought it as a test to see if I'd ever be willing to drop a chunk of change down for a Hofner, and geez... I think Iif I ever lost this one, I might just buy another and say 'screw' the Hofner. First of all, it's stunning to look at. It's light as a feather. It rings as pure as a grand piano. I love it. My only complaints are the bridge, and the crappy strings it came with. Otherwise, this is a gem. I think it's safe to say it'll be my primary bass for quite a while.

1999 or 2000, made in korea. 21 frets i think, and a four string. not sure if it's solid top, but i would imagine that at this price it's laminated. the controls are unusual in that there are two volume knobs (volume 1 and volume 2) and three switches, bass on, treble on and a rhythm/solo switch. two humbucking pickups which haven't been noisy for me as some people have posted they've experienced noise. this bass is very, very beautiful and the fella that said the pictures don't do it justice wasn't kidding. the bass seems very solid, but the rosewood bridge was sloppy in the finish and sanding and there's a crack on one side, and i don't how i could get a replacement bridge if this one should break.

this bass sounds excellent. i use an acoustic amp from the seventies that has a 15 inch speaker and the bass sounds wonderful. the only other bass i own is a fender p-bass, and i'm starting to prefer this bass. it's cheap but sounds wonderful. i wasn't sure if i wanted to buy the bass and waited for a year or so before i decided to buy it, and the deciding factor was that in an interview with paul mccartney he said that at first he wanted a fender bass but could only afford the hofner and that it was a cheap bass. this bass exceeded my expectations. wonderful tone and nice lightweight.

the action was low for me, but i'm used to the p-bass which has higher action, but i raised the action on this bass. the pickups seem to be adjusted fine. the only flaw with mine is the poorly constructed bridge. i think the controls seem really cheap but functional. my big beef is that ups threw the thing around and at one point the case (make sure you buy the hard shell case) fell thru the box and ups taped the box back up without putting the packing peanuts back in. either that or musician's friend decided to put seven packing peanuts inside the box. . .

i plan on playing out live with this bass. the only thing that gives me pause is the rosewood bridge. i'd like to get a better bridge. i changed out the strap buttons for some locking ones just to be on the safe side. i would use this bass without a backup, safety net, etc. . .

haven't really dealt with musicians friend. i wonder if they would have replacement bridges?

i've been playing long enough to know i'm not going to make it to the big time. no one's gonna ask for my autograph. . . anyway, if this bass were lost or stolen i'd be beside myself with agony and would be on the phone with the good folks at musicians phlegm to order another one. i haven't been able to put the bass down since i got it. i love the look (and pretending i'm paul mccartney), the lightweight (a P bass feels like a two ton pickup on a strap after a few hours of playing), and mostly the sound (which is amazing. who would have thought a small cheap bass could sound so good?). what do i hate aboot it? well i'll tell ya, since you asked, that damn rosewood bridge that looks like it might crumble. my favorite feature is the sound. anything i wish it had? uh, a tremelo bar? a million in cash inside the hollow body? the winning lottery numbers behind the scratch plate? anything else i'd like to share? if you are like me and wondering whether you'd be sorry if you bought this bass, i think you'll be pleasantly surprised. if you're a guitar player who wants a bass to record with or play out with on occasion, this is your bass. very easy to play, and i'd wager that it would make a mediocre bassist sound like a prodigy. viva la rogue, the "wolverine" of basses.

Its a NEW (1999?) korean (samick factory) Beatle bass copy, and a very good one.. in fact its best i have played, and i have played a few... in fact the first bass i ever owned was a made-in-japan 500/1 copy, purchased second-hand back in 1975. As has been noted before, its very close to a hofner, except for the tailpiece. Improvements over the original are the MACHINE HEADS ( extremely nice, fine-ratio clones of Schaller M4 minis)which stay in tune exceptionally well, and the pickups, which are snazzy polished chrome humbuckers with no pole pieces. It has the regulation 30.5" scale length, a set neck, and 21 frets. The finish is a bit more of a "honey sunburst" than the darker violin sunburst most beatle basses sport. The flame maple top and back, while not exactly bookmatched, are at least an AA grade, and all the other wood seems top-notch. Neck grain is straight and clear, and the headstock is attached with a proper luthier's scarf joint. My particular example has a nice bird's eye maple headstock. You cant see this from the front since its black faced, but it looks quite nice from the back! hardware is all good quality ( OK the knobs are cheap!) but beforewarned, setting the intonation on this thing is a finicky job, involving carefully prying the bits of fret wire out of the rosewood bridge, and moving them around in their slots AND sliding the bridge back and forth at different angles till everything is JUST right! Dont despair, it can be set to PERFECT intonation! (hint, my E and D strings are in the same slot, the A is back of them, and the G is forward... al this with the bridge at a rather rakish angle!)

Its suits my needs perfectly, i tend to play the bass somewhat like a guitar, and with the roundwound strings (came stock) and the resonant body, its very well suited for strumming as well as picking ( i dont actually use a pick, but i like to play chords as well as lines.)

its got a huge solid low end and vast amounts of upper midrange twang. If i ever get out in the company of real musicians again, im sure it would be great to play on stage, right now its just here to record the bass tracks for my new album.

factory action was fine, not great, but for US$249 its not a friggin Alembic, is it!?!?! Pickups were adjusted OK too.
Ive had a look at it, put on new strings, but for this thing to live up to its ultimate potential, it would need to have the last 7 frets taken off, and the fretboard sanded down to create some "fall-off", because theres really just not enough fall-off built in, for the given neck angle ( which is set correctly other wise.) As it is, you can take the action down a fair amount, but in that case you have to play very lightly to avoid noise and buzzing. Even then it would never go any lower than about 1/16th (without the sanding mentioned earlier) As it is im gonna hike it up to about 3/32nd anyway, or even a touch higher, as the tone really shines on this baby if you play it hard - its brings a lot more sound out of the body! it would benefit from having the nut taken down a bit too!
Anyway dont get the impression that theis is a dog in the action department, its plays as well or better than any fender bass! Im just incredibly picky, been playing over 25 years ya know!
FIT AND FINISH ARE PERFECT!

one caveat: do not fool yourself into thinking that the pickguard and control plate are a nice perloid like the Hofners.. actually they are a strange frosted-semi-metallic-white-plastic-sparkle stuff! I took the pickguard off IMMEDIATELY ( hey i dont use a pick anyway!) and it went into the spacious accessory compartment of the case ( did i mention the case is well worth the $69?) where it will stay forever more....

Its a beatle bass, so you wont be keeping it very pristine unless you handle it with care.. however, considering the low cost i would say what the heck, and play it hard and fast! I mean hey if you look at Isaac Stern's (circa 1736) violin, you will notice its got a tad of wear on it too, but i'd say it sounds great anyway... This one will be handled DELICATELY, cause its in the sudio and besides, i have to "think resale"....

i bought the factory hardshell case, its rectangular on the outside, and plush lined, and perfectly form fitted on the inside.. Best of all, its a top quality "made in canada" case!! I would say definitely if yer going to buy this thing, bite the bullet and get the case too, you wont regret it!

I bought mine from musician's friend (where else ya gonna get one?)
and my only beef was the crummy packing job ( again, im glad i got the case!) which, combined with the awful treatment from UPS ( the box arrived torn and soggy!) was a recipe for disaster.. im happy to say the bass and case did make it unscathed! OK actually i have another beef, as out of the box, the E string's core was broken, and made a HUGE rattling sound, at first i thought a bracing was loose! Then MF sent me the wrong gauge of strings (45-105) as a replacement, and were generally unhelpful when i complained over and over again to try and get the right strings! "oh its a loose truss rod..." ( i finally just bought myself a set!) NOTE *** this bass has the nut slot cut to fit .095 on the E string.. buy heavier guage strings and they wont fit!!!) ALSO though its a scort scale bass, DONT buy short scale strings, as the trapeze tailpice adds to the string length considerably! If you must buy rotosounds, get RS-66 "M" ( medium length).. the "S" are TOO SHORT!! Incidently, any garden variety string will fit, as long as you dont get HEAVY GUAGE ( .105 or heavier) - not only do they ride high on the nut, they are be a VERY tight fit on the tailpiece slots! Buy light or ultra light, or prepare to get your file out!!

ive been playing for 25 years, bass & guitar, and at the moment i own nothing but this Rogue bass and a Gibson blues hawk 6 string. I have owned at least 200 guitars in my lifetime, mostly gibsons, fenders, and rickenbackers.. but i have even BUILT a few guitars ( see http://mw.ca.eu.org/michael/guitars.htm ) so i know a little about what i speak of :-))

if it were stolen id be unhappy, like back when the heroin addict broke into my apartment and stole my 74 SG II :-( Im not too attached to this, as i just bought it for this recording project, and will sell it when im done, but definitely i'd buy one again when the time comes to actually own a bass again! For the money, its got more tone than anything else out there. Personally i picked this one mainly because i am comfortable with the scale length and, being the sentimental person that i am, thought it was time to come "full circle" back to my original instrument.. i have to say that the BIG BIG BIG tone is just an amazingly pleasant surprise though.. you can say a lot of things about this kind of bass, but they built this one to be LIVE and TONEY

1999 model made in china it has 22 frets 2 humbuckers pick-ups epihone a Paul McCartney rip off but it was cheap neck is rosewood

This bass kicks ass Im a big Beatles fan thats one of the reasons I got it. Its sounds like a hofner it is true to it's body style I would definetly gig with it and you just look cool when peope look at it and say hey that's different it looks like Paul McCartney's.I can possibly say it sounds better than Hofner just a little. It's great for the music I do (Beatles,Led-Zeppelin,Eagles,Simon and Garfunkel Etc.)

The bass was put together pefectly at least mine was it's light, the pickups are great everything is in place.

It will withstand live performanced unless you think your Pete Townshend and have to smash whatever your playing at the time. strap buttons are solid this is a dependible bass and I would surely use it without a backup.

I also have Peavy Predator, Fender dg-7 acoustic, and Danelectro 59-DC
If this bass was ever lost or stolen you could bet your ass I would buy another.

As above, this bass is probably made in Korea. this is a conventional 4 string bass. The book matched wood is fantastic! this is a beautiful instrument, and the picture in Musican's Friend do not do this justice..really. It has two volume adjustments, and 3 selector switches..one for rythem the other for soloing. True to the Hofner, of which i have a left handed Hofner that i purchased in 1965. It uses Epiphone parts for the tail piece and bridge. Probably the same tuners as well. The pickups are the same as on the Epiphone as well. But the big difference is price, and looks. This bass smokes off the Epiphone anyday. And, for that matter it is not only better looking than my original 1965 model but it sounds and plays every bit as good. Don't be misled here..this is a quality instrument..(at least the one i got was)..The top and back of this instrument has to be seen to be appriciated. There is nothing that can touch it for looks including the old Hofner!.and sound?..wow..man oh man. It has jumbo Gibson style frets.and the best neck i have ever played..(and i have been playing for a while you might say). The nut is plastic, the tuners are better than what came on the old Hofner anyday. The Bridge is of Rosewood..and probably the most delicate part on it..if you bust it..don't call Epiphone..they are all dead there and not only won't respond, but won't see you one unless you have a serial number..(what would suprise you about that..)?..so, i don't break things like that. The neck is so superior to a Fender or anything else that i have held and in the same class as the Hofner..narrow all the way up..straight infact,and soooo..easy to play. This is a good insturment and anyone looking for a bass would be happy with this unless they really don't know what they are talkiing about..put it side by side with a Hofner?..sure..anyday. No case, no tools, no need. Plug it in..select solo and get on it man..i only give it a nine..because it doesn't have allot of features..don't need them either.

This is a very versitle instrument. I play well, er, ah..i mean my own music, but i have been influenced by everyone in time and space. I don't need effects with this thing..i play it through an old Marshall Bluesbreaker and really to appriciate this thing..you need a tube amp to get that wonderful compressed..even great bass sound. I use this to record, jam, it will stand up unless your a moron..are you?..the sound is full and compressed on the front pickup such as about the Revolver time period of the Beatles. There is some noise with the cheap post there..switch them out with good Gibson pots and your ready for the big rock show. With both pickups on in the solo position this thing is full and rich..use the two volumes to adjust to taste..strike a note..makes you want to touch yourself..great!! This can actually get a variety of sounds if you take the time to explore it..and if you have a quality amp. If you have junk for amps..then don't expect to sound like anything else but junk. One has to use their head here. This is currently being used for recording and live play. I have so many comments on this instrument..the only thing i dislike is the funky headstock name..but,i took a chance ordering this thing..and got a good one..i wouldn't trade this bass for a slab not now..not tomorrow.

Mine came set up good right out of the box. Played good..looked good. The action was perfect and still is. The pickups seem to be adjusted good..i haven't measured them..but they put out great sound. I can see not one flaw with mine. It is perfect! i did remove the pickguard as i do on all my instruments..it looks better,and the top ages evenly. Since i don't thrash my instruments..it will last a lifetime..unless a rogue Elephant breaks in, finds it,takes it out and intentionally steps on it..The nut fit saddles and bridge are all very nice on this thing. I did find that the two on off switches were wired backwards..but hey! for such a lovely instrument..it didn't take long to correct that.

This bass would withstand live gigs..but as with anything..you have to use your head. Do you have a habit of dropping things?..stepping on them or urinating on them?..enough said. The hardware here will last with normal care. I always wipe my neck and strings before and after playing, and general a lite wipe over before putting it away. Yes. it will last. The strap buttons are solid..i would say you can depend on this thing as well as the old 65 Hofner that i have had all these years..I would gig with this guitar without a back up..infact I am thinking of buying another..this is a great little guitar.

Well..here is where it gets ugly..you can't contact Rogue on the internet. When i first got this thing..i went to a site they had on the internet..but shortly after contacting them and recieving a reply concerning a case for this..the site now says forbidden. So, i think too many were contacting Rogue and Musican's Friend didn't like that. At any rate..forget contacting them. Shhh..!! they are secert!.really. But, as far as support..i wanted a case after i got it and made sure i was going to keep it. That was a big hassle. Buy and Epiphone case..they are there in the local stores..and fit like a glove..and easier to get. I am getting tired of these discount music things..support your local music shop..or don't cry when they're not there any longer..

I am dead in dog years. So that should tell you something. I have been playing for 30 plus years. I have many different instruments and this is a sweetheart. I would hang the man who tried to steal this thing. I would rather lose it than the old Hofner..but i don't play that anymore. It hangs on the wall in the recording room. I would defenitly buy another one of these.in fact, i am thinking of doing just that. I don't hate anything about this guitar..really.

Well, this guitar was made in Korea or some place like that. It has 22 frets and an angled Headstock. It has a flamed maple top in a vintage sort of sunburst finish. It has 2 volume controls and controls for the bass and treble pickups. It has a rosewood fretboard, on a short scale neck. The body style is the McCartney bass style. I don't know what kind of tuners there is, but if it stays in tune, I don't give. When I got, I recieved a patch cord and a Allen Wrench. I'm giving it a 10 because I'm rating this to my first guitar, an Epiphone Accu-Bass Juinor. This guitar is my second.

Well, I'm a Beatles man. My band always gets tired of me playing them, but always asked me how to play that part that I'm playing. They know the Beatles kick ass. It sound is a very deep, beatiful sound. It handles the high just like Pauls too. Just like Paulie's. Well, my band contains......a Fender Bassman 100. It was our school's, but they gave it use. So, I'm a lucky guy. I getting the sound on the Let it Be Album and Abbey Road. It's sound and looks way better that my Epiphone Accu-Bass Juinor. Since I've captured the late beatles sound, I'm giving it a 10.

I've had it for a few day and found nothing major is wrong with it. I can see glue when the neck meets the body. No biggie. There is also some kind of black stain on the outer side of the bass. It's very small. There is some kind of flaw on the body binding. It's fatter than other parts, but minor because it's on the back of the guitar. I can get around the neck faster that my Epiphone Bass. Everything else is fine.

I jammed out with the band when I got the guitar, and it didn't go out of tune once. I've only had the bass for a few days so I don't about it's reliability. Well, the strap has never fallen off while I'm playing. It seems like the finish is going to last me for a long time. I don't play hard rock with a pick carelessly. The bass can withstand live play. I jammed for about 7 hours on the weekends and it seems to get better the long I play it. It is a very well rounded guitar

I ordered this guitar from Musician's Friend. I've also ordered a Rouge Bass amp in the past and a order I have in process. They are very friendly. Every representative I've talk to is very nice. I really don't know how long it is under warranty. And I have never tried to get it repaired. I've only had it for a couple of days so there was no need for repairs. I'm giving my Music Friends A 10

Well, this guitar is faithful to it's brother, Hofner. I've been playing bass guitar for 8 months and have tried out many of violin basses but none are better that this one. If I would lose it or someone stole it, I would buy it again. I love this bass guitar because I'm a Beatles Fanatic. I was afraid that the sound of this bass guitar was going to bit like the other brands of violin basses I've tried out. But it didn't. It's the closest to the Hofner that anything else. If you are looking for a bass guitar that has everything, it's this one

Yeah, well, it's a McCartney/Hofner rip-off. Two humbuckers, two dials and three switches to control pu selection and tone/vol. Very pretty flamed archtop and back, with front and back binding. Rosewood (?) fretboard with dot markers, nice frets, plastic nut, pretty good adjustable tuners, floating bridge and trapeze tailpiece. Looks pretty much like Paul's overall. I guess it has the features, so let's say 10 for the fun of it.

Yeah, well, I can't REALLY play bass, but at the same time can't everyone kindof play bass? I guess it sounds fine. I've played a low end Fender (Mexican) Pbass and a new Danelectro Longhorn, and this sounds just as good. The switches and dials work, the notes come out of the amp and don't sound like shit becasue of the guitar or the amp (operator error shouldn't enter into a review of the guitar, right). It has that sort of hollow early Beatles/McCartney bass sound if I do it right. I like it.

Man, for just over $200, this thing's BEAUTIFUL!! No flaws that I could find, good fretwork, decent setup (the usual tweaking of string height and truss rod with a new set of Fenders....the strings it came with bit). The bridge strikes me as pretty basic/cheap, but for the money???? "Holy crap, dude!"

I have no idea. It may fall apart after a year, but for now, it seems fine. The way I play I wouldn't even do a decent Stu Sutcliff; it won't get gigged with.

No idea, and don't want to know. Who/what is Rogue, other than associated somehow with Musician's Friend. They (M's F) seem great.

Well, like I said, I ain't no bass player. If I were I probably woudn't buy one of these. But since I'm not, and am a Beatle fan, and do think that McCartney is a fantastic bass player (just behind Jack Bruce and John Entwhistle), and always wanted to play at playing the bass, this was the perfect choice.....especially for the MONEY!! Unless it falls apart next fall, or the electronics f-up, how can this be a bad deal? So far it's great, and for the money, it gets a 10.

Brand new 1999 model made in Korea. Laminated maple archtop hollowbody. Set-in neck joint. Flame top with 2 humbuckers. Vintage violin body shape in sunburst. Rosewood archtop type bridge with decorative tailpiece. Pearloid pickguard. 2 volume controls for each pickup with separate on/off switches for each and a solo/rhythm switch. A pretty good copy of the Hofner "Beatle" bass.

I play guitar and this is my first bass. Bought it because I like the classic look of the "beatle" bass. The sound is very nice. Resonant and deep. Probably not for every taste but it sounds wonderful to me. Would work well for jazz and playing the oldies.

This bass was set up pretty well when I got it but I did lower the action a bit and raised the treble pickup as it was not near as loud as the bass pickup. Flame top and back is gorgeous. Very nice. Fretwork is excellent. Hardware seems to be very good. Only minor flaw was a very small gob of glue between the neck and body joint but no biggie.df

I play as a hobby so it should last me a lifetime. If you play live with this bass I think it would hold up well. Since it is a light hollowbody, it would be easy to hold and play for long periods of time. Tuners seem very solid.

I've never had to return anything to Musicians Friend so I don't know. Very helpful though when ordering and e-mailing questions.

I have just recently started to play bass being primarily a guitar player. I love this bass! It plays beautifully.. I would definetly buy it again if it were lost or stolen. I mainly bought it because I have always loved the classic look of the violin bass and loved the deep tone it has. Nice addition to my guitar collection. I have other Korean made instruments as well as top of the line American made guitars and the workmanship and quality of this bass is right up there at the top. I like this bass better than the Epiphone viola bass as it is a truer copy of the Hofner although both basses are probably made in the same factory.