Hofner clone
I own a Epiphone Viola, great bass, I love the sound, quite similar to the bass sound on conutless early Merseybeat records. And, it´s curious, but do you know that the Hofner was just a cheap bass, a copy of the famous 'Gibson EB1' (think it was the EB1), the first and genuine violin - shaped bass? And wonder who bought 'Epiphone' in 1957/58? 'Gibson', right. So if you follow the line, then you´ll find that the 'Epis' are, in a way, the real deal. 'Hofners' are just very expensive copies!
True, Gibson was first -- it was originally just called the Electric Bass when it came out in 1953 and later became the EB-1. True, Hofner was inspired to copy it. But the EB-1 was a 2" thick solidbody mahogany bass with a metal bridge. Since Hofner made acoustic instruments, they made the violin bass their way from the beginning, much more like an all-acoustic instrument.
True, the Hofners were cheap, but everything German was inexpensive compared to US-made goods back then.
The Epi Viola, like the other Beatle Bass copies, is a direct copy of the Hofner. It's not a copy of the Gibson EB-1, so I don't see how you can call it a descendant of the original except in a roundabout way.
True, the Hofners were cheap, but everything German was inexpensive compared to US-made goods back then.
The Epi Viola, like the other Beatle Bass copies, is a direct copy of the Hofner. It's not a copy of the Gibson EB-1, so I don't see how you can call it a descendant of the original except in a roundabout way.
Exactly I call it that in a roundabout way, as you say. Not that I´m the only one, mind you. I knew the story, like everybody else, but, a couple of years ago, I read about it again, and this time the one who was telling it was a Hofner ex-employee. I guess that he was a mid-rank worker or so. I can´t recall his exact words, but he was saying that he didn´t regard the Epi Viola as a cheap copy of the Hofners, mainly because of its connection with the EB1. Of course a Hofner is now widely known as the 'Beatle' bass, but, to for the people who can´t purchase one of these, the Epi is, in fact, more than one of the options. (By the way: I forgot to say that I own a Hofner, too.)