Epiphone Viola Bass - Vintage Sunburst Reviews

Very good 55 point inspection with Sweetwater. All I had to do was tune it up and she was ready to rock. All the frets were in pretty good shape. The neck was straight and the action was wonderful. Very good quality base .

What a fun little bass. I've played a Gibson Victory for 40 years and, at almost 70, it's a bit of a chore. This Epi weighs about half what the Gibson weighs. The finish on this bass is outstanding. I looked over every square millimeter and found zero flaws. I had Sweetwater set it up with 50-100 flats and this bass punches with these strings.

There was a slight buzz on the E string's first fret ... easily adjusted. And I raised the neck pup quite a bit ... personal preference. Other than that SW set it up just right. The neck is narrow, smooth, and fast, with no finger-shredding fret wire ends. I also ordered the hardshell case, which is on backorder. Very Very pleased with this ax. Also Jeremiah is the GOAT of all reps!

I was looking for a violin bass and thought Hofner was what I wanted. However,after playing all the Hofner models below $, I tried the Epiphone. The Epiphone was only around $, so in the range of the low end Hofner. Not only was it more solid feeling than the Hofner,the controls are more versatile, and I felt that the wider, flatter neck just was easier to play. After being injured badly in 2016, my left hand has very limited mobility, so that's a big factor.
I think the Epiphone is finished beautifully, not lacquer but polyurethane, but purists might prefer lacquer. Polyurethane works fine for me because it is one durable, and though im not careless with my basses, I don't coddle them. It's still a tool with which to make music!
Highly recommend this bass!
BTW, buy the Epiphone case. It is well made, and fits the bass perfectly, and is inexpensive insurance for your investment

I have one retreat… I'm regret not buying this sooner! The set up was perfect by Sweetwater. It looks and sounds great! For the price I would have expected more! Than you Jeff Figueroa for your help!
Rob W.
North Carolina

The one key for me in choosing between Epiphone beatle bass and a Hofner is something very simple. The hofner does not have a zero fret! Not like you could add one! Hofners have a zero fret and for good reason! Personally I had the plastic nut changed to a bone nut for the increased response. Sweetwater can get this done for you before it ships.

Epiphone viola is great value. Quality build and finish. The action was good "out of the box". Two things I knew from reviews were 1) adjust the floating bridge to better match the body shape (250 grit abrasive paper) and change to tape wound strings. Having played it for a couple of weeks I changed the strings and took the opportunity to work on the bridge. Having tuned and intonated with new strings the tone is warmer and the smooth strings make playing better (no slide screech when moving fingers). The neck pickup is good thumb rest and tone control gives good range of sound. I am very happy with the Viola and will be using it while I rebuild my JP90 I have been using fir 30 years.

I have always been a drummer, But I always wanted to someday learn to play the bass guitar. I waited till after I retired so I would have more time to learn how to play one. I wanted to get a short neck because it's easier for me to play. So, I talked to Zach about putting me on the waiting list for an Epiphone Viola. And it wasn't long before Zach was calling me to say my bass was in. I love how lite it is and the short is so much easier for me to play. I Love the vintage Sunburst finish. The sounds are just what I was hoping for with this bass. It's an outstanding bass guitar for the low price you pay. If this sounds like the kind of bass, you are looking for then Sweetwater is the place to go to get it. Thanks Sweetwater.

As a guitarist who needed a relatively inexpensive bass that still feels/sounds good, this is pretty much perfect for me. Had it for about a year now and have gathered thoughts on it. Having it be short scale ~30" is perfect because I've always felt very uncomfortable on standard scale length basses. I don't have to actively look at the neck when playing this, it just falls under my fingers well. Sounds/feels great with flatwounds (I use Labella) and I mainly use the neck pickup as it sounds way nicer to me. The tuners are fine, they hold tune surprisingly well for an inexpensive bass. The only flaw in this bass is really just a flaw in the Hofner basses that this is emulating, which is the bridge. It's just a one piece bridge so one or two of your strings are going to be slightly off in terms of intonation. That being said, you can move it to the best position and if you mark around the wooden piece you'll know where it's best intonated in case it gets bumped around. In addition to that, because the bridge has the four metal pieces on it, you can move the strings slightly closer or further which helps get them more intonated as well. Probably doesn't help that I'm using year old strings but they sound amazing so whatever. All in all, totally worth getting, and is really comfortable if you're coming from guitar.

I've had this bass for several months now and I have to say I love it! The neck is slim and really comfortable and easy to play. You can get a lot of different tones from it by mixing the pickup volumes. Can't say anything bad about it, for the money it's awesome. Here's a couple tracks that I used it on for the bass.

I've always loved the tone from Hofners. Had a chance to play a few older ones, but they were way out of my price range. Had a chance to borrow a friends "Ignition Serie" Hofner. It was awful. In fact that's why he let me borrow it. He hated it. Horrendous fretwork, terrible intonation. Even with proper bridge placement. The electronics were unfortunate. I played a brand new Epiphone Viola and fell in love. The tone was there, even with roundwounds on it. It played so well. Now that I've had it for a few months, put a set of flats on it, I can't put it down. It took a little experimenting with pickup height to get the tone, balance and sustain that the instrument is capable of producing. At first, I could not get the amazing tone that it produces acoustically to translate through amplification. Now it's there. I thought I would have to put some work in on the frets, upgrade the pickups. but NOPE. It's perfect just the way it came. It can produce that McCartney sound, that Tame Impala doink and allows for melodic playing that most basses can't match. But in addition, it can really drop down and give you punch and thump. As well as a bit of growl with hints of a kind of baby upright sound. It also takes to pedals very well and if you have access to Waves Abbey Road Saturator.... look no further for recording this thing. Longest review I've ever written!!

First purchase made at sweetwater,but not the last.viola was out of stock and lsreal would send the viola as soon as possible. His word is solid gold,got it and am enjoying playing.thanks to Israel will continue to use sweetwater, thanks again.

First off I am the last guy who was looking for a "Beatle Bass". But this thing is amazing. Its finish is beautiful. luxurious actually. I am primarily an old school synthesist (Floyd, ELP, Genesis, YES, you get the idea). and was very concerned that it just wouldnt fit in my mixes. but it does, actually I'm pretty sure it can find its way into almost any role. I was primarily interested in a nice low "round" sound with little mid or high pluck. And man does it deliver. But it doesn't lack in the bright plucky tones either or any thing in between. I am running it through a "PreSonus Studio Channel" then into my interface with a little bit of room ambiance reverb. Wow! If your not familiar with the Studio Channel take the time to find out about it-its the most useful piece of outboard gear for a small studio you can buy... Its a perfect pre for a bass. The short scale is perfect for a guitar player but doesn't lack in a rich bottom end. looks great, plays great and sounds wonderful. If you're worried that it looks too retro for a modern studio dont be. It will quickly stop looking old school and will soon become your studios workhorse. I cant say enough about this instrument...Its just incredible. I dont know how the marketing folks at Epiphone thought it should be priced at only $... Its worth way more.

I NEVER PLAYED A bass guitar before. I bought this to learn on. It is very light and easier to play with the shorter neck. When it arrived it was only tune and go. This is my third guitar from Sweetwater.I have nothing but good to say about Sweetwater. Thanks Eric Molenar

Normally, I practice at home, rehearse with a band, record, and play at least one gig before I review a new purchase. However, with COVID, I'm not sure when my next gig will be, so I'm reviewing this bass rather quickly, having only practiced, rehearsed, and recorded with it so far.

If you want an inexpensive Hofner that looks like a Hofner and sounds like a Hofner, then get the Hofner Ignition (I owned one of those for several years). If you want a much more versatile hollow body bass that also can sound like a Hofner, get this Epiphone. The Epiphone is slightly heavier than the Hofner, with a slightly more beefy neck. The Hofner is a featherweight, with pretty cheap switches and pots, and really difficult tuners - the tuners are certainly vintage-correct, but they're small like a guitar tuner, which makes stringing the bass difficult for some strings. The Epiphone is lightweight, with nice pots and a better J-Bass style control layout, and great, modern bass tuners. The flame maple top on the Epiphone (verses the plain spruce top of the Hofner) really looks great as well. Both basses have very nice sunburst finishes, and both basses are slightly neck heavy.

Tone and feel are the primary differences between the two. The Hofner Ignition has a really nice C shaped neck, but it's pretty narrow at the nut, and the string spacing feels a little cramped. The Epiphone Viola has a really nice D shaped neck, and it's pretty much perfect in both width and depth, and although I generally prefer C shaped necks, I much prefer the neck of the Epiphone. The Hofner, due in large part to it's lack of weight, feels a bit insubstantial, the frets weren't the best when I first got the bass, and the fretboard was a little rough and needed some final sanding. The Epiphone, on the other hand, has the perfect weight (mine is 7 pounds on the nose), and it came out of the box in perfect condition, with great frets and a fantastic fretboard (it was even properly intonated - thanks, Sweetwater). The Epiphone just feels a lot more solid and professional in my hands, and I'm a real weight weenie, who almost always goes for the lightest instrument.

The tone of the Hofner is well-known and iconic, and the Ignition does that tone very well. Not much else, though. The Epiphone can do that Sir Paul tone no problem, but it's also capable of a whole range of hollow body bass tones that really surprised me. All the tones have that woody thump to them, but they range from raw and biting to mellow and warm, and pretty much everything in between. I strung the bass with Tomastik Infeld Jazz Bass flat wounds (their "short scale" 32" strings are a perfect fit), and I can play anything I want to play on this bass. It's not a slap machine (the floating bridge would move all over the place), and I don't think it's aggressive enough for modern metal, but it'll handle everything else.

If you want a hollow body bass, you'd be hard pressed to find a better bass than this, no matter how much you spend. Highly recommended.

Nicely constructed instrument that is very playable for me, an amateur musician. The shorter scale makes playing easier and more enjoyable for me. The bass is also quite light in weight and makes practicing for extended periods easier as well.

Love this bass. Feels great and looks great. Fretboard feels really good, just the right size for my hands. My first short scale bass
but definitely not my last.

A great Bass and a pleasure to play.

I love my Ephiphone bass. But I do recommend changing the strings to flatwound. I had a new set of roundwound and they not only don't sound as good, but the sound came through the amp as you slide up and down. And the flats are much easier on the fingers. Sound is awesome. Being a light instrument really helps also.

I purchased it because it is the same or close to the first bass guitar I purchased 50 years ago and sold it somewhere along the way. I got a lot more than I expected for the price. This is a very playable bass! The neck and frets are very nicely done. Straight neck, nice relief, nice string height. It has the unique sound I remembered, deep and mellow. Be ready to clean the strings that come with it. A lot of machine oil left on them. I put on a set of flats. Tuners are solid and smooth. The three pots for pick-up volume and tone are pretty course but usable. Already did some recording with it and given the right song, it really shines.

The Epiphone EVBCS Viola Bass Guitar is wonderfully well made, absolutely a quality classic beauty in its design, appearance, and styling. The pickups and controls are such that the widest possible range of bass tones and sounds are instantly at your fingertips. Coupled with the right amp and any other added electronics this bass is capable of anything. It has a soft easy feel when playing it, yet musically it is very sensitive and responsive. An absolute dream to play.

I am very happy to have bought this guitar. It is really beautiful, plays easily, sounds terrific. It is a real pleasure to hold.

Been playing this bass for over 2 years and it's great. Also have 4 others including a Fender Precision, Fender Active Jass/Precision, Peavey T-40, and a Hofner Ignition... Working 3-5 nights a week and this is my go-to bass for several reasons... It's light, it's got a nice shortl neck, it sounds as good or better than the other basses I have, and it looks great on stage... It's not always true that you only get what you pay for, as I've paid considerably more for most of the other basses I own and this is the one I use day after day and week after week...

Look, there are plenty of superlative instruments out there, and I own a few. The surprising thing about this bass is just how good it is and at a bargain basement price. My standard is set by my Dingwall Afterburner II, and my '61 Slab Precision. Additionally I own quite a few vintage basses (more Fenders and a'64 Epiphone Embassy Deluxe) along with my brother.

But, for under $500, this is a stunningly good bass. I play in a killer Beatles band, and wanted something more authentic in appearance, although we're more about the sound. I read the reviews and order this bass as its easier to stomach than the real Hofner. The sound and playability is exceptional, and with flats I can really get the goods! However, its way beyond that. I'd play is any night f the week. It is the best value of any instrument I own.

I'll shut up now and pick this puppy back up for a few....

I first picked up a bass guitar ... a Danelectro '56 ... in the spring of 1967, just in time for the 7th grade talent show in junior high. I've played professionally almost ever since. Always a Beatles fan, I spotted the Epiphone Viola on the wall in a music store in Seattle in the late 90's. It was love at first sight, and a must-have after a brief demo. It's been my go-to bass ever since. It's a beautiful instrument, almost a work of art, and it never fails to turn heads. I perform onstage with it ... jam extensively with it ... use it at open mic night ... and it shines in the studio. It's got a lovely tone, rich and slightly woody ... very melodic and full with good harmonics. It's especially ideal for acoustic rock or folk or country, but it fairly exudes silky and sexy jazz bass lines when asked. It'll play blistering rock if pushed, but I'll usually break out my Precision for that. I can't think of anything bad to say about my Epi. It paid the mortgage and fed our family for many years and, like the Energizer Bunny, keeps on going, delivering exquisite music with power and style.

This guitar was purchased to create bass lines to compliment six string acoustic guitars in Folk compositions. I assumed that for such a low price the Viola would require a professional setup and cheap parts would have to be swapped out right away, but it came from Sweetwater ready to play with no intonation issues and the only parts that I replaced were the low gear ratio tuners. The fit & finish is excellent, the pickups are warm and noise free, and did I mention that the guitar is gorgeous? Even the stock round-wound strings were pretty good and won't be replaced with DR Sunbeams until the wear out. To any one who wants to upgrade the tuners, I bought black Grover 144BCs on this site and no drilling was required. The only hitch was that the included black screws were a hair smaller in diameter than the stock chrome screws, so I reused the old ones. The wrench size required was 15mm.

I have always liked the design of the "Beatle Bass." Since the genuine Hofner model is well out of my price range, I decided to look into the cheaper alternatives. I read a number of reviews online of the various models and I have even viewed some of the video reviews and demonstrations as well. The Epiphone Viola Bass was always somewhere at the top of the list. So I decided to take the risk and I am glad that I did.

I was surprised at how solid it was. The body had more weight to it than I had expected and it had more sustain as well. The feel is nice and I got the hang of playing it within a day or two. I am mainly a guitar player so obviously a bass has a different feel to it. I practice mainly sitting down and it sits well in my lap. It's a very comfortable bass for me to play. Other people may feel differently as a matter of preference though.

The finish was flawless and it looks beautiful when polished up. It's a nice looking, stylish instrument that plays well and sounds great. I have no complaints. I also have the Epiphone case for it too. It is a perfect fit, seems durable and it has a pretty big storage compartment. I ordered both the bass and the case from Sweetwater and they were both well packed for shipping. No dings, dents or scratches at all. therefore, no complaints.

Since the first time I laid my eyes on Paul McCartney's bass, I knew this was for me. Music has been such a strong influence on my life, I am at that station in life where I can afford to indulge a passion. As a complete novice, this fits both my budget and my hand perfectly. The build quality and craftsmanship are breathtaking and I find learning on this to be one of life's best pleasures. I foresee many years of practice and never outgrowing this fine instrument.
Since I too am in the service business, I cannot speak highly enough for the great staff at Sweetwater who have made this buying experience a genuine pleasure.

This thing is so pretty. I have no experience with other basses so I don't feel like I can compare it to anything else, but as a Beatles fan I couldn't resist. It sounds great to my untrained ear. I've been playing it for a year--learning with Rocksmith, and I'm having a great time.

I was looking for a short scale bass due to having a shoulder surgery and 35" scale bass I was using was just too much for me. The workmanship, quality, feel, weight, construction on this bass blew me away. I had strings changed to flat wounds, plugged it in into my TC Electronic amp and just was so happy with the diversity of sound I could get. I wish I had this bass years ago and as soon as I have sold my other 35" bass I will get another Epi Viola for backup bass. Alan Finkbeiner is my sales rep at Sweetwater and you could not get a better guy to handle your needs at Sweetwater he is better than the best. I am thrilled, and been playing almost 40 years, and went to college for music.

About a year ago I started having to tote my Fender Precision back and forth to church while we were preparing for the Christmas musical. At age 68, I found the weight and just the wear and tear on me to be a real downer. So I bought a Viola bass as a second bass and liked the sound so much I've kept it at church ever since. But practicing this year on a long-scale Precision and at church on the shorter Viola was making things tricky. Plus the weight of the Fender was causing chest muscle pains. (Yes, I went to the doctor about it.) So I did the only reasonable thing: I traded the Fender for a second Viola. If that doesn't tell you how much I like the Viola, nothing will!

It is the best bass that I have ever played!

We use this to play through our church sound system and it is great! We all love the mellow tones are wonderful. We were going to play through an amp but through the sound system is much better.

Great instrument..... Great service ! I have been playing a Fender P bass for years. Recently I started playing in an acoustic trio and wanted something that fit in better with a violin and an acoustic guitar. This bass is just what I was looking for. Very sweet sound. I strung it up with medium scale Rotosound monel flats. adjusted the action and intonation. It plays and looks like it cost a lot more than $300 . Sweetwater service is exceptional..... Thanks James Masterson.

Very well-built, sweet sounding instrument. The tone has the hollow bodied mellowness I was looking for. Buy it; at the price you will not be disappointed.

I bought this bass as an upgrade. I read many reviews from different sites and decided to go and play it in the local guitar store. I was extremely please at the deep resonating tones and length of sustain. It is so easy to play and fret. I am a female and went from a solid body bass to this semi-hollow and it feels so natural. It didn't take any time to get use to it, it is a natural fit. I played it at church and the following Sunday morning, I got many compliments on how the bass sounded....(makes me wonder what I sounded like before). Besides the beauty of it, even the sound guy commented on how well it sounds. I bought the case that is a fit for this, Epiphone EVBCS, and am amazed at the quality of the case from the construction to the latches; very solid. Our salesman made us a deal that we could not pass up! I am so very pleased with my new bass!

Definitely recommend this for anyone, beginner to an advanced player.

Always wanted to learn to play bass, have been playing guitar over 40 years. Have played a little but never owned a bass. This is an exceptional bass for the price. Have really enjoyed learning on this one so far.

I bought one of these second-hand, looked like brand new. I normally play a jazz bass, but over the years the weight is getting to my shoulder. I was looking for something lighter and short-scale, so I could change out for a few songs and go back to jazz bass. Well, after 3 months, I hardly play my jazz bass anymore. I play rock, blues, and a little country, and play flat-wounds ( I like LaBella, but ymmv). I never did do much slap on my jazz, and don't on this either. What little I have done on this bass doesn't sound great, but probably has more to do with the strings. What this bass does do, and does well, is deliver a nice, clean tone, on any fret on any string. There are no dead spots, and after tweaking the bridge/neck a little, no buzzes. If you are a melodic bass player and want a clear-as-a-bell sound (best I've heard without active electronics), you need to check this out. Mine had no case, and I don't like hard shells much, but found a nice RoadRunner case for it.

Excellent build, records nicely, good playability, capable of a wide range of tones. My only complaint is the weight of the head…. Very unbalanced … let go and it dives to the floor. I'm going to replace the tuners with lighter better quality machines.

Be aware that even though this is a short scale bass it will need medium scale strings. Bought a set of short scale flats and they were far to short. Love the bass. Deep sound when strings changed to flats.

Great bass for the money much better build quality than hofner Icon. As always service is the best. This was my fourth bass purchase from Sweetwater.

I was looking for a bass with a deep, woody tone and this is it! This bass will give you this characteristic tone best with flatwound strings, the round wound stings on in were a bit to bright for me and yes they are really more designed as placeholders until you can put on good strings. The build was perfect with no defects found. I was able to get a good range of tones from various pickup combinations and the tone control was pretty good, too. As well, the pickups were quite strong and allowed for responsive play. I normally don't buy instruments that I have not played first but this is my second from Sweetwater and still no complaints! Their service is top notch!

What I hear and feel from a bass guitar track has been greatly enhanced by the introduction of this instrument, in comparison to the solid, flat, electric bass I had been using.....the sound coming from this guitar is a much more acoustic, viola sound.....I'm really glad I got it....

This is my second bass and the first of this type.
When it arrived I played it immediately but the action seemed high, especially for the E and A strings. I adjusted the neck some and lowered one side of the bridge to where is played better but the A string had a buzz while the E didn't. Since I was short on time I put a little material under the A string at the nut and the buzzing stopped. Not very professional but plays and sounds pretty good now. I've gotten some compliments on its sound and people love its looks. When I have some time I will probably do some more adjustments since the intonation doesn't seem to be true all the way up the neck for some strings. It sits pretty good on my lap when I'm sitting down but the placement of the strap button on the neck side causes the top of the bass' body to move away from my body. A different placement of the button may help it lay flatter against my body when I'm standing. That would be my preference. Instruments have their individual characteristics that take a little time to get to know and you have to adapt yourself and/or the instrument. That's where I'm at currently. For the price a pretty good deal.