luckman67 Posted November 2, 2023 Share Posted November 2, 2023 I have been having pain in my left hand third finger for a while now on & off, so I have gone back to using my 1964 Hofner 500/1 bass as my main player. I've owned this bass for the past 35 years and the neck is pencil thin & feels so nice to play in comparison to my, Hofner HCT 500/1 which has a 42mm nut width & thicker neck and feels totally different to the '64 500/1. Quote 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrumpymike Posted November 2, 2023 Share Posted November 2, 2023 39 minutes ago, luckman67 said: I have been having pain in my left hand third finger for a while now on & off, so I have gone back to using my 1964 Hofner 500/1 bass as my main player. I've owned this bass for the past 35 years and the neck is pencil thin & feels so nice to play in comparison to my, Hofner HCT 500/1 which has a 42mm nut width & thicker neck and feels totally different to the '64 500/1. McCartney was one of my main men (along with Jamerson, Fraser and Bruce) in my formative years and I've been itching to get a H violin bass ever since. Still not managed it but came close with a HCT Club, which I didn't like much and sold on. Your post is timely as I've recently been considering the HCT Beatle bass, mainly from the price/quality point of view. Not sure what the neck was on my Club but, if it was the chunky 42mm version, that could be the reason I didn't get on with it. Is that neck common across the HCT models? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckman67 Posted November 2, 2023 Share Posted November 2, 2023 1 hour ago, scrumpymike said: McCartney was one of my main men (along with Jamerson, Fraser and Bruce) in my formative years and I've been itching to get a H violin bass ever since. Still not managed it but came close with a HCT Club, which I didn't like much and sold on. Your post is timely as I've recently been considering the HCT Beatle bass, mainly from the price/quality point of view. Not sure what the neck was on my Club but, if it was the chunky 42mm version, that could be the reason I didn't get on with it. Is that neck common across the HCT models? Yes it is from the ones I've seen in the guitar shops. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassist_lewis Posted November 3, 2023 Share Posted November 3, 2023 These just arrived at Bass Direct. Obviously inspired by the Mustang, this one by the JMJ in particular (I imagine). https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/product/vincent-pony-marrakesch/ £2k still feels like a lot for a Fender copy... but if I had it spare 😅 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted November 3, 2023 Share Posted November 3, 2023 13 minutes ago, bassist_lewis said: These just arrived at Bass Direct. Obviously inspired by the Mustang, this one by the JMJ in particular (I imagine). https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/product/vincent-pony-marrakesch/ £2k still feels like a lot for a Fender copy... but if I had it spare 😅 Given you can get an actual JMJ for about half that, the price is a little crazy, no? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adee Posted November 3, 2023 Share Posted November 3, 2023 8 minutes ago, eude said: Given you can get an actual JMJ for about half that, the price is a little crazy, no? Yes it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelDean Posted November 3, 2023 Share Posted November 3, 2023 Says it's chambered and only weighs 3.1kg though. If you need a light bass, that ought to do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassist_lewis Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 10 hours ago, eude said: Given you can get an actual JMJ for about half that, the price is a little crazy, no? I was referencing the colour scheme more than anything else. From one perspective £2k is a helluva lot for what you get (1 one pickup mustang, where you can get a 60s vibe squier for less than a quarter of the price if you don't care about the colour), from another you get some nice aesthetic combos (here's the next hour of your life https://vincent-bassguitars.de/en/produkt/pony-2/), and a lightweight handmade short scale. Some might feel it's worth it, others might not and the market will determine if Vincent keep going with it. Like I said above, I absolutely would if I had the money burning a hole in my pocket (in willow with a mint pickguard, cream pickup, katalox board), but as I don't I'm not going to go into debt for it. Ask me next week and it'll be a different bass altogether 😂 or a pedal. 10 hours ago, MichaelDean said: Says it's chambered and only weighs 3.1kg though. If you need a light bass, that ought to do it! This might be what sways some people. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 37 minutes ago, bassist_lewis said: I was referencing the colour scheme more than anything else. From one perspective £2k is a helluva lot for what you get (1 one pickup mustang, where you can get a 60s vibe squier for less than a quarter of the price if you don't care about the colour), from another you get some nice aesthetic combos (here's the next hour of your life https://vincent-bassguitars.de/en/produkt/pony-2/), and a lightweight handmade short scale. Some might feel it's worth it, others might not and the market will determine if Vincent keep going with it. Like I said above, I absolutely would if I had the money burning a hole in my pocket (in willow with a mint pickguard, cream pickup, katalox board), but as I don't I'm not going to go into debt for it. Ask me next week and it'll be a different bass altogether 😂 or a pedal. This might be what sways some people. You know what? Having played with the configurator, I can see the appeal... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 11 hours ago, bassist_lewis said: These just arrived at Bass Direct. Obviously inspired by the Mustang, this one by the JMJ in particular (I imagine). https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/product/vincent-pony-marrakesch/ £2k still feels like a lot for a Fender copy... but if I had it spare 😅 What is a 'semi-through bridge'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obrienp Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 11 minutes ago, EssentialTension said: What is a 'semi-through bridge'? Good question. Marketing hype to justify the price? Looking at the photos, the ball ends do seem to be hidden under the bridge bass plate, rather than being anchored on the end of the plate. Perhaps there is a cut out underneath the bridge to accommodate the ball ends. I’m not sure how that improves vibration transfer to the body. Seems a bit gimmicky but maybe there is some science behind it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloney Balderdash Posted November 4, 2023 Author Share Posted November 4, 2023 (edited) 49 minutes ago, eude said: You know what? Having played with the configurator, I can see the appeal... That does look amazing. Not sure if 2K worth amazing though, and pretty sure it could be done considerably cheaper with a regular Squier/Fender and a little leg work, or even doing it yourself if you possess that kind of skills and patience. Edited November 4, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obrienp Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 48 minutes ago, eude said: You know what? Having played with the configurator, I can see the appeal... Can you configure cut-outs? To me that seems like a pretty obvious improvement to make to the Mustang design. The slab body has always put me off them. If Harley-Benton can do it for a tenth of the price, it seems like a glaring omission in £2k+ instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 17 minutes ago, Obrienp said: Good question. Marketing hype to justify the price? Looking at the photos, the ball ends do seem to be hidden under the bridge bass plate, rather than being anchored on the end of the plate. Perhaps there is a cut out underneath the bridge to accommodate the ball ends. I’m not sure how that improves vibration transfer to the body. Seems a bit gimmicky but maybe there is some science behind it. I'm unconvinced by string-through, let alone semi-through. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmckee Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 Why do almost all Mustangs (and Mustang copies like this) have the slab body and not contoured like the 70s ones were? Each to their own and all that, but I’m not sure why anyone would choose slab over contoured…. Just curious. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 Vincent are clearly not aware of the rhyming slang, ‘pony & trap’ . I can see why they used it, but maverick might have been a better choice. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloney Balderdash Posted November 4, 2023 Author Share Posted November 4, 2023 (edited) 23 minutes ago, EssentialTension said: I'm unconvinced by string-through, let alone semi-through. Yes, seems like what it mainly does is making the string angle over the saddles too sharp, making it prone to ruin the strings, and certainly if it happens to be flatwounds (now string through does certainly deal with the bend angle of the strings being too flat over the saddles, which otherwise can lead to various issues, which is why, I guess, some people seem to think it improves sustain and tone, but a little too extremely as far as I am concerned). Edited November 4, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 5 minutes ago, ezbass said: Vincent are clearly not aware of the rhyming slang, ‘pony & trap’ . I can see why they used it, but maverick might have been a better choice. A 'pony' would have been more exciting as the price and not the name. That's £25 for our cousins across the water. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obrienp Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 Oh, dear! We do seem to be directing a lot of negative vibes at Vincent. I am sure they are brilliantly made instruments and sound fantastic. There is definitely a market for this type of instrument and the price alone might attract some people because it makes it pretty exclusive. Personally, if I was in the market for a Mustang, it would take a lot to convince me that it is worth ponying up (😀) an extra £1K over the JMJ and I don’t think Vincent has quite got there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassist_lewis Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 35 minutes ago, dmckee said: Why do almost all Mustangs (and Mustang copies like this) have the slab body and not contoured like the 70s ones were? Each to their own and all that, but I’m not sure why anyone would choose slab over contoured…. Just curious. I've always wondered this. I guess they're going for the more 'Vintage' design from the 60s? More old is more better?? Having said that the Vintera II series has the contouring. Though, I've never felt like my JMJ needed contours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted November 4, 2023 Share Posted November 4, 2023 46 minutes ago, bassist_lewis said: Though, I've never felt like my JMJ needed contours. Same, to be honest when I got mine I didn’t even notice the lack of contours, it’s just so comfortable as it is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyJ Posted November 5, 2023 Share Posted November 5, 2023 22 hours ago, ezbass said: Vincent are clearly not aware of the rhyming slang, ‘pony & trap’ . I can see why they used it, but maverick might have been a better choice. The big F already has a guitar by that name (and reissued it in the Parallel Universe series, so it's still alive and kicking) so that might lead to some copyright claims 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted November 6, 2023 Share Posted November 6, 2023 That body shape's quite interesting, but the headstock...oh dearie dearie me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyJ Posted November 6, 2023 Share Posted November 6, 2023 (edited) 22 minutes ago, Muzz said: That body shape's quite interesting, but the headstock...oh dearie dearie me... That was an attempt to get rid of excess stock of Fender Electric XII (12-string) parts. In a similar way, Fender also briefly offered the Swinger guitar, that was built around a reshaped Bass V body, which wasn't exactly succesful either. Both of these models were only available in 1969 and just a few hundred were made. The Swinger has an odd 22.5" scale, even shorter than the Mustang and Jaguar (24"). Fender Japan built some reissues of it, and a guy called Daiki Tsuneta even had a signature model based on it. Edited November 6, 2023 by LeftyJ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted November 6, 2023 Share Posted November 6, 2023 Ahhhh, I see it now: that explains the widely-spaced tuners...still a fnarr-fnarr daft headstock, tho... 😁 I like that other body, too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.