Hey, I guess I might be that viewer you're talking about... 😁Great to see your take on this bass, awesome demo! I agree with many of your points. I love the sound of each single pickup, depending on the vibe I'm going for. Neck for a really mellow, thumping, Höfner-like sound, middle for more punch in a louder mix. But I also don't like both combined, sucks out important mids. Maybe they should have mounted the middle pickup a little further back, somewhere in a Mustang-like position. Like on the Wilcock Mullarkey signature bass. (Maybe the next one for you to try? 😉) The craftsmanship of mine is really good, less issues than yours. Not flawless, but the issues are minor: The nut isn't perfectly centered. Feels uneven on the sides, but the slots are done well. And the bridge is just not a good design. However, if it was mounted further back, I might have problems setting the intonation correctly. But my strings also don't sit well on the saddles. Luckily this doesn't affect the sound on mine. I have Rotosound flats on it, it came with them already when I bought it used. All in all, for me, it's the perfect shorty, at least in that price range. If I could spend a lot more money, I would gravitate towards a Wilcock Mullarkey, a Lakland Hollowbody, or a Guild M-85 II. Or a Nordstrand Acinonyx? Way too many interesting basses out there... 😅
Yes! Lots of great short scale options now! I quite like this bass despite the flaws! More to come on this Rumblekat! Thanks for watching and for the suggestion!
I had one and loved it except for one thing. The way I play standing the body would cut into my arm. It`s just the way I play and may not bother anyone else. It is cool!
The absence of a forearm cutaway (if you’re used to one) can definitely cut into your arm. Suppose it’s the nature of these semi and hollow body basses. Warwick made a semi hollow bass for Lee Sklar with a forearm cutaway. Cool execution, but if I’m honest, it looks weird and out of place! But I’m sure it makes longer sessions way more comfortable. Thanks for watching and sharing your experiences!
Thanks, Jonathan! I hope you enjoy playing your Rumblekat. I really like mine. I have a soft spot for hollow/semi-hollow basses/guitars. Someday I'll do something about that bridge, but not enough of a problem yet. Also someone who had it before me put a sticker on it! Fortunately it's on the back
Great video! I have a Rumblekat that is my favorite gigging bass. Found it used with a Hipshot bridge and I’m going to put lightweight tuners on it. GHS Balanced Nickels really made it come alive.
@@sethbrown8912 If you are after a lighter weight GB7 style, check out the gotoh resolites. You will save a few grams. They turn and feel pretty nice, too. Hipshot has a bunch of different lightweight models, but the US models feel nicer than the licensed imports. I’ve had most of these tuner models. These days, I just want a tuner to stay in tune, be reliable and be easy to turn with my arthritic hands!
Thanks for the video. Coincidently, I got myself a Rumblekat a week ago. Mine was made in China in 2022. The strings are different and have red linings on both ends. I've tried Fender flatwounds (usually my favourites), but they didn't fit well. I had some Mustang LaBellas around that fit, even though with some of the linings over the saddles. I wouldn't say I liked the LaBellas on my Frankenstein Mustang, but they're quite good in the Rumblekat. Mine came with some imperfections in the bindings finishing, with a line of paint over almost all the body, and some splash in the neck junction and headstock. The headstock binding especially has some pretty visible paint over some parts. On the maligned bridge, I found it easier to adjust than I thought it would be, but still will upgrade it with a Hipshot supertone - this bridge has individual height adjustment and solve the issue you comment on the distance of the strings to the bridge - the hipshot is closer to the body end, with some extra space to the saddles. On the tone, I agree with you, the middle pickup sounds better. Did you experience any noise? I've got it when the tone knob is on 100% and the others knobs aren't. Then, if either the neck or middle pickup goes to 100%, that noise is almost eliminated. Still, the bass has shield painting. I kind of solved the problem by adding some copper foil sheets over the control cavity borders, making contact between the knobs and the shielded cavity. Today I removed the paint from the neck and made a tinted oil finish. Will apply tru oil tomorrow. Was planning to remove the paint from the body, but after I learned how tick it is in the neck, I 'm having second thoughts.
That’s interesting to compare one example made in China, vs the one I have from Indonesia. You can tell from the photos that my binding was done really well. There could also be variability between ones made in the same place, on a different day too! A bit of a dice roll, unfortunately. Of all the instruments I’ve had my hands on, there seems to be more variability in ones coming out of China, compared to other Asian countries. I didn’t have noise issues with this one, and I’m usually pretty sensitive to that sort of thing. Overall, it’s still a cool bass! Thx for watching and sharing your experiences!!
You need to put a shim under the E string saddle. Also you can buy a solid bar that sits behind the bridge, that extends the string length the extra 1/2" you need. Get a replacement metal jack plate before you break it.
@@jonathanwong458music I have never seen this mod before but I found it on eBay if you search Gibson Epiphone 3 point bass bridge mod bar by Evan Webb. The Babicz bridges are terrific replacement bridges.
Thanks for reviewing this. I like my Hofner Club allot as well, but I've been looking for another semi hollow body. I've played the Guild Starfire three different times and I really want to like it but I just can't. The size of the body just isn't comfortable to me. It seemed to me on this Gibson that the tone control on 0 comparison to the tone control on 50% had quite a difference but between 50% and 100% there was not much difference. The main reason I wanted another hollowbody was to get more tonal control than my Hofners. I don't feel this will do it. I have yet to find one to play though lol. Thanks again, you may have saved me some money!
Thanks for watching! The Starfire looks big. Maybe not quite as big as a jack cassady. On the Rumblekat, the tone all the way down was on the muddy side. It shines more with the tone open. But having said that, it does sound more like a solid body than it does a semi hollow. More comparisons to come with this Epi, including A-B’ing with my Hofner. Please stay tuned!
The Starfire I is a great bass, and it looks awesome! I also tested it before I got a Rumblekat. However, it didn't give me the sound I was looking for: the mellow, thumpy sound of a pickup right at the neck. And it feels very differently because it's pretty big, while the Rumblekat is really compact. From what I remember, it's built a bit nicer, but the Rumblekat's build is pretty good as well.
@@cletraclewy2665 Yep, that's a very nice bass as well! And it has my favorite pickups on it! But it's a different price category... Still priced well for what you get. I'd love to see the return of the M-85 II, which would be the Starfire II with a more compact body similar to the Rumblekat/Club Bass.
Great review as always! I'm currently looking for a semi-hollow body bass because of the nice thumpy tone they can produce and because their weight is a lot more comfortable for my back. If you could only choose one instrument, either the Allen Woody or the Höfner Club Bass, which one would you go for? You said in the beginning that the Club Bass also has its flaws, but which flaws would you say are "worse" or to put it differently, more managable? Thanks!
Oooooh, tough choice! Thanks for asking! You're foreshadowing a future video!! OK. Here goes: i) From an esthetic point of view, the Hofner is hard to beat. It has the vintage charm and the colour looks great. Tina Weymouth played a club. My pickguard rattled, so I took it off. Looks way better that way (to me). In contrast, the Epi Rumblekat's red colour doesn't give off as much of a vintage vibe, even though I like the way it looks. When I pull out the Hofner at a session or at a gig, people go "COOL!". They don't do that with the Epi nearly as much. These things shouldn't matter, but they do - the vibe matters. Point Hofner. ii) Tuners: The Hofner tuners suck. Both in how they turn, how flimsy they feel and mostly because the string hole is so small, the majority of flatwounds won't fit in them. I had to get specialty Labella flats designed for the 'Beatle bass' (they share the same tuners). In contrast, the Epi has gotoh-looking tuners that turn well enough, but you could put whatever strings you wanted around them without issue. Point Rumblekat. iii) Electronics/controls: My Hofner really only gives me 2 different sounds. The back bridge pickup does very little and I never use it. Practically speaking, it's neck pickup, bass switch on or off. In contrast, the V-V-T on the Epi allows for more tonal variation. iv) Tone: The Hofner does a 'thing'. It's a very limited thing, but it has a tonal character that is pretty hard to get outside of a Hofner. It's hard to describe.....it's a combo of bassy yet papery. Rolled off highs yet not muddy. I haven't filmed it yet, but I don't think the Epi quite gets there. Close, probably....maybe... No clear winner. Will depend on what you want it to do, sonically. The Epi will be more versatile. v) String spacing and neck: The spacing is very tight on the Hofner Club. Mine measures around 14mm vs the 17.5mm on the Epi. It makes playing with a pick easier for me but fingerstyle? It's tight. So going back and forth between a Fender and a Hofner can potentially be difficult depending on how ingrained your muscle memory is. The Hofner neck is also quite thick, it's like a deep D shape with a narrow board width. Takes getting used to. In contrast, the Epi's neck is very comfortable and I find it easier to switch back and forth. It's more similar to a solid body's neck profile, if you will. Much more shallow, more of a C than a deep D. vi) Fragility. I've gigged my Hofner a few times and each time, i'm a little worried it would break in transport, and I use a fitted hardshell case. In contrast, the Epi feels more robust. And that's in context that I also lug a cello around. vii) Dead spots. Probably a combo of floating bridge, semi hollow body, wood bridge, weird fret material for a saddle....my Hofner has a few dead spots. I've remedied it (have a video on that too!). But it's a bit of a turn-off. In contrast, the Epi is a more even playing experience. viii) Body size. The Hofner is pretty small, even on me. All 5'7", 125 lbs of me. So I find playing comfort and where the edges contact my body/arm to be more favourable on the Epi, which is a wider. Similarly, first position is further away on the Hofner due to the tailpiece position. So it'll feel longer than the Epi. Both the Hofner Club (the contemporary series) and the Epi Rumblekat are semihollow, although I think the centreblock and chambering is quite different in design between the two. So my suggestion would be this: matters less which I like better, I think it'll depend more on what you want to do with the bass. If you are playing sessions and wish to bring 'vibe' and satisfy the engineer and artist, I'd probably go with the Hofner because it just does something cool. If you are planning on gigging with it and need more tonal variation and more intuitive controls on dark stages, I'd get the Rumblekat because it simply feels more robust in general. There's also a hefty price difference. The Hofner Club contemporary is at least $1100-1200$ CDN, whereas a Rumblekat is usually under 800. Neither come with a hardshell case, so that's another $150+ CDN. Hope this is helpful! Good luck in the hunt!
@@jonathanwong458music Thank you so much for the detailed analysis! This is definetly helpful! Sounds like the Höfner would be more of a one trick pony with a cool vintage vibe and a more useful decision would be to go for the Allen Woody, if I had to summarize it. I guess after all I should still test them both in real life to see which one matches the best. I still have to admit that the look of the Höfner's (especially the black version) appeals a lot more to me than the Allen Woody. It's tough to base ones decision off of that but in the end as you said it does matter and ultimately you also need to feel like grabbing the instrument and play on it. (I would love to see a video btw in which you compare both basses back to back ;))
@@brotherjames6401 the comparison video between the club and the Rumblekat is on the slate. Going to put flatwounds on it first! I’m definitely function over form….but if I don’t visually gravitate towards something, it’s somehow less inspiring. I wish it weren’t so, but that’s the honest answer.
The pick up configuration, is similar to P Mac' s 1st hofner. When I went to buy a hof, I liked the neck, middle configuration better than more common neck, bridge. I ended up with a contemporary series one, I still have it with 39 to 96 flats on it. Iv thought of the epi rumble cat, but with my hof, it's sorta redundant. Still, as I mentioned, I find the neck, middle pick up, 2 very usable tones, whereas I would only use the neck , in a neck, bridge.
Yes! The cavern style p/u placement gives more useable tones. The bridge p/u on my Hofner doesn’t do much for me aside from adding clack (which I don’t like). Thanks for watching!
Yes, more versatile than I initially thought too! That middle p/u really saved the day. Unlike the bridge p/u on my Hofner. There’s so little string orbit back there…that bridge p/u is useless to me. Thanks for watching!
Hi, again. Thanks for the video. Let me ask you which one do you prefer, this one or the hofner club? IN my country I can find this one at the same price of the Hofner contemporary , but the hofner ignition is half of the price.
Hi! Thanks for watching and asking! In Canada, the Contemporary series Club is several hundred CDN dollars more expensive than the Rumblekat. The quality control of the ignition series is a bit variable from what I've seen and heard. And they are hollow and do not have a centre block. But it's much more affordable. As to which one I prefer? If I could only have one for recording, I'd keep the Hofner as it fits a particular sonic need for me. Having said that, the Rumblekat is MUCH more versatile. So if I wanted a semi-hollow bass to gig with, it'll be the Rumblekat. I recently made a video to address this exact question! If you haven't seen it, here's a link: ruclips.net/video/hoQz4CU4tXk/видео.html
@@jonathanwong458music v7 alder 4. Pickup sweep to front. Voicing tone on 50% might need to use the preamp to really dial those mids in. I think that it would get there.
A design that classy is practically begging for cloverleaf tuners...then again, I said that about my gretsch but found out they wouldn't fit in the case
Nice review and demo. Bass has a very pleasing, old-school vibe that sounds great.
It does sound pretty nice! Even more old school vibe with flatwounds….stay tuned!
Thanks for watching!
That was an excellent review.
Many thanks.
Thank you so much for watching and for the encouragement!
@@jonathanwong458music You are most welcome, and thank you for the reviews.
@@drutgat2 :)
Hey, I guess I might be that viewer you're talking about... 😁Great to see your take on this bass, awesome demo! I agree with many of your points. I love the sound of each single pickup, depending on the vibe I'm going for. Neck for a really mellow, thumping, Höfner-like sound, middle for more punch in a louder mix. But I also don't like both combined, sucks out important mids. Maybe they should have mounted the middle pickup a little further back, somewhere in a Mustang-like position. Like on the Wilcock Mullarkey signature bass. (Maybe the next one for you to try? 😉)
The craftsmanship of mine is really good, less issues than yours. Not flawless, but the issues are minor: The nut isn't perfectly centered. Feels uneven on the sides, but the slots are done well. And the bridge is just not a good design. However, if it was mounted further back, I might have problems setting the intonation correctly. But my strings also don't sit well on the saddles. Luckily this doesn't affect the sound on mine. I have Rotosound flats on it, it came with them already when I bought it used.
All in all, for me, it's the perfect shorty, at least in that price range. If I could spend a lot more money, I would gravitate towards a Wilcock Mullarkey, a Lakland Hollowbody, or a Guild M-85 II. Or a Nordstrand Acinonyx? Way too many interesting basses out there... 😅
Yes! Lots of great short scale options now! I quite like this bass despite the flaws! More to come on this Rumblekat!
Thanks for watching and for the suggestion!
Such a good looking baby.... Thanks for pointing at the shortcomings!
It does look great, doesn't it? Thanks for watching!
I had one and loved it except for one thing. The way I play standing the body would cut into my arm. It`s just the way I play and may not bother anyone else. It is cool!
The absence of a forearm cutaway (if you’re used to one) can definitely cut into your arm. Suppose it’s the nature of these semi and hollow body basses. Warwick made a semi hollow bass for Lee Sklar with a forearm cutaway. Cool execution, but if I’m honest, it looks weird and out of place! But I’m sure it makes longer sessions way more comfortable.
Thanks for watching and sharing your experiences!
Thanks, Jonathan! I hope you enjoy playing your Rumblekat. I really like mine. I have a soft spot for hollow/semi-hollow basses/guitars. Someday I'll do something about that bridge, but not enough of a problem yet. Also someone who had it before me put a sticker on it! Fortunately it's on the back
Yeah! I’m enjoying the Rumblekat so far. I have a babicz on the way for it. Stay tuned!
Thanks for watching!
Great video! I have a Rumblekat that is my favorite gigging bass. Found it used with a Hipshot bridge and I’m going to put lightweight tuners on it. GHS Balanced Nickels really made it come alive.
Great to hear! I’ve been enjoying the Rumblekat so far!
Thanks for watching!
I have a Rumblekat I bought in 2015 and I love it. I upgraded the bridge to a Hipshot full-contact one and put Gotoh tuners on it.
Great upgrades! Thanks for watching! I have a babicz on the way!
What model# tuners did you put on it? I am looking for lighter tuners, are they lighter? Thanks!
@@sethbrown8912 If you are after a lighter weight GB7 style, check out the gotoh resolites. You will save a few grams. They turn and feel pretty nice, too. Hipshot has a bunch of different lightweight models, but the US models feel nicer than the licensed imports.
I’ve had most of these tuner models. These days, I just want a tuner to stay in tune, be reliable and be easy to turn with my arthritic hands!
@@sethbrown8912 They are model 3121GX. They feel a little bit lighter than the stock tuners.
I’m sorry, I gave you the stock number. The model number is GB707
Hi Jonathan.....interesting base,thanks again for posting new reviews!!!!👍🇨🇱🇨🇦
Your viewership means a lot to me! Thank you!
Thanks for the video. Coincidently, I got myself a Rumblekat a week ago. Mine was made in China in 2022. The strings are different and have red linings on both ends. I've tried Fender flatwounds (usually my favourites), but they didn't fit well. I had some Mustang LaBellas around that fit, even though with some of the linings over the saddles. I wouldn't say I liked the LaBellas on my Frankenstein Mustang, but they're quite good in the Rumblekat.
Mine came with some imperfections in the bindings finishing, with a line of paint over almost all the body, and some splash in the neck junction and headstock. The headstock binding especially has some pretty visible paint over some parts.
On the maligned bridge, I found it easier to adjust than I thought it would be, but still will upgrade it with a Hipshot supertone - this bridge has individual height adjustment and solve the issue you comment on the distance of the strings to the bridge - the hipshot is closer to the body end, with some extra space to the saddles.
On the tone, I agree with you, the middle pickup sounds better.
Did you experience any noise? I've got it when the tone knob is on 100% and the others knobs aren't. Then, if either the neck or middle pickup goes to 100%, that noise is almost eliminated. Still, the bass has shield painting. I kind of solved the problem by adding some copper foil sheets over the control cavity borders, making contact between the knobs and the shielded cavity.
Today I removed the paint from the neck and made a tinted oil finish. Will apply tru oil tomorrow. Was planning to remove the paint from the body, but after I learned how tick it is in the neck, I 'm having second thoughts.
That’s interesting to compare one example made in China, vs the one I have from Indonesia. You can tell from the photos that my binding was done really well. There could also be variability between ones made in the same place, on a different day too! A bit of a dice roll, unfortunately.
Of all the instruments I’ve had my hands on, there seems to be more variability in ones coming out of China, compared to other Asian countries.
I didn’t have noise issues with this one, and I’m usually pretty sensitive to that sort of thing.
Overall, it’s still a cool bass! Thx for watching and sharing your experiences!!
Nice review. It’s not the bass I would go for, but it’s a unique looking instrument and I enjoyed learning more about it. Thanks.
Thanks so much for watching! Probably can’t use a semi hollow for the majority of gigs, but it does offer something different!!
Yes, it’s a unique offering for sure. Please keep the reviews coming.
Will try my best to!
You need to put a shim under the E string saddle. Also you can buy a solid bar that sits behind the bridge, that extends the string length the extra 1/2" you need. Get a replacement metal jack plate before you break it.
Great suggestions! I have a babicz on the way. We will see what that does. Thanks for watching!
@@jonathanwong458music I have never seen this mod before but I found it on eBay if you search Gibson Epiphone 3 point bass bridge mod bar by Evan Webb. The Babicz bridges are terrific replacement bridges.
Great review as usual.- What’s the neck dive like on this please?
Thanks for watching! This particular example was well balanced. The small tuners help. Was surprisingly comfortable!
I'm happy with my Gibson SG bass (short scale). It's all I need to lay bass tracks.
Right on! Cool bass. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for reviewing this. I like my Hofner Club allot as well, but I've been looking for another semi hollow body. I've played the Guild Starfire three different times and I really want to like it but I just can't. The size of the body just isn't comfortable to me. It seemed to me on this Gibson that the tone control on 0 comparison to the tone control on 50% had quite a difference but between 50% and 100% there was not much difference. The main reason I wanted another hollowbody was to get more tonal control than my Hofners. I don't feel this will do it. I have yet to find one to play though lol. Thanks again, you may have saved me some money!
Thanks for watching!
The Starfire looks big. Maybe not quite as big as a jack cassady.
On the Rumblekat, the tone all the way down was on the muddy side. It shines more with the tone open. But having said that, it does sound more like a solid body than it does a semi hollow.
More comparisons to come with this Epi, including A-B’ing with my Hofner. Please stay tuned!
Great review. It would be cool to get your opinion on the Guild Starfire I bass. It seems like it’s better built than the Rumblekat.
The Starfire is on the list of basses I’m trying to get my hands on. Will keep looking elsewhere!
Thanks for watching!
The Starfire I is a great bass, and it looks awesome! I also tested it before I got a Rumblekat. However, it didn't give me the sound I was looking for: the mellow, thumpy sound of a pickup right at the neck. And it feels very differently because it's pretty big, while the Rumblekat is really compact. From what I remember, it's built a bit nicer, but the Rumblekat's build is pretty good as well.
You can get the sound from the Starfire II
@@cletraclewy2665 Yep, that's a very nice bass as well! And it has my favorite pickups on it! But it's a different price category... Still priced well for what you get.
I'd love to see the return of the M-85 II, which would be the Starfire II with a more compact body similar to the Rumblekat/Club Bass.
Great review as always! I'm currently looking for a semi-hollow body bass because of the nice thumpy tone they can produce and because their weight is a lot more comfortable for my back. If you could only choose one instrument, either the Allen Woody or the Höfner Club Bass, which one would you go for? You said in the beginning that the Club Bass also has its flaws, but which flaws would you say are "worse" or to put it differently, more managable? Thanks!
Oooooh, tough choice! Thanks for asking! You're foreshadowing a future video!! OK. Here goes:
i) From an esthetic point of view, the Hofner is hard to beat. It has the vintage charm and the colour looks great. Tina Weymouth played a club. My pickguard rattled, so I took it off. Looks way better that way (to me). In contrast, the Epi Rumblekat's red colour doesn't give off as much of a vintage vibe, even though I like the way it looks. When I pull out the Hofner at a session or at a gig, people go "COOL!". They don't do that with the Epi nearly as much. These things shouldn't matter, but they do - the vibe matters. Point Hofner.
ii) Tuners: The Hofner tuners suck. Both in how they turn, how flimsy they feel and mostly because the string hole is so small, the majority of flatwounds won't fit in them. I had to get specialty Labella flats designed for the 'Beatle bass' (they share the same tuners). In contrast, the Epi has gotoh-looking tuners that turn well enough, but you could put whatever strings you wanted around them without issue. Point Rumblekat.
iii) Electronics/controls: My Hofner really only gives me 2 different sounds. The back bridge pickup does very little and I never use it. Practically speaking, it's neck pickup, bass switch on or off. In contrast, the V-V-T on the Epi allows for more tonal variation.
iv) Tone: The Hofner does a 'thing'. It's a very limited thing, but it has a tonal character that is pretty hard to get outside of a Hofner. It's hard to describe.....it's a combo of bassy yet papery. Rolled off highs yet not muddy. I haven't filmed it yet, but I don't think the Epi quite gets there. Close, probably....maybe... No clear winner. Will depend on what you want it to do, sonically. The Epi will be more versatile.
v) String spacing and neck: The spacing is very tight on the Hofner Club. Mine measures around 14mm vs the 17.5mm on the Epi. It makes playing with a pick easier for me but fingerstyle? It's tight. So going back and forth between a Fender and a Hofner can potentially be difficult depending on how ingrained your muscle memory is. The Hofner neck is also quite thick, it's like a deep D shape with a narrow board width. Takes getting used to. In contrast, the Epi's neck is very comfortable and I find it easier to switch back and forth. It's more similar to a solid body's neck profile, if you will. Much more shallow, more of a C than a deep D.
vi) Fragility. I've gigged my Hofner a few times and each time, i'm a little worried it would break in transport, and I use a fitted hardshell case. In contrast, the Epi feels more robust. And that's in context that I also lug a cello around.
vii) Dead spots. Probably a combo of floating bridge, semi hollow body, wood bridge, weird fret material for a saddle....my Hofner has a few dead spots. I've remedied it (have a video on that too!). But it's a bit of a turn-off. In contrast, the Epi is a more even playing experience.
viii) Body size. The Hofner is pretty small, even on me. All 5'7", 125 lbs of me. So I find playing comfort and where the edges contact my body/arm to be more favourable on the Epi, which is a wider. Similarly, first position is further away on the Hofner due to the tailpiece position. So it'll feel longer than the Epi.
Both the Hofner Club (the contemporary series) and the Epi Rumblekat are semihollow, although I think the centreblock and chambering is quite different in design between the two. So my suggestion would be this: matters less which I like better, I think it'll depend more on what you want to do with the bass. If you are playing sessions and wish to bring 'vibe' and satisfy the engineer and artist, I'd probably go with the Hofner because it just does something cool. If you are planning on gigging with it and need more tonal variation and more intuitive controls on dark stages, I'd get the Rumblekat because it simply feels more robust in general.
There's also a hefty price difference. The Hofner Club contemporary is at least $1100-1200$ CDN, whereas a Rumblekat is usually under 800. Neither come with a hardshell case, so that's another $150+ CDN.
Hope this is helpful! Good luck in the hunt!
@@jonathanwong458music Thank you so much for the detailed analysis! This is definetly helpful! Sounds like the Höfner would be more of a one trick pony with a cool vintage vibe and a more useful decision would be to go for the Allen Woody, if I had to summarize it. I guess after all I should still test them both in real life to see which one matches the best. I still have to admit that the look of the Höfner's (especially the black version) appeals a lot more to me than the Allen Woody. It's tough to base ones decision off of that but in the end as you said it does matter and ultimately you also need to feel like grabbing the instrument and play on it. (I would love to see a video btw in which you compare both basses back to back ;))
@@brotherjames6401 the comparison video between the club and the Rumblekat is on the slate. Going to put flatwounds on it first!
I’m definitely function over form….but if I don’t visually gravitate towards something, it’s somehow less inspiring. I wish it weren’t so, but that’s the honest answer.
Good review.
Thank you so much for watching and for the encouragement!
The pick up configuration, is similar to P Mac' s 1st hofner. When I went to buy a hof, I liked the neck, middle configuration better than more common neck, bridge. I ended up with a contemporary series one, I still have it with 39 to 96 flats on it.
Iv thought of the epi rumble cat, but with my hof, it's sorta redundant. Still, as I mentioned, I find the neck, middle pick up, 2 very usable tones, whereas I would only use the neck , in a neck, bridge.
Yes! The cavern style p/u placement gives more useable tones. The bridge p/u on my Hofner doesn’t do much for me aside from adding clack (which I don’t like).
Thanks for watching!
Always wanted to try one of these, much more versatile than I thought . . . . (ng on the bridge, though.)
Yes, more versatile than I initially thought too! That middle p/u really saved the day. Unlike the bridge p/u on my Hofner. There’s so little string orbit back there…that bridge p/u is useless to me.
Thanks for watching!
Hi, again. Thanks for the video. Let me ask you which one do you prefer, this one or the hofner club? IN my country I can find this one at the same price of the Hofner contemporary , but the hofner ignition is half of the price.
Hi! Thanks for watching and asking! In Canada, the Contemporary series Club is several hundred CDN dollars more expensive than the Rumblekat. The quality control of the ignition series is a bit variable from what I've seen and heard. And they are hollow and do not have a centre block. But it's much more affordable.
As to which one I prefer? If I could only have one for recording, I'd keep the Hofner as it fits a particular sonic need for me. Having said that, the Rumblekat is MUCH more versatile. So if I wanted a semi-hollow bass to gig with, it'll be the Rumblekat.
I recently made a video to address this exact question! If you haven't seen it, here's a link:
ruclips.net/video/hoQz4CU4tXk/видео.html
Woody was one of the best.
He had a great groove and swagger! Thanks for watching!
Very nice Bass
Thanks for watching! It is a cool bass!
My Sire does that tone.
Interesting! Which model Sire? Very cool.
Thanks for watching!
@@jonathanwong458music v7 alder 4. Pickup sweep to front. Voicing tone on 50% might need to use the preamp to really dial those mids in. I think that it would get there.
Thanks for sharing your settings!
A design that classy is practically begging for cloverleaf tuners...then again, I said that about my gretsch but found out they wouldn't fit in the case
Yeah, would add some weight too. But otherwise, has nice lines doesn’t it?
Thanks for watching!
No must have
Thanks for watching!