VIOLA SUCKS SOOOOO MUCH!!!

[jordnalos]

HOLY **** MAN MY EPIPHONE VIOLA SUCKS ***!!! EACH TIME I PLAY IT AND LEAVE IT ALONE THE ACTION GOES OFF AND ITS TERRIBLE!!! I CANT BELIEVE IT! THIS WAS A WASTE!!! i got a voucher from guitar center to buy a replacement acoustic bass but i saw dis and played it and thought seemed ok and now its just HELL!!!! I already spent a total of 50$ in like 1.5 years just on going to the guitar shop and getting the action done, intonation, everything o my gosh this bass is a nightmare!

[Tukinator]

I played bass in a band years ago. I've played probably 50-60 different basses.

 

My Viola is BY FAR the best bass I've ever played.

 

. . .or did you just come over here to get a rise?

[jordnalos]

No man Im just very frustrated right now, I dont know if I got a lemon product but it's also da best ive owned, but Im just saying the reliability of this bass when playing consistently is rough. I play in a band that has some slow songs and we dont really have heavy rock songs. I think the flaw of the bass is the bridge piece. I compared it with Hofner basses and theyre exactly the same with a tailpiece to slip the strings through then go on top of the black bridge piece. Ive found that the bridge piece moves to easily even when tight. Did your viola come with a white wrap thing under the bridge piece? I had my viola professionally adjusted at least once a month now and its becoming too much a hassle. If you could, can I see pics of how you viola is set up, from the tailpiece to the height and position of the bridge would help me out and whats your action like?

[JefferySmith]

Newbie,

 

Get it fixed. And calm down. Did you read the ground rules? This isn't a good place to curse and vent, but to ask advice.

 

That said, we ARE talking about a $300 guitar. So where would that make its place of manufacture? Not a good one, I'm afraid. And it's a knockoff of a cheap Hofner bass that wasn't terribly well-respected back when Paul McCartney bought one in the early 60's.

 

But a good local luthier can probably fix it by getting rid of the awful electronics. If you peruse Harmony Central's guitar reviews, one thing should stand out in your mind...electric guitars built in Asia usually have awful electronics that should be replaced post haste. Especially the noisy pots. It's a shame that they spend so much time trying to get guitars to "look good" but that their electronics are so poor.

 

I always run through the Harmony Central reviews when I see a guitar that interests me. The Epiphone Viola bass has a composite average of 9.4 out of 10, so you obviously got one that is a turkey, but that can be fixed.

 

I'm bitter too these days about the junk that is made in China. I bought a Dell desktop computer in November, and had it died on me three times in three months (with three different motherboards). They finally sent me a new computer. China seems to have no concept of quality control. Nothing is rejected. Make it cheap, and sell all of it whether it works or not. Toys have lead-based paint? So what? Sell them anyway.

[L1Picker]

Newbie' date='

 

...Did you read the ground rules? This isn't a good place to curse and vent, but to ask advice.

 

...

 

I'm bitter too these days about the junk that is made in China. I bought a Dell desktop computer in November, and had it died on me three times in three months (with three different motherboards). They finally sent me a new computer. China seems to have no concept of quality control. Nothing is rejected. Make it cheap, and sell all of it whether it works or not. Toys have lead-based paint? So what? Sell them anyway.

 

[/quote']

 

[Freuds_cat]

jordnalos, it sounds like you have a lemon. Happens with all things regardless of place of manufacture I'm afraid. From American guitars to Japanese cars, lemons exist in all things. I am also sure that for its cost, a little bit of philosophical humor is the way I would approach it. Either flog (sell) it. Or I would probably be prepared to pay a good luthier up to $150 to Make it right. If you cant find one who can do this then sell it mate. Que cera cera

 

I have played 2 different Violas and one was definitely a better bass than the other but both were respectable players. Neither were noisy I gotta say. My Korean Allen Woody Rumblekat actually has my respect in that its the only bass I've ever owned that I have not, and have no inclination, to change any part of the electronics.

 

Personally I have no problems with anyone coming into this forum and blowing off a bit of steam at being frustrated with an Epiphone bass. As long as its done constructively and details are forthcoming.

 

Hope it works out for you jordnalos

 

Good luck with it.

[Lerxst1281733995]

It's a well known fact that sometimes they let a few dogs slip out of the factory.. I've owned a Viola for about a year and a half now and have had absolutely no problems with mine... I have not had to replace any part of it yet, nor have I had any problems with action. The only thing that's a pain in the butt is setting the intonation, which is a problem with ANY guitar or bass with a floating bridge. McCartney's biggest complaint about his Hofner was that it didn't keep intonation very well, which is why he gave it up in favor of the Rickenbacker..

 

What kind of strings do you have on yours? If you have heavy gauge or long scale strings (or both) on it, the strings will put more tension on the neck and cause bowing.

 

That sheet of foam is there to prevent the bridge from making a footprint in the top of the bass.. I removed it when I changed the strings on mine.. Eventually, I think I'll glue a thin strip of foam rubber under the bridge to give it a little more friction to keep it from moving..

[GabrielGold]

Foam rubber under the bridge might help reduce slippage, but it'll also isolate the bridge acoustically somwhat. That's a bad thing for both tone and sustain. Sacrificing the finish a bit would help without hurting tone. Some "scratches" on the bottom of the bridge feet will make "teeth" that will reduce slip. The downside is the pretty shine will suffer when the bridge has to be moved for intonation corrections, which is often necesssary after string changes (sometimes just from strings aging).

 

A very small dab of super glue can be a viable last resort. Get your intonation as good as possible, then draw an erasable pencil line around the bridge "feet" as a guide. Put down a TINY dot of glue under each foot, re-align the bridge to the existing marks, and go for it. Worst case scenario, the glue will pull off a bit of finish later on when ya gotta move that bridge. As stated earlier, these were never intended to be collectible family jewels. They're beaters. Don't be afraid to add a few battle scars to make it a better tool. The intent is making good music after all, not fashion statements, right?

 

Honestly though, as much as I like Epi instruments for value-per-dollar, sometimes they can dissapoint. The Turser Viola is possibly an alternative if your Epi just doesn't do it for you any more. Same price range. Equal (some say better) quality. But remember, putting lipstick on a pig doesn't mean it'll become a good dance partner... sometimes ya get exactly what ya pay for and nothing more.

 

Floating bridge instruments (inexpensive guitars and basses in particular) by design tend to have inherent issues. Consider a bass with a fixed bridge if the maintenance gettin' to ya. An Epi EB-0 or EB-3 clone might be a good choice. Also a short scale like your Viola, but sturdier construction. And it comes with the added bonus of being nice eye candy! Jack Bruce seemed to like his genuine Gibson version...

[Lerxst1281733995]

I was actually considering something very thin for under the bridge.. We have some material in the shipping department where I work that would probably do the job.. It's not terribly thick, so I don't think it's will interfere too much with the tone.. I've also thought of using spray adhesive.. Got that at work as well... It's sticky enough to keep the bridge in place, but has low release, so it can be repositioned.. Cleans up with alcohol and other mild solvents.. I don't know if I would go with super glue... The spray adhesive doesn't really do anything to protect the top, but I'm not overly concerned about that... Otherwise, I would have kept the sheet of foam material that came with it..

 

I don't know if you were directing the latter half of your post at me or the original poster, but I'm quite satisfied with my Viola... I bought it because I'm a huge Beatles geek and I accept its limitations... I would never recommend this as an all around "go-to" bass... But it has a niche, and it's good for what it's meant for.