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Hey, I've been thinking of building a hollow body violin style bass lately, and it got me thinking, how do you mount pickups to a hollow instrument? most bass pickups seem to be soap bar style where you screw through the pickup into the wood underneath, so do you have to have a pickup that mounts like a hum-bucker and hangs from the mounting ring?
Sorry if this is a "duh" question, but haven't gotten my hands on a hollow electric before...
Any recommendations on good 4 string pickup for a true hollow body bass?

Thanks, Jebarri

So you're going completely hollow, as in no solid core like in a ES-335? Feedback will almost certainly be a problem, but yes you could simply use mounting rings.

Yes, i was thinking completely hollow, as far as i know the Hofner violin bass as well as some of the gibson/epiphone guitars are completely hollow... am i totally wrong here? will feedback be a problem? I like the almost standup bassish sound of the Hofners, so i thought going completely hollow would help.

Old hofners are indeed hollow. As I recall the pickups surface mount with screws inside/underneath the mounting rings. Google some pictures of the pickups and I think you'll be able to see what I mean.

Thanks for the replies. Chris, you are saying to bolt a baseplate to the bottom with threaded ears like a hum bucker, making it possible to hang any type pickup off the mounting ring? that actually sounds like a really good idea...
Anyone got any suggestions (besides of course a Hofner pickup) that would sound good in a hollow body?

Yeah, thanks for the tip on the tv jones... prolly gonna be too busy to really start anything for a month or so at least, so im not in too much of a hurry make a decision.