Hofner 3/4 Double Bass

[CalebWilson]

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....MEWA:IT&ih=019

It seems a bit cheap, but my father found this on ebay and thought I might be interested.

It has "ebony fittings". I would have thought the ad would specifically say "ebony fingerboard" if the fingerboard was ebony.

So is this truly a bargain, or is it something I should stay away from?

[eh_train]

Hi

Hofners used to be decent workhorse basses, made in Germany. The school board in Toronto, where I live, had the good sense to buy these by the hundreds through the 1950s to 1970s, so there are still quite a few around here. You might find such a used instrument for $1000, and it would probably be worthwhile...

HOWEVER, the pics you've shown, and the fact that it is "brand new" suggest that this is a Chinese manufactured bass that has somehow acquired the Hofner name... Probably not such a great buy as an older model.

My 2 cents,

Paul (Eh_train)

[TroyK]

I could do research on these things, but you'll know the answers, so I don't really need to.

I don't know how much AU $1,000 is and don't know how close Essendon, Victoria is to Sydney, but I was say that if you had a chance to go and see it before you bid, maybe. If not, probably not.

I agree with the other comments too, although nothing necessarily wrong with a Chinese bass if it's well made and priced right and that's what you want. There will be a label inside that says. They're tough to photograph, but you could ask the guy. Still, if I couldn't put my eyes and hands on it first, I wouldn't consider. If you did and made him and offer, he might cancel the auction and let you drive away with it.

My thoughts.

[simonwilmer]

I bought a bass similar to this last year in damaged condition to fix and learn about bass repair , on pulling it apart I was shocked how badly constructed it was , and Melbourne to Sydney shipping will be quite expensive , you will find a much better bass for the money if you are patient and keep looking.