Hofner Bass with 70's SVT

WINGS012345 · #1 06-29-2010, 10:12 AM

Anyone ever play a Hofner Beatle Bass (german) thru a SVT head. 70's. Just curious on how they matched up. I'm debating buying a Hofner. German made of course.

Groover · #2 06-29-2010, 12:30 PM

Not a Hofner, but I have played a Gibson EB3L through an SVT and an NV215 cab.... and honestly, I didn't like that combination much. It was just "too much" and hard to get any definition other than super loud bass (which sounds like it should be a great thing, but it wasn't...)

I've found those types basses do better on SS or Hybrid amps with a little crisper cabs.

Of course, that's just my opinion and experience - I'm sure I would have gotten a really nice too tone if I would have experimented a little more with tweaking.

billfitzmaurice · #3 06-29-2010, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WINGS012345

Anyone ever play a Hofner Beatle Bass (german) thru a SVT head. 70's. Just curious on how they matched up. I'm debating buying a Hofner. German made of course.

Try the Hofner first. I only played one once, and found the balance was very poor. It was so neck heavy that I couldn't keep it from falling headstock first to the ground if I took my hand off the neck.

MK1 · #4 06-29-2010, 12:40 PM

I have a Hofner Contemporary (German Pickups) and I love it. It may balance a little bit better because of the Sustain Block, but the basses are so light that any neck dive is pretty easy to get past. I play my Hofner through a Mesa 400+ and it sounds amazing, these basses get a bad rap for being one trick ponies, but I haven't found that to be true at all, the neck pu and the bridge pu sound completely different, and both pickups together you get a nice phase cancelled "Jazz-like" tone.

johnk_10 · #5 06-29-2010, 12:51 PM

i love the way that my '68 Hofner beatle sounds when played thru either one of my SVTs. (a '69 or an '07 VR)

nickyn99 · #6 06-29-2010, 12:58 PM

Played my Hofner deluxe through my 76 last weekend with the Berg HT212. We did an acoustic set and it sounded great.

beans-on-toast · #7 06-29-2010, 01:43 PM

My old Hofner 500/1 has a lovely tone. It sounds fab with any amp including an SVT.

When I first got it, I had problems with feedback at higher volume levels. I potted the pickups and haven't had a problem since.

**B-string** · #8 06-29-2010, 02:58 PM

Always worked well for me.

synaesthesia · #9 06-30-2010, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WINGS012345

Anyone ever play a Hofner Beatle Bass (german) thru a SVT head. 70's. Just curious on how they matched up. I'm debating buying a Hofner. German made of course.

I used to do that in between '79 - 82 or so, Hofner 500/1 german made but with later blade pickups into 70s SVT and 8X10. It was OK for what I was doing then, and I liked the smack in your face tone.

Rezdog · #10 06-30-2010, 09:30 PM

Greetings from the North,

Borrowed a friends Hofner with fresh Roto roundwounds back in 78 and it was awesome thru my old SVT.

Rezdog

JimmyM · #11 07-01-2010, 01:57 AM

not a hofner but a jay turser beatle bass copy...sounds like a hofner to me even if it's not as glamorous. through the svt/810 i freakin' love it! however, it's a very dark sounding bass so if you want note definition, fairly radical eq is required. but i've never had a bass punch me in the balls like that one. it may be little but it'll pack a wallop.