HONDO???

jckmcgrth · #1 03-31-2008, 09:06 PM

i have a hondo deluxe series 870 bass that i know nothing about... at all

any know the model? and stuff like what it's worth and all

and if they were good basses, because this one has gotten quite ****** (used to be my uncles)

bluerimedeyes · #2 03-31-2008, 09:10 PM

What they are worth? not much, look on ebay- the danelectro copies and the m-16 guitars are usually around 500, but anything else will go for under 200, usually. As to whether they are good or not, well, that depends. I'm sure they put out quite a few duds, BUT the guys that have decent ones, and appreciate them, SWEAR by them. Search 'official hondo thread' and you will see what I mean. They have a very small following, but growing!

As to that particular model, I don't know much, there is not that much information about them. I think wikipedia has an article on the history of the hondo brand, though.

danomite64 · #3 03-31-2008, 10:03 PM

870? I remember the P-bass copy being the 830; is the 870 a Jazz copy?

Phalex · #4 04-01-2008, 06:25 AM

Great Movie!

jgroh · #5 04-01-2008, 06:33 AM

My very first bass was a Hondo back in 1986. I think it was a P bass knock off, bright blue, sounded....ehhh. I only had it for a year before I traded up to a B-301 Guild, but I can assure you that they are probably not worth much.

**DeanT** · #6 04-01-2008, 07:15 AM

I know of the H820M bass and the H815 bass.

The 820 (which is probably what you have?) sold for $129 new. It's a traditional style double cutaway with bolt-on maple neck and a 20-fret rosewood fingerboard, black pickguard and P-bass style pickups. It has a volume and tone controls.

The 815 is a short scale that is similar.

iriegnome · #7 04-01-2008, 07:44 AM

The 830's were the Fame Series P-basses. The H815 is the short scale P-bass. The 880 was the "Deluxe Series", but I cannot find anything on the 870...
I own a couple of the Longhorn basses (H1115 I think)

danomite64 · #8 04-01-2008, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriegnome

The 830's were the Fame Series P-basses.

The 830 existed before the Fame series, too. I've had 3 or 4 pre-Fame (Oh, God, is there going to be a pre-Fame snob club now?) 830's, and 2 Fame 830's. I just looked in Guitar Stories Vol. 1, and the 870 is a P-bass with no pickguard, and P-J pickups. THe Jazz copy is the 840.

Psycho · #9 10-08-2008, 04:34 PM

Huh, i've got an 880 Deluxe and don't know squat about it either. It's got an Explorer shaped body, but I wouldn't know if it's any good.

T. Brookins · #10 10-16-2008, 08:03 PM

I'm flying off to Austin tomorrow to get on down with mine, strung BEAD!

Hondo 870 deluxe:
A great sounding workhorse.

A keeper.

Baird6869 · #11 10-16-2008, 08:11 PM

They are good basses (and acoustic and electric guitars) for the $$$ but sold cheap new and still are inexpensive.

I bought a Hondo acoustic recently at a garage sale for $25 with case and it is a good campfire guitar.

The basses and guitars were under $250 new in the early-mid '80's and would likely not sell for more than that these days.

WickedPissah · #12 10-16-2008, 08:13 PM

my cousin's got one of the Hondo guitars. He got it wicked cheap.

ashtray · #13 10-16-2008, 10:56 PM

I got a Fame Strat in mint condition for $20 at a garage sale - not a scratch on it. I overpaid.

I took in trade a PAIR of Hondo Series 8xx whatevers... Strat copies again. I thought they would make good wall art. I ended up selling them both for $75 (combined, not each).

They were miserable instruments that took the life out of playing guitar. That said, for $20-30, they could be a good project to work on woodworking (as long as you like plywood to work with), or as with my Fame, to practice painting techniques, and strip for parts when you need an extra tuner, spring, pickup, etc.

bassman1149 · #14 09-10-2009, 09:41 PM

I have a Fame Series 830, Just looking for a pickguard for it. I play bass for a gospel group here in Buffalo, NY (I know its a cheap bass) and to me the way you play it or master this bass you can make sound very, very good. I also have 6 orther basses and its what I can do with this ( the 830 with a BP 8 valve or the BP200) I can't do and sound a great. Because, The only Has Volume and one on it.

FL Knifemaker · #15 09-11-2009, 06:22 AM

Don't discount all Hondos as being cheap POS'

My Hondo fame has a solid wood body, no plywood

The Fame series came stock with Grover tuners and a really solid, string through bridge. Fit, finish and playability could hang with ANY American Fender. Even the pickup is awesome. I've since put another Hondo P pup in a Fender MIJ I have.

THe neck on this bass is rock hard maple that's nicely figured when you see it up close. The finish overall has yellowed nicely over the years.

FL Knifemaker · #16 09-11-2009, 06:23 AM

I was impressed enough to add a $70 pickguard from WD music and the mammoth ivory tugbar. I also completey rewired it with all new, modern components

The bod.........

bassplayer7770 · #17 09-11-2009, 06:40 AM

My first bass was a Hondo P-Bass copy, and I didn't like it. Of course, I was also a bass newb, but that neck didn't seem to play very well...

**gre107** · #18 09-11-2009, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeanT

I know of the H820M bass and the H815 bass.

The 820 (which is probably what you have?) sold for $129 new. It's a traditional style double cutaway with bolt-on maple neck and a 20-fret rosewood fingerboard, black pickguard and P-bass style pickups. It has a volume and tone controls.

The 815 is a short scale that is similar.

As soon as I read this post I remembered that they were $129.00 way back in the day!

I had a few of them many many years ago. Overall were pretty good basses and you couldn't go wrong with the price!

Nowadays, hmmm.... can't see them being worth much of anything. $200.00 ? I should of kept mine and sold them now for the $70.00 profit. Who would have known?

Peace!

dalkowski · #19 09-11-2009, 06:50 AM

Not worth much at all, never will be, but could be a good workhorse/beater.

John "Hondo" Havlicek, on the other hand, was priceless in his prime.

iriegnome · #20 09-11-2009, 07:02 AM

Just to put my 2 more cents in - My Hondo Longhorn (which I bought new in 1982) retailed for, if I remember correctly, Like $750 (case included), but I did not pay that much. I traded my Washburn SB-40 and $25 for the case for the hondo. I am not sure, but the SB-40 was selling for about $400 +/- or so... Now this was 27 years ago, but that still was a lot of money...