It's Beatle bass time - any help greatly appreciated!

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by ScottTunes

And NO other model sounds like the German made Hofners!

I prefer the tone of Hofner Ignitions over the German 500/1s I've tried both old an new and the current Contemporary model. And I find the Ignition neck to be much more comfortable as well.

YMMV.

[philtoler]

I have a CT - cost £400 but I needed the extra sustain so I could cover other music. But in your case if you are on a tight budget I would recommend the Ignition - there are so many good reviews about it, and it looks much more authentic and beautiful than either of the basses in your post.

[meursault42]

Originally Posted by ScottTunes

First, if your intent is to buy a Beatle bass, there are only 2 models to choose from, and only Sir Paul played them (NOT The Beatles). Sorry for being fussy, but many companies have tried to ride The Beatles coat-tails into a profit. To be sure, ONLY the German made Hofners qualify - in more ways than one! There's the more common "v63" 500/1, and the "Cavern" model 500/1. Both are completely hollow, and very light weight, which are important to the sound.

NO OTHER BRAND can claim Beatle Bass!!! And NO other model sounds like the German made Hofners! You can achieve the sound with the Hofner 500/2 Club bass.

I've tried "most" of the supposed Beatle Bass models... So my claim isn't hollow... I have had 25 Hofners over the last 4 decades. Down to 3 "real" Hofners now... They are all VERY similar in sound. One 1962 Senator, a Club reissue, and a violin bass reissue. NO other brand sounds like these basses!!!

If the sound is important, only the German made Hofner will GET it!!

Good hunting!

ScottTunes: I'm wondering if you might be willing to share any thoughts you might have on the pros and cons of "cavern" spacing. I have a 500/2 German made with cavern spacing that I picked up from the guys at rocknroll vintage (had to wait sooooooo long for this girl!) and have wondered from time to time whether I made the right choice in opting for this. Specifically I'm also wondering if the hollow/short-scale nature of the instrument requires that bridge pickup for added stability. Penny for your thoughts?

[Pimpernel Smith]

I've owned a Cavern model as well as several German made ones and now an Ignition model.

The Cavern model has a slightly deeper sounding bridge pick up due to its location nearer the neck. The difference is not that great, but it's very nice. The location of the bridge pick up has nothing to do with stability.

They are all good, and all sound like Hofners. The Cavern model is great looking and distinguished. You certainly have made a good purchase.

[mjac28]

I disagree with only "German" Hofners having that sound I have two 68' Greco violin basses that could definitely change that argument and my current CT with Pyramid flats gets me that sound when I'm playing my Beatles which I play daily.

[bill reed]

Originally Posted by mjac28

I disagree with only "German" Hofners having that sound I have two 68' Greco violin basses that could definitely change that argument and my current CT with Pyramid flats gets me that sound when I'm playing my Beatles which I play daily.

agree with mjac, i have a LE. MARQUIS bass and its fitted with roto 88s and it gives me that great McCartney sound with no effects needed.

[Biggbass]

Get a Hofner CT 500/1
best bang for the buck.

[mjac28]

Originally Posted by bill reed

agree with mjac, i have a LE. MARQUIS bass and its fitted with roto 88s and it gives me that great McCartney sound with no effects needed.

Nice bass love that color.

[Freez]

Originally Posted by RonChase

I owned maybe half a dozen makes of violin bass and currently own 4 Hofner's but the best violin bass in my mind anyway is the Epiphone viola it has volume and tone knobs instead of the pesky Hofner switched and also has full size tuners and a zero fret

+1... I tried a few and ended up buying this, it's hard to explain but all the others I tried felt like toys, the Epi is a solid instrument. Admittedly I never actually played a German made Hofner, because I didn't have $2,000 to spend! I put some Beatle Bass flats on it and it sounds fantastic, very thuddy and surprisingly deep and rich, even with the stock electronics.

[Rob Martinez]

I read a lot of people complain that Hofners feel "like toys." That is WHY you buy a Hofner, they are true hollow body basses, weigh about 5 lbs and are almost ethereal. Having said that, I have gigged Icons and German made Hofners, and they have never broke into pieces or fallen apart on stage for being so "toy" like. They are very durable, and frankly, I do not treat them any differently on stage than I would a Rick, Fender or Gibson bass.

I don't see the point of getting a short scale hollow body bass and wanting it to feel like a P bass.

[Revolver]

[quote=WD_Stevens;13085351]I'm getting the Hofner Ignition (it's called Ignition now, guys, not Icon) at some point soon. Yes, partly, it's because of the brand name but I also think none of the others have got the look quite right. The others seem to be too flared at the bottom end and the burst isn't quite as nice. I like the deep orange blasting out into pure black followed by the white/cream edging.


That's right. Neither the epi Viola nor the other clones have the same shape (the Höfner are slender and more 'refined'), so keep that in mind.

[Pet Sounds]

Most of the clones also lack the Hofner tailpiece. The German models are definitely better than the Asian ones, but I've seen some decent Icons. Hofners are fun basses! And, while I mostly play P Basses, nothing else sounds like them and they work great for some styles of music.

[mccartneyman]

Hofner Icon/Ignition. If you want the Beatle sound, you'll need flats. I used LaBella Beatle Bass Flats on mine, but other here use TI or Pyramid. Don't believe that the bass is a one-trick pony. McCartney uses only the front pickup, but if you use both, you can dial in a decent amount of snap to go with the woof. Play with fingers for a bassier sound, with a pick for punch. I used my Icon on a session recently and it sounded just as good as anything else I used, which included 2 Laklands, a Dingwall Combustion and an Epiphone Zenith.

[ACB0015]

I have the Hofner "Contemporary" series violin bass, replaced the stock black control knobs that came on it with authentic "teacup" knobs from ebay and it is by far the best Hofner I have had the pleasure to play, the construction seems much better than any vintage Hofner I have played -- I have never found them to be worth the asking prices in playability and practicality, always neck issues. Key to the sound is using flats, I've had both Pyramids and LaBellas on mine to great effect, the LaBellas are much less $$. Much, much better than the Icon series, I was fortunate to be able to choose between two at my local and mine has flame maple on the back that is as good or better than any other Hofner I have seen, new or vintage.

[mjac28]

The fit and finish may be better on the German Hofners but is the sound much different than the ignition or CT ? In my opinion and many others no and one of my favorite TBers Peacefrog sold me a modded CT that has fooled more than a couple of German Hofner owners I have it strung with Pyramid Flats because I wanted to see what the hype was all about I love them but they are not much better than the Labella Beatle Strings. I hope they last because at $60.00 bucks a set they won't be returning.

[mccartneyman]

Originally Posted by mjac28

The fit and finish may be better on the German Hofners but is the sound much different than the ignition or CT ? In my opinion and many others no and one of my favorite TBers Peacefrog sold me a modded CT that has fooled more than a couple of German Hofner owners I have it strung with Pyramid Flats because I wanted to see what the hype was all about I love them but they are not much better than the Labella Beatle Strings. I hope they last because at $60.00 bucks a set they won't be returning.

From what I've read, the Ignition/Icon is closer in sound to the German bass McCartney plays because it's hollow. The Contemporary has a block running through the center but apparently shares the German electronics. The Icon/Ignition has smaller pickups. Personally, I like the way the my Icon sounds -- deep, yet distinct, especially if you use compression. I tried Pyramids but didn't care for them. The LaBellas sound fine live and record well. If you're a stickler for how the bass looks, you can grab a set of teacup knobs for $40 from Bass Northwest.

To this day, McCartney uses only the front pickup with the RHYTHM/SOLO switch set on SOLO for more low end, and I'm almost certain he uses LaBella strings.

Be prepared to tinker a good buit to get the harmonics set. I've found that you can get all strings close and maybe one or two exact, but not all exact.

[Rob Martinez]

I own the Icon and German made V63 and both are great. IMO, they sound very similar. The German bass is louder, or has more presence, with a fatter, rounder sound. The Icon has more of a thump or thud sound, which is great for vintage tones. Yes, the finishes are different but that is up to each individual. I do find the Icon PUs easier to work with, ie raise or lower, than the more expensive bass. I have LaBella flats on both and they are great.

With that in mind, the Icon is a GREAT value, and frankly, probably the better deal if you are going to gig the bass a lot and don't want to risk having a drunk fall on your $2000 German made Hofner!!

[k-Plunk]

Love my Icon. Easy to play and fun. I always learn new material on my icon first before trying on other basses. Put rotosound tapewounds on it for that Come Together sound.

Tried out the Epi viola, and while the neck had a similar feel to my 70's Epiphone 5120 (ea260, Aria) bass--- a neck I really love, btw. The Viola's body isn't heavy enough to counter the neck, so it felt imbalanced to me.

[tat2jim]

I've had a Rogue Violin Bass for 7 yrs. Put on Thomastik Flats FTW!

[Orpheus55]

I loved my old Epi Viola and will likely get another soon; I preferred the sound I got from it with roundwounds (funny, since I use flats on everything else). I worked well with all kinds of music and certainly was light on the shoulder. I did find that straplocks tended to emphasize its tendency to roll forward, so a thicjk strap with solid end slots worked best. Mine took a real beating in the FL sun and humidity and never had a problem electronically. I eventually gave it to my son who will not part with it now.