• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

The joys (NOT) of playing an unfamiliar bass (Hofner)

bwildt

bwildt

Mar 21, 2017
906
4,154
Wichita, Kansas
#1
Feb 9, one of my former bandmates organized a Beatles night to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Beatles' Ed Sullivan Show appearance. It was a great night. There were almost 30 musicians playing in various combinations, and also some old local band revivals. All Beatles, all the time.

The stage was relatively small, so to ease the stage clutter, there was a lot of instrument sharing going on. The shared bass was a Hofner Beatle bass (not sure of the exact model).

Wow, did I have a hard time using that thing. I usually play 34" scales, but adapt reasonably well to other scales. However, the combination of 30" scale, the way it hung on the strap, close bridge spacing, and the obvious lack of sustain was really eating my lunch. It took so much of my attention just to play the stupid instrument that I missed out on a lot of the enjoyment of playing.

I forgot how weird those Hofners are I had a cheap Japanese copy back in the '70's.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bassdude51, Bassdirty, Tracii and 9 others
#3
Pet Sounds said:
Hofners are undeniably different than your garden variety Fender-style bass. Whether they're "weird" or not is a judgment call.
If you're not accustomed to playing them, I can certainly see why they might throw you off. I own Hofners, but they aren't my main basses. Some players don't use anything else.
Click to expand...
I don't mean this to sound argumentative. I agree that Hofners are quite different from more conventional designs and would take some getting used to.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rip Van Dan, thunesBARROW and Wyrdlow
#5
Remember that Paul bought a Hofner because he couldn’t afford a Fender P Bass. John and George made him switch to bass in 1961 when they weren’t internationally famous or wealthy yet.

That being said, Paul did switch to his (superior IMO) Rickenbacker 4001 in October 1965. The first song he played it on was Day Tripper. You can tell because the high F# note in the main riff has more sustain than any Hofner could produce.

I’m personally not a Hofner 500/1 fan because of the ergonomics, short scale, pencil thin neck, weird controls, and lack of sustain. I owned a Chinese Ignition model when I was a teenager and I returned it to upgrade my amp.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Wyrdlow
#6
MrAB4003 said:
Remember that Paul bought a Hofner because he couldn’t afford a Fender P Bass
Click to expand...
The quote I read is that Paul got a Höfner 500/1 because it could be ordered as a lefty, and didn't look "daft" in such form. If there's any reference to his longing for a Fender and having to settle for something else, I'd love to read it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Matt R., Shawn Luckman, thunesBARROW and 4 others
#7
I been wanting something between a hofner. a gibson mudbucker eb-0. and danelectro longhorn. kinda- beatles meets nofx. so I can see how a shortscale can throw you off.. But trick to the sound is tapewounds with a mute. and pick can help.
 
#8
I’ve learned you need to approach each bass you’re handed as its own thing. And the more experience you have playing different basses, the easier it becomes to rapidly adapt to an instrument that’s radically different than what you usually use. These days I can get comfortable with just about any bass and make it work for me in under five minutes tops.

Sometimes it pays to learn to not be too fussy or particular about which bass you play. ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pimpernel Smith, GwenOnBass, Dabndug and 1 other person
#9
I owned 1970 Hofner Beatle Bass from 1973 until 1982 when I sold it. it is (for me) a difficult bass to play. It's very light weight and the fretboard takes a bit learn the fingering. Very difficult to keep in tunes last the 5th fret. HOWEVER., if you're playing a Beatle set, there's no other felling then kicking off Get Back with that Hofner. It's a bass that has an undisputed place in history and it's a joy to pay homage to that period in music.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wyrdlow, Smartsoul72 and mikewalker
#11
HaphAsSard said:
The quote I read is that Paul got a Höfner 500/1 because it could be ordered as a lefty, and didn't look "daft" in such form. If there's any reference to his longing for a Fender and having to settle for something else, I'd love to read it.
Click to expand...
I'd agree. I have read a ton of Beatles history and have never read anything about PM wanting a Fender bass.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PennyroyalWe, Wyrdlow and HaphAsSard
#12
They're a classic from the early, early days when what a 'standard' for what an electric bass would be was just beginning to be written.

For me, another one of those basses (like Rics) that lots of guys make walk and talk and I'm just about useless with. Playing one utterly convinced me Paul McC was indeed a genius to do what he did playing that thing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CryingBass and Wyrdlow
#13
The thing about Hofners and some other hollow or semi-hollow basses is when they have raised bridges, like an arch-top guitar.. It puts the strings much farther from the body than on a Fender or most other solid bodies.

I have a problem playing on the E string as a result. It feels like I am floating my right hand up in the air. The other strings are OK because I play with a floating thumb and can rest on thew string below the one I’m currently playing on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LowendG and Wyrdlow
#15
HaphAsSard said:
The quote I read is that Paul got a Höfner 500/1 because it could be ordered as a lefty, and didn't look "daft" in such form. If there's any reference to his longing for a Fender and having to settle for something else, I'd love to read it.
Click to expand...
I stand corrected about how he got his first Hofner after further research. But the facts about when he first played his 4001 came from a book called The Beatles: A Diary. I read this book from cover to cover when I was first learning how to play bass.

The history of Paul McCartney and his iconic Hofner 500/1 bass guitar

https://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Diary-Intimate-Day-History/dp/184772082X
 
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
  • Like
Reactions: Pimpernel Smith and HaphAsSard
#18
I'm most at home on 34" scale FSO's for sure, but I do like various shorties--Danos, Hofners, etc. I just don't have any expectations of playing the same way on them. They're really different beasts. But when you want that sound, you just adapt!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dabndug
#19
HaphAsSard said:
The quote I read is that Paul got a Höfner 500/1 because it could be ordered as a lefty, and didn't look "daft" in such form. If there's any reference to his longing for a Fender and having to settle for something else, I'd love to read it.
Click to expand...
Paul did play a Jazz Bass later on in the Beatles, and continued to do so solo and Wings after that. There are some famous Beatles bass tracks that everybody thinks are Hofner or Ric but are actually the Jazz.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Patrice B, MrAB4003 and MarshallAC50Stack

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back