Can a Hofner do motown/soul?

[tvbop]

"no, or maybe, but get the P bass anyway" (because duh, P bass)

Im a P bass nut but what were talking bout here is the recorded tone we all love...but I bet you anything Jamerson sounded real dull live and nothing like the recorded tone. In fact if you use foam on stage youll just end up with mud....Reckon the Hof could be the answer.

 

[bmusic]

I have owned many instruments over the years, and the Höfner bass—like the Gibson Les Paul, unfortunately—just didn't feel natural in my hands. My body did not sit well with the ergonomics. Give me a Fender anything, any day.

But you find yourself gravitating to it, and that's an impulse you should listen to. As others have said, any bass can play any genre. How cool would it be to go see a killer jazz quintet in a club and find the bass player rocking a Höfner? Or a metal band? (Yes, feedback could be an issue.) You should embark on this journey with an instrument that speaks to you, and if that's a Höfner, then so be it.

That being said, I also don't think you should let small hands drive you away from the best bass playing experience possible. Little people play big instruments. The body can do amazing things.

Last morsel of food for thought: when my 16-year-old daughter—a lefty—wanted to pick up the bass two years ago, I built her a righty parts jazz bass and she adjusted, and she loves it. I guess that translates, in your case, to some kind of endorsement for the Mustang, which I love?

I didn't help at all, did I? Why do I even bother?

 

[Cave Puppy]

I have owned many instruments over the years, and the Höfner bass—like the Gibson Les Paul, unfortunately—just didn't feel natural in my hands. My body did not sit well with the ergonomics. Give me a Fender anything, any day.

But you find yourself gravitating to it, and that's an impulse you should listen to. As others have said, any bass can play any genre. How cool would it be to go see a killer jazz quintet in a club and find the bass player rocking a Höfner? Or a metal band? (Yes, feedback could be an issue.) You should embark on this journey with an instrument that speaks to you, and if that's a Höfner, then so be it.

That being said, I also don't think you should let small hands drive you away from the best bass playing experience possible. Little people play big instruments. The body can do amazing things.

Last morsel of food for thought: when my 16-year-old daughter—a lefty—wanted to pick up the bass two years ago, I built her a righty parts jazz bass and she adjusted, and she loves it. I guess that translates, in your case, to some kind of endorsement for the Mustang, which I love?

I didn't help at all, did I? Why do I even bother?

Same. I've tried a few Beatle basses and one Club bass. They didn't do anything for ME and I found them hard to play. Not saying they aren't right for the OP, but not right for me.

 

[Alexis Duntov]

Dude, this is so groovy! The drums and bass are insanely good. That’s exactly how a Hofner should sound. And I love the through-composed quality of these tunes. What a sick band. Is that you on bass?

 

[August West]

See last paragraph on first page:

Conversation with Chris Wood - State of Mind Music

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

Im a P bass nut but what were talking bout here is the recorded tone we all love...but I bet you anything Jamerson sounded real dull live and nothing like the recorded tone. In fact if you use foam on stage youll just end up with mud....Reckon the Hof could be the answer.

I use the foam mute live and it sounds great in the right context. Not muddy, but more percussive and less sustain. Great for walking bass or older blues and R&B. I also used this set up in the Steely Dan tribute band I used to play with (I miss that band).

- Steve

 

[marchone]

Heya, I'm looking to buy my first bass and am in a bit of a pickle.

I have smallish hands and am left handed, so there are limited options for me.

I really like the sound of Hofners, as one of my favourite genres is psych rock and they work really well there. From Beatles to Tame Impala. The Hofner, as a small, short scale bass, is also one I can play very well with.

I also really like Motown/Soul type music, where there's a danceable groove to it.

For this, I'd expect to choose a P-Bass, which seems to be the most common bass for these musicians, people like James Jamerson etc. It seems to be THE classic sound.

A P-Bass is obviously a regular, larger size bass so my expectation is it will feel difficult with my hands.

I was wondering, given the Hofner is more to my preferred size, if I could get close to the P-Bass sound with the Hofner. From researching online the general opinion seems to be heck no!

But, I wanted to re-ask it here because from what I can see, the Jamerson sound, apart from his amazing ability of course!, seems to come from a P-Bass, DI'd, with labella flats and often with a foam mute.

From listening, this gives it a nice thump...which reminds me of a Hofner. Admittedly I am definitely an amateur with bass stuff, learning as I go along, so I am assuming I'm still wrong.

But I was wondering if anyone felt it was outrageous to think that for that sort of motown/soul sound, actually the Hofner might be alright? (So I can take advantage of the short scale)

Or, would you suggest that no actually the P-Bass is still the one to go for, even if it'll take some stretching with my hands!

Plus - if you'd suggest the P-Bass, then is there a level of quality that is suggested one go for? As in, is Squier/Fender Player alright, or would you suggest levelling up etc? I'm looking for something that will last a long time.

Also, quite reminder that I am left handed so I need something that I can get as a leftie. IE I did think about a Mustang bass but they don't do them as lefties unfortunately!

Thank you for any thoughts!

Here’s some encouragement for you. Checks all the boxes.

 

[IPA]

It’s the best bass for metal

When I saw Tesla some years ago, the bass player was definitely playing a Beatle bass

 

[RyFinn]

Dude, this is so groovy! The drums and bass are insanely good. That’s exactly how a Hofner should sound. And I love the through-composed quality of these tunes. What a sick band. Is that you on bass?

Nope, just discovered these dudes randomly the other day. So good!

 

[dkelley]

I guess so, yea. I've heard some well setup hofners with good strings etc, and yea they could do it.

 

[HaphAsSard]

Im a P bass nut but what were talking bout here is the recorded tone we all love...but I bet you anything Jamerson sounded real dull live and nothing like the recorded tone. In fact if you use foam on stage youll just end up with mud....Reckon the Hof could be the answer.

Well, Jamerson did use an Ampeg B-15 live (according to interviews), which is low-powered and all-tube: I would guess that, in order to be heard, he would probably have to crank it up, and in so doing push it into overdrive.
Between this and the woofer in the cabinet section of the flip-top combo (drivers back then were efficient but with little clean range), things would get real crispy real soon, even with years-old flatwounds and mutes.

 

[salmon256]

I have really small hands. Don't get me wrong short scale helps but don't let that stop you truthfully. I love shortscale basses but also love my jazz bass which is long scale. Also yeah you can get a Motown sound from a Hofner, with VST as well these days you can somewhat fake things. But also with some EQ I'm sure you'll get something or find a tone you like. GL

 

[Al Rivera]

The question should be can you play Motown/Soul? Because the bass is just a tool.

 

[Freight Train]

LOL! It can, if YOU can do Motown/soul.

 

[jd56hawk]

Heya, I'm looking to buy my first bass and am in a bit of a pickle.

I have smallish hands and am left handed, so there are limited options for me.

I really like the sound of Hofners, as one of my favourite genres is psych rock and they work really well there. From Beatles to Tame Impala. The Hofner, as a small, short scale bass, is also one I can play very well with.

I also really like Motown/Soul type music, where there's a danceable groove to it.

For this, I'd expect to choose a P-Bass, which seems to be the most common bass for these musicians, people like James Jamerson etc. It seems to be THE classic sound.

A P-Bass is obviously a regular, larger size bass so my expectation is it will feel difficult with my hands.

I was wondering, given the Hofner is more to my preferred size, if I could get close to the P-Bass sound with the Hofner. From researching online the general opinion seems to be heck no!

But, I wanted to re-ask it here because from what I can see, the Jamerson sound, apart from his amazing ability of course!, seems to come from a P-Bass, DI'd, with labella flats and often with a foam mute.

From listening, this gives it a nice thump...which reminds me of a Hofner. Admittedly I am definitely an amateur with bass stuff, learning as I go along, so I am assuming I'm still wrong.

But I was wondering if anyone felt it was outrageous to think that for that sort of motown/soul sound, actually the Hofner might be alright? (So I can take advantage of the short scale)

Or, would you suggest that no actually the P-Bass is still the one to go for, even if it'll take some stretching with my hands!

Plus - if you'd suggest the P-Bass, then is there a level of quality that is suggested one go for? As in, is Squier/Fender Player alright, or would you suggest levelling up etc? I'm looking for something that will last a long time.

Also, quite reminder that I am left handed so I need something that I can get as a leftie. IE I did think about a Mustang bass but they don't do them as lefties unfortunately!

Thank you for any thoughts!

Well, I can make one do Motown.
I'd have to think others can as well.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Within reason, a good engineer can get you a passable or even good tone from nearly any bass recording. People like the P-bass because it's a classic sound that is very turn-key for several genres, just like the Ampeg SVT is for bass amp tones.

You want that big, thumpy sound for Motown and Soul so the Hofner (or the Epiphone Viola as somebody suggested) will do that just fine.

 

[mb94952]

Bass is bass. The main thing is looking cool.

These are both SO COOL and now I'm GASSING for a Hofner ! It sounds PERFECT and I wouldn't even want to hear a Pbass on these.

 

[KohanMike]

That thing is freakin' cool! What other super shorties do you have?

A whole bunch. Some are conversions from short scale guitars, some are modified from existing bass ukes, some are custom (but I'm planning to thin the herd soon).

 

[Sharko]

When I saw Tesla some years ago, the bass player was definitely playing a Beatle bass

Surprisingly I knew this because he lives in my area and is always trying to sell his basses on Craigslist for insane prices

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

Hand size has nothing to do with it. I know guys who are really tall with big hands who play them, and I knew a petite woman of 5 feet tall who played one.