Do I want a German Hofner 500/1

[GIBrat51]

Are they worth it? To be honest, you're the only one who can answer that. Yes, a "real" German Hofner is a heckuva lot more money than an Asian one, but keep in mind:
- German ones are made by actual, apprentice-trained luthiers; not Asian factory drones;
- German craftsmen expect to be paid (and are) a lot more than Asian factory drones; and
- You aren't only paying for a hand crafted instrument. You're also paying for German cradle-to-grave welfare, 30 days paid vacation, and at least 30 paid holidays per year. Asian factory drones? Not so much..
I personally don't own a Hofner; I play this early '90s MIK Rogue VB-100 instead. I have played - a little- on a right-handed Icon, CT, and German 500/1 (lefties are kinda scarce in stores). IMO, my Korean Rogue is better made/nicer sounding than the Icon. It's about on par with the CT build/finish-wise, but I don't care for the sound of the CT's center block. The German Hofner? Yeah, it's noticeably better made and finished than my Rogue, and IMO, it does sound noticeably better, too. But, it doesn't sound 15 times better, which it would have to do, to justify the price difference - and for me to buy one. So, I'd say, play all the different Hofners - if you can - and decide for yourself...

 

[ducatidoc]

One nice thing is you can always re-sell a genuine German Hofner. They don't do a whole lot in the Registration/paperwork Dept; about the only thing you get is a hang tag with the model and serial #and mfg date on it. Just stick that somewhere in the case, but don't lose it. Any Hof enthusiast considering buying a second hand model will be wanting it.

 

[mongo2]

A couple of years ago we had several rehearsals at our then keyboardist's house. He also plays guitar and bass. When I arrived he had a recent German 500/1 and a Contemporary 500/1 out. He has a vintage 500/1 but it was in storage. I had my Icon 500/1 and Ignition Club with me so we decided to compare them.

All had Labella flatwounds of varying age and the German, Icon, and Ignition Club all sounded pretty much the same, just an amp tweak away from each other. The Contemporary sounded stiffer, less hollow sounding.

Another time we tried his vintage 500/1 with similar results.

 

[markusd]

This thread is old, but how did you decide?
I played a Hofner 500/1 63RLC in a local music store and it was just astonishing!
I picked it up by coincidence after testing some MM, Fender and Shecter cause there was a full showboot with German Höffner Basses.
OMG! I never played one and never liked how they look and also sound too muddy for my taste, so I almost passed it. But picking it up and playing it I have to say it was the most comfortable bass I ever played, without a doubt! Amazing feeling. The sound was great too, it was a woody and open sound, like the bass is living. If I could afford it, I would by it immediately!
But I have to say it was the best sounding Hofner there, I compared it to the 500/1 Mersey and the green line they had. The vintage was by far the best sounding Hofner!

 

[Dan F Bass]

Well I am late to this one too. I was looking for a Warwick like Lee Sklar's and stumbled across violin basses. Today I played both Chinese 500/1 variants made by Hofner, an actual German 500/1 and at least 3 or 4 Greco VBs dating from late 70s to early 2000s. All had flats.

My experience was this. I didn't care for the workmanship of the Ignition, very rougut not a bad sound at all. Upon close inspection I could see where costs were cut in the build especially where the neck and body join. Still, a rather useful little bass. The Contemporary sounded not so Hofner-ish to me and I put that down to the block. It did nothing for me to be frank. The feeling wasn't there. It just wasn't my cup of tea at all.

The Greco VBs really impressed me. Very well built and some really good attention to detail on the necks. They were very smooth to play. I didn't like the tuners (a visual thing) but sound wise, they were very very good. The bridges are a little different too in profile. Did I mentions they sounded great? MIJ guitars are always very well built and these were no exception.

Then I played the German made Hofner. In a nutshell, it blew me away. I admit I was sceptical of them being that much better given the hefty price tag compared to the MIC models, but it sounded incredible. That sound was just there. Billowing bouncy bottom end for days. It played like butter, the neck was immaculate. The German bass was every bit as well constructed as my Sadowsky. It looked like a piece of art. The tuners were smooth and accurate, the electronics were impeccable with zero noise from the switches and pots. I would go so far as to say that it was perhaps the most beautiful bass I ever held.

So the real question, would I buy one? Without question (or spousal approval...). For session work I would have no qualms in using one. I had no real interest in them. I wanted a Wawrick Star bass from Germany but I am now convinced a Hofner might be just the thing for me having played one. They fill a sonic gap for me.

Different strokes for different folks. The MIJ Greco VBs are great instruments though and if I didn't want to shell out for a DE made Hofner but wanted the sound and great build quality, they would be my ticket. For the record, I am seriously thinking about buying a German Hofner. That would be a great addition to the gear I use every day.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Well I am late to this one too. I was looking for a Warwick like Lee Sklar's and stumbled across violin basses. Today I played both Chinese 500/1 variants made by Hofner, an actual German 500/1 and at least 3 or 4 Greco VBs dating from late 70s to early 2000s. All had flats.

My experience was this. I didn't care for the workmanship of the Ignition, very rougut not a bad sound at all. Upon close inspection I could see where costs were cut in the build especially where the neck and body join. Still, a rather useful little bass. The Contemporary sounded not so Hofner-ish to me and I put that down to the block. It did nothing for me to be frank. The feeling wasn't there. It just wasn't my cup of tea at all.

The Greco VBs really impressed me. Very well built and some really good attention to detail on the necks. They were very smooth to play. I didn't like the tuners (a visual thing) but sound wise, they were very very good. The bridges are a little different too in profile. Did I mentions they sounded great? MIJ guitars are always very well built and these were no exception.

Then I played the German made Hofner. In a nutshell, it blew me away. I admit I was sceptical of them being that much better given the hefty price tag compared to the MIC models, but it sounded incredible. That sound was just there. Billowing bouncy bottom end for days. It played like butter, the neck was immaculate. The German bass was every bit as well constructed as my Sadowsky. It looked like a piece of art. The tuners were smooth and accurate, the electronics were impeccable with zero noise from the switches and pots. I would go so far as to say that it was perhaps the most beautiful bass I ever held.

So the real question, would I buy one? Without question (or spousal approval...). For session work I would have no qualms in using one. I had no real interest in them. I wanted a Wawrick Star bass from Germany but I am now convinced a Hofner might be just the thing for me having played one. They fill a sonic gap for me.

Different strokes for different folks. The MIJ Greco VBs are great instruments though and if I didn't want to shell out for a DE made Hofner but wanted the sound and great build quality, they would be my ticket. For the record, I am seriously thinking about buying a German Hofner. That would be a great addition to the gear I use every day.

The German made Höfner wasn't a 500/1V63 that lives in Sydney, was it?

 

[Jeff Scott]

That 500/1V63 may have been mine (in the USA) before it ended up there with a friend of mine.

 

[shoulderpet]

Well I am late to this one too. I was looking for a Warwick like Lee Sklar's and stumbled across violin basses. Today I played both Chinese 500/1 variants made by Hofner, an actual German 500/1 and at least 3 or 4 Greco VBs dating from late 70s to early 2000s. All had flats.

My experience was this. I didn't care for the workmanship of the Ignition, very rougut not a bad sound at all. Upon close inspection I could see where costs were cut in the build especially where the neck and body join. Still, a rather useful little bass. The Contemporary sounded not so Hofner-ish to me and I put that down to the block. It did nothing for me to be frank. The feeling wasn't there. It just wasn't my cup of tea at all.

The Greco VBs really impressed me. Very well built and some really good attention to detail on the necks. They were very smooth to play. I didn't like the tuners (a visual thing) but sound wise, they were very very good. The bridges are a little different too in profile. Did I mentions they sounded great? MIJ guitars are always very well built and these were no exception.

Then I played the German made Hofner. In a nutshell, it blew me away. I admit I was sceptical of them being that much better given the hefty price tag compared to the MIC models, but it sounded incredible. That sound was just there. Billowing bouncy bottom end for days. It played like butter, the neck was immaculate. The German bass was every bit as well constructed as my Sadowsky. It looked like a piece of art. The tuners were smooth and accurate, the electronics were impeccable with zero noise from the switches and pots. I would go so far as to say that it was perhaps the most beautiful bass I ever held.

So the real question, would I buy one? Without question (or spousal approval...). For session work I would have no qualms in using one. I had no real interest in them. I wanted a Wawrick Star bass from Germany but I am now convinced a Hofner might be just the thing for me having played one. They fill a sonic gap for me.

Different strokes for different folks. The MIJ Greco VBs are great instruments though and if I didn't want to shell out for a DE made Hofner but wanted the sound and great build quality, they would be my ticket. For the record, I am seriously thinking about buying a German Hofner. That would be a great addition to the gear I use every day.

I second what you say about the German made Hofners, great instruments, I am more of a rock player these days though so I dont have much use for one as much as I love their tone and feel but if it fits with the style you play then I would say it is worth every penny

 

[MAJOR METAL]

As lovely as the inexpensive Hofner lines are, they really don't capture the classical instrument vibe the way the German instruments do. Nothing quite feels like a perfectly setup German Hofner.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Ive played all the variants, and most of the clones, but no, the German Hofner is not "worth" 10x the price of an Ignition in terms of tone or playability. I think you'd find it nearly impossible to hear the difference in a true blind test. The price has a lot to with the deliberately anachronistic way they are built, which is very charming to watch, but doesnt necessarily produce a better instrument. Jump ahead to 8:54 to watch the guy "eyeball" the fret slots, which goes a long way towards explaining the notoriously "iffy" intonation above the 12 th fret. Charming? Im sorry, but the best human hand in the world will never equal the accuracy of a CNC to cut fret slots. All that said, looks like a nice low-stress/high job security gig. If you are ok subsidizing that kind of hand work by paying an extra $2k or so, a German Hofner is a nice bass. The ignition is pretty hit or.miss on QC from what Ive seen, if you want exactly the same tone as a German for signifcantly less money, get a CT series.

 

[lasalle69]

Same boat here. I have played my Ignition for a while and want to get a 'Real' German-made Hofner. I priced the Artist Model and it is made in Germany with what Hofner calls "more efficient means of production. Price right now on Reverb, new, is $2,300. YET, when I search Thomann in Germany, the same bass is only $1,555 plus $65 shipping via UPS. Even if import duty is imposed, it is still worth buying from Germany. So, you can get German-made for less than 2K.
That's the route I'll be taking. Rock on!!

 

[lasalle69]

Pulled the trigger on the German-Made “Artist” 500/1. Gorgeous bass and pays a lot more smoothly than the Ignition. Sound quality? Maybe better. But the price was the deal! Buy from Germany if you want a Hofner. Thomann prices can’t be beat! The extra customs duty was only $95. Still saved over $700 NOT BUYING in the U.S.

 

[Shawn Luckman]

Pulled the trigger on the German-Made “Artist” 500/1. Gorgeous bass and pays a lot more smoothly than the Ignition. Sound quality? Maybe better. But the price was the deal! Buy from Germany if you want a Hofner. Thomann prices can’t be beat! The extra customs duty was only $95. Still saved over $700 NOT BUYING in the U.S.

Really like that display cabinet.

 

[Hot Rats]

Pulled the trigger on the German-Made “Artist” 500/1. Gorgeous bass and pays a lot more smoothly than the Ignition. Sound quality? Maybe better. But the price was the deal! Buy from Germany if you want a Hofner. Thomann prices can’t be beat! The extra customs duty was only $95. Still saved over $700 NOT BUYING in the U.S.

Oh man, I watched a Hofner factory video last month on building one from start to finish. I wanted a German Hofner very much when I finished the video. That's a beautiful bass you got there. The fire has been lit for me and I fear I cannot hold out much longer. Congratulations.

 

[Thornton Davis]

One of my life's greatest memories is when I visited the Hofner factory in Hagenau for a day to watch with my own eyes not only the 500/1 production but also all of their classical instruments being made.

TD

 

[Shawn Luckman]

My '64 500/1 still my all time favorite bass.

 

[bobyoung53]

Long story short, I had a borrowed '67 in decent shape during the early 70's and could have bought it for 250 bucks. . I'd love one now but couldn't justify spending that much money for a bass that would probably rarely leave my house. I really love the Hofner Presidents though.

 

[Joeyc09]

As lovely as the inexpensive Hofner lines are, they really don't capture the classical instrument vibe the way the German instruments do. Nothing quite feels like a perfectly setup German Hofner.

Disagree, I've had both the German Hof and currently an ignition model, plugged in thru an svt and a good p.a i can honestly say there is very little difference in sound, both strung w labella flats.
I fully intended to get another German model and purchased the ig bass almost thinking I'd just use it at home for rehearsal and getting used to pick playing again but once I put on those flats it changed my opinion - i can't even justify switching out the pups, control panel & tailpiece etc because I'm pretty sure it won't be a significant enough "improvement" -
What I really find surprising are the comments on the contemporary version not sounding as good as the original or the ig models even though both have the center block-

 

[KohanMike]

Because I only play 21" scale bass uke and really like the Hofner (since I grew up on the Beatles), this is what I did because of how comfortable they are for me with nerve damage to my neck; Hadean Hofner Chinese made knockoffs that I have modified with a fully adjustable all metal piezo bridge, Gotoh or Hipshot tuners and Kala/Galli flatwound nylon core strings by Eric's Guitar in Sound City, painted by Pat Wilkins, both in Van Nuys, CA. (Plus a custom made solid curly walnut gypsy jazz Django made by Bruce Wei Arts in Vietnam for $885 including express shipping.)

 

[lalo_garcia-maynez]

The BEST Hofner basses were the super rare active Hofner basses ; the models are
500/1b (standard color With bass boost preamp )
500/1m (standard color with bass mix preamp)
5000/1b deluxe super beatle model with blonde finish , gold hardware and bass boost preamp
5000/1m deluxe super Beatle model with blonde finish, gold hardware bass mix preamp .

These 4 models use a 9 volt battery and were only manufactured from late 1967 to 1973. There are not many of them!
These 3 are from my collection; I have not been able to find the 5000/1M model . Sadly the prices are insane these days !
Enjoy!