hofner bass only for playing beatles?

[Nexany]

Hi!
I would like to buy a new bass.
I have a band which play beatles songs.
Im thinking on a hollow body hofner type But im not sure. Because i dont play only beatles i also like the cure, the smiths,REM and im not sure is this bass would sound good with these styles cuz i heard it has a special double bass like sound.
But this bass looks good and i love its sound in beatles songs but would it sound good with other styles
The queston is Should i get this bass or should i find other bass like fender p or j?
Thanks!

 

[jasper383]

A P or J will be more versatile, no question.

However, if you really like the Hofner sound (and I think the Hofner sound is great), you can play anything on it. The music you listed would all sound fine with a Hofner. Now Meshuggah, I'm not sure.

 

[jasper383]

Rogue Violin Bass on Musicians Friend today for $149.99. Nice bass, great price.

 

[FranF]

Well I have 11 Hofners and use them all. They're very giggable. I play in a classic rock/top 40 cover band doing 60s 70s and 80s and the Hofners cover it pretty well. Common sense prevails here though. you're not gonna get Rush, Yes or slap and pop but you will get fat low end and enough definition fingerstyle or with a pick to cover 90 % of everything in my opinion. Another plus is a 4 hour gig with only 4-5 pounds on your shoulder.

 

[Nexany]

i also play ccr rolling stones queen, beach boys. Lennon and mccartney after beatles songs.
I like deep bass sound.And i dont like the troubly bass sound and i dont slap.
What do you think guys?

 

[Peacefrog35]

Well then the Hofner is going to suit you just fine. I play classic rock including beatles of course. I can nail that great Animals and stones sound and love to do Motown on it. They are great basses. With the bridge pup on only, I can get a nice agressive rock sound,but usually don't go that route. As other said, and for me, about the only thing I wouldn't do on it is slab. It's more versatile than what non Hofner fans think. I think you will love it. A good set of flats and you are in woody, warm thumpy heaven!

 

[mongo2]

I've used My Hofner for everything I play including rock, jazz, country, blues, roots, reggae, but I've only ever played 2 Beatles songs (I've Just Seen A Face and Ticket To Ride) with it.

 

[wvbass]

I hope the ignitions are better than the icons.

My icon is getting the call as #2 at the gig tonight. To be honest, the short scale, hollow body tone is different kind of tone. While any kind of bass can cover any kind of music, this is one kind of bass that probably would be a little limiting in some situations. A long scale solidbody is more of a jack of all trades instrument. If I were playing a variety of styles, a Hofner wouldn't be my go to bass.

Edit: I would be hard pressed to find a more beautiful instrument than my Hofner Icon, even at ten times the price.

 

[Herrick]

I've only heard a few songs from the non-Beatle bands mentioned in the OP but I don't see why that nice rounded Hofner sound wouldn't fit well with that kind of music. If you really like that bass, then go for it

 

[landau roof]

 

[Nexany]

Many thanks for all of your comments.

 

[scrimjer]

I have a hofner beatle bass, its fun, small, and thumpy, but I tend to go for my P bass 1st

 

[SirMjac28]

Buy one every bass player should have at least one.

 

[atomicdog]

It works for just about any classic rock, though roundwounds are probably more versatile. A lot of neo-soul bands (Dap Kings, for instance) use Hofners.

 

[Waster]

I dig the Hofner tone, but I would never play one (at least not as my main bass) for fear of being pegged as a Paul McCartney wannabe. If this doesn't bother you then fair play, just my opinion.
And I'm sure it would do fine for all of those styles.

Connor

 

[Bassamatic]

I dig the Hofner tone, but I would never play one (at least not as my main bass) for fear of being pegged as a Paul McCartney wannabe.
Connor

Maybe this is why they make the Club Bass version! Better looking, too, IMHO.

 

[PDQbass]

A Precision would would be my preference over a Hofner for any type of music. Hofners seem to be taken quite seriously in the USA, although they are considered a bit of a joke elsewhere in my experience. Maccas played one because he picked one up in Hamburg, but I can't recall any other British 60's bands using a violin bass. They pretty much all used Fenders and Gibsons.

 

[mccartneyman]

A Hofner won't punch like a Fender, but it will punch and is usable in many settings. It is capable of more than the pre-Rubber Soul Beatles sound if you experiment with various settings. For the early Beatles sound, use flats & a pick (or even fingers on some tunes) use the front pickup only, set the SOLO/RHYTHM switch to SOLO and have at it.

 

[funkytoe]

A Hofner with flats will do nicely for all of the groups mentioned CCR/Beatles/Queen/Rolling Stones. I love the sound (and weight) of mine.

If you are concerned about the appearance of a Beatle-style bass, the suggestion of a Hofner Ignition Club bass was a good one. Sounds like the Icon/Ignition but with a Les Paul body shape. You can even find them in black, as opposed to sunburst. Great looking/sounding basses.

 

[NecroticImbecil]

They can be pretty wicked with rounds, actually. Most basses are more versatile than folks give them credit for--a lot of that is up to the player though.