• 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.

Hofner basses.....not worth it?

#83
I was lucky enough to score a '65 Hofner for $125 in the mid 70's. It's always been a pretty nice playing bass, but the tuner paddles have crytallized and 2 have broken off. All the machine head tuners are very difficult to turn and need replacement. I've tried to buy a replacement set from Boosey & Hawkes (distributor), but they tell me they're using all of them on the re-issues. Guess I'll have to go to North Coast Music for a set of those $110 jobs. Any other suggestions to find genuine Hofner tuners? Allparts doesn't carry anything like them.

Still one of the coolest looking instruments ever.
 
#84
bigtexashonk said:
I was lucky enough to score a '65 Hofner for $125 in the mid 70's. It's always been a pretty nice playing bass, but the tuner paddles have crytallized and 2 have broken off. All the machine head tuners are very difficult to turn and need replacement. I've tried to buy a replacement set from Boosey & Hawkes (distributor), but they tell me they're using all of them on the re-issues. Guess I'll have to go to North Coast Music for a set of those $110 jobs. Any other suggestions to find genuine Hofner tuners? Allparts doesn't carry anything like them.

Still one of the coolest looking instruments ever.
Click to expand...

I have a friend who has boght a Hofner bridge from north coast music and said they are great.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dr Gero
#85
I had a Hofner club bass I bought in 1966 I think. I liked the look of the club over the violin shape. It served me OK for a couple of garage band years but then I went to college and put it in the closet and forgot about it. I opened it one day and the neck had separated from the body. I took it to a shop and had it fixed and then I traded it in on a Gibson acoustic. Now 30 years later I'm playing some bass again. I wish I had that short scale to experiment with. I definitely think it has a unique tone that really contributed to the Beatle's sound. It is not the most versatile instrument but if you do Beatle's stuff it will certainly help you with the right sound.
 
#87
No I don't think they are actually very fragile - I think it's because we are all used to solid bodied basses. Pick up a classical guitar and you'll get the same feeling. It's not fragile, it's light - light or no truss rod, lighter machine heads, no metal bridge, no metal body parts, short strings, a lot less wood.

As an aside I recently had to repair a chinese acoustic and after taking all the metal parts off it felt like balsa wood. I think you just have to be careful of the neck joint - wood on wood with no metal brackets or screw to reinforce it. But again this is the same as a classical guitar and they have few problems - but on a bass the neck is thinner and longer meaning more leverage on the joint.

If there was a problem with this Hofner would be in deep trouble with their warranty, so I'm sure they've sorted potential strength issues.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dr Gero
#88
Hofner still uses guitar tuners for their basses, so I can't imagine them being all that sturdy. I'll tell you, when you can get a Jay Turser, Epiphone, or even Rogue (GC) version of the same bass at a fraction of the cost, Hofners don't seem like such a good deal, although I do kind of dig the President. But not for $2000!
 
#89
My 2 cents: I bought my first bass, a Rickenbacker, when I was 15 because Paul played one. I had no clue what kind of bass to buy, only that I wanted one, and if McCartney played one, it must be good. I played bass in Jazz band 2 in the 10th grade, and the bassplayer in Jassband one played a Hofner, and could kcik my ass on bass. And she was a girl to boot!!! Anyway, she would lend me her Hofner now and then, and it seemed REAL fragile compared to my Rick, almost "cheap" and breakable. It sure didn't convince me to buy one, and I am a DIE HARD Beatles fan!! And she made it sound amazing. I am convinced if you can play bass, and have a decent amp, you can play a Hofner and it will sound good. That's why McCartney can pull it off, he's a pretty good bass player!!

If I collected basses, I would buy one for the historical value. For playing, I would by a Club bass rather than the violin, looks cooler in my opinion! Don't get angry at me and this is only my opinion, but I think McCartney is the only bassplayer who looks cool playing the violin bass!!

Me? I am waiting for the Waterstone Indra bass, designed by Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick, I believe. This bass will be a short scale, semi-hollow body bass with 2 humbuckers, passive electronics, and a Les Paul type body and an "f" hole! And it will be a LOT cheaper than a Hofner, and sound better, play better, and FEEL better! Still, Hofners are forever a part of Bass history, thanks to Sir Paul!!
 
#90
No doubt about it,i remember buying a new Hofner in the late 60's for about $95 .They were cheap.

I sold 6 of 7 1960's Hofners. 500/1s,500/2s etc. I kept my 68' g500/1 blonde beatle bass and in 1974 added bartolinis and an on board preamp thaty has a discreet steero panning by a fellow named Rex Bogue.
It has a short scale,nice tone and is light.
"Hofner is great! You bet they are worth having" -The Paul McCartney quote from the 1970 Sorkin Music catalog.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dr Gero
#91
I play a 67 Hofner 500/1. I dont consider it a cheaply constructed instrument at all. Hey its 38 years old and still sounds great, plays great!. They require the same care as a fine acoustic, thats all. Also I would say those who say its only good for Beatles music havent explored the instrument much. Its really versatile and great for Jazz / Blues / Rock / Rockabilly / Country etc. They record very well. It just sounds different than a Solid body Bass thats all, if you have your amp set up for your J-Bass, you will need to tweak your EQ an bit before plugging in the Hof. If you're looking for a different sound it may surprize you. With todays advanced amplification, you can do a lot more with these!! And at only 4 lbs, if your older like me, it'll save your back !!!

Just my opinion of course ! :hyper:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dr Gero and El Pelusa
#92
i just bought a 1970 hofner. interesting bass. i'm not attached to it yyet like i am my dan armstrongs. those basses you can really dig into. i do tend to play lighter with the hofner. i would gladly trade it for a fretless dan armstrong if anyone has one. and i'll throw in 2 sets of strings, flats.
 
#94
I've never played a real one (through fear of dropping it and the shop making me pay for damages...y' know) but I once played a westfield (or some other cheap make) copy and to me it SOUNDED ok, but the fact its HOLLOW would just feel wrong to me and far too lightweight (I play full-scale Fenders, figure the rest out...) I can't really comment on the neck etc... it was a while ago when I was still a guitarist...
 
#97
I remember you could buy a new 500/1, in 1970, for $99 from George Rose, a distributor in Los Angeles. I owned 8 Hofner basses over the years and still have one, the first year of the G500/1 bass. It sounds great and plays great. There is nothing like a genuine Hofner. It's like a Rick, they are expensive, but you spend the money because you want the bass.
 
#98
Cogno said:
I have two, a 500/1 and a Club. I use them regularly and They stay in tune and the intonation is correct. I have been playing since 1963 all kinds of Basses, mostly Fender. IF you are not skilled at setting intonation and playing lightly you should not play a Hofner. They are just as much a part of Bass History as a Precision, Jazz or Rickenbacker. They have thier own sound just as the other basses. You have to know that these basses were designed from an upright violin bass. Where the standard precision bass was designed from an electric guitar. So in reality they are as much different as a violin and a guitar and yes they take more care than a solid body does; just like a violin would.
Click to expand...
AMEN!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dr Gero
#99
I honestly believe that the real hofners today are not worth the money. I own a Tanglewood copy (bought it secondhand for 175 Euro) and I absolutely love this bass. The finishing is next to perfect and it has that typical recognizable sound. I sometimes take it t a rehearsal for fun and even gigged with it once. It really sounds great much better than I would have suspected.
 
#100
You folks wanting to own a Hofner but can't or won't put out the money for one should consider buying one of the new Hofner B.Bass Icon Series Violin basses.

They're made in China, and targeted towards anyone who wants to own a violin style bass. Selling price is approx $349.00 US

Here's a couple of photos that I took of one earlier this week.

Invalid Link Removed

Invalid Link Removed

Invalid Link Removed

The burgundy/black 500/1v63 on the right is one of 14 that were made. You can get a good comparison of the two in all three photos

Cheers,

TD
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back