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Hofner Icon vs Contemporary vs Original

S

stranded horse

Dec 8, 2009
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5
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#1
I'm looking into buying a Hofner Club bass, and the Icon Series seems affordable to me, but if the Contemporary Series would be a serious upgrade I would try to stretch to that one too.
I am not looking for that oldschool beatles sound though, I am a big fan of the hollowbody bass sounds by AIR (I think they use a vintage Hofner Club) or Justin Meldal-Johnsen.

Now I was wondering if anyone could tell me how these two different models compare to each other (Icon is around 300€ and Contemporary 500€, so something must justify the difference) and if they do the vintage originals justice in any way, or if they are by far not as good as them.
If I could get one of them for cheap and it has good inner values, I wouldn't hesitate to mod it and to a proper setup myself to get close to the original sound, if you think that's possible.

So please tell me your opinions on how these newer cheap models compare to the older ones.

regards, s.h.
 
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#2
This topic has been discussed to death on other threads, but since you are clear you do not want a vintage Beatles tone, then the CT is the bass for you. It has the looks, but a wood block down the center to give a more modern or "contemporary" tone. The Icon and the German made Hofners are true hollow bodies so have a more Beatles 60s thump.
 
#4
I've owned one of each...I've recently sold my sold icon club...My contemporary went quite a while back...The only one I kept was the German hoffie...I'm not saying the other two were dogs...As in most things,you get what you pay for...Anyone that says the contemp or the icon is the same or just as good as the real one ,most likely they never owned a real one...To me,IMO,from craftsmanship to sound and feel they are very different...My icon club felt very cheap...The tuners were crap,and it reaked of Chinese quality...IMO,a beginner bass...The Contemporary is made quite a bit better,better tuners,better pickups,finish a quality is better overall...The hardware and pickups on both are China made,not German like the original protos were...The contemp has better pick guard,better controls,and the differences stated by Rob in the response above... Way worth the increase in price from the icon..Neither one compares to the real deal though in sound or quality...The German ones are hand made,and you can tell the difference..with the right strings and set up,you can get very close to the Hofner sound on the Icon and contemp...Of the two I would go for the contemporary..Hope this helps...Again,this is just my .02..
 
#5
They are all Hofners. Period. No one ever said they are exactly the same.

If you don't mind paying about $2000 for a German made Hofner, then that is the choice you should make.

If you want a less expensive Hofner that will do the job, get a $600 CT or a $300 Icon. The Icon is a true hollow body, like the German Hofners are. That does not mean they are EXACT. But they are similar in design, whereas the CT has a wood block down the center, which will change the tone. If not, why put it there?

I have played German made Hofner basses, on three separate occasions. They are not so different from an Icon to justify paying an extra $1700 for one. But that is just the choice I made. And am happy with my decision!

Cheers!:D
 
#9
I used to own an Icon and agree with okc-zee - the Icon is an incredibly cheap feeling copy of the German one, and sounds nothing like it either. In your hands it feels like a cheap chinese toy, nothing like a real Hofner. Go to a store and try one out and you will see for yourself.
 
#13
stranded horse said:
Weren't the original Hofners 500/1 and 500/2 also cheap low end instruments?
And todays cheap instruments are usually a huge step up from 60s low end instruments with all the progress in production technique.
Click to expand...

McCartney bought his because it was left handed and inexpensive.

I agree with your "cheap instruments" statement. Todays low end instruments are miles ahead of what was available back in the day. I own an Icon, which is a fine instrument. I'd like to own a "real" German Hofner someday, but more for as a collector than a player.
 
#14
stranded horse said:
Weren't the original Hofners 500/1 and 500/2 also cheap low end instruments?
And todays cheap instruments are usually a huge step up from 60s low end instruments with all the progress in production technique.
Click to expand...

audiomitch said:
McCartney bought his because it was left handed and inexpensive.

I agree with your "cheap instruments" statement. Todays low end instruments are miles ahead of what was available back in the day. I own an Icon, which is a fine instrument.
Click to expand...

Exactly
 
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#15
stranded horse said:
I'm not looking for a beatles bass though, but for a single cut Club model
Click to expand...

I have both the Icon Club and the Icon 500/1. I've compared the them both to their CT counterparts and also compared the Icon 500/1 to recent German 500/1s and an original '64 500/1. The most "delicate" feeling ones were the recent German mades and the original.

The sounds from all of them are what a Hofner is expected to sound like. I don't feel the least bit "under-gunned" with either Icon, and I saved a bunch of $$$.
 
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#16
I'm currently thinking about getting an Icon Club, stripping the finish and put a nice shellac clear coat on it and making a new nut and giving it a proper setup. Do you think the German made original pickups would be a reasonable upgrade? They cost around 90€ each, so with 2 of them it would already reach the price of the Contemporary, but it still has the benefit of a hollow body.
 
#17
stranded horse said:
I'm currently thinking about getting an Icon Club, stripping the finish and put a nice shellac clear coat on it and making a new nut and giving it a proper setup. Do you think the German made original pickups would be a reasonable upgrade? They cost around 90€ each, so with 2 of them it would already reach the price of the Contemporary, but it still has the benefit of a hollow body.
Click to expand...

The German pickups may not work on the Icon since the Icon has holes routed for the pickups whereas the CT and German pickups mount directly on the top using mounting bezels with screws through their sides to attach the pickups and no top routing...totally different mounting systems.

However, I've found all that's necessary to get a more "German" voice out of the Icon pickups is to lower them a bit since, IME, the Icon pickups sound a bit more aggressive and lowering them helps tame that aggressiveness.

BTW, for strings I use Labella 760 flats or 760n nylon tapewounds (both "for the Beatle Bass"), my personal preference being for the nylon tapewounds.
 
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#18
But do you recon if I spend the price difference to the Contemporary on upgrading the Icon I will end up with a better instrument, that's closer to the original?

I'll surely change the nut, but what about the tuners? Are they alright on the Icon, or crap?
 
#19
stranded horse said:
But do you recon if I spend the price difference to the Contemporary on upgrading the Icon I will end up with a better instrument, that's closer to the original?

I'll surely change the nut, but what about the tuners? Are they alright on the Icon, or crap?
Click to expand...

I've had no problems with the tuners on my Icons. They work fine.

Why change the nut? I've felt no need to do so on mine. I can't think of any mods to make to the Icon that aren't simply cosmetic to make it look more like a German Hofner.
 
#20
I have owned a 1966 Hofner 500/1, a Contemporary series Beatle Bass and an Icon Beatle Bass. My 2 cents:

The 1966 Hofner had a really cool vibe. Lighter than either the CT or the Icon and MUCH more resonant when played unplugged. These were built by the same folks that made violins and other acoustic instruments for decades. It shows. The wood grain on the top was awesome. The bass had the feel of a good acoustic instrument. But, plugged in with the same strings, and through the same amp, you would be very hard pressed to distinguish the sound of my 1966 from the sound of my stock Icon bass with a proper set up. Let the flaming begin. But I've played for 35 years now and done a lot of studio work. Tone is important to me. And there is just not a whole lot of tonal difference between the original 1960's 500/1 basses and the Icon.

As I said above, the Icon sounds good with a proper set up Mine did not sound great right out of the box or with the factory-shipped roundwounds. In fact, it sounded like crap. My fret-ends were not particularly well filed and the bridge saddles and intonation were way off. After a proper set-up and re-string with flats it sounded as good as my 1966. I think those that don't appreciate the Icon bass either were not sold on the Hofner sound in the first place or simply did not take the time to dial in their Icon to its full potential.

As for the CT, it is a better looking instrument. In fact, they look a lot like the current German-made Hofners. Its burst looks a little more authentic and the stock set up was superior to that of the ICON. But, as noted by Mr. Martinez, the CT sounds quite different due to its center block. It is not a true hollowbody. Thus, it sounded tighter and less "woody" to me. That is why I sold mine. I want my Hofners to sound like a hollowbody - with a strong thump on the fundamental and a slight whoof. That's why I bought them. If I wanted a more modern sound, I would use my Jazz bass.

If I was only going to play one bass for everthing I do and was set on a Hofner, the CT would probably be my choice. It sounds better with roundwounds than either the Icon or my 500/1. So, I guess its more versatile in that regard. But, as I said, I want my Hofner to sound like those Hofners on records I grew up with. The ICON gets me a lot closer to that sound than the CT.

In the end, I sold my 1966 here on TB and kept my Icon. I really miss the vibe of that 1966. But, in the end, I can get the same sound out of my Icon and, if I decide to play it out on a roots gig, I don't worry about it getting knocked over or run off with.

So, there's my 2 cents as someone who has owned all three. I kept my ICON. And no, you don't need to upgrade the pickups, pots, switches, tuners or nut to German ones. The stock ones sound and work fine (great in fact). Just make sure you take the time to get whatever bass you choose set up well before passing judgment.
 
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