Hofner ignition Se strings problem

You'll likely have toreset the intonation for the new strings. Do those have a one piece bridge? They can be a little tricky to get just so.

I also find short scales to be very sensitive to tuning. All my long scale basses I can use a tuning fork or a phone app and thats easily good enough, but my shorties all really need to go through a tuning pedal to get them absolutely spot on.

Also, Ive also found Hofner flat wounds take quite a while to settle down and take up the initial stretch compared to others.

Finally, those Hofner tuners are pretty rank, and is the main reasons I went for the Epiphone Viola. Have the same tuners on my Hofner Shorty and they don't hold tune well. How Paul McCartney wasn't perpetually annoyed at them is anyones guess.

Good luck.

 

You will almost certainly need to reset the intonation for different strings, particularly those with a different construction.

 

Ahh, apologies, my bad. I'd read it as if you'd done the intonation, and then changed the strings, which would likely cause issues.

 

A couple of ideas:

• Do the nut slots accommodate the flats well? If the slots are too narrow, the strings may bind in the slots, making tuning almost impossible. And if the strings can’t sit all the way down into the slots, they will sit too high, making the first few frets sharp.
• Have you set the witness points on the new strings?

 

As @ctmullins said, check the nut slots. They may be too small for the flats and the strings are binding in them. You might need to get them filed a little larger for the flats.

You might also try some lubricant in the nut slots. I just changed the strings from rounds to flats on my short scale Stingray and was having some tuning problems until I lubricated the nut slots. The stings were sticking in the slots, particularly the E string.

 

My son changed out the rounds on his Jay Turser Hofner clone for Labella DTF, and it took a couple weeks for the tuning and intonation to settle in as they stretched, but it was very minor. The binding at the nut sounds like a good possibility. Might be worth trying some "Nut Sauce", or even a bit of pencil lead. That should be easy to check. In a pinch, you can use the rounds themselves as a low budget nut file, but it takes forever.

 

strings at those Hofners may need time to settle. on mine I did experience tuning issues for a while after strings change. new strings were okay at 12th fret, but low on other frets. within several weeks the strings settled and came in tune on all frets, I didn't need to adjust the intonation.

I didn't experience this with a heavy set though (La Bellas 50-100), but experienced with Super Brights SS 45-105 (those are soft and low-tension).

P.S. probably you already know it, but you can change string height at bridge as well. you might need it as well when tuning action.

 

This is very important. Sounds like the typical problem when the witness points are not set.

 

If I recall correctly, whenever Sir Paul was playing the Hofner while in WINGS, he never played it more than two songs. Even during the Super Bowl - two songs and it was gone. I've never heard a better explaination other than two songs are about as long as it will stay in tune.

 

One of the mod I made to my old Hofner Club bass was to have the nice folks at Hipshot make me a set of REAL tuners! They are awesome and also great looking. WELL worth the investment. They have made it a regular product and will make them for you if you ask.

 

wow. if I knew that before ordering regular Ultralites for my Beatle Bass.

 

Just my experience: I have an Ignition and a CT Hofner 500 bass. I tried the inexpensive Hofner branded flats and found they were terrible. Same experience as you. These were the Chinese made strings, not the expensive German made ones. I couldn't tune them. They were rubbish. After a few days, I took them off, put them in the bin, and replaced them with LaBella light gauge flats for Beatle bass, which fit perfectly. They are ever so much better.
My CT bass tunes very well and holds the pitch, but the Ignition is much fussier and with all my adjustments it's a matter of finding a point where it's acceptable and playable. I use the LaBella flats for Beatle Bass, light gauge, on both basses. I live on an island, and find that the humidity and temperature changes really affect the Ignition bass, but the CT version doesn't seem as dramatically affected.
McCartney can do a 2 1/2 hour concert with is German made bass, and doesn't seem to have any problems with it.

 

Supposedly Paul uses the LaBella's every though it is said,
Paul McCartney on Bass uses Hofner H1133 B Bass nickel flat-wound strings in gauge 045, 055, 075, 095. as well as Roto-sound strings including RS88 Black Nylon bass strings gauge of 065, 075, 100, 115.

I'm trying to find the interview that says he switched to LaBella strings because of the intonation issue. I think there was some talk his bridge was pinned to improve intonation.

This:

For strings, McCartney favors La Bella Beatle Bass flatwounds, gauged .039, .056, .077, .096. His picks are heavy-gauge oversize Fenders. Other basses in his collection include his �65 Rickenbacker 4001S (dubbed �Rickey�), a newer Hofner, his Wal 5-string (�I love the sound of the low B, but I�m a 4-string boy at heart; I expect there to be an E on the bottom!�), and Elvis Presley bassist Bill Black�s upright, which boasts a gold-sprayed top, white bindings, and unknown strings.

http://www.macca-central.com/macca-archives/bassplayer10-05.php

For Sale - Paul McCartney Bass Player Mag Oct. 2005