Would these by any chance be the "Hofner Contemporary bass tuners" set sold at projectguitarparts.co.uk? If not, is there another source you've used? TIA.
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Hofner-(not just Beatle Basses)-Group Part 2
- Thread starter Bryan R. Tyler
- Start date
Would these by any chance be the "Hofner Contemporary bass tuners" set sold at projectguitarparts.co.uk? If not, is there another source you've used? TIA.
I've had several Hofner Ignition basses and a few Contempory basses and I've not had any issues with the tuners slipping.
My most recent Hofner is an Ignition Pearl White Club Bass Pro. The only thing I did to improve it was to install D'addario medium scale Chromes flatwounds since I didn't like the OEM flats. I also tried Labellat nylon tapewounds but after few days a couple of them went dead so I tried the Chromes. It's now the best sounding Hofner I've played. It has a very full and robust neck and a heftier bridge than my other Hofner Ignition basses had and I think that may be contributing to the tone. I'm reluctant to change anything else, I even left the thin foam strip under the bridge...just in case.
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They might be. Unfortunately your link is not working for me. I mentioned, usually buy them through Reverb. So you may want to check there.
Hey, Doctor Intrepid! I might be a dumbass but I just can't find thi HCT Tuner for Hofner. Would you mind share any link with me so I can see which product you're talking about? Thanks, my brother!
Here are the ones I was talking about: Project Guitar Parts - For Hofner guitar parts, Hofner bass guitar parts, Vintage replacement scratch plates, Eko, Watkins, Colorama
You have to scroll waaaaay down to near the bottom, and there's a set called "Hofner contemporary bass tuners Full set 2 left & 2 right, pearloid buttons with ferrules & screws"
No idea of they're the right ones though.
You have to scroll waaaaay down to near the bottom, and there's a set called "Hofner contemporary bass tuners Full set 2 left & 2 right, pearloid buttons with ferrules & screws"
No idea of they're the right ones though.
Hey, Mike! Do you know if this website issolid? This Tuners looks awesome and are half the price of the Grove Sta-tite (and the best thing: it's in the UK).
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Sorry. Those might be Ignition tuners. Check out this link.
4 Upgrade Heavy Duty HOFNER 2 + 2 Bass Guitar Tuners Keys for HCT500/1 Contemporary Beatle or Club | Reverb Canada
There are not as many sellers as there once was. Maybe it will change.
Hi Zam, honestly I couldn't tell you - I'm waiting for my first-ever Hofner now (hopefully tomorrow) and am new to all this. Pretty sure I saw them recommended in another thread, and that's how I found them.
@Doctor Intrepid, are these ones on Reverb drop-in replacements or is some fiddling required? Thanks!!!
They are drop in replacements. You don't have to drill or anything.
Another seller that has a bunch. I bought a set from this seller myself.
Hofner Contemporary bass 2019 Chrome and pearloid machine heads | Reverb Canada
Hofner Contemporary bass 2019 Chrome and pearloid machine heads | Reverb Canada
I used 4 of these Grover "Milk Bottle" style Rotomatics. The original tuner holes in the headstock had to be enlarged with a peghole reem, but it was well worth the effort since these are a much better quality
14:1 ratio, and look "right" for the bass.
A German one with diamond pickups.
I bought in in 1998. The shop owner said it was one of the first re-issues from a test run, made in the early mid 90-ties. (back then all Höfners were made in Germany) It's supposed to have been on the attic of the Bubenreuth factory until the Boosey & Hawkes Group bought the brand and started making preparations for moving to Hagenau. This included cleaning up the attic and preparing the Caverns from the test run for selling. The shop owner said that an old man with a van came to the shop with a load of Höfners. He picked a couple and I bought 1 of them.
It has a British made case, not an original Höfner one, that shows the Boosey & Hawkes connection.
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A German one with diamond pickups.
I bought in in 1998. The shop owner said it was one of the first re-issues from a test run, made in the early mid 90-ties. (back then all Höfners were made in Germany) It's supposed to have been on the attic of the Bubenreuth factory until the Boosey & Hawkes Group bought the brand and started making preparations for moving to Hagenau. This included cleaning up the attic and preparing the Caverns from the test run for selling. The shop owner said that an old man with a van came to the shop with a load of Höfners. He picked a couple and I bought 1 of them.
It has a British made case, not an original Höfner one, that shows the Boosey & Hawkes connection.
Cool story. I wish I had a van of Hofners ...
The stock tuners were appalling on my Ignition club- stiff and imprecise.
If you don't mind chrome kidney bean buttons instead of plastic, Wilkinson's WJ28n is an inexpensive 3R3L set of tuners that I actually prefer to both the Hofner HCT tuners, and the Grovers.
Here they are on my Ignition Club:
Note the large gear. That's what gives them the low, 19:1 ratio.
As you can see, they tuck in nice and tidy.
They fit the stock ferrules perfectly, so they are a true drop-in fit- no drilling or reaming needed. The lower gear ratio makes them smooth and effortless to turn, as well as more precise.
Lots of UK vendors carry them, and here's an active Ebay listing if you don't want to bother your relatives:
WILKINSON 3R3L Vintage Open Guitar Tuners Machine Head Parts 19:1 Gear Ratio | eBay
That said, as awful as they were, the stock tuners on my Ignition made it hard to tune, but they didn't slip.
The chief point of tuning instability on mine (aside from the terrible stock strings), was the bridge base. Not only did it not fit the curve of the top properly, but one foot was cut at an angle, causing the bridge rock rock back and forth during play.
Matching the bridge to the top is a normal part of setting up a Hofner (or just about any archtop instrument), even if you buy a brand-new German bridge.
Only the most expensive instruments come perfectly-fitted, because every top is different, and matching the arch is labour intensive:
- Job #1 is to remove the protective shipping foam from under the bridge.
- Job #2 is to mark the current position of the bridge, then tape a piece of 320 grit sandpaper (abrasive side-out) to the top.
Stop frequently, and flip the bridge over to check your progress. As you sand the bottom of the bridge feet, you'll see a lighter colour where the sandpaper is removing the dye. Unless someone else has already set the bass up, the bare wood colour will only show at one end of each foot. As the bottom of the bridge gradually starts to match the curvature of the top, you should see the natural colour spread across the full width of the foot.
The bridge is now properly mated to your bass.
These three steps (tuners, strings and bridge matching) should make any Chinese-made Hofner feel and sound a lot better.
Most people would be satisfied with the stock HCT tuners, but the Contemporary-series basses need bridge fitment and strings, just like an Ignition.
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BTW, the kidney buttons on the Wilkinson tuners are removable, and you can get replacements in other colours and finishes if you want to spice it up, or better match the stock look...
I put a set of these on my Hofner Icon/ Ignition bass, and they work perfectly. Long Shaft Grover, a set of 4.
I didn't have to drill anything. Much better than their original tuners.
Why buy 6 pieces as a guitar set, when you can buy the same tuners as 4 pieces when marked for ukulele?
Grover 18:1 Sta-Tite (U98 Series) Ukulele Tuners with Long String Posts - StewMac
I didn't have to drill anything. Much better than their original tuners.
Why buy 6 pieces as a guitar set, when you can buy the same tuners as 4 pieces when marked for ukulele?
Grover 18:1 Sta-Tite (U98 Series) Ukulele Tuners with Long String Posts - StewMac
Still no bass for me yet. Was supposed to come yesterday, went on the UPS truck at 8:40 am, and seven hours later there was still no sign (and it's COLD), so I called them to delay till today. When I saw it wasn't out for delivery by 11 am I called again and had them redirect to a UPS pickup point. Will update when things are settled. Happy Friday!
The waiting is the hardest part.
