Hofner-(not just Beatle Basses)-Group Part 2

[Shawn Luckman]

Very nice basses. I had a newer German Violin & Club (2000 ish) but only kept my HCTs when thinning the heard. Maybe I should have kept one of each. Can you tell me how upgrading the HCT control panel changed the sound? Thinking about doing that, just not surfeit's worth it.

Thanks

It won't do anything at all the only reason I'm changing it is because, the German celluloid panel looks better than the Chinese one and with the teacup knobs on will just look better. The CT is a nice bass but just so far off the German model for me, but I won't have to worry if it gets knocked over etc.

 

[DrSteve]

So you're changing the plate, not the actual pots. Got it. Thanks.

Enjoy both.

 

[Deleted member 394181]

Im wanting to put blades in my Cavern if I can source a set, id love to see your end result if you do this.

I have to help out a Jazz I have first. I will talk to my guy about price for the Hofner and will let you know.

 

[Deleted member 394181]

Definitely not a Club.

It's hard to tell, but I think I see the corner of a second pickup cutout in the Pickguard. So not a 500/3 Senator, which was a similarly large single-cut archtop, but with a single pickup at the neck.

Did it have a deep body, or a fairly slim thinline (about 2")? Knobs, knobs and switches, or some other variation?

If it had two wide-spaced chrome pickups, then I'm thinking that it might have been a Committee. No idea how those were numbered.

I just saw something similar at a vintage show the weekend before last- Greg Godovitz, the former lead singer and bassist of Toronto 70's and 80's band Goddo, owns it.

Big body- look how long the tailpiece is, and how much space there is between the tailpiece and the bridge!

Greg's is an early Chinese CT Series reissue, not relic'd, but heavy wear, with a deep archtop body, violin-style switchplate, and two pickups in Cavern spacing, like a dot-neck version of a 500-5 President. The sunburst was actually reddish brown, rather than this darker catalog picture:

View attachment 5056246

There's this earlier version hct. Th

 

[Deleted member 394181]

There's this earlier version hct. ThView attachment 5056813

Better photo. This model seems

harder to find.

 

[Deleted member 394181]

Better photo. This model seems View attachment 5056856 harder to find.

They were trying g to make it similar to this late 50's one. Which is beautiful.

 

[markjazzbassist]

I'm off work his week & I'm using my '64 Violin Bass more and more now, to the point that I think that it will become my main player again. I had forgotten just how nice it felt in my hands & that wonderful, woody thump sound you get from these little German made basses. And I'm wondering why I bought so many other basses when, I've come back to my favourite bass in the end because of how good it feels to me.
I have also been playing my Black CT Violin Bass & I'm still not bonding with it. Don't get me wrong the CT is made very well "BUT" fore me personally the whole, feel and sound is just not there for me probably due to the fact of owning the '64 for almost 35 years.
I'll keep the CT as a backup but will not be upgrading all the parts over to the German ones, just the control panel plate & teacups and wooden bridge and the machine heads.
View attachment 5056737

beautiful 64 wow. stunning. love the wear.

 

[Shawn Luckman]

beautiful 64 wow. stunning. love the wear.

Thank you it was my main bass for 10 years from '88 to '98, loads of rehearsals & gigs and not just playing Beatle songs with it either . All the extra wear came from this time it was the bass I preferred to use, this bass playing live because of the light weight & with some places I played there wasn't much space to move .

 

[Shawn Luckman]

Throw back picture from 1991 here I am with my friends '64 Lefty strung Righty, that I used as a backup where ever we were playing that night. I wonder if he still has it & little did we know that these cheap secondhand basses would become so expensive.

 

[markjazzbassist]

Thank you it was my main bass for 10 years from '88 to '98, loads of rehearsals & gigs and not just playing Beatle songs with it either . All the extra wear came from this time it was the bass I preferred to use, this bass playing live because of the light weight & with some places I played there wasn't much space to move .
View attachment 5056932 View attachment 5056933 View attachment 5056935 View attachment 5056939 View attachment 5056941 View attachment 5056942 View attachment 5056943

i have it's younger sister, a 1965 club. small pickup surrounds, the burst looks the same (and aged the same), raised logo. it's wild it's like a twin just club. thanks for sharing! mine has plenty of war wounds and scars as well, i love em.

 

[Shawn Luckman]

Saw the pictures you posted on here of your Hofner Club, a nice looking bass hope you have many happy years with it.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

Thank you it was my main bass for 10 years from '88 to '98, loads of rehearsals & gigs and not just playing Beatle songs with it either . All the extra wear came from this time it was the bass I preferred to use, this bass playing live because of the light weight & with some places I played there wasn't much space to move .
View attachment 5056932 View attachment 5056933 View attachment 5056935 View attachment 5056939 View attachment 5056941 View attachment 5056942 View attachment 5056943

What a beauty!

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

I am playing out tonight at the open mic. We usually have a full band and I am typically always fill the bass role. Tonight I will use my green Ignition with flats. I usually take a Hofner with rounds, but I want to mix it up!

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

Hofner has new model with a limited run. So tempting!

Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass

 

[DrSteve]

Tempting indeed. But not if it has the "Fat" neck. No specs posted yet.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

Tempting indeed. But not if it has the "Fat" neck. No specs posted yet.

I've never tried a Hofner with a fat neck. I heard that they are still slim across but fat from front to back. Is that the case?

 

[DrSteve]

From what I've been able to find, the width of the fretboards are the same, it's just about 4mm fatter front to back. So my hand gets a little cramped with the fatter neck. Maybe I should have gotten used to the fat and gotten rid of the thins, but initial comfort is always best.

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

I'm off work his week & I'm using my '64 Violin Bass more and more now, to the point that I think that it will become my main player again. I had forgotten just how nice it felt in my hands & that wonderful, woody thump sound you get from these little German made basses. And I'm wondering why I bought so many other basses when, I've come back to my favourite bass in the end because of how good it feels to me.
I have also been playing my Black CT Violin Bass & I'm still not bonding with it. Don't get me wrong the CT is made very well "BUT" fore me personally the whole, feel and sound is just not there for me probably due to the fact of owning the '64 for almost 35 years.
I'll keep the CT as a backup but will not be upgrading all the parts over to the German ones, just the control panel plate & teacups and wooden bridge and the machine heads.
View attachment 5056737

Shawn:
I couldn't get to like my 500/1 CT bass. It was beautifully made had great intonation and playability. Hey-ho. I just couldn't get used to the lack of resonance of the instrument - I sold it, and another bass, and an amp I wasn't using, and bought a German-made 500/1 Artist model. It's wonderful and so alive.

 

[Shawn Luckman]

Shawn:
I couldn't get to like my 500/1 CT bass. It was beautifully made had great intonation and playability. Hey-ho. I just couldn't get used to the lack of resonance of the instrument - I sold it, and another bass, and an amp I wasn't using, and bought a German-made 500/1 Artist model. It's wonderful and so alive.

Exactly how I feel about my 500/1 CT. For me there is just that "THING" that is missing from it, to making it the bass I want it to be.

 

[Deleted member 394181]

Exactly how I feel about my 500/1 CT. For me there is just that "THING" that is missing from it, to making it the bass I want it to be.

Do the HCT's have a center block? The German ones dont, they're hollow I believe.