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

#2,521
#2,522
Bruce Pete said:
I would love to have one of these but, I'd have to get the German version.
I'm just weird that way.
What would be a fair/good price for a nice used one?
Looking at Reverb in the 2 grand neighborhood?
Click to expand...

if you go for an artist model (lowest price German made) you can get a new one for 1724 shipped from Thomann. Since they are German you don't pay tax as an American. I find their prices are always the lowest for Hofners New. Like below:

upload_2023-11-28_16-2-53.png


Otherwise about 2k for a used one vintage or recent (2000 or later) is accurate.
 
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#2,524
Doctor Intrepid said:
I am a big fan of the Hofner pickups too and the overall tone of the instruments. I have four distinct pickups on my Hofners: blade; German staple; Ignition staple; and diamond. They all sound a bit different from one another. I agree what you say about the overall sound, but I wonder if it is the all around construction of the basses and not just the pickups that make the difference?
Click to expand...

If you are not familiar with the site, vintagehofner.co.uk has info on the older PUs with some good gut shots in the sub links:
Hofner Guitar Pickups

@markjazzbassist

Are you comparing the Höfner staples to Fender Jazz PUs?

HBs will cause some cancellations which SCs won't, but in general both are very capable of producing the same lower frequencies and not sound thin [depends on the wire gauge/winding count/magnet strength used in either] (think of a Höfner 500/1-2-5 with the simple Type 1 or blade single coil PUs, they can also do lower frequencies in spades).

The PU positions will be the main cause of the differences (aside from the different cancellations caused in dual PU mode with both). The Höfner 500s have the front PU mounted (like modern Rics or the old EB0s) just south of the 24th fret position, the Jazz front PU is much closer to the bridge, about 1.5" to the north of the 36th fret position (the 36th is where Ric and MM SRs have the back PU centered). If you shifted a Jazz front PU up to the 24th fret position, soloed you might find it closer to a Staple neck PU (or type 1/2/3/Staple or Bar) then you'd think.

The Gibson Sidewinder "mudbuckers" had two huge heavily wound coils and two 1/8" magnets which causes their unique "wooly" tone in that position. FilterTrons [Thunder Trons/Blades] use a 1/4" magnet, smaller coils & much lower winding count, which allow them to retain more clarity top end and still have a solid bottom not usually associated with e.g. PAF HBs types (higher winding & with a single 1/8" magnet).

The different scale length & hollow body vs. solid & bridge types make a difference especially with the sustain, but the PU positions tend to cause the biggest differences (assuming the PUs are not drastically voiced like a "mudbucker").

This article is interesting, the poster is aiming for making a JB sound like a Ric - unfortunately w/out sound samples, but the same principle applies. There are a couple of threads here where similar projects were done, but this picture is good:

X-Bass project: 4 pickup Jazz bass chasing RIC tone. - MOD WIGGLER


9827_4_pickup_mockup__1_1.jpg


I have always had a hankering of picking up a used CN Hofner CT Club and doing something similar to this, but a slightly less invasive rout which the CN 500/2 top mount PUs would allow:

 
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#2,525
HHudson said:
If you are not familiar with the site, vintagehofner.co.uk has info on the older PUs with some good gut shots in the sub links:
Hofner Guitar Pickups

@markjazzbassist

Are you comparing the Höfner staples to Fender Jazz PUs?

HBs will cause some cancellations which SCs won't, but in general both are very capable of producing the same lower frequencies and not sound thin [depends on the wire gauge/winding count/magnet strength used in either] (think of a Höfner 500/1-2-5 with the simple Type 1 or blade single coil PUs, they can also do lower frequencies in spades).

The PU positions will be the main cause of the differences (aside from the different cancellations caused in dual PU mode with both). The Höfner 500s have the front PU mounted (like modern Rics or the old EB0s) just south of the 24th fret position, the Jazz front PU is much closer to the bridge, about 1.5" to the north of the 36th fret position (the 36th is where Ric and MM SRs have the back PU centered). If you shifted a Jazz front PU up to the 24th fret position, soloed you might find it closer to a Staple neck PU (or type 1/2/3/Staple or Bar) then you'd think.

The Gibson Sidewinder "mudbuckers" had two huge heavily wound coils and two 1/8" magnets which causes their unique "wooly" tone in that position. FilterTrons [Thunder Trons/Blades] use a 1/4" magnet, smaller coils & much lower winding count, which allow them to retain more clarity top end and still have a solid bottom not usually associated with e.g. PAF HBs types (higher winding & with a single 1/8" magnet).

The different scale length & hollow body vs. solid & bridge types make a difference especially with the sustain, but the PU positions tend to cause the biggest differences (assuming the PUs are not drastically voiced like a "mudbucker").

This article is interesting, the poster is aiming for making a JB sound like a Ric - unfortunately w/out sound samples, but the same principle applies. There are a couple of threads here where similar projects were done, but this picture is good:

X-Bass project: 4 pickup Jazz bass chasing RIC tone. - MOD WIGGLER


View attachment 5266893

I have always had a hankering of picking up a used CN Hofner CT Club and doing something similar to this, but a slightly less invasive rout which the CN 500/2 top mount PUs would allow:

Click to expand...


Good analysis and explanation. I do agree that a Hofner can get sounds similar to other basses. Check out the comparison below. Although it is between two humbucking basses, Musicmans are often compared with Jazz basses due to their slap capacities.

 
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#2,531
Bruce Pete said:
I'm in the process of finding a nice German made Hofner. It might take a month or two but I'm good with that.

What I am TOTALLY in awe about is that video on page 125 showing the guy cut the fret slots. How in the world does he do that, and do it accurately?

I'm sorry, I just cannot believe what I saw!
Click to expand...

he's German, they pride themselves on precision and quality.
 
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