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Also @JRT64 @boggus @JimmyM.
...Which iiis...?
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Hofner-(not just Beatle Basses)-Group Part 2
- Thread starter Bryan R. Tyler
- Start date
Also @JRT64 @boggus @JimmyM.
What I don't like about Chromes is a perceived metallic brittleness to the sound, which does dissipate a fair amount if the strings are allowed to break in properly (I didn't really wait long enough with the Hofner, to be fair). Where I've liked Chromes is on my P basses, both Tony Franklin fretless and Ultra P. The staple humbuckers on my Verythin are quite hot and have a lot of clarity (IMO), and it was a challenge to get the warm(er) tone I wanted with Chromes. The DRs, for me, occupy sort of a middle ground for a flatwound. Not as dead as La Bella, more desired tension and thump than TIs.
Had I been aware of the fact that short scale GHS Precision Flats would fit, I would've ordered those. After a long dalliance with TI flats, I found that I actually preferred light gauge GHS P flats on some of my basses. Who knew?
Had I been aware of the fact that short scale GHS Precision Flats would fit, I would've ordered those. After a long dalliance with TI flats, I found that I actually preferred light gauge GHS P flats on some of my basses. Who knew?
I used Chromes for a couple of years but switched to nylon tapewounds for the tone of the tapes. The chromes continued to have a bit of brightness I wasn't happy with.
A little while ago I bought a Hofner Ignition Club bass in white that came with Hofner flats. I didn't like those strings at all, especially the deader than dead E string. I installed a set of D'Addario medium scale nylon tapewounds and haven't looked back. It's the best sounding Hofner I have.
Not a fan of chromes. They sound too metallic to my ear. "Clack" while fretting is very loud and I don't like the way they feel against my fingers. Also, I did try to put a set of short scale chromes on my Hofner Ignition and it stripped the D-string tuner. Imo, put something else on your Hofner.
I had Chromes 40-95 on my Jay Turser violin bass (which turns 20 very soon) and I thought they were pretty good. But a few years ago I put LaBella DTF’s 39-96 on it and it transformed into “The Sound (TM).” I had always used LaBellas on the Realistic violin bass I used to have, and it sounded better (and honestly still does) but the LaBellas really helped the Turser close the gap.
I replaced just the low E with a Chrome. My Hofner Cavern Club was strung with older LaBella DTF flats and I was never really happy with the dead sound of the E. I could never get any growl out of it and the tone was fuzzier than the A and D strings.
At first the Chrome E was much brighter and clangy (of course) but it mellowed over the first weeks. Now 6 months later it blends well with the LaBellas but still retains a bit more "meat" than the old one did.
At first the Chrome E was much brighter and clangy (of course) but it mellowed over the first weeks. Now 6 months later it blends well with the LaBellas but still retains a bit more "meat" than the old one did.
Interesting point. Do you know if the different orientations correspond to the place of manufacture, so one factory consistently does it one way?
Can't say I do, and it probably makes little difference, provided the wiring/phase is consistent.
Do you know what are the strings of a brand new German made Green Line 500/1 ? I've been told (there) that the default strings are the Pyramids, but not the gold one. Are there any difference between the Hofner default strings and the Pyramid Gold ?
I know that for Ignition and Contemporary series, the strings are crap. But I wonder if I need to change my Hofner strings for Pyramid Gold. They are fine, but I feel that the E string is a little bit muffled (it has much less sustain than the A string). Changing them to Pyramid Gold will correct that ?
Thanks,
I know that for Ignition and Contemporary series, the strings are crap. But I wonder if I need to change my Hofner strings for Pyramid Gold. They are fine, but I feel that the E string is a little bit muffled (it has much less sustain than the A string). Changing them to Pyramid Gold will correct that ?
Thanks,
If you are talking about the Hofner 'Contemporary' round-wounds then yes they are pretty poor. It felt like they were trying to brute-force the bass into doing something it is simply not capable of. On the other hand the Labella DTF Black Nylon Flats were a total revelation and not what I was expecting. They brought my Ignition to life.
At the same time, as @Michael Eisenman notes above, making sure the bridge is properly fitted is also important. On the other hand I would expect the bridge of a German-made Greenline to be already matched.
It was not. There was a pretty wide gap under the bridge. And also the bridge was not aligned with the pickups, so the strings were a bit off (same thing as @LeMaartien reported). My luthier sanded the bridge, and the gap diminished, but is still there. I have sent the video to my luthier and we’ll apply the solution described.
But yes, it’s a shame that a bass handmade in Germany (and at that price !) is so poorly finished that I need to bring it to a luthier to finish the work…
Yes, just sanding the bridge by eye is no good - you have to sand it to 'conform' which means using the body as a sanding block. But it is well worth the effort.
I don't know if I would call it 'poor' - the position of the bridge is a function of intonation which is in turn a function of string choice and other setup decisions. Perhaps there is an argument that fitting the bridge is a 'user' task?
No difference. Pyramid makes the string for hofner for their Germans basses and re-labels them Hofner brand.
OK, thanks. So my E string issue is not a string issue, and I definitely need to sand my bridge.
Something else you might want to do whilst the bridge is off is put a few wraps of PTFE tape around the threaded posts of the height adjusters. It will not be enough to let them move under their own steam but makes tweaking the setup easier without having to slacken the strings
Yes I did the bridge sand thing with my vintage one and it solved a lot of issues. That video from backbeat is what i used as well.
After sanding the bridge, that’s a whole new bass! The sound is fuller on every string, more consistent, and the E string is now totally fine. And I gained some more sustain. Thanks to all of you.
