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

[Mike Arthur]

Not to "name names". But "some"stores should be looked at skepticaly.
They remove all the good hardware from a bass,sell it on fleabay,replace it with cheap,non-Hofner parts,and call it "modified". Be very,very careful,and ask questions before buying from a store.
MARNIC music IS NOT one of these stores.
They sell only certified HOFNER,and will only change a bass if requested by a customer.
Once again,be careful who you buy from. Nuff said

 

[SJLee]

Not to "name names". But "some"stores should be looked at skepticaly.
They remove all the good hardware from a bass,sell it on fleabay,replace it with cheap,non-Hofner parts,and call it "modified". Be very,very careful,and ask questions before buying from a store.
MARNIC music IS NOT one of these stores.
They sell only certified HOFNER,and will only change a bass if requested by a customer.
Once again,be careful who you buy from. Nuff said

Thank you for sharing that valuable information. It’s much appreciated.

 

[DavesnothereCA]

This guy seems to have a lot of Club-Ct's available: Barry Clark Music I've never bought from him (others here might be familiar and recommend...or not)

~
Thanks.

Yes, I noticed him a while back because he also advertises on eBay, and posts detailed specs for his items too.

He has a lot of Hofners listed , including some solid body ones which first came up when I did an eBay search for short scale basses.

I'll look again, as he has a very good feedback rating.

Has anyone bought from him, and if yes, how did it go ?
~

 

[DavesnothereCA]

Not to "name names", but "some"stores should be looked at skeptically

They remove all the good hardware from a bass,sell it on fleabay,replace it with cheap,non-Hofner parts,and call it "modified". Be very,very careful,and ask questions before buying from a store.

MARNIC music IS NOT one of these stores.

They sell only certified HOFNER,and will only change a bass if requested by a customer.

Once again, be careful who you buy from. Nuff said

~
Yes, the Internet is sometimes a crazy place !
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[Mike Arthur]

~
Thanks.

Yes, I noticed him a while back because he also advertises on eBay, and posts detailed specs for his items too.

He has solid body Hofners listed which first caught my eye.

I'll look again, as he has a very good feedback rating.
~

Be VERY careful what you buy.
Just sayin. SOME stores strip HOFNERS and sell all the hardware,then replace it with non-Hofner parts,very low quality parts,and call it"modified".

 

[ICM]

Not to "name names". But "some"stores should be looked at skepticaly.
They remove all the good hardware from a bass,sell it on fleabay,replace it with cheap,non-Hofner parts,and call it "modified". Be very,very careful,and ask questions before buying from a store.
MARNIC music IS NOT one of these stores.
They sell only certified HOFNER,and will only change a bass if requested by a customer.
Once again,be careful who you buy from. Nuff said

I've seen these listings; drives me up a wall. Another thing that bothers me with Hofners listed online is when people say a bass is "full McCartney spec" when it clearly isn't. However, I realize these people aren't trying to deceive, they've just got some incorrect info.

 

[Mike Arthur]

Right. Or they say"the Macca vibe". Lol
Although the Hofner will give you that Beatles sound,it also gives you the ability to create your own sound.
Plus. No matter what bass I play,"P",Rick,Jazz,whatever,.......the HOFNER is the one EVERYONE has a comment about.. I play in a Beach/Motown band,and we've become known as the."THE BAND WITH THE BEATLE BASS"

 

[DavesnothereCA]

This guy seems to have a lot of Club-Ct's available: Barry Clark Music I've never bought from him (others here might be familiar and recommend...or not)

~
Earlier, I mentioned that he often quotes detailed specs of the instruments which he sells.

Here is an example, which answers what I asked previously in this thread.

Hofner HCT 500/2-SB CLUB BASS GUITAR GREAT UK VINTAGE STYLE VIBE Sunburst 889406041257 | eBay

He states that this particular Hofner Contemporary Club bass weighs 6.30 pounds decimal (which to me means about 6 pounds 5 ounces).

So here are updated weight numbers to compare, from light thru to heavy :

Hofner fully German-made Club bass = 5 pounds or a little less sometimes - no centre block
( Similar Example : This $3,000 USD Hofner custom shop Violin bass now at Sweetwater is 4 pounds 13 ounces :
Hofner '62 Custom Shop Violin Bass, Sweetwater Custom - Candy Apple Red )

Hofner Ignition Club bass = 5 pounds even, thru 5 pounds 6 ounces - no centre block
Info from Sweetwater's current stock, and Barry Clark Music has one on eBay at 4.90 pounds (aka ~4 pounds 14 ounces)

Hofner Contemporary Club bass = 6.30 pounds (aka ~6 pounds 5 ounces) - has a centre block
Info from another of Barry Clark Music's current eBay listings

Hofner Contemporary Violin bass = 6.6 pounds (aka ~6 pounds 10 ounces) - has a centre block
Info from TB member 'fermata', thanks

Epiphone Viola bass = 7 pounds 6 ounces, thru 7 pounds 10 ounces - short scale - I think it also has a centre block
Priced similarly to Ignition
Info from Sweetwater's current stock

Rickenbacker 4001 ~= 9 pounds or a bit more, same as many Fender P & J basses weigh (and none are short scale)

Even though I have added the info above for a Hofner Contemporary Club bass from Barry Clark Music, if anyone else reading just happens to have a Contemporary Club bass handy which they can weigh, I would still be curious and appreciate knowing whether it is the same weight or not.

A larger data sample size is always a good thing when gathering statistics.

Thanks.
~

 

[DavesnothereCA]

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Here's another thought :

Has anybody tried putting a Hofner bass into a typical aftermarket rectangular case intended for a Fender P or J bass ?

Will a club or a violin Hofner fit in such a case ?

Of course I mean a generic case where the body shape is not molded, just a rectangle in that area.

I have such a case as spare, and would consider cutting some foam or whatever, to fit around the bass to protect it from too much movement, if there is an initial fit without stress on the instrument when the case lid is closed.

Thanks.
~

 

[Stempelloos]

The case above was made in England for the Cavern in it. And was sold with the bass, it's not a typical Höfner case.
I've made some protection for the head and sides, but it's fits pretty tight without those too.
The aftermarket case for the Hohner B2AFL is very similar. Also made in England and bought with the bass.

 

[DavesnothereCA]

View attachment 2816964

The case above was made in England for the Cavern in it. And was sold with the bass, it's not a typical Höfner case.
I've made some protection for the head and sides, but it's fits pretty tight without those too.
The aftermarket case for the Hohner B2AFL is very similar. Also made in England and bought with the bass.

~
Thanks.

Also look at what you have in the OTHER case ! drool
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[ICM]

~
Here's another thought :

Has anybody tried putting a Hofner bass into a typical aftermarket rectangular case intended for a Fender P or J bass ?

Will a club or a violin Hofner fit in such a case ?

Of course I mean a generic case where the body shape is not molded, just a rectangle in that area.

I have such a case as spare, and would consider cutting some foam or whatever, to fit around the bass to protect it from too much movement, if there is an initial fit without stress on the instrument when the case lid is closed.

Thanks.
~

IME the standard fender style vintage tweed rectangular case is too shallow to fit hofners.

 

[DavesnothereCA]

IME the standard fender style vintage tweed rectangular case is too shallow to fit hofners.

~
That was MY speculation/fear too, as the other dimensions didn't seem to look too challenging.

Thanks.

Has anyone else tried ? - Results ?

Fit or NO Fit ?
~

 

[DavesnothereCA]

~
And yet another digression....

Has anyone tried one of THESE ?

It's the Hofner 'Shorty Travel Bass', available in black, and maybe in white.

HOFNER HCT-SHB-BK-0 SHORTY TRAVEL Electric BASS Guitar BLACK with Gig Bag | eBay

In the 80 pages of these two megathreads, I do not think that they have even been MENTIONED, let alone a pic posted by an owner.

Does anybody own one (or used to), and what do you think of it ?

And how much does it weigh ?

Thanks.
~

 

[ICM]

Has anyone else shaved down the binding to make a forearm contour where your arm rests?
I've done this on both my CT and V62 and its so much more comfortable! I'd highly recommend doing it. I took a razor to the binding, scraped it to about a 45 degree angle on the bottom bout and then polished up with increasing grits of sandpaper. I've also rolled the fretboard edges on both of mine too.


Also, I've been considering replacing the neck pickup on my V62 in attempts to get a roided-out sound that combines the natural sound of the bass but with a boutique pickup. I've considered a TV Jones thundertron, but really have always wanted a Mudbucker in there. I have a feeling it would sound HUGE! Ever since I played "Hey Bulldog" on a vintage EB-0 I've been really into the sound of that pickup. I'd have to do some modding obviously and I'd try to figure out a way to rig up the pickup to the existing holes in the bass by making something or the other. I guess I'd also have to fashion my own cover out of metal too, but all in the spirit of modding I say.

What do you all think, would a Curtis Novak vintage spec Mudbucker work?
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[fendaholic]

As a Hofner newbie, I've been reading posts on this forum for the past few days and have learned that folks who post here know a great deal about Hofners. So, I have a few questions for this group. But first, some background:

I'm looking to buy a 1967 Hofner 500/1 from a fellow who has owned it since the early '90s. This German bass is in remarkably good condition given its age and plays & sounds great. My only problem is the action starting around the 12th fret is higher than I'm used to and not comfortable to play. I noticed that the bridge was at its lowest setting and the neck was straight.

I took photos of the bass and showed them to my local tech who said that while the bass looked great, he thought the only way to solve the action problem was to reset the neck. He also said he doesn't do that work, but knows others who do. I called a respected local repair shop yesterday and they quoted my a rough estimate of $600 to $800.

Here are my questions:
1. How much does a Hofner neck reset normally cost?
2. Who would you recommend to do such a neck reset without creating some of the horror stories i've read on this site? (Preferably around Northern California)
3. Would you buy a 50-year old Hofner
4. How do newer Hofner basses - German and Chinese - compare with vintage ones from the '60s?

Unfortunately, around me Guitar Center is the only Hofner dealer and they don't have a single Hofner bass in their two stores in the Sacramento (CA) stores for me try out.

Thanks in advance for any information and help you can provide.

 

[Mike Arthur]

As a Hofner newbie, I've been reading posts on this forum for the past few days and have learned that folks who post here know a great deal about Hofners. So, I have a few questions for this group. But first, some background:

I'm looking to buy a 1967 Hofner 500/1 from a fellow who has owned it since the early '90s. This German bass is in remarkably good condition given its age and plays & sounds great. My only problem is the action starting around the 12th fret is higher than I'm used to and not comfortable to play. I noticed that the bridge was at its lowest setting and the neck was straight.

I took photos of the bass and showed them to my local tech who said that while the bass looked great, he thought the only way to solve the action problem was to reset the neck. He also said he doesn't do that work, but knows others who do. I called a respected local repair shop yesterday and they quoted my a rough estimate of $600 to $800.

Here are my questions:
1. How much does a Hofner neck reset normally cost?
2. Who would you recommend to do such a neck reset without creating some of the horror stories i've read on this site? (Preferably around Northern California)
3. Would you buy a 50-year old Hofner
4. How do newer Hofner basses - German and Chinese - compare with vintage ones from the '60s?

Unfortunately, around me Guitar Center is the only Hofner dealer and they don't have a single Hofner bass in their two stores in the Sacramento (CA) stores for me try out.

Thanks in advance for any information and help you can provide.

Can you post pictures please? I have a 66 and 67.
Also,join the Facebook page"Hofner 500/1 Beatle Bass".
Send a message to Fran Fresta. He runs the page,which has people that work at Hofner in Germany. The most honest page ever seen.
They will lead you in the right direction.

 

[fendaholic]

Thank you. I will post photos as soon as I learn how to do it.

In the meantime, I will join the Facebook page you suggested.

 

[mongo2]

Also,join the Facebook page"Hofner 500/1 Beatle Bass".

I searched but failed to find that facebook page, can you post a link?

 

[Mike Arthur]

I searched but failed to find that facebook page, can you post a link?