• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Hofner-(not just Beatle Basses)-Group

Status
Not open for further replies.
#202
Well, I couldn't help myself!!!! I really wanted to get a Contemporary. I also wanted a blue bass.
And I came across this blue Contemporary and I just had to get it. I'm really glad I did. It sounds and feels great and I love it.


blueCT.jpg



I hadn't posted a picture of my Icon yet, so here is a picture of the 2 of them together.


2bass2.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: mikbass
#203
TobyBass55 said:
Well, I couldn't help myself!!!! I really wanted to get a Contemporary. I also wanted a blue bass.
And I came across this blue Contemporary and I just had to get it. I'm really glad I did. It sounds and feels great and I love it.


blueCT.jpg



I hadn't posted a picture of my Icon yet, so here is a picture of the 2 of them together.


2bass2.jpg
Click to expand...

Great looking Hofners!

How about a side by side comparison of the two, ie tone, feel, weight, construction, etc?
 
#205
Rob Martinez said:
Great looking Hofners!

How about a side by side comparison of the two, ie tone, feel, weight, construction, etc?
Click to expand...

Thanks, I really am happy with my Hofners!

As for a side by side comparison, I definitely prefer the Contemporary over the Icon .......tone on the Contemporary especially. My husband commented about it immediately without my even having to ask what he thought......... the difference was that striking. Contemporary has better sustain too. Although one advantage to the Icon series is that sometimes I like to just sit and play it acoustically when I’m just sitting around home. Definitely won’t do that with the Contemporary.

I find the feel to be very similar. That’s good, because I particularly liked the feel of the Icon series when I got it. It seemed to fit me perfectly. Other basses, I actually felt like I was wrestling with them. Both the Icon and the Contemporary balance very easily when I play sitting down (which is how I always play). My left thumb isn’t really supporting any weight of the neck, so it is very easy to move my left hand up and down the fretboard. The Contemporary “feels” a little heavier to me, but it can’t be much. I tried standing with both of them on the bathroom scale and it couldn’t register the difference, so they must not really weigh that much different. But somehow the body of the Contemporary feels heavier which seems to shift the center of gravity a bit. The Icon “feels” more hollow (which it is).

One thing about the feel that I definitely like better on the Contemporary is due to the fact that I usually play with my thumb resting on the black part around the pickup and the shape it makes that much easier. You can kind of see how they are different in the picture in my original post. It places my hand closer to the strings.

As far as looks, I like that the pick guard etc aren’t so bright white on the Contemporary. You can’t see the difference well in the picture, but they have enough of an off-white/ivory tinge to the color that it looks much better.

I like my Icon Series and will definitely still keep it, but there is no doubt I like the Contemporary better. I'm going to play around with trying other strings on the Icon.
 
#206
Another difference between my Icon and my Contemporary that I forgot to mention............

The Contemporary has a zeroth fret. The icon doesn't. I tend to avoid open strings, so maybe I'll like them better on the Contemporary. Not sure yet. I haven't had it long enough yet to know.
 
#209
TobyBass55 said:
Thanks, I really am happy with my Hofners!

As for a side by side comparison, I definitely prefer the Contemporary over the Icon .......tone on the Contemporary especially. My husband commented about it immediately without my even having to ask what he thought......... the difference was that striking. Contemporary has better sustain too. Although one advantage to the Icon series is that sometimes I like to just sit and play it acoustically when I’m just sitting around home. Definitely won’t do that with the Contemporary.

I find the feel to be very similar. That’s good, because I particularly liked the feel of the Icon series when I got it. It seemed to fit me perfectly. Other basses, I actually felt like I was wrestling with them. Both the Icon and the Contemporary balance very easily when I play sitting down (which is how I always play). My left thumb isn’t really supporting any weight of the neck, so it is very easy to move my left hand up and down the fretboard. The Contemporary “feels” a little heavier to me, but it can’t be much. I tried standing with both of them on the bathroom scale and it couldn’t register the difference, so they must not really weigh that much different. But somehow the body of the Contemporary feels heavier which seems to shift the center of gravity a bit. The Icon “feels” more hollow (which it is).

One thing about the feel that I definitely like better on the Contemporary is due to the fact that I usually play with my thumb resting on the black part around the pickup and the shape it makes that much easier. You can kind of see how they are different in the picture in my original post. It places my hand closer to the strings.

As far as looks, I like that the pick guard etc aren’t so bright white on the Contemporary. You can’t see the difference well in the picture, but they have enough of an off-white/ivory tinge to the color that it looks much better.

I like my Icon Series and will definitely still keep it, but there is no doubt I like the Contemporary better. I'm going to play around with trying other strings on the Icon.
Click to expand...

Very cool! Thanks for the comparison!

I play Icons, and have never had a chance to play a Contemporary. Is it heavier?

If you ever want to get rid of the Icon, can I have it?? Ha ha!

I play an Icon and really like how light it is.
 
#210
Rob Martinez said:
Very cool! Thanks for the comparison!

I play Icons, and have never had a chance to play a Contemporary. Is it heavier?

If you ever want to get rid of the Icon, can I have it?? Ha ha!

I play an Icon and really like how light it is.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean about liking how light the Icon is. The Contemporary does "feel" heavier, but it can't be by much! I tried weighing them on the bathroom scale and the difference between them doesn't show up there (but it would have to be at least a pound difference to see it on that thing I think).

Definitely keeping my Icon though! :)
As much as I like the Contemporary, the Icon still somehow seems more effortless to play. Maybe it is the difference in weight or weight distribution or the strings. I'm not convinced I like the strings on the Contemporary.
 
#211
TobyBass55 said:
I know what you mean about liking how light the Icon is. The Contemporary does "feel" heavier, but it can't be by much! I tried weighing them on the bathroom scale and the difference between them doesn't show up there (but it would have to be at least a pound difference to see it on that thing I think).

Definitely keeping my Icon though! :)
As much as I like the Contemporary, the Icon still somehow seems more effortless to play. Maybe it is the difference in weight or weight distribution or the strings. I'm not convinced I like the strings on the Contemporary.
Click to expand...

I use LaBella Beatle flats on my Icons and love those strings. My Icons are so EASY to play, it is scary.

I have two Waterstone Indra basses, semi hollow with wood block down the center. I suspect that is what the Contemporary might sound like, and it is a nice, warm and fat focused tone, with more sustain. They are a bit heavier than the Icon, but not by much.
 
#216
Thanks.

The guy I bought it from (local Hofner dealer) included a set-up. LaBelle flats, the teacups, and a Hartke tuner. A good deal for me.

I was looking for the Hofner Contemporary and found it on eBay. Contacted the seller and found out he's a dealer that works from his home and lived less than 10 minutes from me!

So I also saved on s/h and got to try it out first. I was very lucky.
 
#217
lkn2myis said:
Thanks.

The guy I bought it from (local Hofner dealer) included a set-up. LaBelle flats, the teacups, and a Hartke tuner. A good deal for me.

I was looking for the Hofner Contemporary and found it on eBay. Contacted the seller and found out he's a dealer that works from his home and lived less than 10 minutes from me!

So I also saved on s/h and got to try it out first. I was very lucky.
Click to expand...

Wow, that worked out really well for you.

And that's a couple people on this page of the thread alone that said they are using the LaBella flats. Since I'm planning to get new strings for my Icon, I think that's what I'm going to go for!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back