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Hofner?

Hofner or Jazz for this?

  • Hofner

    Votes: 42 34.1%

  • Jazz

    Votes: 81 65.9%
  • Total voters
    123
#41
The think about a Hofner is that they have such a unique tone that I've not heard dupicated by any other company. The short scale and narrow neck are such a joy to play. :bassist:

And the thing is that not too many people are using them as comparted to some of the other instruments out there which gives the player a unique advantage of sounding different. ;)
 
#42
I recommend Hofner, I own a Black 2005 Hofner Club Reissue which I have strung with SIT PowerWound short scale Rounds. I also own a Jazz and Precision but keep going back to the Hofner with the rounds. As much as I love my Fenders, the J+P sound lifeless compared to the Hofner. I find by having both pickups on the Hofner selected you can get a huge variety of modern and very punchy sounds. Great for Blues, Jazz, Country and all kinds of Rock. ! Good luck !
 
#43
i have a Hofner & Jazz. I'd go with the Jazz. Wearing the Hofner just always looks like you think your Sir Paul. I also picked up a club bass (eastwood). That is my choice for 'sit down, orchestra type gigs'. BUT the hofner is way , way , way lighter by the 4th-5th set compared to the Jazz :)
 
#44
p-time bass guy said:
i have a Hofner & Jazz. I'd go with the Jazz. Wearing the Hofner just always looks like you think your Sir Paul. I also picked up a club bass (eastwood). That is my choice for 'sit down, orchestra type gigs'. BUT the hofner is way , way , way lighter by the 4th-5th set compared to the Jazz :)
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I agree about the McCartney comparisons. That is the reason I stayed away from Hofner violin basses for so long. Then a friend of mine got a Hofner Icon, I loved how it looked and played. I bought one just to have at home. Then I played it at a gig for giggles, and folks LOVE it!! So, while I love the tone and how light it is, I now play my Icon about 80% of the time to entertain people.
 
#45
Unless your in a Beatles Tribute band the violin style can seem kind of weird. I have several basses , but my primary bass is my Hofner Club bass.The thing looks so cool nobody pays attention to anything else.

I have been mobed after shows from kids that just want to look at it.
 
#46
mccartneyman said:
The danger in playing a Hofner only occasionally when you're used to a full-scale neck is that your left hand will automatically gravitate toward fret 1, thinking that it's actually fret 3. At least in my case. I played mine for the first time in months two weeks ago on a gig (after playing the 35" Lakland most of the time) and found myself sliding up to notes for the first few songs. Muscle memory, I guess. I don't have a problem with the string spacing. Again, for those who think the Hofner has only one sound, I encourage you to experiment with using both pickups and varying the amount of bridge pickup you use. Adding the bridge PUP brings in quite a bit of bite that's lacking with the neck PUP only on the SOLO position. Also, don't expect to plug in a Hofner using your normal amp tone settings and have it sound great. Tweak them knobs!
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I have never understood this "problem". My $$ gig requires me switching between a Hofner, a Rickenbacker, and a Fender Jazz, for a 3-hour show. I have never had any problem switching between different scale lengths, not to mention singing all the while too. I just don't get it.
 
#47
Some problem for me switching on gig to my Ignition from my Precision.
A very little for the narrower string spacing, a lot in the first 1-2 Hofner songs on the playlist because of the short scale.
In the next rehearsals i will try to minimize this problem using more often the Hofner than the P.
 
#48
CBgaragebassist said:
i'm thinking about getting a Hofner Beatle Bass, but i dont know if it'll fit what i'm playing. i play stuff like Nirvana, Mudhoney, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, etc. how would a Hofner fit with this? (btw, other option is maybe a used Jazz bass) Thanks.
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JMO but I'vep layed the hofner beatle bass once. Couldn't stand it. Not a big fan of short scale for starters, then the strings were way to close together for my taste. The sound wasn't quite what I would have liked. Then again this is all just personal preference.
 
#50
I use a Hofner CT 500 and it rocks. La Bella round wound stainless strings through a sans amp bass driver and a bass big muff pie for fuzz. I own a MIA P bass and MIM jazz and the little hofner sits in the mix very well. Personally I think the hofner sounds better with the big muff that either my P or J bass. Also I think the Hofner has superior low end...

People seem to think a Hofner is a "one trick pony", this is certainly not the case. People that say that haven't spent much time playing a hofner!

Though the hofner is kind of quirky - a floating bridge and narrow string spacing, it is extremely versatile! With the right strings and set up you can achieve in any style you want.
 
#52
Here's my take...I think Paul went back to his Hofner for the iconic association it has.
He certainly has the option to play anything he wants and there are far better instruments available to him.
Having owned two over the years I found them to be sonically limiting...a one trick pony...unless that one good tone is what your after. Plus I find them a bit uncomfortable to play as far as the body contour. I also found ergonomic issues with finger vs pick technique.
Then there is the "I want to be like Paul" syndrome...no one on the planet looks as good as Paul does playing a violin bass...everyone else just looks like they want to be Paul, just like the guys who buy a Ric 325 and stand bent knees like John Lennon when they play. Millions have gone down that road and there are certainly many more to follow. And no musician is as associated with and connected to a specific instrument as Paul is to the Hofner violin bass.
(If Gerry Marsden had've had the impact on the world that Paul did then every guitarist out there would probably wear his guitar high up under his chin....lol). Sure we love our musical idols but artists carve their own path by being different and creating unique art. Neither a Jazz nor a Hofner is going to be unique but the Hofner is less so due to its connection to Paul, which, in a way, is unfortunate for that company. Want the same sound without the
"Paul association"?... Get a Hofner Club bass. YMMV
 
#54
Ric5 said:
Fender Jazz - A versatile proven design. Rock solid. Many different tones. This bass can do pretty much any kind of music.

Hofner - A fragile bass that is prone to intonation errors. This bass is cool looking but not versatile. Its best usage is Beatles tribute bands. Even then a Rickenbacker would work better for that.
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I use my Hofner in my band and we don't play beatles songs. It has the warmest tone of any I own and makes my fender tremble in fear when I hit that low E!! You can't get a bottom thump like that from a fender bass - so keep dreaming!! I use year and a half old labella rounds on my Hofner and is easily my favourite tone from any bass - warm and round. I never get lost in the upper registers, it sits so well in the mix!

If you already own a p bass then you have your modern tones sorted, get the Hofner and discover what all the fuss is about!
 

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