Hofners and their problems

[LotusCarsLtd52]

I was thinking of titling this article "Hofners suck!" to get more traffic but that would likely get deleted by the mods...Anyway if there is any bass that fits me better than the rest it's the Hofner 500/1. But I am continually confronted with what seems like an endless barrage of complaints about the instrument which make it seem like more of a nightmare than anything else. So I am hoping that this thread may shed more light on these issues. To be specific I am interested in the Contemporary bass but I'd also be interested in hearing about the actual German-made model, too.

1) Do modern Hofners still have intonation problems?

2) How is the floating bridge? Is it easily knocked out of whack?

3) How is sustain?

4) Is there a plywood body on the Contemporary model? How about the
high-end model?

5) Does the Contemporary have lots of low-end boom? The German model?

6) How is the build quality on the Contemporary? Is the German model worth it for the price?

7) Will it work for lo-fi/garage/White Stripes-esque rock? Old-timey blues?

8) How well does it take effects, particularly fuzz?

9) Is it truly a one-trick pony?

10) How is the clarity of the sound?

 

[thedrones]

lets see...

#6-my contemporary feels really solid, its been really reliable, Its a great instrument. (and it came almost perfectly set up right out of the box) I've never played a german made hofner though, so i can't compare it to that, i just know that its an awesome instrument by itself.

#7- YES! I use it as my only bass and i play indie rock and lo-fi stuff mostly and it works amazingly for that type of music.

I highly recommend it. Its a great bass, you wont regret getting it.

 

[odysseios]

I think many of you answers will be satisfied watching this clip, it is my Ignition (the lowest end Hofner) on gig:


Not exactly a one-trick pony, i would say...
Body is plywood, the sustain is near zero for the E/A strings, not for D/G.
The Contemporary will have more sustain, but too much sustain is not an Hofner sound.
Quality is low: Contemporary is better but it costs two times the Ignition, German ones costs two times the Contemporary. The best thing is the neck.
No problems of intonation.
The bridge is well held by the strings, and i use to beat them.
You can find other answers on the new Hofner Group here on Talkbass.

 

[GM60466]

Hofners made in Germany are pretty much hand crafted instruments. There is plenty of bottom end . IMHO they are a good value for the $. For around $1000 more Hofner makes the deluxe model; one-piece bird's eye maple back, gold hard ware, fancy binding.
Girls will be stopping you in mid-song to ask for your phone number

 

[jblock]

I have a Contemporary so I'll try to answer these:

1) Do modern Hofners still have intonation problems?

Mine does on the G string and tends to be flat. I can tune it so that either open to about the 13th fret is in tune or from the 13th to the highest fret. Unfortunately, I can't move the bridge anymore so I'm stuck with those two choices. I go with the first option and just use vibrato a bit on the highest notes and no one is the wiser.

2) How is the floating bridge? Is it easily knocked out of whack?

No. You can move it with the strings on but not that much.

3) How is sustain?

On the contemporary it goes on and on. As Nigel would say, "you can go out and get a bite to eat."

4) Is there a plywood body on the Contemporary model? How about the
high-end model?

Both have spruce plywood tops and maple plywood back but the higher-end ones are supposed to be more premium wood

5) Does the Contemporary have lots of low-end boom? The German model?

That depends on how you use the controls on the contemporary. Both volumes full on and you get a nice tight modern sound. Pull back a little on the bridge pickup and you get the typical Hofner thump. Low-end boom is as much dependent on the amp and strings you use.

6) How is the build quality on the Contemporary? Is the German model worth it for the price?

The build quality on my Contemporary is excellent. I'd give it an A-. There's a couple of minor finish flaws on the back of the neck that no one but myself can notice and that is also more indicative of the wood rather than the construction.

7) Will it work for lo-fi/garage/White Stripes-esque rock? Old-timey blues?

It will work for anything

8) How well does it take effects, particularly fuzz?

As well as any other bass. I use a Line 6 M13 and don't have any issues with any of the effect. It sounds great with overdrive and fuzz.

9) Is it truly a one-trick pony?

No. Two independent pickups with separate volumes it gets a lot of different sounds. Again, whether you use round or flats will have an impact.

10) How is the clarity of the sound?

I use flats and with both volumes full it does get a clear tight modern sound. Even more so with the original roundwounds that came with it.

I'm happy with the bass. I've ignored Hofners in the 30 years I've been playing because I was never a big beatles fan. But I picked one up in the store about a month ago and was very surprised.

 

[Rob Martinez]

Remember, the German made Hofner and the Hofner Icon/Ignition are true hollowbody basses. The Contemporary has a wood center block, making it heavier and giving it a more "modern" tone.

 

[LotusCarsLtd52]

Body is plywood, the sustain is near zero for the E/A strings, not for D/G.

That sucks. Any way to fix that you think? I would want to make sure I had decent sustain.

But you did say you had the lowest-end model, do you think the Contemporary wouldn't have as much of a problem?

The Contemporary will have more sustain, but too much sustain is not an Hofner sound.

I guess you'd have to define "too much sustain"!

Quality is low: Contemporary is better but it costs two times the Ignition, German ones costs two times the Contemporary.

Low quality on the lowest-end model or on the Contemporary?

The best thing is the neck.

Hence why I like it

No problems of intonation.

Good!

 

[LotusCarsLtd52]

Mine does on the G string and tends to be flat. I can tune it so that either open to about the 13th fret is in tune or from the 13th to the highest fret. Unfortunately, I can't move the bridge anymore so I'm stuck with those two choices. I go with the first option and just use vibrato a bit on the highest notes and no one is the wiser.

That kinda sucks, especially since that's a heavily-used string for me. But when I think about my basslines I don't think I use the frets beyond the 13th very much so maybe this isn't a problem.

On the contemporary it goes on and on. As Nigel would say, "you can go out and get a bite to eat."

Is the sustain, as somebody else said, good on some strings but not others?

Both have spruce plywood tops and maple plywood back but the higher-end ones are supposed to be more premium wood

So basically the construction is the same but with different wood. I think I can live with that.

Low-end boom is as much dependent on the amp and strings you use.

Any suggestions on good boomy strings?

It will work for anything

This is good news! But I am curious why people accuse it of being a one-trick pony...

It sounds great with overdrive and fuzz.

I'm betting it's a passive bass, right? There is one fuzz pedal I like that doesn't take too well to actives.

 

[Matt R.]

Hmm I haven't had the first problem with either of the Hofners I have owned. Great basses

 

[odysseios]

Hi Lotus,
i never tried the Contemporary, but with his block sure it has a normal sustain.
Too much sustain would be my Fender Precision, i.e. But too much sustain is not an Hofner sound, Hofner must have a little sustain, because is a semihollow bass and his sound must remember a double bass. Low end Ignition and Germans are true hollowbody basses, the Contemporary doesn't because of his sustain block.

For the low quality i was referring to the lowest end model.

Good boomy strings: Hofner or Pyramid flatwounds (they are the same strings with different brand), 40-100 gauge.

 

[VincentGrim]

Lotus, people accuse this style of bass being a "one-trick pony" because a lot of the people who own/want them have "one trick" in mind, which is the tone of Sir Paul. A classic tone indeed, but not the only one this bass is capable of. Put round wounds on it and have both pick-ups full on, or even pull off the neck pickup a bit, and what you'll be left with is a very satisfying modern tone, which is anything but the "one trick" that people seem to think these basses are only capable of.

 

[thedrones]

Girls will be stopping you in mid-song to ask for your phone number

hahaha! The truth! I don't know how or why, but my contemporary series is like a magnet....

 

[jblock]

To answer your questions...

The intonation could just be my bass.

On my Contemporary I have equal sustain on all strings. Comparable to any other bass I've used that a solidbody.

I'm using Labella flatwounds that they advertise as the hofner set, the lighter gauge one. I'm very happy with them.

Yes, the contemporary is passive.

 

[Mastermold]

Lotus, people accuse this style of bass being a "one-trick pony" because a lot of the people who own/want them have "one trick" in mind, which is the tone of Sir Paul.

Yep, that's why I got one.

 

[Peacefrog35]

This bass is worth it. It's a great step up from the Icon and if it were made in Germany....it would cost as much as the reissues...really...that's what it comes down to. The quality..at least on mine is top notch and quality of wood aside, it's so pretty, you wouldn't know that it wasn't the best of the best. I can't see that the wood could be that big of a difference.
It's really like having the best of both worlds... you get the classic Hofner sound and you get sustain. Now this is my opinion only... I would love to have a V62 or V63, but they are so close to the Contemporary that I can't see a justification of almost $1300 more.

I did a simple mod on my control panel...cream switches and tea cups. Now it already sounded perfect...but if it was side by side with the $2K model, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference!

Here's a pic of mine.

 

[bugsy]

I just brought an Ignition (lefty)
After i got it , i noticed it was fret buzzing
I thought it just need a set up so i took it around to my local shop
They rang me and said there was a lump or rise around the 12 fret in the neck, where it meets the body.
Thats where the buzz was coming from.
And the strings dont quite sit square along the neck,maybe the bridge piece not put on right?
Im abit sad about all this.

I have rang back the shop where i brought it (internet) and they are willing to send a replacement.
I hope it was a one off, as i have read heaps of reviews and research before buying one and only read good things

 

[GM60466]

I don't believe the people who manufacture Hofners really care about instrument making. They are selling a "LOOK", and they have a model at every price point. I have two very old basses from the early '60s. Neither of them sound the same.
I don't think bass "tone" was born until the mid '60s, when Jack Casady and Phil Lesch started modifing their Starfires. I can only think of one person who takes his Hofner seriously.
G

 

[odysseios]

So you wouldn't say this tone is from a 250€ Hofner?

 

[Mike Masuda]

I would say there is some limit to the vintage Hofner bass tones, but with some ingenuity and wiring finesse, I was able to tease out some nice new tones out of the "one trick pony":

 

[Andrew Post]

I have a Contemporary so I'll try to answer these:

1) Do modern Hofners still have intonation problems?

Mine does on the G string and tends to be flat. I can tune it so that either open to about the 13th fret is in tune or from the 13th to the highest fret. Unfortunately, I can't move the bridge anymore so I'm stuck with those two choices. I go with the first option and just use vibrato a bit on the highest notes and no one is the wiser.

2) How is the floating bridge? Is it easily knocked out of whack?

No. You can move it with the strings on but not that much.

3) How is sustain?

On the contemporary it goes on and on. As Nigel would say, "you can go out and get a bite to eat."

4) Is there a plywood body on the Contemporary model? How about the
high-end model?

Both have spruce plywood tops and maple plywood back but the higher-end ones are supposed to be more premium wood

5) Does the Contemporary have lots of low-end boom? The German model?

That depends on how you use the controls on the contemporary. Both volumes full on and you get a nice tight modern sound. Pull back a little on the bridge pickup and you get the typical Hofner thump. Low-end boom is as much dependent on the amp and strings you use.

6) How is the build quality on the Contemporary? Is the German model worth it for the price?

The build quality on my Contemporary is excellent. I'd give it an A-. There's a couple of minor finish flaws on the back of the neck that no one but myself can notice and that is also more indicative of the wood rather than the construction.

7) Will it work for lo-fi/garage/White Stripes-esque rock? Old-timey blues?

It will work for anything

8) How well does it take effects, particularly fuzz?

As well as any other bass. I use a Line 6 M13 and don't have any issues with any of the effect. It sounds great with overdrive and fuzz.

9) Is it truly a one-trick pony?

No. Two independent pickups with separate volumes it gets a lot of different sounds. Again, whether you use round or flats will have an impact.

10) How is the clarity of the sound?

I use flats and with both volumes full it does get a clear tight modern sound. Even more so with the original roundwounds that came with it.

I'm happy with the bass. I've ignored Hofners in the 30 years I've been playing because I was never a big beatles fan. But I picked one up in the store about a month ago and was very surprised.

The answer to question 1 is Yes. Enough already with Hofners and their intonation problems. Paul sounded better with a Ric and a Jazz Bass and you will, too.