Hofners and their problems

[Theo-cantor-]

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?

They do have some but hey, it’s an old design.

2) How is the floating bridge? Is it easily knocked out of whack?
Never

3) How is sustain?
It’s amazing

4) Is there a plywood body on the Contemporary model? How about the
high-end model?
I don’t know but is The best buy for the buck.

5) Does the Contemporary have lots of low-end boom? The German model?
I own a 500/1 and a Ltd edition ClubBass with Cavern spacing. It doesnt come close to the Far East basses.
My 500/2 Club Bass has Shellack finish and diamond pu’s.
Play this bass wit a pick and away we go....quality, just quality.
You don’t compare a Mexican Fender to a CS bass. It’s just not done.

6) How is the build quality on the Contemporary? Is the German model worth it for the price?
My HCT Club Bass is a nice bass but does not have the sound of my 500/2.
7) Will it work for lo-fi/garage/White Stripes-esque rock? Old-timey blues?
Sure
8) How well does it take effects, particularly fuzz?
Great

9) Is it truly a one-trick pony?
NO

10) How is the clarity of the sound?

With rounds its OK but I want The vintage sound. Only use HOFNER flats.

 

[Samatza]

It’s a Hofner so it’s going to sound like one. Contemporary has a wood block centre Ignition is true hollowbody.
I have an ignition, I think the build quality is good, the pots are a bit cheap but I use it for all the old school stuff and it sounds fine, no intonation problems once you set it up right. I use Chromes on mine. Be aware you’ll need medium gauge strings or the silk wrap will sit on the nut.

 

[JW56789]

The honest answer, for me, is that these are basses 'of their time'. They are hollow body instruments that are generally a bit more fragile than the typical solid-body plank that most of us are used to. They're short scale with essentially guitar tuning keys, so your string choices are somewhat limited, but with a shorter 'reach' and smaller gage strings which may suit some smaller players better. The pickups/electronics are bespoke, and typical of the era, not high output or lots of mids and high-end, relatively speaking. The German ones are the best built of the choices, but at a cost. And they're certainly unique in their appearance.

But ultimately it comes down to can it add to your playing, does it suit you to find your own voice on one.

The trick is that we all approach and hear and value many different instruments by our own tastes and needs. To me the Hofners seem like toys alongside of my usual choices, but in the hands of others, they can be fabulous instruments for what they do, and that's the magic of all this. All that really matters is if it suits you, and to hell with everybody else and the internet opinion ping-pong that I think often influences people right out of trying something new. Play long enough, over time you'll buy some gems . . . . and some turkeys. It's the only way you learn what you really need and what really works for YOU.

 

[ac100X]

The original Hofner has good treble and low bass response, good overall tone. I is lacking in the sustane department (vs. neck through solid bodies) for some reason I find the Hofner fits in real well on Beatles tunes.

 

[shoulderpet]

Bit late to this thread but some myths i needed to dispel

Intonation - Intonation on Hofners is fine as long as you know how to set intonation on a bass, all basses have strings that are anchored at 2 points, as long as the distance between the 2 points is correct for the strings being used and the bass is not setup with super high action then a bass will intonate just fine, a Hofner is no different in this respect, yes you may find it takes a little bit more work than a P bass but it will intonate fine

Floating bridge - unless you play like a gorilla the floating bridge will stay in place find, only thing you need to be wary of is if you take all of the strings off at the same time then the bridge will fall off as it is held in place by string tension, not a big deal really I mean how often do you take all of the strings off a bass

Tone - common misconception that the Hofner is a one trick pony, a common argument is that McCartney sounded better when he switched to a Rickenbacker but people fail to take into account that the recording technology had improved by that time which would play a huge part in his tone improving.
People often accuse Hofner basses of being only dark, thumpy sounding mud machines , this is also nonsense, I have gotten dark, thumpy tones with my Hofner when I needed those tones but I have also gotten bright, aggressive tones from my Hofner , it is surprising how bright those pickups can get, strings will hugely shape the way the bass sounds