Hofners at Rumble Seat Music

On topic: Those look awesome! I bet they're even better in person, except for the price. ouch.

Hijack: When I'm at home I live about 20 minutes from RSM. I'll be honest here and say that they have the single most demeaning attitude and highest prices for their products out of any store I've ever been to. What I hear around town is that they make almost all of their cash buying/selling at guitar shows, mostly before the doors open there. They must, because I've only ever met one (1) person that's ever bought an instrument out of their storefront.

I may have a grudge because they appraised my mint condition Fender American Deluxe Jazz V at $450 last fall. How hokey is that?

 

The one on the far right...what do you call that one? I need one...

 

I love those older Hofner Cavern Models , to get the original violin bass that started it all would be awesome. If i ever hit it big i would most deffinetly get some of those early violin basses.

 

How can they charge so much for those? McCartney got one back in the day because it was so cheap. I believe they are still built to the same specs, is the cost purely down to the Beatle connection?

 

Their is a HUGE Vintage market and to find a Hofner of this age in perfect playing condition is a great find. Paul's Hofner connection has been speculated for the drastic price increase of what these instruments were originaly sold for but i also think they were priced the way they were in the 60's due to the post WWII German Economy.

 

I have seen these basses in other places for pretty much the same price point plus or minus $200.

 

That stinks man. I'm sorry to hear that. I used to collect late '70s/early '80s Ibanez Electric Guitars. Back in 1999 or so Rumbleseat had a "near mint" '78 George Benson in the original flight case. The salesperson gave me an in-hand description over the phone. They wanted top dollar, but I was willing to pay that at the time for exceptionally clean guitars. Well the guitar arrived and it was nowhere near mint. Binding was seperating, finish cracks, hardware was significantly tarnished. They made the return easy enough but it sucked having to eat shipping both ways because the salesperson didn't accurately describe the guitar.

On topic, I'm with the Major. If I came into big money two of my first bass purchases would be a '60 or '61 500/1 like Sir Paul's Cavern-era bass and a '63 like his second Hofner.

Here's another beautiful vintage Hofner for sale at the moment:
http://www.bunnybass.com/basses/hofner_500-1_1964/hofner_500-1_1964.shtml

 

I bought a used Modulus once from their store. I was able to talk them down to what I went in willing to pay, but it sure wasn't easy.

Back to the subject matter, a good friend of mine has an original '63 500/1 that used to be his father's. Very cool sound, but the bass needs some serious work. Huge crack through the base of the neck and it can't be played above the 9th fret or so. The estimates for repair are through the roof.

 

The two in the middel are probably going for a premium because they are pretty much spot on the same as the two Hofners used by McCartney durring the Beatles reign. Hofner changed pickup design and position a few times and if you've got one of the basses with the same specs as one of McCartney's, you've got a gold-mine.

God, I love those basses!

I've been to Rumbles Seat a few times. Nice place as long as you don't try and talk to any one. I bought a Smoky Amp (a tinny guitar amp biult into a Cigarette pack) and the guy acted like I was wasting his time buying somehting so small (and inexpensive). Last time I was there they had a near mint ealry Gibson Thunderbird (60's), Damn it was nice, almost no major finish cracks! Of course it had a "Hold for Police" sign on it. Aparently the thing had been stolen and RSM bought it unaware of the provinance.

~Paul

 

Those older Hofner Burst's have some beautiful darker shades in them.