Need help Identifying/Verifying year of Hofner 63 Reissue

[Hofner63]

Hi Talk Bassers, this is my first time joining the group. I just purchased a Hofner 63 Reissue. But it does not have a label with serial inside under the control panel. I have seen where some of these made in the late 90s and earlier do not have labels with serial and others made later do. Is there a way I can determine the year mine was made? And are there any identifiers on the bass that are unique to the 63 reissues only? Some of the items it does have are: Separate tuners instead of strips, No binding on the neck, Slim neck, Set Neck, All white controls with teacup knobs. Original hard case, green interior. Back of control panel below:

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Aberdumbie]

Welcome to TB. I am not a Hofner guru but there are certainly some here. Just wanted to welcome you before the avalanche of answers started heading your way.

 

[Thornton Davis]

You can't tell the date of manufacture anymore without the serial number label that's located inside the body under the control panel. You said that it's not there, unfortunately without it you just an't tell. The control panel components won't tell you anything like they did during the 60's.

From your description you definitely have a v63.

If you haven't already you might want to double check to make sure that the label hasn't gotten stuck inside the body of the bass up around the body neck joint.

Enjoy.

TD

 

[Hofner63]

Thank you Aberdumbie and Davis. Any and all help is appreciated.. I did read somewhere on the net that the 63 re-issues from Hofner began in 1994 along with the Cavern re-issue. And that the 63 re-issues during the 1990s did not have labels with serial numbers. Can anyone verify this? If that is the case then perhaps I have a mid to late 1990s 63 re-issue. A front pic of my bass below:

 

[Thornton Davis]

Hofner started their current serial numbering system in 2000. Prior to that as a rule Hofner didn't assign serial numbers to their instruments however there's always an exception to every rule. Between 1996-1999 there was a 6 digit serial numbering system that was used on some models but many went without receiving a serial number..

It's impossible to tell what year your bass was made by looking at the photo above. If you have a mid 90's bass and keep it in its case, the chrome (nickle) would have tarnished creating a cloudy effect on the pickups and tailpiece. The photo above shows no evidence of that so It's probably a later manufactured bass from the 2000's.

TD

 

[Hofner63]

Thank you Thornton.. Does anyone know if the 63 reissues are desired since they've been discontinued in 2010 and were the first iteration of reissues from Hofner? Just curious...

 

[Ville Billie]

Hofner63 . . . Did you have any luck finding the approximate year of manufacture? I'm having the same problem with my Cavern. My controls look very similar to yours. And as Thorton Davis said, my nickle has clouded up. I bought mine used and the tuners & control knobs had been replaced. The wire from the input jack to the controls is marked "Schaller-Elektronic W.Germany", so it could been made as late as 1990 (the last year of W.Germany) or a few years later until Schaller's supply of that wire ran out.

 

[Pepo Vidal]

Hi Talk Bassers, this is my first time joining the group. I just purchased a Hofner 63 Reissue. But it does not have a label with serial inside under the control panel. I have seen where some of these made in the late 90s and earlier do not have labels with serial and others made later do. Is there a way I can determine the year mine was made? And are there any identifiers on the bass that are unique to the 63 reissues only? Some of the items it does have are: Separate tuners instead of strips, No binding on the neck, Slim neck, Set Neck, All white controls with teacup knobs. Original hard case, green interior. Back of control panel below:
View attachment 2875617
Any help is greatly appreciated.

Hi! I know that is very late...but...I have a reissue 63 and the same control panel.My manufacture year is 2000.

 

[Bassorator]

The only thing that would disturb me is why is bridge pickup mounted up side down.

 

[Glennbassmann]

Anyone know why its impossible to find a contemporary club bass for sale any where I write this on 4/9/2022