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One more Hofner Icon vs. CT Thread!

V

vanscoy

Nov 30, 2007
182
5
#1
Did a search and found no definitive answers so one more shot: the Contemporary Hofner is awesome looking but the sustain block scares me off. I have seen posts here saying -it makes no difference or little difference over the hollow-body Icon. Other posts say the CT is heavier and more like a modern bass in tone and, if you want Macca, you need hollow-body.

Any one have a definitive answer? I am about to buy one or the other. I have owned an Icon and loved the sound but hated the "cheapness" of it and the fact it up and died after two weeks. So the Ct has upside in quality but I don;t want it at the expense of tone.
 
#3
Get the CT. I have it and it's incredible. The center block makes a miniscule difference if any. The fact is, the CT is simply a better instrument, it actually feels solid in your hands, unlike the icon. With flats on my CT I get a great simple tone. It may be a slight bit more modern than McCartney's, but I think it's very close.

I don't really have a bass specific sound clips to show you, but I do have a couple songs on my band's myspace that would be a good example.

Link Removed

"It's All Too Much" and "Am I On Fire?" are the best examples for my bass tone. They are both played with my Hofner CT strung with LaBella flats, and played DI into the recording equipment.
 
#4
Agreed. I had a CT for a while(which I shouldn't have sold), and it had one of the best recorded tones I have yet had. I also do like the center block as it gives it a BIT more focus. I have had a Reissue 63 Hofner as well, and I have to be honest, I liked the CT better. The Labella Flats kill on them!
 
#8
thedrones said:
I don't really have a bass specific sound clips to show you, but I do have a couple songs on my band's myspace that would be a good example.

Link Removed

"It's All Too Much" and "Am I On Fire?" are the best examples for my bass tone. They are both played with my Hofner CT strung with LaBella flats, and played DI into the recording equipment.
Click to expand...

Nice tunes on that MySpace. Well Done!
 
#9
I couldnt say, I have an Icon which I am more than happy with (in fact I love it) but Ive never plyed the CT

The Icon feels and sounds like the German one I had early 70's. Mine's Indonesian built but it all seems well built so I dont really care, if I like the feel of a Bass I dont care where its made or what badge it has on it.
 
#10
I have an Icon and gig it regularly. I am completely satisfied with it and would never buy a CT at this point. I could not jusitfy the $400 extra I would have to pay to get one. Plus, the Icon is more like a German Hofner in design, in that it is a true hollowbody, which the CT is not. The CT is a modern bass with a violin body, which is cool, if that is what you want. The Icon is more like a 60s Hofner.
 
#16
I had a Hofner from 60's (anotehr bass I should not have gotten rid of. I have the CT now and love the sound (LaBellas on it of course) and if you have the cash, get the CT. I found that the block helped reduce feedback that I got with my old 60's at high volume. As a McCartney fan, the sound is as close as I can get it and remember the inner workings are german, not like the Icon.
 
#17
Other than it being hollow, the Icon is not closer to a German Hofner than the CT. Yes, the CT has a block in it, but you can still get the classic Hof sound and more; it does have the German pickups while the Icon does not. Do a few mods and no one (including most bass players) can tell the difference.
 
#18
jblock said:
Other than it being hollow, the Icon is not closer to a German Hofner than the CT. Yes, the CT has a block in it, but you can still get the classic Hof sound and more; it does have the German pickups while the Icon does not. Do a few mods and no one (including most bass players) can tell the difference.
Click to expand...

I have a blue Icon and didn't have to mod it in any way to have it sound like a classic Hofner. The Icon pickups are made to Hofner's specs, so It doesn't matter where they wound the pickups as long as they sound the way they should.

It's a subject we might not agree on here, but I've read posts from bassists that have A/B'd the German Hofner's against the Icon's and said they are practically indistinguishable soundwise.
 
#19
I have owned a German Hofner, a CT Hofner and an Icon. If you aren't going to buy the German made than just go for the Icon. The CT can do the classic Hofner sound even with the center block but it is alot heavier because of it. And although it has the German pickups I found the icon without them could cop the sound just as well as the CT if not better. Both are made in the same factory so I see no overall quality increases when going to the CT. I think the center clock and added weight makes it feel more solid but that is all in the mind. If you want something other than the Icon just save some coin and get a used German Hofner.
 

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