Opinion on Höfner Basses?

[RogerTheAlien]

Currently have one, don't know if I'll keep it for much longer but meh ...

My opinion of it : As a useable bass that can give me a plethora of tones and dynamics it is beyond mediocre ... If this is going to be your number one bass ... damn son ... tough to find people who can set them up properly, the bridge is intonated with glorified metallic nail clippings, pickups have so much attack and hit any preamp or compressor with the aggression of an active pickup with none of the output ... I had the pickups rewound by the best in the biz ... didn't help much ...

Positives : Damn do you get lost on this thing cranking out some of those Liverpool classics ... just perfect for that aaaaand not much else

 

[walksupright]

Maybe an Epiphone Allen Woody as an affordable alternative? Similar body to a Club. Thumpy neck pickup, short scale and better bridge.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

Currently have one, don't know if I'll keep it for much longer but meh ...

My opinion of it : As a useable bass that can give me a plethora of tones and dynamics it is beyond mediocre ... If this is going to be your number one bass ... damn son ... tough to find people who can set them up properly, the bridge is intonated with glorified metallic nail clippings, pickups have so much attack and hit any preamp or compressor with the aggression of an active pickup with none of the output ... I had the pickups rewound by the best in the biz ... didn't help much ...

Positives : Damn do you get lost on this thing cranking out some of those Liverpool classics ... just perfect for that aaaaand not much else

View attachment 4116254

Are you sure about that last claim?

 

[Son of Wobble]

Are you sure about that last claim?

Wow, what a smoking cover of ain't talking bout love. So energetic so exuberant. Those slides on the bass sounded great! Are those tapeworms on there or something, can you tell?
Can you tell me what that guitar is the singer was playing? I can't read the headstock on my tiny phone and it looks like it might be a Gibson copy

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

Wow, what a smoking cover of ain't talking bout love. So energetic so exuberant. Those slides on the bass sounded great! Are those tapeworms on there or something, can you tell?
Can you tell me what that guitar is the singer was playing? I can't read the headstock on my tiny phone and it looks like it might be a Gibson copy

I think it is a Gibson. Don't quote me on that!

 

[Son of Wobble]

I think it is a Gibson. Don't quote me on that!

Yeah looks like a Gibson but the headstock was a little wider then the typical Gibson "open book."
I think you proved your point on the bass, though!
Really enjoyed that invigorating performance thanks for posting. I love a good three-piece rock out

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

Yeah looks like a Gibson but the headstock was a little wider then the typical Gibson "open book."
I think you proved your point on the bass, though!
Really enjoyed that invigorating performance thanks for posting. I love a good three-piece rock out

Thanks man. Cheers!

 

[5aP]

I don't know what's your budget, but if you want an asian Hofner, then I'll recomend an Harley Benton.
I own an HB fretless version of an violin bass and can say that neck is pretty massive, but string spacing on body is a little bit tighter than on regular bass. But, as I read/watched somewhere, HBs are a bit nicer to play. Although, it takes time adjust to that body and to find a sweetspot for your hand and tone.
Also, I've put Labella strings and it totally changed the instrument.
Electronics are "fine", but for use in studio, I would recommend something more serious.
And at the end, if you want german version of Hofner, then nevermind what I wrote.
Best of luck!

 

[boggus]

It was only 30 quid and wouldn't look daft when i flipped it around to play it left handed.

I know Paul said something like that, but I'm not sure what he meant by flipping it and it looking 'less daft', because his models were left-handed, so he did not need to flip anything around.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

They are a specialty item. Beatles fans will want one. If the sound catches your ear when you play it, keep it. If not, there are plenty of good light basses out there.

 

[VolverseLoco]

I may be the only musician on the planet who never was or will be a Beatles fan....Therefore, zero interest in a Hofner.

Now there are 2 on planet Earth that cant stand the Beetles band nor like anything about the violin bass. In 1991 when I played drums in our Bon Jovieish cover band, and we were auditioning for a bass player, a kid came to try out. He had long curly hair and when he rang my doorbell had his Hoffner violin bass thing in his other hand, I looked at my guitar player and we instantly decided by mental telepathy that the position had been just filled so we sent him on his way right then and there. We ended up selecting Albert cause he had long hair AND a lipstick pink Washburn bass. Those 2 things overrode any talent problems that perhaps come up when he started playing. Looking back, that was mean, but it was that violin bass that brought on the instantious decision we had. Hopefully it's not like that anymore for violin bass players.

It took me long enough to get used to my Rickenbacker after playing Fenders since the '70's.

 

[JW56789]

I'll always say you should play what moves you, and it's different for each of us. If it floats your boat, go for it.

They're not for me, it honestly feels like some balsa-wood toy in my hands.

I think of Hofner Beatle Basses as living dinosaurs. They followed a convention (still followed by archtop guitars) of modeling an electric instrument using violin-like construction methods, thus the spruce top, the floating bridge, etc. The idea of a hollow-body bass is one of the forks in the road that Hofner took in terms of how to build this brand new instrument, the electric bass guitar. Think of this alongside the original, violin-shaped Gibson EB1 or the then-new Fender Precision Bass, and all builders were at the beginning of finding the conventions of what an electric bass guitar should be, the book was just beginning to be written.

A lot of guys like and use them, but just not my cup of tea.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Lots of comments about neck dive here. My German Höfner violin does not have neck dive at all. It's very nicely balanced. The cheaper ones I've played had neck dive though. Maybe a Club bass would be slightly better if you go for the cheaper series? Personally I think they look cooler too.

Sometimes I think Höfner should have done like Fender and Gibson and marketed their cheap entry level instruments under a different brand. Reading threads like this is seems they are really damaging the Höfner name with the cheaper Asian series. Don't get me wrong, the Ignition basses can be lots of fun and the Contemporary series are actually very nice instruments but comparing an Ignition to a German Höfner is like comparing a Squier Affinity to Fender Custom Shop. They are on completely different planets when it comes to craftsmanship and materials. Anyone who says otherwise can't possible have played a German Höfner in good condition.

 

[MAJOR METAL]

Every time I pickup a German Hofner bass I always think to myself just how much these basses feel like a classical instrument.

 

[iiipopes]

Sir Paul was the reason why I wanted to play the bass. But Hofner is not for me. If Paul had had more money when the Beatles started, he would have not bought a Hofner.

The universe of Beatles' fans and those who study their origins and Sir Macca in particular disagree with you. Think about it: He was drafted to play bass after Stu Sutcliffe left the band; he wanted something light on stage; he was a guitar player who switched to bass and didn't want a large neck; it was the only instrument that, being symmetrical in its body shape, in his words, didn't look daft on stage when he flipped it over to play it left-handed (the original 61 was right-handed; the famous '63 left handed came later); he could have bought a more expensive bass on payments, but didn't want to be in debt. He purposefully chose the Hofner as it met all of these criteria.

Even Sir Macca noted that it didn't stay in tune well, and you can hear it, for example, on the riff up the neck into the verse on Paperback Writer is sharp, and on Abbey Road, with the Rotosound Tru-Bass strings, you can tell it goes sharp up the neck.

 

[boggus]

he wanted something light on stage

This came later in mid-90s and early 2000s, as he got older. Before that, he toured with Rickenbacker, Yamaha, and even a 5-string Wal and it was actually Elvis Costello that conviced Paul to whip out Hofner again around Flowers in the Dirt period.

he was a guitar player who switched to bass and didn't want a large neck;

he could have bought a more expensive bass on payments, but didn't want to be in debt

Mostly, american instruments were hard to get in those times, so he had to choose from what was available. And he "didn't have money for a Fender" anyway.

(the original 61 was right-handed; the famous '63 left handed came later);

His 1961 one (has pickups close together) has control plate on the bottom in all the pictures. If it was right-handed model that Paul would've had flipped around, it would have control plate on the top. I think there's not a single photo of him playing 'right-handed' flipped Hofner and it looks like he either bought left-handed model right away or ordered it to be made. And he did buy it on payments, actually. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] states he custom-ordered a left-handed model.

Even Sir Macca noted that it didn't stay in tune well, and you can hear it, for example, on the riff up the neck into the verse on Paperback Writer is sharp, and on Abbey Road, with the Rotosound Tru-Bass strings, you can tell it goes sharp up the neck.

Funny you cite Paperback Writer, because that one was recorded with Rickenbacker (which Paul was given for free by the company, it's interesting that at that point he could afford all sorts of expensive instruments; similar thing happened with Fender supplying them some stuff and even later Yamaha) but seems like even his Rickenbacker wasn't really set up correctly. I think Paul just didn't care too much or didn't know how to do it, and they had no precise tuners in those days.

Abbey Road has only one song on Hofner, it's I Want You (She's So Heavy). Having said all that, his Ric was indeed intonated/tuned better than some of that Hofner playing during Get Back/Let it Be era (Don't Let Me Down, Get Back, I've Got a Feeling, One After 909).

It's quite interesting that Paul 'retired' his Hofner in 1969 from 1987 or so, Like he was trying to distance from the iconic image of him with violin bass. Ever since 1987+ he has techs to take care of the setup and instruments, so now the same Hofner mysteriously holds tuning and intonates pretty well

 

[nattiep]

I have a Contemporary 500/2 Club. I'm not a lefty so I didn't want a 500/1. It takes forever to intonate but once it's there it's THERE. I also have to say that compared to my Fenders and Rickenbacker this bass is ridiculously loud. My P has SD quarter pounders and one of my jazzes has Tom Brantley Geddy Lee's in it and this Hofner blows them away when it comes to sheer output. Lovely sound. IT does what it's made to do and I honestly prefer the pure low end sound out of it more than my P with flats.

 

[Nunovsky]

I have a Epiphone Viola bass and I really love it. I chose the Epi mainly because of the VVT controls that are muh more intuitive to me. I like to be able to adjust the tone at will and the Hofner controls are more limited in that regard.
All I can say is that I love this bass, I love it's tone and it's playability. The shorter scale and the narrower neck make it a confortable and effortless bass to play and I'm a guy with big hands. The tone is what it is, warm and full, not the best for great definition or cut through, specially if you play with your fingers and maybe that's why so many prefer playing it with a pick. It's not the most ergonomic of basses but it's not super unconfortable to play. It's a light bass and just that works wonders if you have to play for 3 hours. In 2019, there was a time when I had a some back problems and any bass I took to play would eventually become a bit difficult to bare the whole show. I started to bring the Hofner for some shows and it was really easier to endure until the back pain was solved.
Honestly, it's not a bass that you can use as your main or only one but it's a fun bass to play and it's the first one I pick when I'm at home and want to play anything. And I love the looks of it!

 

[Tommyc]

I know Paul said something like that, but I'm not sure what he meant by flipping it and it looking 'less daft', because his models were left-handed, so he did not need to flip anything around.

Well thanks for ruining my funny. Anyway you’re right, he custom ordered a left handed version from the Steinway shop so flipping it around wouldn’t have been necessary. His expressed preference had been a Fender bass which, if flipped over to accommodate his left handed ness, would have looked daft (his word) not being symmetrical like a Hofner. It didn’t hurt the Hofner’s case any that they were readily available and Fenders were about 4 times the price and difficult to get in England and Europe at the time.

 

[bassdude51]

A very decent short scale bass that is light as a feather. The German made ones are VERY expensive! You'll pretty much get a "bass" and only "bass" kind of a sound out of it.