Hofner Ignition Beatles Bass

[Mr Fretbuzz]

Got one of these arriving from Thomann. Good deal £225 including a case. Any idea how to get an authentic sound out of it with its controls and an Ashdown head? I guess I've been watching too much Beatles on TV this week. Watching Macca with Ronnie Wood at the moment :-)

[dudewheresmybass]

Flats would be a good start

[fender73]

and you've have to play left handed....

[Mr Fretbuzz]

Yep I can do that. Most guys can change their hand and pretend they are someone else :-D

[Blademan_98]

[quote name='Mr Fretbuzz' timestamp='1350211125' post='1835752']
Yep I can do that. Most guys can change their hand and pretend they are someone else :-D
[/quote]
Just sprayed my drink all over the computer lol

I sold my beatle bass as I didn't like it (after a year of playing it mind).

I never did get a macca sound out of it either

[LeftyBiskit]

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' timestamp='1350199666' post='1835591']
Flats would be a good start

[quote name='fender73' timestamp='1350201102' post='1835605']
and you've have to play left handed....
[/quote][/quote]
Just this and probably have the EQ flat

[Happy Jack]

Most of Macca's melodic basslines were played high up the neck, partly because the notes were so hard to distinguish near the zero fret.

Don't be fooled by TV clips showing him playing near the nut; he only did that for live performances.

[Mr Fretbuzz]

Thanks guys... I guess I'll ignite it if it sounds crap :-)

[geoffbyrne]

And you'll need Rotosound Nylons.....

G.

[Beedster]

And some very nice Abbey Road preamps!

[jaydentaku]

Be sure to take it with you when attending public ceremonies.

[dand666]

I love my Hofner, so much fun to play and usually play that over my Deluxe P-Bass at gigs.

I have the Bass and Treble on and the Rhythm on. And tend to palm mute alot so it gives it that 'damp' sound.

[risingson]

I was in Switzerland over the weekend, popped into a friend's vintage music store and got my hands on a Hofner Club, I'm guessing late 60's. The thing was set up like a complete dog, the flatwound strings were at least an inch of the fretboard but the sound out of it was absolutely amazing, massive, warm, almost an untameable hollowness, totally unique tone. Grabbed a pick and instantly sounded like Macca, it was ridiculous!

[Cat Burrito]

Flatwounds played with a pick, of course. Generally rhythm / solo switch set to solo, bass on and treble off. They are great basses especially for the money

[rushbo]

[quote name='BurritoBass' timestamp='1350778913' post='1843505']
Flatwounds played with a pick, of course. Generally rhythm / solo switch set to solo, bass on and treble off. They are great basses especially for the money
[/quote]

...what he said. They take a bit of setting up, what with the moveable bridge and all and maybe a tweak of the truss rod too, but they sound lovely. I've slid a bit of stiff foam pipe insulation down by the bridge to act as a mute for that gen-u-wine Macca thump.

There are loads of mod ideas on the Hofner Hounds forum if you want to go down the whole Beatlesvibe route. I popped a couple of Teacup knobs on mine, painted the nut and the selector switches, flipped the pick ups, Brasso'd off the 'Ignition' logo on the truss rod cover and I've got a pretty damn authentic and sounding looking Bass. I also slapped on a 'Bassman' sticker for that 'Let It Be' vibe.

Yup, I'm a nerd.

You will love that Bass.

[Mr Fretbuzz]

Thanks guys... Shame I haven't got enough hair for a Beatles cut :-(

[Mr Fretbuzz]

Whats O Level German for "Come to Daddy".... something like Comm zu Vater

[Mr Fretbuzz]

Arrived yesterday..I'm using solo with bass and trebble off which seems to mean both pick ups working. Didn't like the sound fingering off the bridge pick up so I'm fingering off the neck pick up and it sounded ok. ... Some fret noise and I guess more mid range sounding than my P Bass ... Sounded good playing I can't explain by the who but not good playing Honkey Tonk women by the stones.

Played it on my ashdown mag head with mids turned up a little, half over drive, and half sub-harmonics, half compression.... 4x10 cab with tweeter

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Mr Fretbuzz' timestamp='1353504760' post='1875297']
I'm using solo with bass and trebble off which seems to mean both pick ups working.
[/quote]

When Hofner developed the little rectangular control plate at the end of the 50's their logic was impeccable ... but different.

If you wanted a more Bassy sound then you could either switch on the 'bass' pickup or you could switch off the 'treble' pickup. They plumped for the latter solution. So setting Bass to ON actually switches off the bridge pickup.

If you wanted a more Trebly sound then you could either switch on the 'treble' pickup or you could switch off the 'bass' pickup. Can't switch horses mid-stream, so they plumped for the latter solution. So setting Treble to ON actually switches off the neck pickup.

With depressing inevitability, and still with impeccable logic, switching both Bass and Treble to ON will therefore switch off both pickups.

Those crazy Germans, eh?

[Mr Fretbuzz]

Strange but true

Its sounding great with just the front pick-up, playing over it...

Well worth two hundred quid even if you do have to think like a German off is on and all that

[Cosmo Valdemar]

I'm tempted by one of these... I originally considered on of the more expensive models (Icon?) but probably wouldn't bother for the amount I would use it.

[Happy Jack]

If anyone is considering buying a new one (more likely an HCT than an Icon, which was US market only) then I'd seriously suggest that they start to monitor eBay for vintage violin basses instead.

A new HCT will cost you over £500 and remains, ultimately, a Chinese copy. The vintage market peaked in 2009 and then slid badly, so you can now buy a genuine late-60's or early-70's German-made hand-built 500/1 for well under £1000.

More money? Not when you take into account the likely resale value later.

Same bass? Not a chance. Once you've played the real thing, no copy of a 500/1 will ever really cut it for you.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[i][quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1353678908' post='1877321']
If anyone is considering buying a new one (more likely an HCT than an Icon, which was US market only) then I'd seriously suggest that they start to monitor eBay for vintage violin basses instead.

A new HCT will cost you over £500 and remains, ultimately, a Chinese copy. The vintage market peaked in 2009 and then slid badly, so you can now buy a genuine late-60's or early-70's German-made hand-built 500/1 for well under £1000.

More money? Not when you take into account the likely resale value later.

Same bass? Not a chance. Once you've played the real thing, no copy of a 500/1 will ever really cut it for you.
[/quote][/i]

I would only want one for plonking on around the house and having never played the real thing, a Chinese copy would probably do the job. I can't begin to imagine just how ridiculous I would look playing one live!

[Mr Fretbuzz]

Noticed a guy on Jools this week playing one :-)

[merello]

...and Mesa Boogie speakers?