Stance Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 Someone just offered me this Hofner in exchange for a old-school bmx I´m selling-not my type of bass, but the bass is in really good condition! My only doubt is the color! Is it original? I took the neck off and the neck pocket is also painted in gold... I took some pics - hope it helps [IMG]http://imageshack.us/a/img7/9346/3wor.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://imageshack.us/a/img22/7900/e8hg.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://imageshack.us/a/img28/4532/8ch2.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://imageshack.us/a/img22/7900/e8hg.jpg[/IMG] Thanks in adavnce! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 Whilst the hardware looks original from your pix, the body is a respray and the back of the neck has been painted black, neither of which were correct colours for that year. The body colour would most likley have been a Fiesta Red-type colour and the neck would have had a clear finish. The fingerboard looks original but the scale length is your clue to what decade it's from; the new ones are long scale as opposed to (I think) medium scale on the '60s models. The red flag for me is why is the rear.of the neck painted black? What is that colour hiding. There could be a bad crack under all that that has been filled/expoxied and painted over to heavily mask it. MAke sure and also look along the neck for any up-bow/back-bow. Anyway if it's being offered against a BMX bike, I'd bite his hand off! Also, drop a line to Stever Russell here for further info: [url="http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/"]http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stance Posted July 5, 2013 Author Share Posted July 5, 2013 Thanks for your explanation! As to the neck, I wasn´t that worried because this one also has a black neck [url="http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/08/06/old-school-1964-hofner-185-artist-bass/"]http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/08/06/old-school-1964-hofner-185-artist-bass/[/url] My main concern is the body color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 The gold body is deffo a re-spray. Black-painted necks were really quite common, but the one in your photo doesn't look "right" to me ... could be the photo, which is pretty poor. Wonder about the twinned scratchplate screws near the jack socket. Is there a serial number stamped on the back of the headstock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 [quote name='Stance' timestamp='1373006519' post='2132623'] My main concern is the body color. [/quote] What's wrong with the body colour? I think it looks great and far more eye-catching than the usual [u]Hö[/u]fner red. In the end the important things are do you like the way the bass looks, sounds and plays? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1373010906' post='2132667'] In the end the important things are do you like the way the bass looks, sounds and plays? [/quote] Not if it's an investment! Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1373010906' post='2132667'] What's wrong with the body colour? I think it looks great and far more eye-catching than the usual [u]Hö[/u]fner red. [/quote] That red wasn't as common as you think, and certainly not as cool as the vinyl finish they used in the early 60's: [URL=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Hofner%20vintage%20instruments/Hofner%20182%20E2%201964%20SOLD/DSCF1354.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Hofner%20vintage%20instruments/Hofner%20182%20E2%201964%20SOLD/DSCF1354.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Hofner%20vintage%20instruments/Hofner%20185%20E2%201965%20SOLD/DSCF1392.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Hofner%20vintage%20instruments/Hofner%20185%20E2%201965%20SOLD/DSCF1392.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 I prefer the red to the pearloid though: [URL=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Hofner%20vintage%20instruments/Hofner%20185%20E2%201962%20SOLD/CIMG0567.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Hofner%20vintage%20instruments/Hofner%20185%20E2%201962%20SOLD/CIMG0567.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Hofner%20vintage%20instruments/Hofner%20185%20E2%201966%20SOLD/2009BassPhotos122.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Hofner%20vintage%20instruments/Hofner%20185%20E2%201966%20SOLD/2009BassPhotos122.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 [quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1373016046' post='2132735'] Not if it's an investment! Truckstop [/quote] But it's not an investment is it? It's a musical instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1373019593' post='2132806'] But it's not an investment is it? It's a musical instrument. [/quote] Some folks 'invest' in musical instruments, others in Japanese etchings, still others in vintage wine... We don't know if this particular bass is considered to be an investment or not by it's acquirer. I've seen worse-condition strats going for crazy money... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stance Posted July 5, 2013 Author Share Posted July 5, 2013 Thank you all for your comments! I ended up not buying the instrument because, as I thought (and you help me clarify my doubts) it wasn´t 100% original. And yes it is an instrument, but to me, considering the currene economical and political portuguese situation, every instrument I get needs to be seen as an investment, because I never know when will come the day that things go from bad to worse, and I need to recover the money I spent on a particular instrument. Thanks again! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaFunk Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 [quote name='Stance' timestamp='1373039158' post='2133122'] every instrument I get needs to be seen as an investment, because I never know when will come the day that things go from bad to worse, and I need to recover the money I spent on a particular instrument. [/quote] If things do go from bad to worse then who is going to buy all these instruments that are at the moment seen as an investment? Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 I rather liked the gold colour too. I had a red one of these as my very first bass. I resprayed it purple metallic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaFunk Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1373043232' post='2133188'] I rather liked the gold colour too. I had a red one of these as my very first bass. I resprayed it purple metallic. [/quote] I agree, that's a nice colour. I can understand why people want something original but if the price is right this no longer bothers me. Look how many refinished Fenders there are out there. I bought an old 60s British bass recently which had replacement pickups. In the past i would have found some original pickups for it but because these replacements sounded better than with the originals i left the bass as it is. The fact that someone (probably in the 70s) had put these pickups in is to me part of the basses history. We live in a world where there is a demand for everything to be perfect and sometimes it's just nice to have something that no one else has got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 [quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1373047365' post='2133257'] I agree, that's a nice colour. I can understand why people want something original but if the price is right this no longer bothers me. Look how many refinished Fenders there are out there. I bought an old 60s British bass recently which had replacement pickups. In the past i would have found some original pickups for it but because these replacements sounded better than with the originals i left the bass as it is. The fact that someone (probably in the 70s) had put these pickups in is to me part of the basses history. We live in a world where there is a demand for everything to be perfect and sometimes it's just nice to have something that no one else has got. [/quote] Thats one of the most sensible things I have heard all day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stance Posted July 6, 2013 Author Share Posted July 6, 2013 [quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1373042102' post='2133167'] If things do go from bad to worse then who is going to buy all these instruments that are at the moment seen as an investment? Just a thought. [/quote] True, but when I mean "bad to worse" I´m refering to Portugal in particular-Fortunatelly theer are still countries whose economy is growing instead of falling (like most countries in Europe...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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