Which bass is the winner? Hofner Club vs Danelectro 56 single cut

[Paul S]

Some idle speculation on my part but I sometimes look upon these single-cut, hollow-bodied, thuddy things and wonder what living with one would be like?

In many ways they are similar - light as a squirt of shaving foam, 30" scale, single cut.  Both are available in black, my favoured colour.  Both would look and sound pretty cool strung with flats/black nylon tapes.  All of which are important considerations, of course

I've had a couple of Danelectro basses - a Longhorn and a DC - and enjoyed them.  Particularly the Longhorn.  Never had a Hofner but have read on here and elsewhere (yes, there is an elsewhere) that even the Ignition level are pretty good.  In short, they are what they are.

What would anyone expect the main differences to be in terms of how they play and how they sound?  Anyone in fact own(ed) both and able to make an A/B review?

Edited December 6, 2019 by Paul S

[shoulderpet]

4 minutes ago, Paul S said:

Some idle speculation on my part but I sometimes look upon these single-cut, hollow-bodied, thuddy things and wonder what living with one would be like?

In many ways they are similar - light as a squirt of shaving foam, 30" scale, single cut.  Both are available in black, my favoured colour.  Both would look and sound pretty cool strung with flats/black nylon tapes.  All of which are important considerations, of course

I've had a couple of Danelectro basses - a Longhorn and a DC - and enjoyed them.  Particularly the Longhorn.  Never had a Hofner but have read on here and elsewhere (yes, there is an elsewhere) that even the Ignition level are pretty good.  In short, they are what they are.

What would anyone expect the main differences to be in terms of how they play and how they sound?  Anyone in fact own(ed) both and able to make an A/B review?

That's a tough one as they are different price points, both affordable but one a £300 bass and one a £500 bass.  I can't comment on the Danelectro as I have never played one but I love my Hofner contemporary club bass, it can get very deep and thumpy but with both pickups on it is surprisingly bright and articulate

[Paul S]

Does it neck dive, at all?

[shoulderpet]

12 minutes ago, Paul S said:

Does it neck dive, at all?

It definitely has potential to but the way I set my strap I set it so that the headstock points upward and this seems to remedy it somewhat

[hooky_lowdown]

I've played a hofner and Dano's. I couldn't get on with the floating bridge on the Hofner, kept going out of tune. All Dano's are super fun to play, and have their own sound. I'd be worried about putting flats on the Dano though, and the machine head pegs looks very thin. May be Half rounds or Pressure wounds might be better.

[Paul S]

Thanks for that - it hadn't occurred to me that is what the bridge was!   

I did actually string my Longhorn with flats - sounded amazing - and I imagine the tuners are much the same in this model.

[ikay]

Not played a Danelectro but I too love my HCT Club. Does thumpy or articulate as shoulderpet says. There is a little neck dive but that's just the nature of the beast. The HCT has a gap between the end of the fretboard and the body which means you can use a 'tie-on' strap which helps to shift the anchor point as far left as poss. It also helps to prevent the bass rolling forward/away from you which always bothers me with strap buttons on the back like the Ignition. Mine came with a set of LaBella Beatle flats which are super smooth and really suit it well. I tried LaBella Beatle black nylons but felt they were a bit floppy. Much preferred the proper flats. The extra little bit of tension just helps the bass to speak and deliver it's quintessentially Hofner character. Very cool little bass.

[Paul S]

Thanks for that.  Interesting thing you say about the strap, too.  

Edited December 6, 2019 by Paul S

[Burns-bass]

I owned an original early 60s version of that Danilo which I imported from the States. It sounded amazing.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

2 hours ago, hooky_lowdown said:

 I'd be worried about putting flats on the Dano though, and the machine head pegs looks very thin.

LaBella make a danelectro-specific set of flats which are perfect on my longhorn.

LB760FDLHS - 42, 56, 65, 83

[Burns-bass]

9 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

LaBella make a danelectro-specific set of flats which are perfect on my longhorn.

LB760FDLHS - 42, 56, 65, 83

The mid 90s Danelectros all shipped without flat wounds if I remember rightly.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

1 hour ago, Burns-bass said:

The mid 90s Danelectros all shipped without flat wounds if I remember rightly.

I think they came with rounds back in the day, which is why John Entwistle got through so many of them - he'd snap the strings but couldn't buy replacements so had to buy a whole new bass.

My Longhorn came with rounds when I got it new in 2005. Very distinctive tone, a hollow twang far growlier than you'd expect. I was never able to play it live as it refused to stay in tune. Useless tuners.

I also have a Hofner Ignition Violin bass. Contrary to earlier posts I find it to be rather limited in what it can do - luckily, that big dull thump is just perfect. Massive bottom. Mine's wearing Hofner flats. No issues with tuning that I've noticed. There is some neck dive but it's really not a concern as the whole bass weighs about as much as a tissue.

[Maude]

It's worth noting that re the Hofners, the el cheapo Ignition is hollow with vintage style pickups and the Contemporary has a centre block and modern pickups for a more contemporary sound. The Ignition is closer in tone and style to a proper Club, albeit nowhere near as good. This made my mind up when buying one. 

I also have a Longhorn but can't really compare as the Dano has rounds and the Club flats. The Club with LaBella flats is lovely, solid a deep sounding but can go reasonably bright, but not clanky, the Dano with rounds can get proper gnarly with a pick. 

Purely for control reasons I'd have a Dano, stacked volume and tone for each pickup the Hofner control plate is just wrong no matter how you dress it up. 

Love them both though. 

[shoulderpet]

2 hours ago, Maude said:

It's worth noting that re the Hofners, the el cheapo Ignition is hollow with vintage style pickups and the Contemporary has a centre block and modern pickups for a more contemporary sound. The Ignition is closer in tone and style to a proper Club, albeit nowhere near as good. This made my mind up when buying one. 

I also have a Longhorn but can't really compare as the Dano has rounds and the Club flats. The Club with LaBella flats is lovely, solid a deep sounding but can go reasonably bright, but not clanky, the Dano with rounds can get proper gnarly with a pick. 

Purely for control reasons I'd have a Dano, stacked volume and tone for each pickup the Hofner control plate is just wrong no matter how you dress it up. 

Love them both though. 

The contemporary actually uses the same pickups as the German made Hofners although it is as you point out semi hollow rather than fully hollow 

[Maude]

7 hours ago, shoulderpet said:

The contemporary actually uses the same pickups as the German made Hofners although it is as you point out semi hollow rather than fully hollow 

I stand corrected 🙂

 

[Paul S]

Thanks for all the input.  Seems like a lot of love for the Club.  I'm guessing the Dano 56 is not widely used, although I imagine there must be a lot of crossover in feel/sound etc with the Longhorn.

[Paul S]

Well, BAX had the Club Ignition in black for £251 so it would have been rude not to, right?

 

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 4, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[hooky_lowdown]

34 minutes ago, Jus Lukin said:

Sorry, I keep wondering- why?

What harm could they do?

Because the machine head pegs are tiny. Try and bend high tension flats around them!

[AndyTravis]

Can’t stand Danelectro’s with that “dolphin” headstock. Looks so half-finished.

miss my 59 dc bass. Keep on meaning to get another - preferred the 90’s one but love the new copper burst ones.

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 4, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[shoulderpet]

2 hours ago, Paul S said:

Well, BAX had the Club Ignition in black for £251 so it would have been rude not to, right?

 

That's the spirit😁😁

[shoulderpet]

Btw make sure to get some flats for it

[Paul S]

I have a set looking at me as I type  

[AndyTravis]

I’d go contemporary club, nice looking basses. The ignition (cheapest ones) don’t really look as nice.