New 1964 bass day

[police squad]

I recently collected this piece, having won it in a proper auction.

It could be a very late '63 but is more probably very early '64 as it doesn't have the raised logo.

It's a feather weight, as it's hollow.

One volume control is seized but I'm going to try and take it apart and repair it. It needs a tuner ferrule and a screw for one machine head

I've plugged it in and it has that sound.

I may name it Paul, after my late brother who was born in '64

 

[Jonesy]

You can almost hear the 60s just by looking at it - lovely stuff. 

 

I also like that you're using your Hartke as a stand for the boiler 😂 

[rwillett]

1 hour ago, Jonesy said:

I also like that you're using your Hartke as a stand for the boiler 😂 

 

Got his priorities right....

[EBS_freak]

Looks super, that

 

[M@23]

Fantastic looking thing!

[PaulThePlug]

Not a fan of the style of bass... but love the sentiment.

[ash]

Really lovely I think it’s more likely a 64 as the neck has binding. I’m sure you’ll have visited the brilliant Steve Russell Hofner site and I’d recommend his book about the Hofner 500/1 Bass too. I’ve owned a few vintage, reissues and Contemporary models  but I really love the ‘Artist’ 63 reissue I bought recently. It’s a German made instrument but has a more modern poly finish to keep costs down. 

[police squad]

16 minutes ago, ash said:

Really lovely I think it’s more likely a 64 as the neck has binding. I’m sure you’ll have visited the brilliant Steve Russell Hofner site and I’d recommend his book about the Hofner 500/1 Bass too. I’ve owned a few vintage, reissues and Contemporary models  but I really love the ‘Artist’ 63 reissue I bought recently. It’s a German made instrument but has a more modern poly finish to keep costs down. 

Hi mate, I have the book too. The body stamp inside is 15 Jan 1964, so defo a '64.

i fancied an artist model too but plumped for this at a little over artist money. I have a CT jubilee which I like too but this is totally different.

This thing is so playable

[sblueplanet]

Sweet. Can you still get the teacup controls that were on these basses originally? 😎

[Baloney Balderdash]

On 02/04/2024 at 12:17, police squad said:

I recently collected this piece, having won it in a proper auction.

It could be a very late '63 but is more probably very early '64 as it doesn't have the raised logo.

It's a feather weight, as it's hollow.

One volume control is seized but I'm going to try and take it apart and repair it. It needs a tuner ferrule and a screw for one machine head

I've plugged it in and it has that sound.

I may name it Paul, after my late brother who was born in '64

 

Very cool. 

 

Congratulations.

 

Though it seems to also be missing one of the intonation things, for the high G string.

 

I am strongly considering buying the fretless Harley Benton take of the Violin/Beatles Bass, sounds phenomenal on the YouTube demo I watched, even if having been recorded DI, without anything further done to the signal.

 

[ash]

1 hour ago, sblueplanet said:

Sweet. Can you still get the teacup controls that were on these basses originally? 😎

Yes you can 

[ash]

1 hour ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

Very cool. 

 

Congratulations.

 

Though it seems to also be missing one of the intonation things, for the high G string.

 

I am strongly considering buying the fretless Harley Benton take of the Violin/Beatles Bass, sounds phenomenal on the YouTube demo I watched, even if having been recorded DI, without anything further done to the signal.

 

The intonation saddles are small cut down pieces of fret wire so you can make your own. I’ve done it for a few old Hofners. 

[GuyR]

A fine acquisition and a lovely sentiment to accompany it.

[luckman67]

Great looking bass I absolutely love my '64 500/1, which is 60 years old  on the 24th of May. I have a set of ferrules if you want them.

 

[police squad]

that's a beauty. Are they rugby ball tuners on yours?

[luckman67]

No the rectangular style the had in '64 I've owned this bass since November 1988.

Edited April 5, 2024 by luckman67

[police squad]

2 hours ago, luckman67 said:

No the rectangular style the had in '64 I've owned this bass since November 1988.

ah yes, I can see that now.

I've managed to unseize my pot but I know it's wired wrong, so my next job is to have a look at that

I'm getting sound but have no volume control from either pot atm. It may be because I know the seized one is wired wrong.

I'm no good with electrics but I have a couple of chaps at work that are very good, I'll show it to them.

 

Do you gig yours then? I'm planning to gig mine and what strings do you use. My CT has Labella deep talking flats, fairly high tension and work well detuned half a step (most of my dep gigs are detuned half a step) and stupidly I moved on a spare set that I had unopened

[luckman67]

I gigged with mine for 10 years from 1988 - 98 no matter what, songs we were playing it had to be that bass. I'm busier at work these days so I just play for my own enjoyment these days.

String wise I'm using Hofner's own flatwounds but I bought a set of Pyramid Gold flatwounds, and both are exactly the same even the silk windings are the same colour. So perhaps Hofner have Pyramid make their strings as well see the pics. I to own a HCT 500/1 but can't really bond with it, the '64 beats it on everything.

Yours should have the pencil thin neck roughly 38mm at the nutwhere as the HCT is 42mm, plus yours must have the sides of the finger board nicely rolled after 60 years mine certainly has.

I thought your choice of name for your bass was a lovely tribute to your brother. I hope you get many happy years of owning it & playing it all my other basses are, put away now it's just the '64 again it just feels right after almost 36 years.

 

[police squad]

Cool, I shall try a set of the hofner strings then.

The C/T is slightly bigger isnt it

Yes i have a nice thin neck on mine and as you say, edges nicely rolled too. I have no side dots, which I think is normal for 64, might use a sharpy

[luckman67]

6 hours ago, police squad said:

/Cool, I shall try a set of the hofner strings then.

The C/T is slightly bigger isnt it

Yes i have a nice thin neck on mine and as you say, edges nicely rolled too. I have no side dots, which I think is normal for 64, might use a sharpy

Yes the headstock is slightly longer on the HCT & also has a much sharper look than the '64. I bought my strings from Bass direct they arrived quickly & I wanted the same brand of strings that could have been on it when it was new.

[police squad]

do they only come in one gauge? How do tey feel tension wise. The la bellas I have are stiff but they take detuning a semi tone really well

[luckman67]

Both the Hofner & Pyramid Gold sets were both 40-55-70-100, I wouldn't go any higher on my '64 than that. And again there isn't a lot of difference between the two with regards, to string tension & feel knowing that now I would have stayed with the Pyramid Gold set. The LaBella set is 35-95 and always seems to get good reviews even McCartney used them for a while, so there is a good endorsement.

Pyramid Gold do a Vintage 63 set of strings with Black silk ends I've toyed with the idea, of buying a set for the HCT,as it's a black bass but I don't play it that much though. 😀

[police squad]

I'll try the pyramids/hofner then I think