Beatles ' Hofner violin bass?

I have a '64 which looks very similar to yours. It's just sitting in it's case now, needing to have it's neck reset which I hope to have done soon. I would suspect that yours also needs it's neck reset. Eventually all of the old Hofner basses do.

 

Yeah the guy who gave it to me took it into a guitar shop to have it looked at before he let me have it, and sure enough the neck has a slight "bow" or "warp" down where it meets the body. It doesn't seem to affect play, though, and considering it'd be around $700 to fix, it'll have to wait for another day.

-Simon (bluej's son)

 

I have a Hofner Club bass too.

 

I nearly bought the Labellas, but I put Fender flatwounds on my Fender Precision (with a Jazz neck) and the jury is still out for me on the differences.

 

Percussive little thing isnt it? Cant mistake it for any other bass.

 

I had 3 types of strings on my Hofner: D'Addario (flats), GHS (flats), and LaBella.
That bass came alive with the Labella flat wounds, I have a set on my Danelectro and that bass came to life as well. Now the Dano has the patented "Spaminato thump", the upright bass sound.

I used to love Ernie Ball flatwounds but nobody carries them, the ones on my '71 P-bass have been on there since 1998 and they still sound great. Thomastik-Infeld strings are nice but too expensive, they cost $30 more then a set of LaBella flat wounds. GHS flats (when they came in a blue bag) were awesome, the quality control on they're strings have a lot to be desired. They used to be great but now feel cheap with gaps between the windings, and the E string is always dead.

When the Dudepit was around 10 years ago, they were pushing Thomastik-Infeld strings as the greatest thing and I broke down and bought a set for my '67 Fender Jazz. They sound good but they feel too soft and breakable like a violin string. I just ordered a set of LaBella 105-45 flats to give that bass "the breath of life"

 

There should be a special place in hell for those who rip off musicians' instruments.

 

McCartney used black tapewound LaBellas during the filming of "Let It Be."

 

I use to have a '68 and '79 Hofner Beatle Bass

 

I read the Labellas don't fit in the Icon (Ignition) but the Contemporary is supposed to be built to spec. I'm not a luthier and really don't want to be sanding the nut opening.
Does anyone here know if the Labellas fit in the Contemporary?

One last comment-I briefly had both the Icon and the Contemporary, and the Icon looked cheaper side by side, but it always stayed in tune and played wonderful at gigs.

 

McCartney still uses LaBellas to this day.

http://www.macca-central.com/macca-archives/bassplayer10-05.php
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When I first put them on my 500/1, the D-string was too big for the nut so I took a emery board and sanded it just a tad until it seated in the space. After that, it played great. I have 100-50 gauge on my bass, Paul like light strings since he has 39-96 on his.

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Sadly, his original '61 "Cavern" bass (purchased in Hamburg) was stolen from the studio during the filming of "Let It Be" and has never been seen since.

1961:


1962:


1965:
(note the crude repair work around the pickups, replacement knobs, and the poor refinish job)


1968:


1969... and then gone for good...

 

Anybody who steals a musician's instrument should have the fleas from a thousand dogs infest their hair until they give it back.

 

You're being waaaay too kind.

 

See posts 58 - 60.
Thanks for the pic of the interim replacement knobs (orange shirt)...
the only one i didn't have. Is that the PW film shoot?
He replaced them with the teacups again by the
time of the Revolution promo film, as you can see
in the final pic in post 60.

 

I ended up with a Hofner Contemporary Beatles Bass (Classic Sunburst), as I think they look as great as the traditional/regular ones & yet they are a bit more versatile sound wise in my humble opinion.
That's my main Bass, with the Humbuckers in it. but for a single coil pick up sound I also have a Silver Sparkle Danelectro DC-Bass

 

For those who may not have seen it yet:

 

Mine was a '67 500/1 - neck reset too many times and then a bow in the neck that made it unplayable past the twelfth fret. Great bass sound, comfortable to play and I still miss that bass

 

Kind?

I say suffer nice and slow, many sleepless night scratching fleas. I say suffer to thieves

 

I bought a cheap Hofner a few years ago. I only paid $300 for it, with case, but I can't get the damn thing in tune. It's worth it for just how it looks.

 

Sorry guys. Posted the previous video by mistake. THIS is the one I originally intended to post. It's much more interesting.

 

These vids are great because they got me past just the Macca association (well, kind of ) and enabled me to apreciate the old world craftsmanship and area they're made in...When I look at my "re-issues" now I see that factory, with it's master luthiers in the hills of Hagenau......actually quite romantic....

 

That's amazingly awesome.

 

I'll add dip them in honey and drop in an ant hill.

 

Keep those great stories / photos
a' coming. One of my better threads.