Its the Paul McCartney bass! Although the bass under painless scrutiny here is a close cousin of the famed Beatle Bass, the Hofner 500/2 Club Bass Guitar has a life and personality all its own that players would do well to explore and embrace, even if theyre not interested in playing classic cover tunes. Maintaining contact between the iron and wire, carefully apply solder to the conductor. We have personally dubbed this Club Bass the hip-hop/R&B/funk/soul secret weapon.. Put the second nut on the shaft, tightening with a crescent wrench. I recently purchased one of the cheapie Hofner violin basses and found it was made in Indonesia. Haven't replaced the strings yet, but they're on order. While not overly thick, it is reminiscent of the neck of an upright bass, but proportioned for a short scale bass. The only manipulated track was track 4, with slight compression and EQ. Touch the hot wire to the hot conductor tab and heat with the soldering iron until they melt together. February 9, 2014 was the official 50th anniversary of The Beatles first performance in America on The Ed Sullivan Show. (We chose a subtle percussion beat so it wouldnt add any bass to the track). The neck pickup is placed right at the edge of the fingerboard while the second pickup is placed as far back as possible toward the bridge. The price may sound high for a specialized electric bass, but keep in mind that these are handmade instruments featuring impeccable craftsmanship, produced in small quantities, with a design that has clearly stood the test of time. 2 stars or better: Suited to specific needs Anyway, just a heads up that there are a couple of different builds out there. Using a Phillips #1 screwdriver, remove the four screws attaching the control panel to the instrument. Proceed with soldering only when working in a well ventilated area. Album Review - Mitch Gallagher - Foundation! 325 0 obj <>stream Sample 4 is an example of what we might use for a hip hop/R&B track. The treble on switch turns the neck pickup off and adds a treble boost. Pull the jack and attached wire through the jack hole. Avoid contact. With a bit of compression and a slightly mid-scooped EQ setting, the Club bass delivers some sticky grooves with a lot of natural bottom end. Heat one of the conductors with the soldering iron. When you buy products through links across our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Using your soldering iron, melt the solder connecting the ground wire to the old jack. Although we are quite familiar with Hofner basses, we were still overwhelmed by the wow factor upon opening the case, and we were hopeful that the bass would play and sound as amazing as it looked. A pair of Hofner Ignition Staple pickups produce a classic Beatles-esque tone, brimming with power and clarity. Terms The Hofner passive bass circuit hasnt changed much since its early days. We think of these basses as classical stringed instruments designed in an electric bass form which shouldnt come as a surprise since Hofner has been making violins since 1887 (and this model was first released in 1965). We typically ship via UPS Ground, but some smaller packages (like strings) will go US Postal Service. Sound There are subtle side dots and side fret markers to give the player a hint of a reference for those insecure fretless intonation moments, but they do not take away from the full frontal aesthetics. However, the minimal weight of the entire bass kept this bearable. Thank you Gearspace.com members for 20 years. The first switch is labeled rhythm/solo which, in the rhythm position, adds a resistor to the output to reduce the output. Now we will proceed to solder the components. 2022 Gbase - All rights reserved - v5.1.4373.1 (gb1). The electronics are the same as found on traditional Hofner basses which are all passive, with separate gold-capped volume knobs for each pickup, On/Off switches for each pickup, and a rhythm/solo switch that acts as a volume cut. Obviously, the Club Bass might not be for every player or every musical situation, and we certainly wouldnt suggest using one of these basses for extreme metal, but then again you never know! But read on! I was quite surprised with the quality of the build - none of the complaints as with the Chinese models. When sitting with the bass without a strap, even though it has a larger body than the violin bass, it is still relatively small. Locate the jack if it has fallen inside the guitar. This is what acoustically gives the Club bass its inherent quality that enables the player to both hear the note and feel the note. Stock configurations of the Hofner Club bass guitar made in Germany sell for between $2,500-$3,200, while customized instruments (like our birds-eye maple and custom inlays) can set you back as much as $4,000. We ship to the continental US only --no international shipping. As players, were rather fond of it, too. For our audio demos, we went through some of the settings to give you a general idea of the sound of this bass, so you can make a comparison for yourself. The sound just gets rounder and the definition becomes more musical and less obtrusive. At all settings, the Hofner Club bass had no noticeable audio noise. Repeat this process for the second conductor tab. Put the first nut on the output jack shaft. All of the hardware on this bass is gold including the individual tuning machines, bridge, and the necks traditional, staple-type, Hofner pickups and trapeze tailpiece, giving this package an extremely elegant look. The pickups are traditional Hofner staple style humbuckers. \Q Rs)XM5VsD This was the guitar+case package that was offered a while back, so maybe that run was different. You may return your purchase for a full refund within 14 days provided it is returned in the same condition with the original packaging, accessories, and documentation. We plugged it right into a tube preamp! It is then the job of the pickups to translate this sound to recorded or amplified output. Per our request, the bass arrived with Pyramid black, tape-wound strings (for those who have never experienced these, they are just like flatwounds, but instead of flat metal wire as the final wind, they are wrapped with a smooth, flat black nylon tape). In solo mode, the resistor is switched out of the circuit so that it can be used to give the output a boost. 317 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<7401056EDA9BCC49B82803396FC2683B><0D037AE7397BA540A9E1B5F4627D3B45>]/Index[297 29]/Info 296 0 R/Length 102/Prev 229452/Root 298 0 R/Size 326/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream To be specific, we plugged it into the Tech 21 Formula 21 all-tube bass preamp. The estimated fret life remaining is at 95%. The Hofner Club bass comes with a two year limited warrantee on material defects and workmanship unrelated to wear and tear. Replay Guitar Exchange offers this Indonesian-made 2017 model Hofner B-Bass Hi-Series violin electric bass guitar, in a Vintage Sunburst color with a pearloid pickguard. Our first sensation taking the bass out of the case was just how feather light the bass was! The Hofner 500/2 Club Bass is a four-string hollow body instrument with set neck construction. The controls have two volume potentiometers. H_k01T?Kkl}(tD^8jk*n}GsuT. Our Hofner 500/2 Club Bass is a custom fretless version with some options that make this particular bass very unique, but we spent considerable time delving into the fine details of this model in general that define its voice and give it more dimensions than you might be aware of. If you are looking for that familiar Hofner bass look and sound, the Club Bass puts it right there at your fingertips with its full visual and sonic glory. When we finger plucked over the neck pickup, we achieved the most upright-like tone you could probably ever get from a short scale electric bass, and the fretless fingerboard made it ever more convincing. endstream endobj 298 0 obj <> endobj 299 0 obj <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/TrimBox[0.0 0.0 595.276 841.89]/Type/Page>> endobj 300 0 obj <>stream This bass features a gorgeous spruce top on a flame maple back and sides, complete with a C-profile maple/beech/maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard. In pre-purchase research, all I saw was comments on the Chinese build. Also as a result, a few generations of self respecting music fans who spy a particular bass guitar in the shape of a violin cant help themselves but chime in with that know-it-all comment, Hey look! Not sustain, but resonance. B`R:H2:@M} 6;WqHh*?_ 8 As we plucked further toward the neck, the sound rounded out even more. This gave us a more defined attack (as we would have expected) with a thinner tonality, but still with plenty of girth to round out the sound. The beauty of the Hofner sound is the initial defined attack of the string being plucked followed by this resonance. Apply the iron to the first conductor tab to heat it. For an impeccable instrument with vintage class, these handmade instruments will cost you in the mid $2,000-$3,000 range. With an appropriately adjusted strap, any concern about neck dive disappeared and we came to really appreciate the almost gravity-defying instrument, and how angry it must make chiropractors worldwide. 0 Secure the jack using the helping hands tool. The Club body design makes it a more comfortable bass to play in seated positionas opposed to its 1956 predecessor, the violin-style Beatle bass, and its larger sound chamber gives it a more resonant tone. This bass is in Very Good condition, with the only issues to point out being some minor scratches at the neck joint and a little bit of fret-ware. 1 star or less: Not recommended, 3.6 stars or better: Outstanding, WIHO Award, Bass Guitar Effects, Pedals & Controller Reviews, Audio Interfaces, Mixers, Mic Preamps, Channel Strips, Hardware Processor Reviews, DAWs, Audio Processing & DSP Hardware Reviews, Recording/Live Sound Effects Processing Reviews, Recording/Live Sound CDs, DVDs & Book Reviews, Guitar Power Amps, Simulators & Modeling Tech Reviews, Rack Effects Processors & Guitar Synth Reviews, Drum Machines and Percussion Modules Reviews, Recording/Live Sound Audio Interfaces: USB, Thunderbolt Firewire Reviews, Recording/Live Sound Mixing Board Reviews, RJM Music Technology Mastermind PBC Audio Loop Switcher, SKB SKB-66 Deluxe Universal Electric Guitar Case, Focusrite Pro Red 8Line Thunderbolt & Pro Tools | HD Interface, Audio Interfaces, Mixers, Mic PreAmps, Channel Strips, Hardware Processors Reviews, Audio Interfaces: USB, ThunderBolt, FireWire Reviews, Album Review: dUg Pinnick, Tribute to Jimi (Often Imitated But Never Duplicated). It's really sets up well, plays and sounds great. The combination of the two pickups is where the magic happens. %PDF-1.6 % The CT/Contemporary line, made in Asia but featuring the same German pickups, sells for under $1,000, and the entry-level Ignition series with all-Asian components is under $400. When we played the bass unplugged we couldnt help but feel the deep resonance in the body of the bass. Our headstock came with an extra special toucha unique diamond and trapezoidal mother of pearl inlay. The Hofner 500/2 Club Bass is a vintage vibe hollow body bass guitar handmade in Germany with fine craftsmanship and detail. Otherwise, a re-stocking fee may be assessed. A white pearloid, floating pickguard and control plate top off this masterpiece. Repeat this process, connecting the ground wire to the ground conductor tab. Choose a size and copy the code below to embed this guide as a small widget on your site / forum. Channel your inner classic bass style and see what the Hofner B-Bass has to offer you today! Documentation and Product Support With 73 million viewers, there is no doubt regarding their impact on the world of music and culture as we know it, from their classic songs to their iconic images. Using a Phillips #1 screwdriver, remove the jack plate from the bottom corner of the guitar. With bottom end tone so well defined by the instrument, you rely less on EQ processing and maintain most of the natural instrument sound. The Hofner Club bass came with a nice, color information booklet that provides information on the instrument controls, design and construction, care and maintenance, and a nice synopsis of the Hofner company history. There are three slide switches on the control panel. Dig deeper into the Club Bass and you will find an instrument that can sit nicely in any classic rock tune, ballad, blues jam, jazz trio, etc. While they might not be intuitive based on what we have gotten used to from more modern basses, Hofner has kept the controls consistent with their vintage design. We loved playing hip-hop/funk/soul on the Club bass. The neck on the Club bass is very comfortable. The bass itself has no variable tone controls on it, and when playing through the preamp, we kept the tone controls flat with minimal gain to capture as clean of a sound as possible. Place the components in your container in order to keep track of them. The neck is a single piece of highly figured, flamed maple, capped with a black ebony, fretless, unlined fingerboard. Having previously played the fretted version of the Club bass, the fretless version actually adds a little more sustain and dimension to the notes, with the overtones emanating from the string interaction with the fingerboard. %%EOF For those of you who think you know the Hofner bass as we did before owning one, you might be tempted to draw a premature conclusion. Then, strip the wire so it looks similar to the wire in the red box. The advantage the Club bass has over the Violin bass is the larger chamber, which significantly adds to this resonance. Were talking about the vibration of the instrument lasting while the string is plucked and vibrating with a short decay after the string stops. I bought it from a brick and mortar store so I could play a while and give it the once over without the stress of mail order. Furman P-1800 PF R Power Conditioner - A difference you can actually hear, Pedalboard Power Supplies & Accessories Reviews, Bill Hubauer: Keyboards & Vocals in The Neal Morse Band, Why Your Next Studio Macintosh Will Possibly be a PC Running Windows. hb```c``Jb`a`fcb@ !FV800`i 3u[3X 0HQAac=z9u&\)WA.IP7d`qH20@dD d There is a big difference. We then switched to the bridge pickup alone. 3.6 stars or better: Outstanding, WIHO Award The playability was perfect throughout the range of the neck and the responsiveness of the strings on the fingerboard was excellent. The most stunning feature of this bass is the body wood: the top, back and sides are made entirely of birds-eye maple with a deep, golden brown, sunburst, glossy finish. Buyer is responsible for return shipping unless we have made some type of error. At first, it seemed almost unnatural to plug the Hofner Club bass into a direct box so we didnt. The knob towards the bottom of the bass controls the bridge pickup or treble pickup. Free shipping on all orders! Of course, we had to run the bass through its paces a la Paul McCartney using a pick and, of course, our trip through the Beatles catalog went on and on, from the sweet singing upper octave lines of Dear Prudence to the bass thunk of Hey Bulldog.. The knob towards the headstock of the bass controls the neck pickup or bass pickup. Using your wire stripper tool, cut the end of the wire off. If you get the chance to experience these basses up close, however, you will experience why the cost isnt unreasonable. Finish excellent, binding excellent, hardware spotless, etc. Samples 1, 2 and 3 are virtually the same bass line that showcase the bass pickup only, treble pickup only and both pickups together. After playing the bass for a little bit and salivating over the sounds we were hearing, we performed a few slight adjustments to the instruments setupcompletely expected given the climate change and overseas shipping. Repeat this process for the other conductor. The Hofner Club Bass was delivered in a sturdy, form-fitting, metal, hard-shell case that kept it nice and snug on its voyage across the globe from Germany. Accessibility. I was at the local Sam Ash the other day and saw the Icon being made in Indonesia, too. The body of the Club bass has an archtop design that is 100% hollow, with no center block. We got the action very easily to the prescribed 2-3mm at the 12th fret with a slight, uneventful tweak of the truss rod and a simple bridge height adjustment. To keep with the tradition, the Club is a short scale bass at 30 with 22 frets. f.nM3cV wS3-g TAoFA5$]}jXxW$}-yqwwzujtbWX7[EZBp47ij}+XoS$G}K!U@lOlIds&E3S_&LD8^>:_PC-K `M2@K)ABdXn/h>F^I_$|EEop~8{ wz9~$r`yZ)@19= Cxv]#mKD O_ / o The ebony bridge is easily height adjustable and the saddles can be moved to adjust for intonation and string spacing. We accept all major credit cards and PayPal via our website, telephone, or in-store. If youd like to get a taste of Hofner goodness, you do have a few other options. endstream endobj startxref Secure the wire using the helping hands tool. Due to the nature of its constructionsolid neck, hollow bodythere was obviously going to be a bit of neck dive. The tape-wound strings bring the tone closer to an upright bass sound (which is the desired effect for this bass), and contrary to some individual tastes and expectations, the tape wounds minimize slightly the electric fretless bass swell effect. 2022 iFixit Licensed under Creative Commons Privacy It is recommended that you review a guide to basic soldering before proceeding, as the step-by-step soldering procedure in this guide is not all-inclusive. Warning. 3 stars or better: Worth considering When soldering, the tip and shaft of the soldering iron will become extremely hot. Bottom line: The Hofner Club bass is any sound engineers dream with its strong fundamental, definition, and tone. You just might develop a new fascination and appreciation. As always, feel free to contact our store for more details, or with any questions. All of these were recorded directly into an UA Apollo audio interface with no outboard gear. 297 0 obj <> endobj In this guide, we will demonstrate how to solder a new output jack on a Hofner Bass Guitar. We also offer no-interest financing options such as PayPal (on-line) and Synchrony Credit (in-store). The other two switches are labeled bass on and treble on. The bass on switch actually turns the bridge pickup off and adds a bass boost. endstream endobj 301 0 obj <>stream h[o07MJ@E*.x5$(1R=v--er|>9pA pFvgDwrA BCk[ SIK[}|sv>8n"W,-|qM!O As we shifted our plucking toward the bridge the sound became round and fat, with plenty of evidence of the initial string attack. hbbd```b``"`r-d. This will require the use of a soldering iron. The neck is set into the body at the 16th fret position with a white heel cap matching the white/black/white body binding. When playing a Club bass, the musician has to understand that the principle sound of these basses is more akin to an upright bass than that of the solidbody electric bass.
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