Author Topic: NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass  (Read 5792 times)

ilan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3878
    • View Profile
NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass
« on: August 29, 2017, 11:39:31 PM »
Took delivery yesterday.

Today I'm going to install NOS correct tuners. The neck is stable and straight - no need for a reset job this time. Also needs a correct w/b/w nut (actually just a string spacer) just for aesthetic reasons, and a new bridge - someone filed grooves in the original bridge. Large bodied basses used a longer guitar bridge (3" between height adjustment screws) with 4 instead of 6 fret pieces, not the usual violin bass shorter bridge type.

The neck is 3-piece, like the '60 500/3. My '64 Senator is 2-piece.

With a TI JF344 set, the bass sounds significantly brighter than my '60 500/3 and '64 Senator, both unplugged and amped. A bit too bright for my taste but I'll let the flats age as they should.

The guy who bought the same bass twice — first in 1977 and again in 2023

gearHed289

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4414
    • View Profile
    • Book of faces...
Re: NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2017, 07:40:02 AM »
Very cool, congrats!

4stringer77

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1893
    • View Profile
Re: NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2017, 07:50:42 AM »
Mazal tov!
Contrary to what James Bond says, a good Gibson should be stirred, not shaken.

Dave W

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 22193
  • Got time to breathe, got time for music
    • View Profile
Re: NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2017, 07:53:56 AM »
Beauty!

Pilgrim

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9957
    • View Profile
    • YouTube channel
Re: NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2017, 07:59:41 AM »
Looks nice.  Once you mention it, those tuners do kinda shine like little LEDs on the headstock...
"A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other invention with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila."

Granny Gremlin

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2942
    • View Profile
    • Granny Gremlin home page
Re: NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass
« Reply #5 on: August 30, 2017, 08:22:05 AM »
Oh man, that is one cool bass. 
Robert Plant and Jimmy Page (drummer and bassist of Deep Purple, Jake!)

slinkp

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1358
    • View Profile
    • slinkp home page
Re: NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass
« Reply #6 on: August 30, 2017, 08:23:09 AM »
Cool!  I always thought of those old hollowbody Hofners as strictly vintage-vibe basses appropriate for 60s-vibe music, but then Tina Weymouth played one on much of Talking Heads' work.  It sounded great in that context too!  Sadly I've never had my hands on one to try out.  Yours looks super nice.
Basses: Gibson lpb-1, Gibson dc jr tribute, Greco thunderbird, Danelectro dc, Ibanez blazer.  Amps: genz benz shuttle 6.0, EA CXL110, EA CXL112, Spark 40.  Guitars: Danelectro 59XT, rebuilt cheap LP copy

ilan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3878
    • View Profile
Re: NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass
« Reply #7 on: August 30, 2017, 12:29:24 PM »
Thanks guys.

Took care of almost everyting today. I had NOS Höfner 60s tuners installed, unmolested bridge (my luthier had a spare long type taken off a 60s Höfner guitar), side dots (the only mod I do on old Höfners). Replacing the tuners also completely cured the slight neck heaviness she had with the non-original tuners.
The guy who bought the same bass twice — first in 1977 and again in 2023

Highlander

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12539
  • There Ken be only one...
    • View Profile
Re: NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass
« Reply #8 on: August 30, 2017, 01:49:50 PM »
The random mind of a Silver Surfer...
If research was easy, it wouldn't need doing...
Staring at that event horizon is a dirty job, but someone has to do it; something's going to come back out of it one day...

OldManC

  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 3116
    • View Profile
Re: NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass
« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2017, 03:11:08 PM »
Beautiful!

BTL

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1100
    • View Profile
    • Lowe Custom Guitars
Re: NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass
« Reply #10 on: September 02, 2017, 07:24:25 PM »
I like that a lot!

ilan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3878
    • View Profile
Re: NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass
« Reply #11 on: September 04, 2017, 04:38:46 AM »
The guy who bought the same bass twice — first in 1977 and again in 2023

Highlander

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12539
  • There Ken be only one...
    • View Profile
Re: NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass
« Reply #12 on: September 05, 2017, 11:22:17 AM »
Cereal bowl, with a big spoon...
The random mind of a Silver Surfer...
If research was easy, it wouldn't need doing...
Staring at that event horizon is a dirty job, but someone has to do it; something's going to come back out of it one day...

ilan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3878
    • View Profile
Re: NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass
« Reply #13 on: September 06, 2017, 02:48:25 AM »
Cereal bowl, with a big spoon...

It's called a Pastil Chair.

The guy who bought the same bass twice — first in 1977 and again in 2023

Highlander

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12539
  • There Ken be only one...
    • View Profile
Re: NBD '65 blonde Höfner Senator bass
« Reply #14 on: September 07, 2017, 02:06:42 PM »
That white one reminds me of a cap (tooth)...

Very sixties... 8)
The random mind of a Silver Surfer...
If research was easy, it wouldn't need doing...
Staring at that event horizon is a dirty job, but someone has to do it; something's going to come back out of it one day...