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Hofner Violin bass on sale today only

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Chris P.:
Hofner makes three series Violin basses.

1 - Of course there's the real deal.

2 - HCT. If you change the controls to teacups, it's hard to see the difference between a HCT and a German one. Of course we nerds see the different kind of sunburst and imho the HCTs are very, very, very well made. I have seen some German's with little flaws, but that is part of the charm of some guys making them by hand:) Of course the real one has the case, the smell, the lacquering and it's... hollow. The HCT has some sort of middle block. It sounds a bit tighter, but with flats still very nice and Höfner-ish.

3 - The Ignitions are different animals. Different shapes, different control panel angle, different pickups and the neck is set flat to the body on both the Club and Violin. Makes them a bit easier to play if you are used to a normal solidbody. They are hollow like the German ones. All in all they look a bit wrong and a bit cheaper, but in fact they're nice basses. They sound good and I know many Höfner collectors and players who have one and like it. Paul Weller, who started in the Jam with a 500/1, has several custom shop Höfner guitars and basses and last couple of albums are recorded with Club bass and Verythin guitars. He ordered an Ignition!

I think a lot of players won't buy a Violin bass as main bass, but as a second bass, for an acoustic project, for recordings, and I know some guitarists who bought an ignition for recordings. Small, light, nice retro sound and easy to play for those pussies who are used to Strats;) So I think the Ignition has a reason for existence.


Having said that. When I started playing bass, there was one local guy with a 500/1 and a local shop had a Club which costed double of a Fender American Standard, if I remmeber well. Last week I was at a local band contest and I saw two of five bands with an Ignition! And no Beatle references, but one more acoustic band and a Tame Impala (Höfner bass!) kinda band. I like that! I see more and more Höfners on stage (Roots with that US talk show, the guy of Amy Winehouse, Tame Impala, Last Shadow Puppets, Guy Garvey's (Elbow) solo project, etc. Great to see Höfner getting of that Macca Only path.

uwe:
 "I have seen some Germans with little flaws."

That's biologically impossible. Wir sind alle perfekt.

Dave W:

--- Quote from: uwe on October 10, 2017, 02:10:12 PM --- "I have seen some Germans with little flaws."

That's biologically impossible. Wir sind alle perfekt.


--- End quote ---

Don't make me break out the Angela Merkel memes.

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