Only ze crazy krauts ...

[uwe]

... would painstakingly replicate an ugly duckling Gibson budget bass (regularly met with harsh derision here in certain quarters):

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Vintage-Hofner-Hofner-Bass-190-Stile-Gibson-EB-SG-/300723965354?pt=Gitarren&hash=item46048b8daa








I had no idea that Höfner copied Gibson so slavishly, much less an exotic and less than high value model such as the SB-300 (I think the Höfner is short scale by the position of the bridge, i.e. an SB-300 and not an SB-400 copy, EDIT: IT'S ACTUALLY LONG SCALE, SEE POST BELOW). And then that lovely inlay work which at the top is slightly reminiscent of a blotted out swastika, most tasteful, jawohl.  

Of course this post - quiet, Dave! - gives me the chance to once again laud the qualities of the SBs. I only recently restrung my SB-450 (the long scale minibucker twin to the SB-300 which has Melody Maker guitar single coil pups) with roundwounds (I had kept flatwounds on it before) and look and behold it sounded like a Ric at the rehearsal.

[uwe]

... but at least they are honest about it today:

http://www.hofner-vintage.com/vintage-guitar-showroom/vintage-solidbody-bass-guitars/vintage-190-bass.html?___store=vintage_store_de&___from_store=vintage_store_en


"190 Bass (1972-81)
Hofner Model 190 Bass

A bass that was more than heavily inspired   by the Gibson SB 400 model. Unusually, it had a long scale of 34" rather than Hofner's usual 30" medium bass scale. (The Hofner 192 Bass introduced at the same time also had a 34" scale.)

Schaller hardware including the two pickups was used throughout, and this was probably the same source as Gibson themselves used.

The finish on the bass was a very dark brown polyester, and that certainly gave the appearance of mahogany, making this a very attractive looking guitar."

[Highlander]

I wonder how the sound compares...?

The pups are very reminiscent of "recording" style...

[Basvarken]

Nah more single coil melody maker ish

[Pilgrim]

The chrome plate with the controls reminds me of a Telecaster...but with Hofner switches.

Not that that's a bad thing.

[uwe]

All those features are ripped off the original:




http://www.google.de/imgres?q=gibson+sb+400&um=1&hl=de&sa=N&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&tbm=isch&tbnid=fLIMO_urwXZLVM:&imgrefurl=http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/1971gibsonSB400.php&docid=6gEB-nmL5z50TM&imgurl=http://www.flyguitars.com/graphics/1971SB400sheetS.jpg&w=200&h=263&ei=TPfYT_w5z9uyBveUrcsP&zoom=1&biw=1280&bih=632

[copacetic]

Hey we need a Hofner forum!

[uwe]

To do what? Talk about that one bass model they did in never-ending circles? That is worse than a Ric forum! 

Look at Gibson: Constant failure bred diversity! 

[Basvarken]

Andy Fraser owns one of these too (the original Gibson one)

[exiledarchangel]

SB-300s look cool! They miss a 3rd bridge pup thru...

[copacetic]

ctually uwe you hit it right on the head. Fender really only had/has 2!
Ok a German Made forum or combine with a Japanese made and then you know how that goes...!!

[godofthunder]

  In all my years I have never seen on of these  At first I thought it was a married piece or even photoshopped  the more I look the more it looks legit. Bizarre, The Gibson didn't sell why would anyone think this would?

[Dave W]

From Steve Russell's Vintage Hofner site: "It's not a very exciting instrument to look at and could even be described as ugly!"

The owner also says: "It's finished in a chocolate brown translucent lacquer that I take to be cellulose. This gives the appearance that it is using mahogany for the body, but when you take out the control panel the timber is actually light in colour and doesn't look like mahogany to me. That said, I don't know what it is. The guitar is quite lightweight."

I read somewhere that some solid body Hofners from this era were made in Japan and used a wood called obeche. Can't remember where though.

[uwe]

ctually uwe you hit it right on the head. Fender really only had/has 2!
Ok a German Made forum or combine with a Japanese made and then you know how that goes...!!

Lol, you mean something like "Axis Power Basses" and that forum then won't have a moderator but a "Forumkommandant"? 

[uwe]

The Gibson body wood should be (rather non-descript looking) alder, the neck maple. Placement of the pups on these ensures that even with guitar single coils they sound anything but thin. Bassy, yet clear.

Thanks for posting the Fraser pic, Rob, I had no idea he had one.

I actually like the looks of these, the slanted control plate, the small black pups (with Gibson on them) with the huge chrome surrounds, the chocolate fin which still lets you see the non-maho wood. They look ancient in a good way. Much like Dave btw.