Thoughts on this 64 Hofner Violin bass?

streethawk

Putting all vintage guitar, sight-unseen caveats aside. What do you make of this? 
He's selling a 62 for double that. Such are the vagaries of collectability. 


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144860764772?hash=item21ba5fda64:g:AqQAAOSwmQdjoGZl&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAsM6OuZtANAmlrP+iAB8lQMm48WBLOQ6zFsByq06ZNQLGoDg1CqyDhxfxhaN9/EdklCCm35vQmYguI+PW9NW23KX0f8dVOD45RAZ7THQKSXHEWIdOK6RMQvP6lGwDdFQ9LfIRBOUv9+BWW7GP0ciVChHjqO2lajyZaAbwZd1ejhwGx1CcA1nSzgiErKjUSsdXg1INZCbYNkn+d3j6W/6pZmXTHgiVwiWSePO27LJ9oB9Z|tkp:Bk9SR_bfypSxYQ

UnclePsychosis

I think it looks like a nice bass, but I could never own one I think. The Paul McCartney association is a bit too much for me - I like the Beatles but playing such an obviously unique/unusual instrument so famously associated with one person is too much for me. 

It is beautiful though. 

streethawk

UnclePsychosis said:

I think it looks like a nice bass, but I could never own one I think. The Paul McCartney association is a bit too much for me - I like the Beatles but playing such an obviously unique/unusual instrument so famously associated with one person is too much for me. 

It is beautiful though. 

Indeed. Fortunately I also like Tame Impala. 
Would only be used for recording anyway. Scratch an itch and all that.

Done some research and looks kosher enough. 

OilCityPickups

streethawk said:

Putting all vintage guitar, sight-unseen caveats aside. What do you make of this? 
He's selling a 62 for double that. Such are the vagaries of collectability. 


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144860764772?hash=item21ba5fda64:g:AqQAAOSwmQdjoGZl&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAsM6OuZtANAmlrP+iAB8lQMm48WBLOQ6zFsByq06ZNQLGoDg1CqyDhxfxhaN9/EdklCCm35vQmYguI+PW9NW23KX0f8dVOD45RAZ7THQKSXHEWIdOK6RMQvP6lGwDdFQ9LfIRBOUv9+BWW7GP0ciVChHjqO2lajyZaAbwZd1ejhwGx1CcA1nSzgiErKjUSsdXg1INZCbYNkn+d3j6W/6pZmXTHgiVwiWSePO27LJ9oB9Z|tkp:Bk9SR_bfypSxYQ

If the pickups haven't been rewound a. it will be a miracle and b. whoever buys it will have that bill to look forward to ... unless they just stick it in a glass case and don't even breathe on it. 

JezWynd

Once in a blue moon you come across one of these basses that hasn't and doesn't need a neck reset.

I would query the no neck reset, looks as if it might have had one judging by the lacquer touchup(?) around the neck join. I don't think I've ever seen one in that good condition, the lacquer usually has cracks so it must have been stored very carefully if it's all genuine.

streethawk

OilCityPickups said:

streethawk said:

Putting all vintage guitar, sight-unseen caveats aside. What do you make of this? 
He's selling a 62 for double that. Such are the vagaries of collectability. 


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144860764772?hash=item21ba5fda64:g:AqQAAOSwmQdjoGZl&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAsM6OuZtANAmlrP+iAB8lQMm48WBLOQ6zFsByq06ZNQLGoDg1CqyDhxfxhaN9/EdklCCm35vQmYguI+PW9NW23KX0f8dVOD45RAZ7THQKSXHEWIdOK6RMQvP6lGwDdFQ9LfIRBOUv9+BWW7GP0ciVChHjqO2lajyZaAbwZd1ejhwGx1CcA1nSzgiErKjUSsdXg1INZCbYNkn+d3j6W/6pZmXTHgiVwiWSePO27LJ9oB9Z|tkp:Bk9SR_bfypSxYQ

If the pickups haven't been rewound a. it will be a miracle and b. whoever buys it will have that bill to look forward to ... unless they just stick it in a glass case and don't even breathe on it. 

Give me a reason to dust off the cnc winder I bought and barely used. 

The neck joint wear is hard to make out. I might ask him about it. Really on the fence.

Reggaebass

I don’t know much about those, I’m more of a vintage fender fan, these all original basses are becoming very collectible and imo a nice thing to own and play, if it’s what you’re looking for and you don’t mind spending the money I think it’s worth a cheeky offer 

streethawk

Passed on it in the end. 
Seller is willing to knock a few hundred off though, if anybody else is interested. Looks a pretty good deal if you're close enough to go and view it. 

ICBM

OilCityPickups said:

If the pickups haven't been rewound a. it will be a miracle and b. whoever buys it will have that bill to look forward to ... unless they just stick it in a glass case and don't even breathe on it. 

Strangely, I know just the man to rewind them...



Even if you do stick it in a glass case, they'll still die. A friend has an 'heirloom' Senator guitar, which hasn't been played for about fifty years... I tested it for her and sure enough the pickup is dead .

Funkfingers

I was once handed an ancient Höfner 'cello bodied guitar to resuscitate. The laminate behind the control plate was beginning to crumble away to nothing. All I could do was apply electrolube to the controls, screw it back together and fit new strings.

Luckily for me, the guitar was just a sentimental heirloom from a recently deceased relative of the new owner. It was more important that it should look right on display than actually function as a musical instrument.

stickyfiddle

I've never played one of these but I'd love to have one. I feel like if I wanted a hollow body bass for gigging I'd go for a Club or some sort of Guild to steer around the McCartney thing, but I love the sound of these sorts of instruments. 

ICBM

stickyfiddle said:

I've never played one of these but I'd love to have one. I feel like if I wanted a hollow body bass for gigging I'd go for a Club or some sort of Guild to steer around the McCartney thing, but I love the sound of these sorts of instruments. 

The Violin Bass is a really remarkable-sounding thing - for such a tiny short-scale bass it has an absolutely HUGE depth and bottom end... although only the originals and proper high-end reissues really, the cheap far-east ones don’t. If you want the McCartney or Robbie Shakespeare tone you need a real one. I was lucky enough to be lent a ‘65 original for a while after I’d had one of its pickups rewound by @OilCityPickups, and at least I know know that they’re not for me! It sounded fantastic but the feel is so different from any other bass - even the bigger Höfners - that I just couldn’t get used to it.

prowla

Nice, but completely out of my price range and I'd never play it.

JezWynd

The solid body Hofner basses are a joy to play (my 185 has been played daily since I got it three years ago) but the quality is not great with the exception of the necks which I’ve found to be of a uniformly high quality. I sometimes think I’d like to commission a set neck luthier build of an exact copy of my 185 but featuring a better bridge, tuners and earthing. But then it might not have the magic of the real deal so I’ve never taken the leap.