Hofner 50TH Anniversary Bass

bassduke49 · Post by **bassduke49** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 3:09 am

Thanks, Jon. No, I don't have a 2000 Hofner catalog. Got a spare? I should maybe try to contact Klaus and get the full background on the colored Hofners. It's funny, I don't have a "standard" brown sunburst one. Just the blue, the prototype red, and a "deluxe" (blonde) with birdseye back and sides. What's wrong with me!?

bassman · Post by **bassman** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 4:34 am

The Red and Blue ones were a marketing idea that Rob Olsen came up with to try to bring more attention to Hofner at the time.

I believe that all of the transparent blue and red ones were shipped to the US for sale as it was an American marketing strategy.

Hofner at that time also made a few solid black ones with black binding along with a couple of bright white ones with white binding. Bryan Adams used one during his 2001 tour where everything on stage was white including all of the equipment.

I think your solid red 500/1v63 is possibly a one off, just like the Redburst one that Steve is holding in the photo above.

Sorry, I don't have an extra Hofner 2000 catalog, but I do have a good friend who might have an extra one kicking around. I'll ask him.

bassduke49 · Post by **bassduke49** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 6:02 am

Yes, Jon, it's a one-off. I bought it from Jack Faas who was the president of Boosey & Hawkes back then. He indicated that the colored Beatle basses was his idea, but he may have been using the collective for his company. I've seen a black one on eBay a few years ago -- I wish they had left the binding white -- and I've seen photos of a white one, too.

Jon, even a scan of the relevant catalog pages would be nice to see.

bassman · Post by **bassman** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 9:59 am

Paul,

I was speaking to my friend today at lunch time and unfortunately he doen't have one of the Hofner 2000 catalogs kicking around as I thought he might.
He does have the files of the pages that he's going to send me.

I'll forward them along to you once i've got them.

bassduke49 · Post by **bassduke49** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 10:02 am

Cool. Thanks, Jon!

bassman · Post by **bassman** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 10:20 am

I just picked up another Klira Twen Star Violin Bass. Pots date it to 1966. This bass is like new. Unbelievable. I'm going to have to post a photo or two of it.