Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

here it is

I've got three Höfners and four Ricks (and Rickenbacker leads by a length . . . ). When I first started playing bass, I had a Japanese copy of the Hofner 500/1 "Beatle Bass" and, like the original, it had the short scale and narrow but thick neck, and smooth strings. When I "grew up" a couple years later, I got my first Rick, a used '72, which I still own and is at present over in Dr. Staberow's clinic for restoration. The faux Höfner got dropped and was discarded. Getting used to the Rick was trouble. The longer scale meant a longer reach for my smallish hand, and the round-wound (Rotos) strings made mincemeat of my fretting fingers. I usually use a pick, so no blood on the pickguard ;^). But I got used to it, and the band I was in was doing a lot of Deep Purple, Zeppelin, Queen, James Gang, Bowie, etc., so I needed the more modern "gronk" that I got from the Rick through an Acoustic 371 (remember those with the reflex 18" speaker?).

A few years ago, when I got back into playing, I realized I could afford to buy some more basses, and my first addition was a deluxe (blonde) Höfner 5000/1. Now, I find them toylike and extremely easy to play, but in performances, I turn to the Rick. I tried out last summer for a British Invasion-tribute band, and played the Höfner and it sounded great. I didn't get the gig, though (cause I can't sing and play simultaneously).

Anyway, the Höfners have their place, and if the quality of the sound fits with your song list, you'll enjoy the instrument. By the way, Höfners average a couple ounces under five pounds, while Ricks weigh in between eight and nine pounds.

Francesco: Regardless of my thoughts on the sound of the Hofner, they make a very pretty picture as you have shown and they sure take me back to the early 1960s.

I have a Hofner with the shark fin pickups hanging on my living room wall.I don't play it much.
I do have a couple of other short scale hollow body basses that do get played.( a Rivoli and a Dano Longhorn).
I think my Dano is built better than the Hofner....


I am new to my Rickenbacker and have a '80 4001. I can't keep my hands off that bass.

I doubt that two basses could be much different than a Hofner and a Ric in sound and feel and construction.Other than Paul the two instruments have almost nothing in common.

I played a Dano recenly and I liked it alot. I am thinking about getting one. I never knew that they sounded that good.

has anybody ever tried to thumb slap a hofner???

Here's my "Dano" basses, a Jerry Jones Longhorn Bass VI, and Jerry Jones Longhorn Bass. Love 'em.

I had a 70's Hofner with those bar magnet pickups. That bass had a great fuzz bass sound, and a deep traditional thump to it. The string spacing is very narrow though, and hard to play if you are a fingerstyle player IMHO. However, it is lightweight since it is hollow, so it is easy on the shoulder and back. I prefer the RIC bass hands down though for tone and overall quality and playability.

As some may know I'm in a Beatles trib band. At a show I'm VERY happy when I finish with my Hofner and switch to my 4001S.

haha!

Jeff, if you've ever seen Jaymi thumb slap, he'd rerduce a Hofner to matchwood in minutes !!!!

I thumb slap diffent than most players ... I do it back by the bridge ...

My first real bass was a hofner copy ... I used to play Grand Funk, Hendrix, Steppenwolf and others with that bass ... I plugged it into an old 50 watt fender bassman ... with 2 2x15 cabs ...

Peter:
Let's go back to the early 1960s, then

I love my Hofner 500/2 Club Bass! It's got a warm, woody, roundness that you can't find in any other bass (well, except a 500/1 or 5000/1) and my bandmates say that it 'makes' the sound of our band. And I get a LOT of compliments on it's sound when we play out.

But comparing Hofners and Ricks is Apples and Oranges.