Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I've got one made in the sixties very simular to that. It was sold by sears as silvertone. But it is reported to have been made by Tedisco in Japan. Probably true as nothing was ever made by sears just marketed under their trademark.

Jon: The bass pictured in my book has a neck and headstock exactly like your picture, but the body is shaped exactly like a Hofner and there are no F-holes. It has a Hofner-style tailpiece (but simpler) and the control panel looks like the Hofner (but it's a little too large). The finish looks just like an early 1960's Hofner. I'm wondering whether John really owned this thing. I'm wondering how Christie's could have misidentified a supposed Beatle instrument. It seems like such an instrument would get extra attention with such a famous owner.

please post a photo...

Kevin: That means figuring out how the scanner function on my printer works. I might attempt that after I get home tonight...

cool randy... as you can tell i'm a bass player, and i'm just chomping at the bit to see the photo. thanks.

Let's see if this this comes out right:

Nope, not a Hofner. Maybe a Greco copy?

Body, pickups, control panel and tailpiece are all like many Japanese "Hofner" copies, but the neck and headstock appear to be like the Aria Diamond illustrated in that Japanese publication. This is definitely NOT a Höfner, and the author of this book didn't do his homework. Sorry.

Paul: Absolutely. The photo is credited to Christie's auction house, like many others in the book. I recognize all of the other celebrity-owned guitars in the book. I can't imagine how they may have gotten this one so wrong. Why would John have a bass like this?

quite different, huh?

That can't be a Hofner! I thought every Hofner Beatle bass came w/ a 1966 set list taped to it. Mine did.....(thinking)...OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve: Yep, mine did too! As far as John's alleged bass is concerned, I think Christie's made a mistake. It was probably Ringo's Hofner Bass. He played all the tricky bass lines, while Paul handled all the cowbell bits. Paul always played a wicked cowbell. George Martin liked a lot of cowbell...

Definitely more cowbell. Maybe even a bullbell...

>>>Maybe a Greco copy?

Maybe a Ronco copy?

My 2 cents is this... unless you are really trying to copy Paul's look (Beatle tribute band etc), the one to get is a Hofner CLUB bass. Basically the same thing but with a Les-ish Paul styled body. Very COol looking and they've been re-issued.

http://www.pittsburghguitars.com/hofner.html



My birthdays is only about 6 months away if anyone was wondering about a thoughtful gift.

Exactly Kent. you buy a Hofner Violin, Macca comes to people's minds.
I wanted the Hofner sound and feel and inability to tune (it actually intonates just fine) so I got a Club, and a black one which even further separates it from it's Beatle connection.
Had the black edition not been available, I had thought about getting one and having it refinished in, I dunno, AZ?