Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Bringing back this thread!

Hofner has a new Icon Club bass out and it is a real nice bass, just like its violin sibling. I got one in trans black cherry, I love it. It is not as long as the violin Icon, and is a bit wider at the bottom, as would be expected. Since the tailpiece is shorter that the violin version, the Icon Club bass feels even shorter.

All in all, a great little bass for about $370!

Wow. I wrote a response to your original unedited post, Rob. It was exactly the opposite of what you posted above. Whazzup?

jingle_jangle wrote:Wow. I wrote a response to your original unedited post, Rob. It was exactly the opposite of what you posted above. Whazzup?

Hi Jingle,

Not sure what you are talking about, my comments about the Icon Club bass? I only made one post, which is above yours.

Are these the ones with a solid block under the pups? Mark

These are just like the Icon violin bass, a true hollowbody. Very cool.

if it's not a Hofner, it's not a Hofner. It's a copy of. Copies are everywhere. Asians have been making them since 1965. The ICON pickups are smaller, they don't fit the Hofner 500/1. Ask me how I know. The ICON case does not fit the Hofner 500/1, it is a smaller body by about 3/16ths.

If you really want a cheap copy, check eBay. Johnson makes a very decent copy, better than the Rogue.

of course a real Hofner costs more mullah, what would anyone expect? And a vintage one costs even more. Hello?

Well whatever, I've got the Contemporary and love it. I know about the center block not making it a true hollow body but it sounds amazing with my Maxima/Rick flats. I bought it for a specific sound and look and it suits me quite well. If I'm dishing out $2,000 plus it's going to be for a Rickenabacker, not a German Hofner. I rarely see Hofners played by any bands except for 60s rock, and not with rounds. *ducking because it know it's about to hit the fan* lol.

any bass is good for any kind of music...some instruments are made better, but they all do the same thing at the end of the day. So you could play a Teisco behind curtains, and nobody can tell what brand of bass you are playing.

"sounds like a Fender Precision", someone might say..."no, that's a Yamaha", another says..."excuse me, that's a Hofner Beatle bass, I know them well", someone else says... until you walk out smiling and everybody with their foot in their mouth sees a 1964 Teisco bass from Montgomery Wards.

Interesting info/opinions about the vintage 'blade' pickups.....

http://www.hofner.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f ... ades#p7771

http://www.hofner.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f ... lade#p8797

Zurdo wrote:if it's not a Hofner, it's not a Hofner. It's a copy of. Copies are everywhere. Asians have been making them since 1965. The ICON pickups are smaller, they don't fit the Hofner 500/1. Ask me how I know. The ICON case does not fit the Hofner 500/1, it is a smaller body by about 3/16ths.

If you really want a cheap copy, check eBay. Johnson makes a very decent copy, better than the Rogue.

of course a real Hofner costs more mullah, what would anyone expect? And a vintage one costs even more. Hello?

Nonsense! The Icon series are HOFNER basses. End of story. Made in Asia? Yep. They say HOFNER on the headstock, HOFNER in Germany knows about them, right? I am sure they have SOME say about these basses. If these are not Hofners, someone needs to let Hofner in Germany know these basses are being made with their name on it.

Yes, the Icon Series are Hofner instruments.
Here in Germany their Icon Beatles bass is sold as "B-Bass HI(Ignition)-Series"
These cheaper instrument-series are build in China, but Hofner, of course, do care about it and do a quality check.
After changing the strings to flat wounds, my Icon Beatle bass gives me almost the sound of the original 500/1. Even if played without an amp.


Wolfgang

I just read a conversation on a copy bass that lasted 4 years..

A Icon is not a Contemporary and both are VERY FAR from a real 500/1. I've played real 500/1 Hofners since the early 1970s and found the Icon to be a piece of junk. The Contemporary is ok but STILL not a 500/1.

DavyR wrote:A Icon is not a Contemporary and both are VERY FAR from a real 500/1. I've played real 500/1 Hofners since the early 1970s and found the Icon to be a piece of junk. The Contemporary is ok but STILL not a 500/1.

I play an Icon. I've played a 500/1. Are they the same? No. Who in their right mind would compare a $300 bass to a $2000 bass and come to that conclusion? Having said that. I disagree that the Icon and CT are VERY FAR from a 500/1. At least not in tone. In price? Yeah, you are correct.

My Icon with flats sounds pretty much like a hollow body bass from the 60s. That's all I need it to sound like. If I played an Icon one night and a 500/1 the next, no one in the audience would notice, or care. And their opinion matters most to me when I perform.

I have that bass, and its pretty nice.
I'm considering modding it to look like a cavern. I would raise the treble pup higher, and cut a new pickguard, but nothing will beat a legit 500/1