Hofner Chinese Import 500/1 model.

[johnallg]

Yeah, inquiring minds want to know! Anybody have one in hand yet?

[westtexasrickenbacker]

I'll be very tempted to get one. If someone posts here that the chinese version sounds reasonably close and plays well, I think many will be buying a chinese Hofner.

[lowendbob]

I heard they should be out in 10 days or so.
I'll post after I receive mine.

[cwk]

http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/msg/195018982.html
Its an Epiphone.

[marc61]

Very dissapointed. I ordered one from Music123. Thought they were $299. Reviewing this thread, then I checked my order status to see it had not gone through. Just re-ordered, now they are $349.

[bassman]

I'll be checking out a Icon Series Violin bass today at the MIAC show in Toronto. I'm sure that i'll have some comments.

Later,

[webhead]

Music 123 is notorious for doing stuff like that- I'd call them up and tell them to correct the price.

[icabod]

Jon; The one at the miac show is not setup, I saw and held it yesterday and Jim the rep, said it was'nt setup, but he said, the pickguard is close, the control plate is close, the pickups are close etc. it did feel like a hofner, and came with rw strings, he also said 199.00US, with a case..He also had a burgundyish one there, but it has a sold sign on it....R

[bassman]

Richard, I played the B.Bass Icon Series Violin bass for a good 10 minutes this afternoon and it was set up. I had it plugged into their SWR amp and it sounded pretty good IMO.

Personally, I prefer roundwound strings on my violin basses. Flats are too thumpy for my tastes. But I did think the neck on the Icon bass was quite good. Nice and thin, very quick easy to play. Fret position markers on the side are a bonus.

The $199.00 US James quoted you is the dealer cost of the bass which includes the deluxe hard shell case. Did you see the case? The bonus with the case is that a German made 500/1 fits perfectly in it and it's way better than the vintage Hofner supplied case.

I was offered the Burgundy/black 500/1 a month or so ago, but passed. Black binding on any bass just doesn't do it for me.

I have some photos, that I took, I'll have to check them out and post a couple if they're ok.

I will agree that the pickguard and control panel look cheap. Along with the fact that there's a screw on the top of the pickguard connecting the guard to the support bracket underneath. But these basses should kill the Tursers and Rogues of the industry.

[bassman]

A couple of photos of the new Hofner "B.Bass" Icon Series that I took today.

[icabod]

Which one did you play Jon, I felt the one on th e left, it did feel good, and I gave the G side bridge a kranck up, but did not plug it in, lite as a feather tho..

[bassman]

The one on the left Richard is the B.Bass Icon Series bass. The burgundy/black is a one of 14 special made 500/1v63 basses.

I played both and the Icon weighed as much if not more than the German made 500/1v63.

[lowendbob]

Just called Music 123. Scheduled ship date now for the Icon Series is Sept.18th.

[captsandwich]

I saw a red one like the above picture at Steve's in Toronto yesterday. I saw the case coming out of the box and hung around to see what was inside. As the guy was opening the case, I practically yelled "Upside Down!" (because it was). He went "whoops" & turned it over so the bass didn't come spilling out. Bass looked really nice in that colour. The case was really impressive, too.

[bassman]

The burgundy/black 500/1v63 bass in the photos above IS the bass you saw at Steve's Greg.

They ordered it when they visited the Hofner booth at the MIAC show last week where it was on display.

That particular bass was offered to me 8 weeks ago, but I decided to pass on it. I don't like black trim on ANY bass.