Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

My current collection. From left: '04 Montezuma Brown 4003VP; '93 4004 Cheyenne with Rath VVT mod; unique super deluxe cherry-red Hofner (there's a story behind this, but since it ain't a Rick I won't bore you with it unless requested ;^) ), '03 Deluxe Hofner 5000/1; '99 limited edition blue Hofner 500/1; '97 4004 Laredo Fireglo with Rath VVT mod; '72 "honeyglo" 4001.

Nice collection Paul ... That 72-Honeyglo looks really nice.

I'm up for the story about the Hofner !!!

Im Ric through & through, don't own any others, but those Hofners look fab, especially the natural one. Slightly outclassed by the Rics, but hey! I'm with Glen on the honeyglo & would also be interested in the story.

Nice carpet too!

Oops, sorry Jim...I meant Jim!

OK. I check eBay regularly for Ricks and Hofners. If you've never shopped for Hofners, there's seldom anything unusual. Most Hofners are the standard brown sunburst in one of four forms: Cavern (with close-coupled pickups) 500/1V62 like McCartney's famous one; 500/1V63 similar to V62; and the Club with a shape similar to a Les Paul. In 1999, Boosey & Hawkes (the music company that sells/controls Hofner at the time) president Jack Faas convinced Hofner to produce a limited run of the 500/1, 25 in red and 25 in blue. In addition to these 50, he also ordered a special one for himself, and it took more than a year for them to finish it. And that's what I bought from him on eBay. It features fine birdseye maple back, sides, and carved (vs laminate) FRONT! Pictures don't show the birdseye well, unfortunately. Add to that large rectangular MOP position markers, gold-plated pickups and tailpiece, and gold plated Schaller tuners (unusual for Hofner) and a raised plastic Hofner logo on the headstock. I couldn't believe he let it go for $1,600. There's no other like it. I'm almost afraid to take it anywhere. Hofners are light and fragile to begin with, but this one takes the white-glove treatment. Just gorgeous.

Now back to our regularly scheduled Rickenbacker program . . . .

No problems Tony !!!

Neat story Paul, so those three Hofners are rare specimens then !!!

They also made one very special Redburst 500/1 in late 1999. It was displayed on the Hofner booth at NAMM in January 2000.

This is the Rickenbacker forum and I respect that, so I won't post a photo of the one off custom Redburst bass, unless requested to do so.

I owned 2 Hofners over the years (both 68's). I enjoyed them to a certain extent but I was never thrilled with the way they played or sounded. The lack of sustain and the near absence of tonal variation made them 2 dimensional in my mind. I know Macca made history with one but he could have done that with anything including a washtub bass. I played some new ones in Germany last year and I was impressed with the way they improved the action but not enough to fork over the bucksfor one. The shop had two very pretty 500/1's that were finished in a french polish which I had never seen before.

I have to contain from drooling so much while typing. You are one lucky guy Paul. As you well know you can barley buy the RI 63 for $1600, great story! Love the MB, and HoneyGlo.

Here'a holiday family portrait, though it will have to be updated with two more Ricks as soon and my wife and I finish trimming the Xmas tree. L to r: '92 4003, '97 4003S/5, '73 4001, '79 4001.

add the 4004CII/5, ya waited long enough!

Jared, I'll propbably do that tomorrow or Sunday.