ash

This is closer

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1389733062' post='2337387'] I think i'll wait for a near mint one on ebay for £200. [/quote]

[quote name='project_c' timestamp='1389723875' post='2337259'] To complicate matters further, I stumbled upon this today, Shergold Marathon (or is it a Modulator? I'm sure it said 'Marathon' on the body), hard to see from the pics but it's the one with 2 humbuckers and 3 x 3 way switches, in really good condition - although the cracks on the neck pocket were also on this one on both sides. The cost was £670-ish, well over my budget, (and I suspect somewhat overpriced too), it felt and sounded super good though! Very different vibe to the single humbucker version. [attachment=152362:photo.JPG] [/quote] I suspect that's a later one - looks like a Modulator to me - as it has no position dots on the fretboard. Either that or it's a custom fretted factory fretless - if you follow my drift! The current defretted one on eBay has been heavily modded, I contacted the seller out of interest, it will probably get some decent bids as he said he'd had lots of interest and offers. Points to consider - the logo is missing and possibly the serial plate ( he didn't answer my question about the serial plate so I'd assume its lost ). The scratchplate with the model name is missing and also the control plate. All these bits are pretty much impossible to source and will have to be custom made. The binding will need replacing probably especially if it's to be refretted. The electrics are in poor condition, if the pickup is knackered these are expensive to fix. It will be a very expensive project unless you are a luthier ( and have a few Shergold spares knocking about ) For the record I'd bid but nothing more than £250.

Just bought a wonderful Hofner Club Bass off Matt - perfect deal, great bass. I am a happy Ash! Cheers Matt.

I've already been in touch with the seller - he's on this forum and also active on the Shergold site. These Ned's are good British instruments for the right price. There's a thread relating to this bass elsewhere on the forum.

[quote name='the hand of john curley' timestamp='1388962076' post='2328275'] So....are we to think he really didn't know what it was?......or was he trying to pull a full on sh1tbag manoeuvre ? [/quote] Many people simply see a recognisable name on something and take it as being legit. People are commonly duped - buyers and sellers - by fake goods with authentic looking logos. Old Hofners go for decent sums of money even in these lean times so the seller may not want to believe their instrument is fake....however I see it's ended again.

[quote name='Steff' timestamp='1388780538' post='2326074'] Great thanks mate. Funny as this one looks genuinely old but I now recall all the Hofners I've seen have two knobs with 3 sliders indeed... A vintage copy perhaps? [/quote] Looking closely it doesn't look very old to me - perhaps it's just the design, after the Fender basses the Hofner is surprisingly one of the most copied bass guitars and there certainly were many copies manufactured in the 60s and 70s from the Far East. There were also European versions from brands like Klira and Eko but there's something about the pickups and hardware that makes me think more recent Korean manufacture - Shine, Epiphone, etc. Have a look here - http://www.fuenfhunderteins.de/index1.htm

I have a Hofner '62 and this is nothing like it - Hofner Violin basses are actually very well made and have quite refined features - wave headstock shape, smaller decal, small guitar tuners, two knob control panel with three sliders, etc. they are handmade basses - at leat the German ones are. This looks like a Shine copy with a fake decal. I'll post a pic of mine for comparison sake Steff.

Good man