SpikeBass

You are welcome to come and have a play on her if you like.

It was used yesterday for a jam and tomorrow it is in the Studio for a Reggae band. No rest, but she loves it.

Andyjr - These photos do it no justice because of the file size limitation, but trust me, it looks bloody amazing, and it's used every day as it is kept in my recording studio. I play in a Ska band and it gets used every gig, even while it was only half done. TheGreek - Terry is brilliant, he matched the trim and remade the neck trim and even made it look like it was done in 1964, he re-fretted it and managed to get that neck separated and then put back without damaging the guitar...Amazing!

Admittedly it has taken a couple of years to get this all done and finished how I wanted it, but, this is a working musicians axe and as such it has played many gigs during the restoration process, hence, 2 years I bought this bass from this very website from a chap in Germany, it was in a bad way, the P-ups were both dead, the neck had been fitted VERY BADLY and also the 'idiot' that done it had used white resin wood glue and had managed to break the decorative pearl around the neck fitting. Also the body of the bass had suffered from mould, this was a real problem to stop and cure it, it had left the bass looking very flat, dull and a coating of haze across the finish. Very sad indeed. Now I'm not blaming the guy who sold it to me, however, he failed to mention the condition and the fact the neck was glued on with resin (if he knew.... hmmm ) Anyway. Between myself and a very talented Luthier named Terry Chapman we have managed to restore the bass to it's former glory and managed to keep the 'Mojo' of a guitar built in 1964, it's nearly as old as I am and looks better too. The headstock logo was missing a piece of the H and I have ordered a replacement but it was not as nice as I wanted so I left the old one as it was. I know a couple of you guys were keeping an eye out for the finished job, so here she is in all her glory. Enjoy.

Interesting, I live in Hitchin.. might be worth a jam, drop me a PM with a contact please.

I have an M-audio 26/26 with 2x behringer ADAT's connected. I use the M-audio as my main inputs then i feed out the lot into a TAC desk (love analogue mix & FX). I use 7 mics for drums, the 8th for Bass on initial recording. kick/snare/tom1/2/3/hats/overhead I have a set of Samson drum mics that were/are cheap as chips but never seen the need to replace them at all. Everyone's idea of a studio is different but as already suggested you can do it with an 8 I/O interface then simply mix to stereo.

You still looking?

Thats gorgeous... we should breed them and sell off the hofner cubs

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1497253295' post='3316744'] Pick or fingers? I find playing ska lines with a pick leads eventually to cramp, but the 14mm spacing on my Hofners makes playing it fingerstyle a mite tricky. [/quote] I have never used a pick to play bass, always used my fingers as it gives me more control over the sound. The tight spacing is quite a relief these days as i am a lazy player...

[quote name='luckman67' timestamp='1497210997' post='3316599'] Yes it's been retired from everyday use since 1998 but who knows as I get older (50 this year), & the Precision becomes to heavy to lift it may come out of retirement & become my main bass again. [/quote] Well this is what happened to me (now 55) I had a gorgeous 1978 P bass but I needed a forklift to pick it up, sounded great though. The Hofner is a perfect replacement for me for live work & Studio, sounds great with the traditional Ska music we play.

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1497201911' post='3316505'] Hate is probably too strong a word. They feel a bit toy like to me, or should I say they don't feel substantial. The string spacing, I'm purely a fingers player and although I can play them its still a bit cramped. There odd controls. There just not logical very un German lol. However there's a lot of things I do like about them. [/quote] Yes i get the weird controls, the spacing doesn't bother me, in fact it helps a lazy old git like me so I don't have to move too much..

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1497178553' post='3316285'] Lovely looking bass. I have a love/hate thing going on for hofners. I love there looks and that hofner tone. [/quote] Cheers, what do hate about them?

[quote name='luckman67' timestamp='1497181931' post='3316321'] That looks really nice hope you have many happy years with it, I've had my '64 500/1 for 29 years now & still love it. [/quote] Shame to see you have retired it....

The action on my Hofner violin bass is quite high but that gives it that sound IMO I'd leave it as it is if I were you. Mine sounds like an upright (kind of) which I believe was the whole original idea...

I purchased a poorly Hofner '64 Violin bass from Maut on this forum, had a lot of work done to it but finally it was used for its first gig in how many years I do not know, Maut? any idea? Well, the sound was legendary, it played like a high class whore wooing myself, band members & audience alike, so much mojo in the look and sound. Made my Markbass TA503 sing ... Brilliant gig in Hackney, absolutely rammed and outside was rammed too, everyone dancing, happy, sunshine.... Nice Debut. [attachment=247049:M1020214.jpg] My band is called The Mighty Cosmics, we play traditional Ska music and if you fancy catching us live we are playing at Beautiful Days Festival 19th August Saturday on the Little Big Top Stage, come and say Hi.

My HCT Hofner bass is undergoing a transformation now after I used the Pickups for my '64 (they are identical to the originals). I decided I either sell it or do something weird, so I have had it converted to a fretless and I am waiting for some Artec pickups for it, here are some photos, plays very nice. [attachment=245684:M1020215.jpg] [attachment=245685:M1020216.jpg] [attachment=245686:M1020217.jpg]

Happy Birthday BC

The BIG update is here. I have the bass back, it is 200% better than it was but due to a rise at the heel end of the neck it could not be done to Terry's satisfaction and as a result he did not charge me for the re-fret or the time spent.. It will need to have the rosewood taken off the neck, planed down and then reset again. I do not have the money for that right now but I WILL be getting it done by Terry. The P-Ups are dead so they will go away for a rewind in good time, until then, I have used the ones from my HCT and they are identical and sound GREAT. The action is well playable especially for traditional SKA it makes for a very 'upright' sound, I love it. Here are some photos, I bought Terry a very nice bottle of wine as a 'thank you', I have a lot of work done with Terry, he is always bang on the money & honest. [attachment=245477:M1020209.jpg] [attachment=245478:M1020210.jpg] [attachment=245479:M1020211.jpg] [attachment=245480:M1020212.jpg] [attachment=245481:M1020213.jpg] [attachment=245482:M1020214.jpg]

A rare shot myself (on Bass) playing with the Ska band The Cosmics at Blackheath festival 2016 [attachment=245459:475175266000274.jpg]

Update ... the neck is stuck solid and Terry does not want to chance causing more damage to the bass.. He has suggested, the bridge has a lot of meat on it and by straightening the neck and shaving down the bridge we could actually make it very playable, there is an upward bow at the heel that could be shaved down, however he says he has the action down to 2mm.... REALLY?... I will go to collect it Monday and he says if I'm not happy then we can trim down the heel a bit .. The electrics are working now, whoever tried to repair this made a royal pigs ear with it and in their genius have not wired the P-ups properly, DOH! so fingers crossed. Will update with photos tomorrow

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1494531795' post='3296829'] I believe it's a set neck, you should be fine. I don't think Hofner ever made bolt OBS. Blue [/quote] Yes it is a set neck but an attempt to re-set it before the person has used an epoxy resin making it very hard to remove. The normal process is to use steam to soften the glue and remove the neck, however, epoxy resin does not really soften, it's totally the wrong glue... no bolts required.