Macca's Hofner

[12stringbassist]

I've had a Cort solid body violin bass since the mid 90's.
None of the Hofner issues!!

[naxos10]

I never had a violin bass but went for the Club.

I do like the look of that Cort without the Hofner chamfering 12stringbassist.

[Happy Jack]

10 hours ago, Grahambythesea said:

I don’t think the 500/1 was the cheapest model at the time, that would be the Senator. Single pickup, single cut away. Having said that he had his Rick stripped back to natural when I’m sure he could have bought another and plays a right handed Casino turned upside down. Perhaps we can call him frugal with his purchases.

According to a Selmer catalogue the 500/1 was 58gns and the Senator 38gns.

 

Macca's memory on this subject is not necessarily unreliable. Here's what he has actually said:

 

"I remember going along there, and there was this bass which was quite cheap. I couldn't afford a Fender. Fenders even then seemed to be about £100. All I could really afford was about £30 ... so for about £30, I found this Hofner violin bass. And to me, it seemed like, because I was left-handed, it looked less daft because it was symmetrical. Didn't look as bad as a cutaway which was the wrong way. So I got into that."

 

The 500/1 was never as cheap as £30 in the UK and the 500/5 famously played badly by Stuart Sutcliffe cost him the thick end of £65 from Hessey's in Liverpool a year or two earlier. On the other hand, do bear in mind that Macca bought his bass in Germany, without import taxes etc. In fairness to Macca, I can't remember how much I paid for basses 15 years ago, so I can't see any reason why we should all expect him to remember details of a single transaction from 60 years ago!

 

As to context, in April 1962 a full-time manual worker in the UK earned an average weekly wage of 312s 10d. For those not old enough to remember pre-decimal coinage, that's just over £15. It follows that Macca's bass cost him either two weeks' wages (by his own £30 account) or four weeks' wages (by the Selmer catalogue).

 

As at December 2021 the direct equivalent figure - and that's a pretty sweeping generalisation - was £548, so a like for like comparison might be somewhere between £1100 and £2200 for his bass. The higher of those two numbers is pretty much exactly what a brand new Hofner 500/1 '62 RI will cost you today.

 

[EBS_freak]

On 16/01/2022 at 19:09, merello said:

That's a thought - is he the musician with the lowest 'price of gear" to "earnings" ratio in history?

Andrew Lloyd webber? But then again, I would wager he has a fair few nice pianos.

 

Macca has a fair few high ticket items that would be even without the Beatle/Macca link - his 60 leftie les paul and elvis acoustic bass for starters. Again, there's his Wal to throw into the mix...

 

But if I was gonna guess... I would say Rihanna.

[Happy Jack]

11 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

But if I was gonna guess... I would say Rihanna.

 

My money is elsewhere ...

 

 

[EBS_freak]

Rihanna has reputed worth of 1.7 billion USD. I reckon even is she had a golden piano, the ratio would still be in her favour. 

[MacDaddy]

36 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

Rihanna has reputed worth of 1.7 billion USD. I reckon even is she had a golden piano, the ratio would still be in her favour. 

 

and the golden ratio (1.618) is pretty close to 1.7. Makes you think...

[EBS_freak]

1 hour ago, Happy Jack said:

 

My money is elsewhere ...

 

 

Jeez. So bad my right ear refused to acknowledge it.

[shoulderpet]

3 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

 

Macca's memory on this subject is not necessarily unreliable. Here's what he has actually said:

 

"I remember going along there, and there was this bass which was quite cheap. I couldn't afford a Fender. Fenders even then seemed to be about £100. All I could really afford was about £30 ... so for about £30, I found this Hofner violin bass. And to me, it seemed like, because I was left-handed, it looked less daft because it was symmetrical. Didn't look as bad as a cutaway which was the wrong way. So I got into that."

 

The 500/1 was never as cheap as £30 in the UK and the 500/5 famously played badly by Stuart Sutcliffe cost him the thick end of £65 from Hessey's in Liverpool a year or two earlier. On the other hand, do bear in mind that Macca bought his bass in Germany, without import taxes etc. In fairness to Macca, I can't remember how much I paid for basses 15 years ago, so I can't see any reason why we should all expect him to remember details of a single transaction from 60 years ago!

 

As to context, in April 1962 a full-time manual worker in the UK earned an average weekly wage of 312s 10d. For those not old enough to remember pre-decimal coinage, that's just over £15. It follows that Macca's bass cost him either two weeks' wages (by his own £30 account) or four weeks' wages (by the Selmer catalogue).

 

As at December 2021 the direct equivalent figure - and that's a pretty sweeping generalisation - was £548, so a like for like comparison might be somewhere between £1100 and £2200 for his bass. The higher of those two numbers is pretty much exactly what a brand new Hofner 500/1 '62 RI will cost you today.

 

Thank you for this post, so many misinformed sources on the web claiming that the Hofner was a cheapo budget bass which was never the case

[Hellzero]

Compared to a Fender, it was cheap at around one third of their selling prices.

 

Using an official inflation calculator (Bank of England), these mid April 1962 £30 GBP are worth today, mid January, roughly £700 GBP, which is certainly closer to the reality as an USA Fender bass is roughly costing £1500 GBP and was announced at £100 GBP mid April 1962, but according to the same inflation calculator, it now makes a rough £2300 GBP simply showing that instruments nowadays are way cheaper than in the 60's.

 

So this Höfner was definitely a cheap bass back in the day and is sold today at least 4 times what it should really cost !!!

 

Thanks Macca. 😉

[BigRedX]

TBH without the Paul McCartney link Hofner would probably have stopped making violin basses a long time ago.

[EBS_freak]

Just now, BigRedX said:

TBH without the Paul McCartney link Hofner would probably have stopped making violin basses a long time ago.

Hofner would have probably died altogether without the Macca link.

[Hellzero]

Thanks Macca. 😉

[binky_bass]

Just to chime in - I absolutely hate the Hofner 'violin' body shape! It is the ugliest major production body out there... The Fiat Multipla of the bass world. EVIL I tell thee!

 

There. Off I go!!!

[EBS_freak]

I love it.

But 100% behind you on the Multipla.

[shoulderpet]

1 hour ago, Hellzero said:

Compared to a Fender, it was cheap at around one third of their selling prices.

 

Using an official inflation calculator (Bank of England), these mid April 1962 £30 GBP are worth today, mid January, roughly £700 GBP, which is certainly closer to the reality as an USA Fender bass is roughly costing £1500 GBP and was announced at £100 GBP mid April 1962, but according to the same inflation calculator, it now makes a rough £2300 GBP simply showing that instruments nowadays are way cheaper than in the 60's.

 

So this Höfner was definitely a cheap bass back in the day and is sold today at least 4 times what it should really cost !!!

 

Thanks Macca. 😉

I dont know about that, I will agree it is too expensive as are most basses in that price range from other brands however I have played both the Mid priced Contemporary Hofner and the more expensive German made Hofner and imo they both compare favourably to offerings by other brands in the same price bracket, the construction on the German Hofners I have played has been top drawer.   

I strongly suspect that in keeping with the higher price nowadays they are probably better made than they were in the 60s

[Drax]

On 16/01/2022 at 19:09, merello said:

That's a thought - is he the musician with the lowest 'price of gear" to "earnings" ratio in history?

And ironically now the most valuable bass in the world. 

[iconic]

6 hours ago, Drax said:

And ironically now the most valuable bass in the world. 

That's his (sorry was) Yamaha BB1200, sold before Christmas for around 500k US🤓

[Bassfinger]

On 16/01/2022 at 22:34, Owen said:

While we are discussing the Macca/Hofner interface, any opinions on a cheap and cheerful functioning copy of one of these? I just fancy one. I have played one but cannot for the life of me remember what it was.

I got the Harley Benton Beat Bass.  Was looking at the Hofner ignition, Hofners own cheap copy of the original, but the HB sounded so similar as made no difference, was easily as well finished and was, most importantly, half the price.  I like to think that Cheapskate McCartney would approve of that!

 

It's not really my thing, but every Beatles fan bassist should own a violin bass.  I whip it out live (and the BeatBass) to play I Want To Hold Your Hand and thats about the only times it sees the light of day.

Edited January 21, 2022 by Bassfinger
Acheived Re-entry

[iconic]

1 hour ago, Bassfinger said:

I got the Harley Benton Beat Bass.  Was looking at the Hofner ignition, Hofners own cheap copy of the original, but the HB sounded so similar as made no difference, was easily as well finished and was, most importantly, half the price.  I like to think that Cheapskate McCartney would approve of that!

 

It's not really my thing, but every Beatles fan bassist should own a violin bass.  I whip it out live (and the BeatBass) to play I Want To Hold Your Hand and thats about the only times it sees the light of day.

Is the Beat Bass long scale? 

[Hellzero]

1 hour ago, iconic said:

Is the Beat Bass long scale? 

 

Nope, it's a 30.5 inches scale.

 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_beatbass.htm

Edited January 21, 2022 by Hellzero
Link added

[PaulWarning]

On 20/01/2022 at 09:16, Happy Jack said:

 

Macca's memory on this subject is not necessarily unreliable. Here's what he has actually said:

 

"I remember going along there, and there was this bass which was quite cheap. I couldn't afford a Fender. Fenders even then seemed to be about £100. All I could really afford was about £30 ... so for about £30, I found this Hofner violin bass. And to me, it seemed like, because I was left-handed, it looked less daft because it was symmetrical. Didn't look as bad as a cutaway which was the wrong way. So I got into that."

 

The 500/1 was never as cheap as £30 in the UK and the 500/5 famously played badly by Stuart Sutcliffe cost him the thick end of £65 from Hessey's in Liverpool a year or two earlier. On the other hand, do bear in mind that Macca bought his bass in Germany, without import taxes etc. In fairness to Macca, I can't remember how much I paid for basses 15 years ago, so I can't see any reason why we should all expect him to remember details of a single transaction from 60 years ago!

 

As to context, in April 1962 a full-time manual worker in the UK earned an average weekly wage of 312s 10d. For those not old enough to remember pre-decimal coinage, that's just over £15. It follows that Macca's bass cost him either two weeks' wages (by his own £30 account) or four weeks' wages (by the Selmer catalogue).

 

As at December 2021 the direct equivalent figure - and that's a pretty sweeping generalisation - was £548, so a like for like comparison might be somewhere between £1100 and £2200 for his bass. The higher of those two numbers is pretty much exactly what a brand new Hofner 500/1 '62 RI will cost you today.

 

so if the rest of the story is true, the owner of the store ordered him a special left handed one from the factory, I wonder if that was still £30?

[Grahambythesea]

No doubt £33, 10% extra for lefties!  As a left hander myself, I learned right handed to save the 10% - now that’s being a cheapskate!  🤣

[Nail Soup]

9 minutes ago, Grahambythesea said:

No doubt £33, 10% extra for lefties!  As a left hander myself, I learned right handed to save the 10% - now that’s being a cheapskate!  🤣

Interesting - the extra cost of being a leftie. 

What would you say is the typical average cost of being left-handed?

[Bassfinger]

23 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Compared to a Fender, it was cheap at around one third of their selling prices.

 

Using an official inflation calculator (Bank of England), these mid April 1962 £30 GBP are worth today, mid January, roughly £700 GBP, which is certainly closer to the reality as an USA Fender bass is roughly costing £1500 GBP and was announced at £100 GBP mid April 1962, but according to the same inflation calculator, it now makes a rough £2300 GBP simply showing that instruments nowadays are way cheaper than in the 60's.

 

So this Höfner was definitely a cheap bass back in the day and is sold today at least 4 times what it should really cost !!!

 

Thanks Macca. 😉

I don't know when it ended, but into the 60's there was quite a hefty taxon foreign made instruments imported into the UK, so stuff for sale on German soil would have been relatively inexpensive.

 

Of course, that to tax is long gone and is but one of the many reasons instruments to a today are so much more affordable.