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[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230400834664&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url]

now im in 2 minds with these, are they cool or naff. lets face it, if you pull this out at a gig everyone will say hahaha mccartney.

im just not sure, plus how close are they to the originals, cos for 250 seems a bargain

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[quote name='munkonthehill' post='662179' date='Nov 22 2009, 10:08 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230400834664&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url]

now im in 2 minds with these, are they cool or naff. lets face it, if you pull this out at a gig everyone will say hahaha mccartney.

im just not sure, plus how close are they to the originals, cos for 250 seems a bargain[/quote]


I struggle a bit with all of these 60s guitars, Hofners, futuramas, Watkins Rapiers etc.
My first guitar was a hofner president, but i couldnt afford a proper gibson or fender at the time. I couldnt wait to get rid of it and buy a 'proper' instrument,

Now I see them up for silly money.

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First up, that's not a "proper" Hofner, like McCartney used to play. It's a Hofner Contemporary (CT) which is a licensed copy made in China. It has a central "sustain" block running through the body, which translates as [i][color="#8B0000"]it's way cheaper to build it this way but it doesn't sound the same and the balance is quite different.
[/color]
[/i]

Second, if you try to play this like a Fender or a Warwick then it will feel horrible, sound horrible, and generally be no fun at all. The feel of the neck will be weird, the string spacing far too narrow, the scale too short.

On the other hand, if you play it like a Hofner then it's a light-weight barrel of laughs, and capable of sounding really great and really cool. The neck is unbelievably easy to get around, it plays really well with either a pick or just your index finger, the controls are so bizarre that you'll smile every time you fiddle with them, and flatwounds sound superb.

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[quote name='Happy Jack' post='662229' date='Nov 22 2009, 11:02 PM']First up, that's not a "proper" Hofner, like McCartney used to play. It's a Hofner Contemporary (CT) which is a licensed copy made in China. It has a central "sustain" block running through the body, which translates as [i][color="#8B0000"]it's way cheaper to build it this way but it doesn't sound the same and the balance is quite different.
[/color]
[/i]

Second, if you try to play this like a Fender or a Warwick then it will feel horrible, sound horrible, and generally be no fun at all. The feel of the neck will be weird, the string spacing far too narrow, the scale too short.

On the other hand, if you play it like a Hofner then it's a light-weight barrel of laughs, and capable of sounding really great and really cool. The neck is unbelievably easy to get around, it plays really well with either a pick or just your index finger, the controls are so bizarre that you'll smile every time you fiddle with them, and flatwounds sound superb.[/quote]

So how exactly do you "play it like a Hofner"? I struggled during my recent flirtation with a (non Hofner admittedly. An Ibby AGB200) short scale semi with flats on. I think the lack of sustain foxed me. I Like the whole flatwounds, narrow neck, lightweight idea a lot if it could work for me.

I did like Captain Sensible's one with the silver sprayed top too.

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[quote name='MacDaddy' post='662436' date='Nov 23 2009, 10:13 AM']Interesting that Hofner managed to transcend the Gibson-copy label.[/quote]

I s'pose it was because Gibsons and other US instruments were so rare in the UK in the early 60's (due to eye-watering import tax), that few had ever seen an EB1. By the time people knew about them, Macca had already popularised the Hofner. First time I saw a picture I thought - "Blimey, Gibson did a Hofner copy?"

And original EB1's still pretty difficult to find - I've only ever seen one in the flesh and that was 20 years ago. They look so good with the 'banjo' tuners.

I won't say where in Denmark St I saw it because I don't want to upset you :)

Edited by skankdelvar
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[quote name='skankdelvar' post='662470' date='Nov 23 2009, 10:36 AM']I s'pose it was because Gibsons and other US instruments were so rare in the UK in the early 60's (due to eye-watering import tax), that few had ever seen an EB1.[/quote]

Hofner basses cost around £20, while the likes of Gibson basses cost over £60. Nuff said, when you're a scouse scally looking for a guitar.

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[quote name='noelk27' post='662529' date='Nov 23 2009, 11:45 AM']Hofner basses cost around £20, while the likes of Gibson basses cost over £60. Nuff said, when you're a scouse scally looking for a guitar.[/quote]

Sutcliffe paid £60 for his 500/5 because he bought it in Liverpool (from Hessey's, of course).

Macca didn't pay £60 for his 500/1 because he bought it in Hamburg, so he'll have paid in DeutschMarks.

I'll get my anorak.

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