How Hofner German Basses are made, an inside look at the building of a Hofner bass
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- Ever wonder how Hofner builds the Beatles Bass? Here's a very cool inside look at the hofner factory. Follow the construction of a violin bass from plywood selection, body construction, fingerboard construction, bass assembly, finishing and final inspection. Nice job Hofner !
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Gonna bookmark this video for two reasons. One, it's super satisfying to see these people at work. Two, you never know when you need the absolute shittiest possible instrumental versions of Beatles songs available.
Too funny. I thought the Rock and Roll intro was decent! I was wondering if the procedure is the same at all the different plants. I believe they still make them in Bavaria, I have a Tainwan model, and the Chinese are making one, all under license.
Hahaha!! You said it man!
I've heard worse. Usually from teen girl youtubers that still have like 167m subscribers because dudes are thirsty
That cracked me up haha
@@LeviBulger yeah and people that are full of themselves
It always amazes me to see people working so fast without a template.
The template is in their brain
Real craftsmen.
man when they say "handmade" they're not kidding.
pCeLobster now i get why are they so expensive lol
@@johnreview1 cuanto cuestan?
@@kairak2096 Bass ca. 350- Violin bass ca 2500-
@@rudigerczaschke970 dolares????
En que país?
What completely impressed me is the guy who's cutting the fret channels. Like what?!? No measuring?? That's craziness!
You can see that he smacks a template over the fingerboard. It probably left marks of some kind to guage the distances. I'm still impressed that he can cut square freehand (read, worried that he can't). Don't worry though, there's a hunk of rosewood with bits of fret wire stuck in it called a bridge that should fix any intonation issues (no it won't). Hofner was a budget brand after all.
I'm amazed at the number of things these guys can do with NO templates or markings, like when the guy cuts out the hole for the knobs. I guess that's how it goes after you do 10,000 or so.
@@jimdoyle1119 all the drilling is done with the bass body in a jig, it cuts out the wood the same way on every bass, no guessing.
@@elbowache Höfner Basses are fine the way they are.
Hofner did lower-end guitars, but aren't a budget brand - I have a President from 1957 with a carved spruce top and mother of pearl inlay on the headstock to prove it! Ever seen a Hofner Commitee or Golden Hofner from the 50's? Beautiful.
Two lessons learned:
1. If you do something enough times, you'll become an expert at it.
2. If you huff enough paint fumes, you'll think these versions of Beatles songs sound especially good overdriven.
Looking at the craftsmanship going into these basses, it's no wonder Macca's been on the road with his for longer than a lot of us have been alive. His Rick is cool, but I love the Beatle Bass.
Great Video, interesting to see how they are made.I have a true vintage model from 1957 with a three digit serial number and is still ninety five percent original and it still sounds wonderful
How much did it cost ?
It's staggering to think of all the great music that Paul McCartney made with this bass.
Always love the Hofner violin bass with its unique hollow, organic sound. I must admit, upon investigation of Beatles songs, I was surprised by the number to tunes where McCartney actually played the Rickenbacker. He seemed to imitate the hollow thump of the Hofner using the mute on his Rick (in addition to palm muting) and (Labella?) flat wounds. I've read were one reason he switched to the Rick was that early Hofner's suffered from intonation problems higher up on the neck. I believe the Rick sonically delivered a cleaner, brighter top end while still providing a deep, rich low end.
@@stillbill6408 Yes, he did a lot of stuff with the Ric, starting with a few on Rubber Soul, then Revolver, Sgt Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour are all Ric I believe. He says he likes the Hofner because it's very light. I've heard that too about Hofners, intonation problems but the bridge is not mounted to the body on those, i know his was way out on for example Don't Let Me Down. I owned one for a little while years ago and it was too dainty for me, wish I had kept it though.
@@G8GT364CI Yes I have heard him comment on the Hofner's light weight (Ricks are fairly heavy, 8~9 lbs.; I find it curious that he has not picked up the Rick {at least in public, to the best of my knowledge} since Linda's passing). I (unfortunately) have never had the privilege to play a Hofner and would love to own such an iconic instrument. My favorite is the deluxe model 5000/1 fretless which is both a work of art and is/would be the ideal instrument for a Jazz trio (drum kit, piano {or guitar} and bass). I just wish I had the chops (and bank) to justify such an instrument.
@@stillbill6408 I owned a 1967 Hofner 500/1 years ago, it felt almost like a toy to me but that was coming from a no name Japanese piece of crap with high action and big flat wound strings. Those 5000/ fretlesses are beautiful looking basses, expensive though as you say. The new Rics are a lot lighter than the older ones. I think he's stuck with the Hofner as part of his image whether he likes it or not. I like those H500 Stu Sutcliffe President reissues but they're $5500.00, but are beautiful basses.
@stillbill6408 he used thomastik infield flats on the Ricky I think. Or rotosounds, it's kinda hard to tell just by looking at them bc they both have the same color silks on the end
great to know they're still in business.
Nice to see a guitar that’s still made by craftsmen
It’s cool that they are still made exactly like they were in 1962.
15:05 It’s crazy that they put on the strings before they mount and drill for the pickup installation.
True craftsmanship at its absolute finest. Now that's German Engineering
What a wonderful video. One of my guitars is a Hofner verithin 1965, I've had it for 51years (bought it when I was 16 for £50 when it was only 2/3 years old) and it still gets played daily.
I had never realised just how much care went into creation of these marvellous instruments, I should really take better care of it ...
Lucky enough to have one of these beautiful instruments (a '63 500/1 reissue from 2003). It feels wonderful to play and I love the sound. It doesn't sound like any other bass I've ever owned or played (which is not that many, to be fair). Of course they aren't the most high-end basses and wouldn't be famous if it wasn't for Paul. But who cares? Just enjoy them for what they are - a wonderful unique instrument that gave the world so much through being a part of the Beatles sound.
donbradman334 😝 They're high end now.
I have a 80s vintage Hofmer E457 and appreciate the level of attention to detail in the construction of such instruments. It has been a joy to own and play for all these years!
Great craftmanship!
Great sounding bass!
I have one now and I had a 1961 cavern. I miss that one!
If one of you youtubers hates his hofner....give it to me!
The most Iconic guitar in the world.....
I love how 100% of the songs in this video are instrumental recreations of Beatles songs. Or in the case of 'Roll over Beethoven', a song the Beatles covered. I understand that the most famous person to have played a Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass Guitar was a member of The Beatles, but still.
We've got instrumental recreations of 'Roll over Beethoven', 'Get Back', 'And I Love Her', 'Let It Be', 'A Hard Day's Night', 'You've Got to Hide Your Love Away', and 'Love Me Do'. And of course, a video showing the mass production of one of the finest bass guitars in history! 😄
It’s just amazing to see the amount of time and effort put into just 1 of these legendary basses 😊 I mean u can also just imagine what universal changing songs Paul wrote and this bass ❤ Love u Paul ❤ THE BEATLES ARE THE GREATEST BAND OF ALL TIME❤❤❤❤❤❤
True. Even though The Beatles covered 'Roll over Beethoven', John Lennon was the primary composer of 'A Hard Day's Night' and sole composer of 'You've Got to Hide Your Love Away', and Paul McCartney used his Rickenbacker 4001S on 'Let It Be' instead of his Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass Guitar. In regards to the songs featured in this video.
@@c.syde65 YT Bot
@@BeatleLOVER I'm not a bot if that's what you're suggesting.
@@c.syde65 Such a weird question lol??? Like I’m talking about Paul and his hofner also I do know that stuff aswell and so do a lot of others soooo why are u telling me about it…..??? Like there’s probs another comment that’s related to ur rEpLy?, lol
@@c.syde65 I find that hard to believe:/
I've owned a few Hoffner basses over the years, never really thought about how much time went into their construction. I'm far more impressed with them now.
While I understand that experience gives a craftsman certain abilities, watching the fellow doing the fret work by eyesight and no templates, geeze...
I was also struck by the soundtrack, Hoffner knows exactly which band put them on the map! I really enjoyed this video, thanks for sharing!
That’s what I thought at first too, but if you look closely before he cuts the frets out he lays a board on top and presses it down onto the fretboard and leaves impressions for the cuts he’s to make. Still pretty impressive that they’re cut almost freehand, though.
Thought I might have got bored after watching it a few minutes, How wrong I was, fascinating to see these craftsmen at work,Thank you for the privilege !!
Eieio
I worked on Beatle basses when I repaired guitars in the late 1970’s and 1980s and thought at the time that they were kind of crude compared to Gibsons and Fenders. In the age of hard rock, they just didn’t fit in. Now with a greater appreciation for Paul McCartney’s baselines and how the Hofner Violin bass can be easier to play those bass lines works than a P-bass I want one.
Sorry Paul started using the Rick 4001 in 1965 on Rubber Soul, then in late 67, early 68 started using a Fender Jazz,and the Rick on the White Album.
Basically 63-64 is the only time he used the Horner with the EXCEPTION of Let It Be … Im quite sure Michelle was the first tune he used the 4001 on, then he stayed with it until 69 for the Let It Be film, which makes sense as they were going to perform, and Paul I’m sure loved standing playing the Hofner over the heavier Rick-Fenders.
But ALL of Abbey Road is Rick, and Fender basses …
@@jacquescousteau217 Yup.
@@jacquescousteau217 great comment!
@@G8GT364CI thanks for your comment.it’s just my opinion that the Hofner works better for McCartney’s baselines than a P-bass, not all music by any means. To be clear I love the Fender Precision Bass. I used to own an original 1956 Precision bass and still have a 1990”s P-bass. I’ve also owned a Ric 4003. My opinion is that the narrower 1.88” width and 30” scale length of the Hofner may make it easier to play many of Sir Paul’s bass lines than the wider 2.54” width and longer 34” scale length of the Precision bass. For the record, the Rickenbacker 4001 and 4003 that Sir Paul played later in his careerboth have a width of 2.12” which is over 3/8” narrower than the P-bass. Be safe and well.
@@spitfirekid1 OK, I didn't know what you meant, I mostly play Rics and Fenders too. A lot of his more intricate stuff was played on the Ric though, i believe, all of Sgt Peppers for example. He does do some cool stuff with the Hofner though. "Don't Let Me Down" was always one of my favorites and it sounds great on The Ballad of John and Yoko". I love the sound of the early records especially on Meet The Beatles. "This Boy" has a great tone and line.
Wow...precision hand work
WHY are they so damned EXPENSIVE??? I bought a Hofner Club Bass in 1964 for $65.00 INCLUDING a hardshell case; and a six-string Galaxie Bass in 1966 for $75.00! I still have both, and they look and sound MARVELOUS!!!!
ever heard of the beatles? as paul made the bass/brand popular, the demand grew and thus the price, especially for instruments that are labor intensive and handcrafted like the beatle bass. anyone can make a solidbody p bass copy, but ask a luthier to make you a copy of your club bass? will cost ten times what hofner charges.
1973 manchester music store, saw a sixties Beatle bass for thirty pound on the wall .I had 40 pound on me ,thought awww gonna have that. As I walk towards it fella from the shop steps up, pulls it from the wall and takes to to the fella who saw it 5 minutes before me , was I pissed off ?.
wouldn't germany joining the e.u. and replacing the deutchmark for the euro account for its prici hike ?
Dentists and lawyers.
良いものを見させていただきました。
ありがとうございます。
German engineering ..very precise , a quality bass .
I thought my Hofner was expensive but not after seeing all the labor that goes into making one!
Great soundtrack 👍👍👍
I bought a 64' Hofner in Germany for $50. Classic !
I bought one of these Reissues for $1200 Second Hand about 14 years ago...unfortunately neither of us did anything for the survival of this company..if I was wealthy I would buy a few as gifts. Love em.
@@merseybeat1963 You really love this bass? I like the looks of them for nostalgic reasons but I don't like their tone. I played in a classic rock and country band in the 90's and our bassist played one of these Hofners. Me and the drummer called him 'No Tone Pete'. The best thing about this bass is that it is so light. I'm sure that was a big part of McCartney purchasing this bass. All those long nights in Hamburg would have been murderous with a heavier instrument. Hofner has McCartney to thank for them selling so many bass guitars.
@@ktcarl Hi...McCartney said he bought the Hofner at the time because it was cheaper than the other bass he liked.
McCsrtney has a nice tone that's for sure. Maybe the Horner Pete had was another model or it was his amp..Hofner had a few cheaper Violin basses..The guy that played bass with us had a Les Paul Recording Bass it really wasn't very good..we loved this guy and my brothers and I chipped in and bought him a really good used Alembic Bass. I hadn't played with him for over a decade and he visited us at our Christmas party and we played some for the folks..so he used my reissue Hofner Bass.
He said he had an off brand knock off like it but that it sucked compared to this.
@@merseybeat1963 Our bass player had a Fender 300W bass amp. The amp was more than capable. I’ve just heard many bass guitars better than that Horner.
@@ktcarl seguro lo ecualizo mal
Wow. Craftsmen at work.
I had one built in 1966. Nice bass…. I sold it to a guy that had all the other Beatle’s guitars and Ludwig drum kit set up on a stage like they were on a break.
Hand craftsmanship at it's finest.
Very instructive and entertaining to a would-be maker! Thanks!
Wow....That is a lot of work and really hand made Bass....! NICE work everyone.
Good one .
beautiful !!
THAT was very satisfying. Thank you,
The violin gives nice sound of The Beatles songs
I'm singing along. "HEY! You've got to hide your love away!"
in about 1986 I bought a vintage used Hofner viol bass in a shop for $300. USD, I was going to Berklee and it was a great instrument for college because it weighed so little, and sounded great, easy to play, loved it. it had a crackled finish but I didn't mind, the fretwear wasn't bad for its age, probably had flatwound strings on for most of its life. I moved to Japan in 1990 and sold it. kicked myself, now it's easily worth 2 grand. meanwhile I became the understudy bassist for a Beatles tribute act, Afterfab, who play the music they released after they broke up, so I went into the same store, Mr Music in Boston, and bought a brand new Hofner, for $300. >.< it's great, I love it, but I wish I'd kept that antique one.
Great, Paul McCartney should go see how they made his precious Höfner bass.
this would be the best job!!!
That's why every violin bass at store is different from each other.
I had no idea there was so much hand work, I was expecting automated assembly lines with robots.
I want an Ignition one for now, then when I get older I can hopefully get a German one.
A great Bass!! Gracias!!
9:57 = ZERO FRET, baby!!!
+M Gentry ok
Yeah, the German made Höfners have zero frets. The Indonesian ones have nuts as basses in general.
@@lordisern3024 the ignition woods are made in China now.
I have never seen someone so excited over a subjective feature
Clearly you have no idea what it does; so I’ll let this one slide. 🙄
These basses are superb. I use mine an awful lot. The cheaper models do not hold a candle to the German made ones in craftsmanship or sound. I have used German Höfners on many genres of music from country to jazz to rock here in Nashville. I heard Tom Petty was also a huge Höfner fan and had a few...
Well....Now we know why they cost as much as they do.
kegyud O really...? Plywood, machined necks... I think I've got a better deal with my Ignition...
@@martijnvandenakker803 nope. Your ignition has a center block, completely different sound, much easier to manufacture. Still a decent sounding bass, but it's just not the same as a full hollowbody. I got a '67 500/1 and the sound is so woody and organic, nothing like what you hear on most basses today, even the semi-hollows.
And it has to be plywood, they made the first ones carved, but they are very fragile and need expensive repairs, and don't sound any better.
@@34672rr Also, the way the pickups were designed, they were a bit microphonic back in the day, so the nuances of the body construction and resonance really matter in the final sound coming from it. Newer production pickups are usually thoroughly potted for consistency, and that removes some of the liveliness and character from the sound too, though the process does make them more stable and controllable at high volume/gain.
Martijn van den Akker The Ignition is horrible lmao
wiremessiah Nope, the Ignition is fully hollow, like the German. The Contemporary has a sound block.
This video was so through and interesting. I had no idea there was so much work done by hand. It's like old school craftsmanship. The kind you can't get any more. But maybe you can. :-)
Exquisite!
Impressive
I need to get one of this before I die.
Did you get it
me too but i must hurry because i'm 67!!!
Paul McCartney has single handedly kept this company in business for 60 yrs
Thank you sooo much!
It´s great!
That was FAB !!!
Spectacular! True artisans!
Paul McCartney bought his first hofner violin bass for 30 British Pounds in 1961 which is equivalent to today's 600 British Pounds. Today that bass is 2200 Pounds.
We are not sure when Hofner made this but we were told it was several years ago.
Wow, was completely blown away, mesmerized, watching this video!! Talk about German skill-crafts..just incredible!! I still own a '65 500s/1 Beatle Bass, bought used at Sam Ash in Hempstead L.I, NY...needs a tremendous amount of restoration work to be performed on her. Don't know if it would be worth it, or if I even can find a good luthier to repair it..It's all together, but very un-playable. Wish I could take it back to this factory/plant, and have these skilled German-boys "rebuild" it for me...Any suggestions out there would be welcome. The bass was bought in Dec 1966 for $169 w/ hard case..Got lots & lots of gig hrs. on her!!..
If you were in Ohio, I'd tell you to bring her to me! I'd love to restore an old Hofner. I've been doing a lot of vintage restorations lately. 65 Jazz bass, 1947 Gibson L7, 66 Gibson J-40, 63 Tele, and quite a few other less notable models. As a luthier and a bass player with a love for Hofner's, that would be right up my alley.
@@NautilusGuitars Wow, sounds great, but I'm in E. Central Miss..I'll think of something..thnks..!!
Beautiful to watch such skill!
This programme is wonderful, exceptional, unique and you should all be proud of your efforts. I live on the driest continent, Australia and I know the value of water, especially tank water. But I’m reality, it is all really ‘tank water,’ or at least finite. Clean potable water is precious and we can not afford to waste a drop. On these advertisements I see faucets that are too big for the containers they are trying to fill, the water wastage as it spills is painful to watch. Please buy some cheap plastic funnels, I see far too much water being wasted on these ads.
A special thank you to Meister Tylo Haag, who hancrafted mine.
LaBella 760FHB2 Beatle Bass Flat Wound Light Electric Bass Strings sound great.
I have a 64 all original even the Selmer case, well battered, the case not the guitar, had it since 1970. My prize posession.
Thanks for the comment. We were also wondering how they picked the songs but they do go well with the video.
rocknrollvintage - Do u think that I can order this Hofner bass, lefthanded with 3 Custom futures:
1. Rectangular fret markers( abalone or preload) instead of dot markers.
2. Running keys with bigger buttons.
3. Front strap bottom, since the last bass I’ve checked at a store didn’t have it?
:) Have both violins, 500-1 , 63 reissue and Cavern
Makes me want one real bad.
Used to play one of those in 1968...
.
i just purchased a german built 500/1 64 and paid £1600 from new it was b grade but looks absolutely perfect the full price is about £2400 but compared to high end american guitars they are reasonably priced and hollow bodied instrument are more labour intensive so to me they are not overpriced
That Get Back is a smoke show.
its ...."Groucho Marks Does the Beatles!" (on original instruments)
We actually have a few limited edition 61 cavern reissues arriving soon (left and right handed models). They are only building a few. Drop us an email or give us a shout for details !
really interesting video :)
très beau travail ; cette guitare emblématique des Beatles (Mc Cartney ) est superbe . Bravo
Fine piece of german engineering, i say.
Funny how the bass itself wasn't used in the songs. But awesome video btw.
Of course the whole soundtrack is Beatles songs. This might be one of the most successful endorsements of all time.
only my opinion: had Staple bass and Blade bass. liked the sound of the Blade better. i used round wounds, it had some real punch! even recorded in a studio with that set up. sounded killer diller!
Amazing craftsmanship! Is that a mother of pearl hammer head I see??
Just like MIC!
3:00 Watching the tail block get cracked,,,hmmm...
glued immediately
wow !
great deal for the money. I wish they weren't so unbalanced and neck heavy. Paul would sometimes attach the strap to the headstock to compensate but that always looks weird.
I was thinking the same thing... I don't care how practiced you are lol.. You can't eyeball frets. :-P Maybe there was a pencil mark or somethin' we can't see?
When going for the 60's vintage, it cost a couple thousand. The Ignition series were cheap around less than 500
so thats how my baby was made
At least they’re not trying to exploit the fact Paul McCartney played a Hofner or anything. Mighty nice of them.
I don't even care for the beatles more than the average person, I want one of these now just because of how they're made.
I want to see how they do the relic version
This video would've been so much better with just shop noise and without the crappy crappy instrumental cover! Oh, did I mention crappy instrumental cover?!
I forgot to mention, crappy instrumental cover...
i wouldlike to work there...
The hofner bass was used in Get Back so you're wrong! Does anyone know who the Get back version on the video is by?
These basses are made in Germany.
Those instrumental covers were made in Korea.
were is Paul Mc Cartney??
they rock
The oblong hole cut for the knobs is not needed.
A couple of F-shape holes instead
would really help the aesthetic, and maybe the tone!
Controls don't need to penetrate the body.
If I can get a custom job...
wow! someday i'm gonna own me one of these German made Hofner (Sir Paul "Beatles" McCartney) 500/1 electric bass! then i'm done perchasing bass guitars i think...