Hofner 500/2 Club Bass

Manufactured 2004, Germany
Standard Sunburs Finish
Bullet case
I love the new Bullet Case, its sturdy, pretty, and cool!

This piece sounds exacly like it should, being a Hofner. I replaced the stock flatwound strings with round-wounds of the same guage, because I like a brighter sound, with more definition when I need it. I love the tone of a Hofner when played live, and it always gets [positive] comments. Everything works as it 'should'.

I asked Gary at North Coast Music to carefully select a guitar for me that he would add to his own private collection. I was anxious about possible QC irregularities based on some other reviews. This particular bass came to me as close to PERFECT as I could have hoped! I was elated when i took it out of the case. The finish is glossy and perfect, the setup was superb, action is perfect, and there is NO FLAW on this guitar. Its collector-perfect, but I intend to gig with it anyhow!! Thats what its for!

Typical to all Hofner basses, the tuners are wimpy, and the switches and pots are not really made to last through lots of exerciese, so, we'll be careful with it. Its really a piece of art, almost as lovely as my PRS. (now THERE is perfection)
Actually, I 'forgot' to tune it last gig, because it did not need it. I have always been proud of my Warwick for being rock-solid and staying in tune, and it looks like the Hof' will be just like it. I swapped the buttons for strap-loks, even though this guitar is feather-light. Also, I'm using the original skinny strap that Paul used, its great.

Its just a little strange being constrained to dealing in email-only mode with NCM, but its ok with me. Gary is prompt and thorough with his responses, and he really did give a great price, and shipped a "perfection" instrument. I'd recommend NCM Every TIME !!

I started playing bass in 1967 as a 7th-grader. The second bass I ever owned was an almost-new 66 Club! I've had many many basses since then. For some reason I wanted a Club again. Finally Hofner reissued the Club Bass so I could buy one!
My other basses include a '91 Warwick Streamer 5, which I'll NEVER sell, and a Knilling upright. If I lost this Hofner, I'd replace it asap, and PRAY that it would be as nice as this one. Others in my collection include: 91 Taylor 810, 2003 American Tele, 94 PRS Custom 22.
If you're of slight frame, I can recommend Hofner basses because they are short-scale, and VERY light, and high quality, for the price. The other cool thing is the 'blood-line' back to McCartney's early days of the Beatles. It has a great sound, variety of tones, plays like butter, and its just COOL in a funky-retro way.

2003 hofner club ( reissue )- made in germany - 3 peice neck ( maple beech maple ) , nice wood ,staple pickups , passive electronics ,holoow body les paul type shape 30" scale ( short scale ) ... nice and lite

sound is great ! when it first arrived it came with flat wounds from the factory , which gave it limited tones , but i put some round rounds on which gave many more tone variations , i use an eden 300wt head and an eastern acoustic works cab with 2 15" speakers , every bass sounds good through my setup , but this bass howls thru my amp , i mean actual feedback like ted nugent ...really cool , if your a slapper you will not care for the tone

when i first bought the bass , it came with very high action , so i really didn't like the bass at first , i had the action lowered at a local store ( as low as they could because the pickgaurd has a little metal spacer that keeps the bridge a certain distance from the pickgaurd itself ) the action is still not as low as i like it but it's got such a great feel , it's still the most comfortable bass i own ( i also own a 1974 fender jazz , a 1971 gibson les paul triumph bass and a yamaha bx1 bass )

the bass comes with the strap holder on the side , so you have to install it on the bass , which i thought would be easy but as i was screwing it in the end cap plate came off becuase the screw was going nowhere ( because there was a knot in the wood right where i was putting the screw ) it's a very delicut instrument , i treat it like gold , so i wouldn't be throwing it around a stage or anything , seems pretty solid ( for a hollow body )

never had to deal with them , i bought the bass from hofner heaven , in minnesota .....nice people , good prices

been playing it for about 9 months now , the more i play it , the more i love it , i wasn't very happy at first , now i'm so glad i bought it

This review is for a current-production model. In my 37 years of abusing the electric bass this is exactly the third one I've ever seen in person. The first was in Cleveland in 1968 (Hello People) and the second was in New York in 1982 (Talking Heads). My Hofner Club Bass was made in Germany, and I bought it from J. Hale Music in Wisconsin. It is exactly like a Beatle bass except for the body shape. The Club Bass is a short-scale (30") instrument of amazing power and tone. The body sides and back are maple, and the carved top is German spruce. The neck is a three-piece lamination of maple and poplar. The fretboard is rosewood; the frets are very thin and extremely well-dressed. The brige is ebony with adjustable saddles. There are two hum-cancelling-type pickups, one at the end of the 22-fret neck, and the other about one inch away from the bridge. The tuners are straight from the '60's guitar vibe, and the finish is brown sunburst done in a very light lacqer. The bass came in a really nice aluminum case with keys and with a supple cleaning cloth. The instrument has a strap button at the bottom end by the tailpiece, but no strap button by the neck. There is room for a leather thong under the fingerboard to tie to the strap end.

As delivered, the strings were typically European horrible. A new set of La Bella's transformed the instrument. My band is not a Beatles tribute. That said, this bass when played through an old Sunn 200S/1X JBL E145-8 really does the effect on old Beatles and 'Stones tunes. In fact, it sounds really great for playing YES stuff. The pickups are dead quiet; the body is truly hollow and it is possible to obtain interesting interaction with the amplifier. There are only volume and pickup selection controls. No tone controls. The sound is too cool for tone pots. The sound is wooden and dark, with a great attack. Listen to "Baby You're A Rich Man" by the Beatles. Each pickup has its own volume control, and between the two there are good tonal variations. Listen to "Long Distance Runaround" by Yes. Flatwounds. The bass is really light and small as compared to a Precision Bass, and it does take a different attitude to play. I really like the tone and ease of playing; I dislike the lack of a neck strap button. This bass is easier in the studio, but the stage look is killer vibe.

As delivered the action was superb. But the OEM strings sucked. The La Bella strings didn't change the action and sound great. This instrument has a laminated neck and superlative construction and materials. The bass arived with the pickups properly adjusted and the bridge in tune. The finish is flawless. It's a looker. Mechanically and electrically it's just what one expects from a front-line German product.

The bass is very light at a little over 4 pounds. It has held up well the few times I have taken it to work; it stays in tune and sounds just fine. Just dont step on it. It's a hollow body. The hardware is fine. Don't give one to an infant - that's what Squier is for. The 500/2 Club Bass is not a tank. Play your heart out on it, but don't pull a WHO!

n/a

Been playing too long - about 37 years. I own and play a Fender Precision Bass and a Carvin BB75F. The Hofner has taken its place in my "use 'em out" stable. It's neat to have a live-wire bass with good flatwound strings to compliment the more contemporary instruments. Obviously this bass ain't for everyone. But for what it does, it's the real deal for a lot less than a Beatle bass (and I think looks a lot cooler). Both eye and ear candy. I would never hesitate to replace it. Peace.

This is a brand new Hofner 500/2 Club Bass. Don't see many of them around. It is set up exactly like a Beatle Bass, but with a slightly larger (LP shape) body; 30" scale; volume control for each of the two pickups (no tone controls) and on-off switches for the pickups and a "rhythm-solo" switch. Each pickup has a volume control pot. Set neck, maple body/spruce top. Guitar-type machines. Three-piece laminated neck. Very Euro vibe. Mine came with a cheezy aluminum-colored case and a monogrammed wipe cloth.

A big ten. This short-scale bass is absolutely remarkable for the focus and depth of the pitches/sound. Very woody. Nails the "Baby You're A Rich Man" sound when played with a pick. For that matter, it nails pretty much the Chris Squire catalog. I have used this bass with a Sunn 300T/4X10; a Sunn 200S/1X15; an Ampeg BA-115. The '60's sound is so there. It really does the hi-fi thing to the hilt. This bass sounds just superb.

From the dealer the bass was set up just to my liking. The action is low, but not so low as to have fret buzz. This bass is really easy to play; a girl could do it. The fit and finish are perfect. This is a first-class instrument.

dunno. I played it the other night, but that's just once. No problems, and great sound. I'll let ya know.

Like Ted Kennedy wasn't driving!

Been playing about 37 years, many of them pro. This Club Bass is very very cool. The neck is a little small, but there is no other way to get the tone this instrument offers. I would replace it immediately. Try a Dunlop .073 pick. It could maybe use a tone pot, but it just sounds so great that ain't a big issue. No strap button at the neck; you need to either use old stuff or improvise. I'm actually going to have a strap made here in Memphis. I wish Hofner made one in 34" scale. If you play jingles (oh, I forgot about the computers) this bass can sound exactly like every commercial/TV theme you've ever heard. This is a bass for thinking players, as opposed to illiterate kids just waiting to abuse the world. Mine is the third one I've ever seen. Tina Weymouth played one. This is a great bass.