Hofner Icon B Bass

Hofner Beatle bass or to give it its correct model name 500/1.
All the spec has been covered in various reviews but mine came without a hard case even though it was new. It seems that these were for the USA market only except that probably due to the credit crunch about 100 have found there way to good old Blighty at stupidly cheap prices. I paid 250 sterling for mine a bargin I thought for something with the Hofner name on it OR MAYBE NOT please read on.

Sound before Action and Fit, oh well good news first.
The two passive pickups are ment to look like the staple pickups on the original version they are a different size and fit though but they give a very good bass thump and for cheap passive pickups and are VERY loud. Some people have said this bass is a one trick pony but it depends on a couple of variables. First the original equipment roundwound strings in the Treble position are VERY twangy. The Black tape wound strings that I fitted still give some Treble but kick the balls out of the bass settings and with both pickups on can be quite awesome. I'm not sure what bridge the chinese have been using but my bridge takes 115 Rotosound tape wounds OK it's tight but they fit and work DO USE SHORT SCALE strings though. Sounds like an original Hofner, sort of , but I think most people will like the sounds anyway.

Ah yes Action,Fit and Finish!
Warning to UK buyers this is not a GERMAN spec Hofner. You do not get ??1800 worth of bass for ??250. Mine had flaws all over the place, laquer overspray on the binding, the brdige look like it was whittled from a piece of drift wood and it feels cheap and nasty, BUT it has Hofner written on the headstock. You will have to adjust the bridge and intonation, fit better strings and at worse have to adjust the truss rod. I was lucky and mine seems ok. OK is it worth changing the parts over for geniune Hofner ones, probably not most the stuff don't fit directly onto to Icon series but with a bit of time and money it is possible to upgrade. Bridge ??22 Tailpiece ??35 Teacup knobs ??22 pair Trussrod cover ??5, the cream switches can come as a package with the knobs and plate pre-wired for ??100 but it's not a direct fit.I can't believe Hofner puts it's name to this bass
if Fender did this to a budget Squier questions would be asked. Maybe it makes you want to own a real German one. Finally you could just leave it all as it is smile because you only paid ??250 for a Hofner Violin bass and hang it on the wall as a tribute to Sir Paul, I'm toying with adding an active EMG 2 band preamp control setup could this be the first ACTIVE Beatle bass, watch this space.

I probably would use it in the studio or at home, I put straplocks on mine because I do on all my basses. It might be reliable live but I think I would have a spare just in case, something I wouldn't do with my USA Fender Precision.

I do all my own repair and setup work and there are a couple of places that do spares, so I haven't needed to contact them.

It says HOFNER on the headstock, people will always asume you brought some expensive vintage guitar. You didn't you get what you pay for, it's cheap and tacky has very few genuine German features apart from the shape but it sounds and plays OK depending on how you set it up. I will probably keep mine and probably upgrade it some more for ??250 I'm not that bothered thats it's not original because it wasn't original in the first place.

I won't go into all the features as they are listed below in another review. However, I will say that the pickups are close copies of the mid to late 60's Hofner "staple" pickups (as opposed to the wider and shorter length pickups of Sir Paul's Hofner). I give this category an 8 for providing the cosmetics and features of the more expensive 500/1 at such a bargain price.

I really like the sound of the pickups. Very rich with the supplied roundwound strings. I also purchased a set of Fender flatwounds but discovered that a .105 will not fit in the tailpiece. AllParts makes a replacement bridge for the Hofner that I've considered purchasing but don't know if it will accept a .105 either. But that said, Paul played a lighter set which I believe ended at a .90 gauge. So to be true to the Beatles sound, that would be the direction to go in (I wasn't aware of the gauge restriction of the tailpiece or Paul's personal preferences when I ordered the Icon).
The tone switches were a little baffling at first but enable bright tones as well as a rich, full tone.
Primarily a guitarist, I'm using the Hofner for home recording. It certainly fills the bill in this category. It is quiet and amazingly responsive. I wouldn't have any issue with taking it to a live gig either. For the price of the Icon and the quality of its sound, I give it a 10.

When I received my Icon from a well known online music store I had to pull the rear pickup to see why it couldn't be lowered. I discovered that the lower tab of the pickup was resting above the body and had to be reinserted into the pickup cavity. Once this was done the pickup could be adjusted easily. If you're having similar trouble, check that out.
I wish that the color had more brown in it but overall the finish is very nice and will mellow with the years as have my other instruments.

When the Icon arrived it had a nasty back bow to the neck which I attribute to the various climates it traveled through. I had a bit of trouble getting the truss rod to loosen up which caused some anxious moments. Once finally loosened the neck responded and I was able to correct the bow. With the string height set and the neck straightened it plays very sweet with no rattles or buzzes. The intonation was right on from the factory. The slim neck and short scale make it a very comfortable bass to play.

I expected finish and hardware flaws with an instrument in this price range and mine was no exception. The tailpiece has a gouge in the outside wire where the wire crosspiece is soldered. It almost looks like a misplacement of the crosswire and resoldered to correct. It's not horrible, but noticeable. The mother of toilet seat plastic under the controls needed resanding on the edges to clean up bits of dangling plastic. One screw hole had been drilled twice as upon removal of the control panel you could see where the first drilling missed the wood in the corner of the cavity. No big thing unless examined closely. Where the binding butts together there are some coloration issues with areas of white against the yellowed binding. Again, these are minor issues and do not detract from the overall appearance of the Icon.
The back of the bass is nicely flamed and the spruce grain looks nice on the top.
One change I made right away was to order the Hofner teacup knobs (which fit perfectly) to replace the small black ones. Next I masked off the control panel and sprayed the slider switches. I used gray primer first followed by two coats of white enamel. It now has a more authentic look which really
makes a difference. A quick and easy fix to get away from the import look.

The Icon is light and does have a sort of fragile feel to it but I wouldn't be afraid to take it to a gig.
The hardware seems o.k. (except for the above mentioned tailpiece issue which I'll eventually correct with a replacement). This is not a bass that you'd want to thrash about to say the very least.
The finish seems thick and looks like it will stand up well. I had no loose hardware problems with Icon save the rear pickup which had popped out of the cavity on one side. The tuning heads seem tight and have posed no issues so far.
I'm keeping an eye on the neck after adjusting it but it seems stable so far.
Treated with respect I think the Icon should deliver many years of service.

I noticed that the Icon was delivered without any documentation, guarantee or contact information. That doesn't bother me though. A person would have to rely on the entity from which it was purchased for any service. I figure for the price, if the issue wasn't something I couldn't handle myself or a local luthier, it probably isn't worth jumping through the hoops to get something fixed. But that's my opinion. I'm putting this as a five as I don't know how the store I purchased from or Hofner would respond to issues.

I remember seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan when I was in grade school and just being jazzed by them. My brother and I immediately drew out John and George's guitars on a piece of plywood, cut them out, put string on them and acted out their songs to the record player. The next year I got my first real guitar(Kay archtop)and have been playing ever since. I've never lost that initial impact of the Beatles and was thrilled when Hofner introduced the Icon. I just love looking at the bass as well as playing it. Now that I've doctored up the knobs and switches it's even better.
I would definitely replace it if it were stolen. The Icon is a real bargain. It plays and sounds as well as it looks. If you are capable of doing your own setup (neck, bridge, pickups) and have the Hofner jones, you can't go wrong at this price. For the visual punch, the great price, the sound and playability....even with the minor glitches, I have to give the Icon a 10.

A lot of early reviews talked of bad electronics. The panel with the buttons and knobs faces toward you when you play...the Rogue's panel faced away which may have caused some of the confusion for owners early on. But the electronic set up is fine. Haven't adjusted the pick ups yet as I am happy with the sound so far...the neck is so much faster than the Rogue...it's really unbelievable...I'm jealous of the guy who got a case with his...that was a one off deal according to the salesman...but I did get a $50 discount due to an advertising error so that can go for the case later on! Anyone want to buy a Rogue??? I believe this is a 31" scale which makes it a little taller than the Rogue which was 30" back when I bought mine. The baby Hofner is longer, sleeker and more elegant...and the Chinese construction...well...if it's good, I got a good one!

Rich and much fuller sound than the Rogue...more crisp and defined, as well. The pick ups and the wood are the difference I think. I have the Ampeg BSE 410HLF cabinets with an late 80's SVT 200T head. With EQ this monster booms. I don't play live but I'm dying to get to my studio and record with it. The Hofner name, regardless of where it was made, obviously has it sonic stamp on this machine...and for the price you really will not believe it.

Agree wholeheartedly with everyone on this...same things, too. Lower the bridge, adjust truss rod, replace strings...I like the Fender flatwounds...it looks expensive...the browns and sunburst finish with the gold frets...a thing of beauty. Make sure you get the .95 E string or it won't go in the tailpiece completely.

The pearloid tuning keys seem a bit fragile but that's because I am not used to them, I think. The finish was off in a place or two but for the price...I'm not looking at it...I'm playing it.

Not necessary

Playing 40+ years...I wanted THIS guitar when I bought the Rogue...and the Hofner mark really beats the wannabes hands down. The pick ups, the color, the action (the neck is so slim compared to the Rogue)the sound, the weight (the Rogue feels like a tree by comparison...at least 5 lbs. less)and, as some have noted, the logo!

This is a Beatle Bass, short scale, set neck, hollow body, two humbucker pickups. If you don't know the features of this bass, search for "early Beatles" on Google or something.


I'll give it a ten because it's the most convincing of the China Beatle bass knock offs. Look at a picture of McCartney with his, and you'll see just a few differences. I wish they could have put some teacup knobs on it, though.

Well, lets see... Dark, deep, monster thud... Yep, it's a Hofner alright. I put on some LaBella Beatle Bass flat wounds as soon as I could. I leave the roundwound sounds for my Fender Jazz bass.

I love the sound for what it is. It's another tool in my arsenal, but I wouldn't want it to be my primary bass.

I rate it a nine because it satisfies my craving for thump.

I bought it from a mega online retailer with a poor, poor setup. It played out of the box, but that's about all you can say for it. Nothing was adjusted, I think it left China as just an assembled collection of parts.

After I set it up, however, it's amazingly great. Small tweak on the truss rod, and I lowered the bridge. The strings didn't line up with the pickup poles, so I had to move the little saddle on the E string. Adjusted the pickups to 3/32". Wow. It plays real nice now.

One last thing: the truss rod cover screw doesn't screw all the way flush with the headstock. IOW, it swings freely from side to side. Easy fix, but I thought I'd mention it.

I rate a 2 for the factory "setup"

It's lightweight and cheap, just like a real Hofner. I'd gig with it, but very carefully. OTOH, McCartneys has lasted 40-odd years, so you have to figure it's hardier than it feels.

No opinion.

Never dealt with them

If you can do your own setups, this bass is an amazing deal. Actually, even if you pay somebody to do a setup it's STILL an amazing bargain. If it was lost or stolen I'd definately buy it again.

I love this bass for what it is: a very good replica of a Beatle Bass. The sound is there, the look is there, and it says "Hofner" on the headstock. For all intents and purposes, it's a Beatle bass.

I rate it an 8, because the only 10 I've ever seen was a pre-CBS Fender '65 Jazz Bass.

2007 Mfd. at Hofner's Beijing, China Plant.
22 Frets.
Laminated Spruce Top.
Beatle Bass Control Panel Configuration.
Two Staple-Top Passive Beatle Bass Humbuckers.
Laminated Flamed Maple Sides and Back.
Maple Neck.
Violin Body Style.
Floating Beatle Bass Bridge.
Vintage-Style Perloid Open Gear Tuners.
30" Short Scale Neck.
Rosewood Fretboard.
Slim,Narrow,Fast Neck.

Included Hardshell Fitted Case and Case Key.

I have Owned Vintage and Reissue Beatle Basses and the Icon Sounds 90% on the Button in Comparison, although I Played through an Exceptional 1969 Vintage Ampeg V4-B 240 Watt RMS 2x15" JBL Equipped Tube Amplifier.

Sound is Full and Warm: Terrific For Beatles, Classic 60's Rock & Blues, and other Music as Well.

I Set-Up the Bass after Receiving it using Labella Beatle Bass Flatwounds. I Set Up Bass for Low Action and Easy Play. I Adjusted Pickups and Saddle Pieces.

Nut came out and I Glued it back in. I Installed Strap Locks.

The Tailpiece is Crooked but does not affect Play.

The Bridge Pickup on "G" String Side does noy want to Go Lower.

So Far So Good but I Will Need to Take Bass out for more Live Play.

For the Money, a Good Bass but still a Lightweight Hofner so not as Durable as a Solid Body Bass.

Playing Bass since 1969. I also Own a Wensen Sunburst P-Bass Copy, a Vintage 1975 Hofner 4890 Acoustic Guitar, a Fender BXR 25 Practice Amp & a Hartke Kickback 10 120 Watt Amp.

For the Money, this is the Closest Beatle Bass to the Real Thing without Going in the Poor House.

I Love the Look, the Feel, The Weight, the Vibe & the Tone of this Bass !

I thought I'd try one of these because it looked cool and I already have a Marcus Miller sig and an older Jazz. I REALLY liked the lightweight feel and sound, so I bought it. I'd bet anything that once the word is out, these will increase in price. The quality is MUCH better than the Rogue, Turser, Epiphones and others that I've played.

I like this bass because it sounds good, looks good, stays in tune very well, and plays very good. I put on Flats (the strings that come on it help keep the cost down maybe ?) The pickups are surprisingly very good and when using a pick will give me that Paul McCartney sound like on "With A Little Help from My Friends" perfectly.

It was setup fairly well, I did change the strings and I added some pearloid knobs that looked more like the Club model's knobs, but this is all minor. It appears to have a nice finish and my friends even think it's a $2000 Bass Guitar.

I've used it at gigs and I can't say enough about how many people have commented on it. For the money, 349 US Dollars, it's a bargain. The hardware is solid, I find that I'm using this bass more and more because of the sound and coolness of it.

Have never dealt with them, but they do give you good contact info with the purchase in case you do need to contact them. I've been using mine for four months and it's still mint and sounding fine.

I've been playing for 27 years and I've seen Paul with Wings and two of his solo shows with his own band. I bought it because I really liked the looks of it mostly, but the fact that it plays well and sounds awesome are a really nice surprise. I compared it to many of the clone-type violin basses and this one just beat them in all categories.

you have got to get one of these !!!! i had a 67 hofner 500/1 before ,i just got this icon bass and to me it has more sustain ,no dead spots ,its perfectly built and the sound is just as the real thing ,this is made in china ,very low action ,straight neck on both sides ,balance is great controls are excellent ,the pick ups are true humbuckers 2 coils to a p/u ,i want to get another one ,at 349 a pop ,how can you go wrong ,this thing looks just like the real thing ,well it says hofner on it !! enjoy like i am i just cannot put it down

rich full sound ,no noise ,powerful p/ups

it was not bad at all ,just tweaked with the rod a bit ,nice and soft feeling to the rod adjustment! tonning peg are nice and smooth ,just very minor paint flaws ,you have to really look to find them ,chrome hardware looks nice not cheap

i go anywhere with it, no back up!!!

no and do not think i will

i have been playing 30+ years and this bass its a bomb!!i have a carvin LB70WP claro walnut series bass and i have not touched it since i got this thing ,its contageous!! if i loose this one i use the other one because i am buying at least 2 more ,yes they are that good WAY TO GO HOFNER!!!