Hofner Icon Series B Bass

hi i bought my icon sept 08 here in sydney australia. i loved the look and feel and the sound was what i expected except all the switches and knob settings can be 2 much for me on stage as i like to plug in and play! . having said that i loved my hofner icon till one day not long after buying i opened the case to find the strings de-tensioned.... on checking i found the countersunk nut on the bridge where it tensions to the tailpiece had come awry, on further inspection i found that this chrome plated plastic item had stripped, i could have fixed i suppose but returned it under warranty. the distributor here (in oz) took back and ordered new part, took a while due to xmas etc, thats fine, then the music shop rang me to say couldnt get part quickly so they gave me a new one, good cust relations i say , im in buisness and its a good way to go. was also impressed as my 20 month old son had taken a chip out of the headstock. saying that i have tested the new one but only t\ime will tell if it happens again, by the way when this happened i had NEVER adjusted tuners at all , it stayed in tune all the time, even in inclimate weather in case in garage and house.
all in all im rapt with the bass only 595 aus dollars with case, great deal and my hat goes off to all at downtown music sydney as they kept me in the loop and updated all the time and their service was impeccable.

i dont play live that much anymore but would love to try live. it has the sound and look i wanted, im a beatles tragic and being a bass player for 20 odd years now im learning/jamming to beatles songs at last.

looks great, seen a previous comment on bridge off centre, will look at old origs to see what i do, but i love it and it was set up just right for me.

live wise you would have to be carfeful, saying that i reckon the orig ones wouldnt be any hardier, i think this is an instrument u must look after and baby a bit if u want to respect it and keep it good, its not a 20lb fender u can smack someone in the head with..lol

alls good warranty great

ive always played fender basses b4, different thing this is to them, u cant compare really

I only know that i love how this bass sound, i don??t really care where it is from, or if the pickups are better or not like the ones on the "Real" Hofner bass... i??ve been playing on gigs, home, rehersal, studio sessions, and i don??t have any complain about this great instrument.

It don??t have a scratch, over a year of hard work.

4 string Beatle bass made in China for Hofner. Typical features, tho construction is slightly different than the German made model 500/1.
Really light bass. Short scale is great.

Very rich Hofner thump sound w/ Hofner flatwound strings installed after delivery.

Typical factory set-up. Stings too high at nut, truss rod too loose. i expect this from all makers and do a complete set-up for my personal taste.

Everything seems really solid. Finish had some goop on the back of the neck I took care of. Real nice case. Perfect fret-work and nice nut. i wish my $2000 fender had fretwork this good I wouldn't have had to spend $150 having it dressed and a new nut installed.

My dealer gives great support, that's just 1 reason I do not buy on line.

At $400 + w/ case it's much easier to own this 1 trick pony than sheeling out over $2000 for what is a 1 trick pony. Cheap way to own a peice of History and use on gigs w/ your Beatles material. Loads of fun.

I received the Chinese made Icon-B in January 08. As stated elsewhere, it's a shortscale 30" bass, with a semi hollow, violin shaped body. The top is a spruce laminate and the sides / back are maple. The controls are a confusing selection of switches and two volume knobs, one for each pickup. The strings are held by a trapeze tailpiece and pass over a movable bridge, just like a violin. It comes with a cheap cable and allen key for truss rod adjustments. I'll give it a 9, because it's just like the original, however, the top could use more grain showing, and the strings were cheap.

The sound! 10+ Because it sounds like it's supposed to... McCartney's early bass with the Beatles. Even without that comparison, I love the warmth of the hollowbody. Some people describe the sound as a dull thud, but that's not right at all. It sounds like an upright, so it doesn't sustain super-long, but it has a nice sustain, with an even drop off. Nice even tone between strings too.

Not a lot of variety of tones here, but that's what my other basses are for.

This loses points here because the tailpiece was installed off center. This caused the strings to bend slightly at the bridge. I made the decision to take a drill to my new purchase and fix it, but I'm always modifying my instruments anyway. This was a major flaw.
One minor flaw: the jack was loose on its mounting plate.

Of course, I reintonated the bass after I changed strings.

Everything else was great, especially the neck.

I think this bass will withstand live playing better than an original 1964 I used to own. Even though it's hollow, this is really a solid instrument. Finish is typical of modern instruments, and maybe too thick for a hollow body, but the protection is there. Would I use it on a gig without a backup? Probably, but my only concern about reliability is the electronics, specifically the slider switches.

No opinion.

I've been playing for 30 years, and this is my 3rd Hofner. The first two were originals, and they had problems. This is still a REAL Hofner, but solid in a lot of ways the originals weren't. This completes what I feel is a good collection with a wide variety of tone. A P-bass, a fretless jazz w/ flats, a 6-string Ibanez, and now the Hofner.
For $350, if you're looking for THAT SOUND, it's a GREAT value.

Other reviewers have covered most of the technical specs. It's a hollowbody 30" shortscale fretted bass. The top and back are plywood, slightly arched, and the body appears to be completely hollow except for a bracing block between the tail and the bridge. It has a metal trapeze tailpiece and a wooden "floating" bridge which is not attached to the body; it is held on by string tension. Bridge has two thumbscrews to raise/lower action. Two "staple top" humbuckers: the magnetic poles are rectangular and they stick out slightly, looking like staples in the pickup cover. Neck is thin and fast, very comfortable to play, and the whole insturment is light as a feather. Controls are located on a small switchplate in the lower bout, and their function seems to have baffled some people, so here's what they do:
Volume 1 & 2: these knobs, obviously, control volume for the neck (2) and bridge (1) pickups.
Rythm/Solo switch: presumably "rythm" position is normal; flip it to "solo" and you get a slight volume boost. Think of it as a "this goes to 11" switch.
Treble On: turns off the neck pickup. Faster than dialing down the Volume 2 knob, but has the same effect.
Bass On: turns off the bridge pickup and engages a low-pass filter. Equivalent to turning the tone knob all the way down on a P-bass, and gives a different sound than you get from dialing down the Volume 1 knob.
Paradoxically, if you turn both Treble and Bass switches "On" you have actually turned both pickups off and there will be no sound.
There is no Tone knob on ths bass.
There's a hard case for this instrument but the salesman could not find one, so for now it's resting very carefully in a heavy padded gig bag.

There is nothing I dislike about the sound of this bass. I know this is going to seem blasphemous to all you McCartney worshippers, but I loved it with the roundwound factory strings on it. I have never been a big Beatles fan; I wanted a Hofner for other reasons, and I am impressed with the tonal range available on this bass. There's no rule that states owning a Hofner requires you to play Beatles covers, and I never plan to do so. My style is folk, blues, jazz, and funk, and the Hofner can handle it all. It can go from bright & punchy "snap" to a warm & dark "thud" with every variation in between. It's more tonally versatile than my Pbass copy! And to those who insist you cannot play slap on a Hofner, I say: yes you can. Tapping the strings against the fretboard just below the shoulder, with the neck PU turned down slightly produces a lovely slap sound. Other reviewers have complained that this bass is only good for THUD .. that's because you put flatwound strings on it. With rounds it really comes alive. I put flats on my P to mellow it out, but the Hofner does not need them.
I play live rarely, and if I'm not going through the house PA (I know, that's awful..but I like to carry less equipment) I have a SWR LA8 for quiet, small-room jazz gigs. Mostly what I do is recording, and this bass is quiet enough and yet hot enough to plug straight into the board with pleasing results.

I bought this at Sam Ash, and apparently they did some set-up. The neck is straight, intonation was acceptably close. I had to lower the action but that was easy - just turn the bridge thumbscrews and lower the pickups a bit. I will probably need to adjust intonation when I put new strings on, but that will be a simple matter of sliding the bridge around til it's in the right spot. The string saddles look like small pieces of jumbo fretwire with notches filed into them & set into slots on top of the bridge. The notch for the G string is slightly off, so the string comes out of the tailpiece at an angle. I might fix this, if there's a way the saddles can be moved, but it's not bothering me much. There's also a loose wire somewhere on the tailpiece, which buzzes whenever I play an E. This doesn't come through on the pickups though, so I'll probably just ignore it.
The finish is thick & shiny and the sunburst color is not as subtle as on the more expensive model, but I don't really care. There was a loose wood chip rattling around inside the body and I had to remove the switchplate & shake it out. I found the serial number written on a sticker inside! The pearloid laminate on the switchplate has lifted away from the corners and seems about ready to peel off. I will eventually either glue it down, or just let it curl up and see how it looks. Also after my 1st day of playing, the nut holding the cable jack came loose so I had to remove the jackplate and tighten that up. No problem since.
Acceptable flaws for a $350 instrument. Nothing I can't fix myself.

Even though this bass is feather-light, it seems like it should hold up under any situation I am likely to subject it to. If you drop it or step on it, it will probably break, but with reasonable care it should last a long time. Paul McCartney has had his for what, 40 years? The strap buttons are solid, hardware seems sturdy enough. The neck is so thin, I anticipate maybe having to adjust later, but I haven't had it long anough to run into that problem.

Haven't tried. At this price, I'm not afraid to tinker with the instrument. If anything major goes wrong that I can't fix myself, then I will probably take it to a luthier. Depending on the cost, it might be cheaper to just buy a new one.

I have been playing bass for about 12 years. I have owned a Fender fretless jazz bass, a Hohner/Steinberger 5-string, a Gold Tone banjo bass, and an Ashbory rubber-stringed bass. I still own a rebuilt custom Danelectro U1 fretless, a J.Reynolds P-bass copy, a defretted Regal resophonic bass, and a halfsize no-name upright made in the Czech Republic. This Hofner is the lightest bass I have ever played (except the Ashbory), and it has the smallest body (except the Ashbory and the Steinberger.) I wanted a Hofner because of the cool look and the legendary booming semi-acoustic tone. When I played it at the store, I was dazzled by its tonal versatility, its light weight and how COMFORTABLE it felt to play. After I got it home, it still sounded & felt really good, and it is becoming my #1 bass.
I tried a few of the copies (Turser, Epiphone, Brownsville) and the problem with all of them was that the switchplate was upside-down and they used off-the-shelf pickups instead of "genuine" Hofner-style staple pickups. Plus they didn't have the Hofner logo on the headstock, which I gotta admit is a bit of a status thing... I'm overall very pleased with this purchase.

I bought this in 2007. It is made in China. Basically you get what you pay for. It is a nice looking bass, made fairly well, but doesn't match up to the original German made basses.

The sound is "okay"- it doesn't compare to the original German version, I believe the pickups are different in the China made basses. I think Hofner could have at least used the same pickups.

The action is ok, no problems. The finish is rather plain. Could use some figuring..

So far no issues.

Never had to call Hofner for support.

It's an "Okay" bass. If I were in line for a budget bass, I'd get the Contemporary Beatle bass instead. It's made a bit better and sounds more like a Fender bass.

Absolutely beautiful!
At first, I was disappointed in the look of the tuning pegs. Then, I found some pictures of McCartney playing, and realized they were the same type.
Compared to my Hofner copy that I've had for a few years, the finish is stunningly bright and stunning.

It's the sound! That's the sound of the bass I grew up listening to.
After reading about how flatwound strings would be better, I have to say that I love the sound of the round strings.
Sounds especially great for the price!

The music store that sent this to me had the guitar tuned and set up PERFECTLY (very lucky). The action is perfect for my playing, but I can see how easily this guitars action can be changed. Very nice.

I know I can depend on this guitar. Compared to my "copy", this is more durable. I will probably use it most for home recording, but would have no trouble bringing it out to play live.

I'm basically a rhythm guitarist who is very happy with my Les Paul Gibson. I've been playing since 3rd grade, but have recently switched to playing bass much more often. I love the McCartney/Beatles sound, and this affordable Hofner amazes me for the price.

Okay... I was a purist (and still am in most respects) when it comes to the instruments I play. But, for heck of it, I went ahead and ordered the Icon HBB. This model is made in China - so I ordered with bated breath. It's got a laminate spruce top, flame maple back and sides, one piece maple neck, rosewood fretboard with 22 frets (fairly clean and smooth), very basic tuners on the 30" scale instrument. It has 2 volume controls and 3 switches (still figuring these out)and basic Hofner humbuckers. It came with a 'throw-away' patch cord. Overall a well-equipped with a few very minor finish flaws that won't detract from the playability.

So far, it sounds okay. I normally play a Fender Precision, so the feel and sound differ totally. But, I bought the Hofner for the sake of having a Beatle-like instrument without breaking the bank. I does have a nice deep tone, which suits the Beatle sound and the neck is smooth and responsive to any jazzy runs. I think at this point, the Icon is best suited for studio - it's light as a feather and I'm afraid one wrong bump may snap it in two. Overall good sound though.

This bass came from Asia, so I didn't expect it to be playable right away. But, after a quick tuning, I plugged it in and played - it kept in tune but needed adjustment to lower the action a bit. The thumb screws work well for this. I like the solo/rhthym switch, which is basically a boost - it delivers a clean sound. There's a couple of minor finish flaws on the neck and a close inspection didn't reveal anything else that made me regret the purchase. Oh, and there's something tiny in the body cavity that I can hear bouncing around when I flip the guitar on its front... probably a wood chip.

I'm not convinced this would be a good 'gigging' bass because of its apparent fragile feel, but since I write and record from the home, this won't be an issue. The hardware does feel 'cheap' but I'm not disappointed - it's a 300.00 bass, right? I'll be surprised if I won't have to change the tuners. Strap buttons seem okay. I wouldn't gig with it without a backup.

Never had to deal with the company, mind you I ordered the guitar in October of '06 and recieved it in June of this year.

One year manufactures warranty.

I've been playing for about 25 years and own about 15 other guitars, mostly six-strings including two Taylors, two Fenders, two Gretchs, a Hagstrom, Epiphone Joe Pass, Ibanez 105NF among others. Not sure I would buy another if the Icon were stolen - it's more of a novelty to be honest. It really doesn't compare to my Fender Precision. IMO, this is a great option for players and collectors to own a Hofner without the hefty price-tag and it doesn't sound bad either. I'm glad Hofner finally decided to cater to this market level.

Set neck, open tuners, those switches I'm still trying get a grip on (bass, solo, treble), two mini-humbucker looking thingys, two volumes, trapeze bridge assembly, floating rosewood one-piece saddle thingy, 22 frets, white mother-of-toilet-seat pickguard, distinctive violin shape, super high-gloss finish, mine's the vintage sunburst. Slim neck, really fast and fun to play. How do you rate features? It is what it is, if you want more, look further, but this is just what I expected, so I gave it a 10.

Hmmmm...this is gonna piss a lot of people off, but I always thought McCartney's tone sounded like crap. Even when he switched to Fenders and Ricks. Dull thud. Like a poorly set-up, high-action bass with 80-year-old flat-wound strings. And let's face it, he's the only musician to do anything substantial with this particular model (Hofner), so you must have Sir Paul somewhat in mind when you buy and play one of these. That being said, Paul McCartney is also one of the most influencial and creative bass guitarists in all of pop music. Therefore, you have to take this guitar in context. Play some Beatles tunes on it, and you will be floored. Just try playing a faithful version of "I Saw Her Standing There" and you'll see what I mean. If you want to capture the tone of McCartney's bass on the early Beatles recordings, this is the way to do it. For anything else, you have been warned: It's not a pretty sound. A perfect 10 for capturing the essence of McCartney and the Beatles, just as you'd expect from the original manufacturer.

Here is where I exhale a huge sigh of relief: I got one of the good ones. In terms of how it's put together anyway. This category drives me crazy, especially when I read comments from people who expect their guitar to jump out of the box into their hands set-up and playing flawlessly. Boys and girls, that is an extremely rare thing, and probably has more to do with luck than anything. I have close to 50 guitars in my modest collection, everything from the cheapest Rogue to $10,000 trophy case specimens. Nearly ALL of my guitars needed some tweaking before they played right. Asian made guitars come from the other side of the globe and travel through about 8 climate zones before they get to you, and guitars are among the most unstable musical instruments known to man. They change. They expand and contract. They need set up. However, mine was built correctly and solidly in the factory. Frets seated properly, no sharp edges (yet), neck set correctly, all electronics work perfectly, the tuners look cheap as hell, but they are remarkably accurate and stable. Basically, no construction issues to mention. There was no relief in the neck, and horrible buzzing at the top 5 frets as a result, so I adjusted the truss rod, lowered the saddle with the thumb screws a bit, and viola! No buzz, no dead spots, just total pure Beatles tone. I'll need to adjust the saddle slightly for intonation next, and she will be perfect. If you haven't already, learn a little about setting up a guitar, or find a good tech, and you can have the same kind of satisfaction. The finish is not perfect. There are a few odd-ball flaws, but they are minor, and I'm NOT sending this player back. It has the typical way-too-thick-and-shiny laquer finish common to Asian-made guitars these days, and that is a shame, because backing off a bit on the laquer would have given this guitar a more vintage appearance. So, I'll take a couple of points off for the finish issues, but the construction is perfect.

These basses are really light, I don't think they'd stand up to much abuse. Hardware is fine. Finish is thick, almost too thick for this kind of guitar, but will provide some extra protection. Strap buttons solid. I would gig with it, if we were doing some Beatles covers. I will record with it when I need that tone as well. I'll take off a point because I do believe it is a bit fragile.

Haven't needed them, hope I never do.

I've been either a full-time professional or semi-pro since I left home about 30 years ago. I currently perform live and do studio work, and I'm a teacher with 22 guitar/bass students. I have enough gear to stock a couple of music stores. I read extensively about this bass before buying it, so I knew what I was getting. I debated buying the $2,000-$4,000 version, but I talked myself out of it. I have too many guitars I'm afraid to play in glass cases already, and I actually want to use this one for performing and recording. If lost or stolen, yes, I'd have to replace it. It has enormous nostalgic value for me, and at a great price. I learned to play bass, and a lot about music in general, by listening to McCartney (among others) and playing note-for-note faithful versions of every bass line he created. Of course, I'm technically well beyond that now, but it is still really fun to do it again on this guitar.

I purchased the Icon just before Christmas from the first run 2006 series. Obviously the Chinese version is the only version found in the States, but I had hoped to find the European version. Its laminated which I am unsure what it really means. I thought it was a paper covering over the wood and then sealed. Sometimes I read it is a wood finish with polyurethane coating. So I am not sure what it is. I know that it looks beautiful. I loved the Beatle bass, but always played Rickenbacker or Fender for 30 years. I have had no problems with the Chineese Humbucker pick ups. I love the short scale action and solid feel of the fretboard. The double bass or violin shape was the reason I bought it. Tuner have held tuner well and work fine. I bought the case with it and it fits nicely. Good workmanship and great sound so at the price I was not looking for perfection.

I like the sound. I like the sound with the cheap roundwounds. I like roundwound strings on my Rick 4001 or Fender Precision or Jazz. I have ordered the Rotosound black nylons short scale, but they were backordered since December 23. We play all types of music and yes I play a fretless jazz bass with flatwounds on some songs. I just can't find short scale Rotosounds. I have a Galien Kruger 15 with horn and Acoustic 420 with 18 inch bottom. Deep tones come naturally in my rig. Rich deep Hofner bottom from this little bass. Not as good as the real thing, but you can not tell the difference. I used it all the first set on New Years Eve. I tuned it at the sound check at 6, checked it at 10 to play the first set of laid back music and at 10:45 it was still right on the money. Held tune well with the cheap roundwounds. We do two Beatle songs in the first set so it fit nicely. I pushed switches and turned volume knobs all set and had no problems. Great tones and solid sound, it sounds like it should. I recorded with it for the pre show rehearsals and it sounded deep and melodic on play back. Live it sounded like it should, brighter because of the roundwounds, but with my bottom end it needs life.

I played straight from the set up from which I received it. The guy who sells at the internet music store also sets them up. Good action and no buzzes. I did not find any noticeable flaws on it. I am sure there are somewhere, but nothing stuck out. Neck is fast, straight and does not have the zero fret, of which I am not fond. I did not spend two grand for a German Hofner, I knew what I was getting. It was my Christmas present to me. I do not want to look too closely, I just want to enjoy playing my favorite style of bass. Yeah, I was a kid when I saw it on the Ed Sullivan show. I hear Macca did not pay too much for his when he started playing bass.

I used it a week later in rehearsal and then live as it was shipped. I did not want to put some Fender or D'Addario flat wounds on it. They would come off as soon as I find the Rotosound 88. Held tune well and all the guys had to come look at it and pick it up. I scratched the made in China tag off the back of the neck. I just said it was a Christmas present and did not say who made it or where. People from the audience looked at it on break and said they had never seen one before, but they knew it was a Beatle bass. In my younger days of hard rock and loud clubs, I always carried two basses. I don't know if this would handle power rock volumes being a hollow body, but I had no problems from a crowd of a coule of hundred, upscale party people. Light weight and easy to play after playing long scale Rics and Jazzes. Solid feel and great looks. It made me look great and that is something for an old dawg. I guess it was the smile I got from playing it on "Get Back".

Nobody knows who to ask for help outside of a Hofner dealership. Aint too many Hofner dealerships around. They don't seem to claim it. Thats OK, I know what its like to be a loner. So... find a good luthier or electronics man and have them fix it if it needs major work. My guys likes it and said let me know when we are going to replace the hardware with the real thing. I don't see any reason to drop another 7 or 8 hundred buck to get a more authentic Hofner sound. For the occasional Beatle or 60's song this one works fine.

Would I buy another one? One is probably enough, but I would look for another Hofner if I was still out there with a need for it. I have been playing for 30 plus years on a professional level, but I got a good day job. I do sessions and jazz gigs as well as classic rock and blues shows. Have Bass Will travel. I love playing it because it says Hofner and it is light as a feather. It sounds different than the other basses, but that is what I want it for. That different sound. That Hofner sound. A real Hofner bass is not worth two grand for me to play, but the Icon is worth every dollar I paid for it, to do a couple of Beatle songs during the night. Some songs call for a jazz, some for a Ric, some for a precision and some for a Hofner.