Hohner Jack Bass

Solid-body long scale 4-string 'headless' bass guitar, fitted with the made-under-license 'Steinberger System' bridge and nut taking double-ball-ended strings.
Body construction: conventional multi-piece wooden twin cutaway through-neck design, perhaps all-maple, possibly maple centre with wings of a different, light-coloured timber, e.g., ash, alder. Overall length 39" / 990mm. Width at widest point: 12.75" / 324mm.
Neck construction: maple through-neck with rosewood fingerboard. 24 frets plus zero fret. Dot position markers (no markers at fret 24). Dimensions: 1.50" / 38mm at the zero fret. 2.06" / 52.4mm at fret 12.
String spacing at bridge: 0.65" / 16.5mm. Fingerboard radius: approximately 14" / 355mm. Neck section: full 'C' shape. Scale length 34" / 860mm.
Hardware: Steinberger System 4-string bass bridge, black. Fully adjustable for string height (via hex screws) and intonation (manual friction setting). Tuning via individual knurled 40:1 ratio knobs, integral with the bridge. Bridge saddles lock in place after adjustment via a single hex set screw in the upper side of the bridge bass.
Steinberger System double-ball-ended string retainer, black, attaching to the neck above the zero fret via two screws. Truss rod adjustment permanently accessible throught this retainer via hex key.
Three control knobs (2 volume / 1 tone), black knurled metal (aluminium?), no position indicators. 1 chromed steel three-position pickup selector miniswitch.
Two 'Select Designed by EMG' pickups with black plastic covers and surrounds.
One chromed steel jack socket on the lower edge of the instrument.
Three strap buttons, two at the base of the instrument and one at the tip of the upper horn, steel, black.
Finish: 'natural' wood (visible grain) in a medium dark red-brown 'mahogany' stain with a thick transparent coat of high-gloss finish. Discreet black logo on the face of the instrument reads 'Hohner Professional The Jack Tuner Licensed by Steinberger Sound'. No scratchplate. Access to the electronics is via a black plastic plate on the lower rear of the body retained by four screws.
Pickups: two passive 'Select Designed by EMG' humbucking pickups. Passive electronics: an individual passive rotary volume control for each pickup plus passive rotary master tone (treble rolloff) operating on all selected pickups; three-way pickup selector miniswitch (neck/both/bridge). The control cavity and access plate are unscreened.

Mainly used at home through a bass multieffects and into a computer.
Plenty of variety of sound from very bright (bridge pickup/full treble) to warm and wooly (neck pickup/treble completely off). Twin volume controls allow mixing of pickups, so plenty of variation is possible. Clear difference in tone between the pickups, many usable intermediate sounds. The Select pickups are as powerful as most standard passive humbuckers but unusually quiet and detailed. I really like this as it gives a 'neutral' character for subsequent tone-shaping.

I bought the bass second-hand and it came to me with strings that may have been up to fifteen years old (!) and an unrealistically low action. After the necessary adjustments to the truss rod, string height and intonation it played easily and accurately but output seemed a little weak overall, with an unbalanced G string quieter than the rest. This was solved by raising the pickups to their maximum playable height (i.e., without causing string rattles in the upper fret positions) and angling the pickups slightly to favour the treble strings. The bass then sounded well, with much greater clean volume overall and balanced volume across all four strings. All adjustments were carried out easily. The Steinberger System bridge in particular is exceptionally well thought-out and functional.

This twenty-year-old instrument came to me in near-perfect condition with the exception of a crackly tone pot that was made silent by a single application of switch cleaner. The finish is thick and durable, and the metal parts show no signs of wear. A gigging bassist would probably replace the strap button with locking types, and most prudent players would have a backup anyway in case of string breakages. Otherwise, the instrument is very solidly constructed and the passive electronics mean that there is little to wrong in that department. The miniswitch pickup selector might be a little fragile if your style requires frequent and rapid pickup shifts. The bridge is rock-solid, tuning is exceptionally precise, stable and easy to adjust.
A particular plus is that the bass is small (about the size of a Strat) and light. This means that it fits a guitar-sized case and is easy to wear for long periods. The dual strap buttons on the base mean that the player has a variety of strap positions, and the instrument is in less danger of falling if you have to lean it up against something. The bass balances well in all strap positions and on the knee.

I have never had to deal with Hohner. I think they're an underrated company (especially for their 80s/90s instruments), but I have no opinion concerning their customer support. In general, manufacturer support for old, out-of-production instruments (particularly budget instruments) is often poor or non-existent. If you buy one, get one in good condition, or be prepared to do some digging among spares suppliers to find replacement components. This instrument was bought second-hand, so warranty considerations don't apply.

I've been playing for years and own or have owned various guitars and basses. This is my first 'headless' instrument, and I'm very impressed. I remember seeing these basses new in the mid-80s, and thinking that the combination of the Steinberger System with a conventional body looked good. The Hohner Jack is very similar to the current Steinberger Spirit XZ-2, except for the following: better standard of parts and construction throughout; through-neck rather than bolt-on; more attractive body shape and finish (IMO). I could have bought a new Steinberger Spirit for about #250, but I greatly prefer this Hohner.
I particularly like the evenness of the sound between the open and fretted strings produced by the zero fret, the accuracy and security of tuning from the double-ended strings and locking bridge, the neutrality of the passive EMG pickups, and the small size, lightness and comfort of the instrument overall. I would buy another without hesitation if it were lost or stolen, and I would seriously consider any instrument with the Steinberger System bridge. I think I would have to spend a lot more money (for example, #550 for the most basic Status Smart Bass, which has a similar headless setup but a graphite neck, various wood and pickup options etc.) to find an instrument that was clearly superior.
On the minus side: I don't like the pickup selector. I don't think miniswitches should be used for any function that has to be located rapidly or changed frequently. In the age of oiled finishes the gloss finish may strike some as plasticky (very 80s). It extends up the neck, and can get a little sticky. On the other hand, it really will keep moisture out of the wood. There are a couple of spots (bottom of the fretboard: bottom of the bridge rout) where the stain hasn't covered the wood completely, leaving a narrow lighter strip: but these are invisible from any normal viewing angle. The fit of the access plate could be better. The control cavity is completely unscreened, which might be a problem in some stage situations.
Some players won't like the relatively narrow string spacing at the bridge, but it's particularly good for small people, big people with small hands, and anyone who plays with a pick. You just have to be a little more precise with your finger placement than you can be on a Precision.
People sometimes complain about string availability, but the internet has largely solved these problems. La Bella, Elites, Picato, Rotosound and Status can all supply double-ball-ended bass strings in a variety of types and gauges.

Black wooden body and through-neck, headless design with licensed Steinberger bridge. Four strings, 24 frets, 2 EMG select passive pickups, looking like humbuckers but actually a J style bridge and a P style neck pickup. 2 volume pots, one "tone" pickup.
Those Steinberger bridges are real crap (one point subtracted). I prefer one volume and one balance pot to the two vloume solution (one point subtracted). Apart from that - everything I want. I don't have the slightest idea which materials are used, but it looks good and "feels" good. The neck is realtively fast, but still gives you something to hold in your hand.

Cool pickups. You can get a traditional jazzbass sound, a rock-style precision sound, or anything in between. Yet the sound is not too much "coulored", so you have the possibility to shape it any way you like with the amp or with electronics. A wonderful jack-of-all-trades for the rock, funk or modern jazz field. The pickups are EMGs, and lots of people think they sound too "electronic", I for one are perfectly happy with them. Active electronics and/or pickups would have given the thing more punch, but as I use LOTS of electronics behind it, I really don't need it, so only one point subtracted.

I bought it second hand and got it adjusted just perfect. No need to readjust anything. Wonderful. You can slap it, you can tap it, you can in fact do aynthing I ever thought of doing with a bass guitar efforlessly.

I'm not really a pro doing five gigs a week plus, so my opinion may not count here...apart from the fact that this Steinberger bridge is such a terrible crap, no problems. The bass dropped several times from above-the-waist height due to a crappy strap, and once I tripped over a cable and fell flat on the bass - still, it's perfect (apart from slight scratches in the paint, but what do you expect ?)

got it second hand, never dealt with the company

This is the only bass I use for "normal" music, which I keep in a normal tuning (i.e. EADG) and/or which isn't used entirely with a hexaphonic VBass pickup, so this is my "traditional" instrument.
For the price I paid, this is just fantastic value. Where else can you get a professional instrument for ~$110? It plays fine, sounds great, and is reliable. A perfect recommendation - these Hohner basses are sold well under their value!

This bass was made in the late 80's in Korea. It has a headless 24 fret thru neck with rosewood fretboard sandwiched by maple wings. The body shape is reminiscent of a stratocaster bur with longer horns and a narrow waist. The styling mimics the Status basses of the time and is finished in a satin caot displaying the rich wood grain. Pick ups are two active EMG Select humbuckers. The brige containing the tuners is licensed from Steinberger. Three rotary knobs give voulme for each pickup, and the third which is really two in one controls treble and bass. A toggle switch is provided to switch on the active circuit.

This bass gives the best range of tones. I bought one in the mid 80's and played it for about five years. I then sold it on, something I lived to regret and switched to a Fender Jazz bass. Three years ago I found an identical bass to my original Hohner at an unbelievably low price which I bought without hesitation. Needless to say I don't have the Fender anymore. This bass has been fantastic on stage and in the studio. It is great for DI recording because of the wide range in sounds. With the bass tones flat out you feel the sound rather than hear it, yet at the bright end it is as toppy as anything else I have heard or played. Many sound engineers have commented on the quality of sound. I have yet to find a sound that I don't like.

This bass is extremely well built. It is lighter than most and balances well when used on or off a strap. The finish on the entire instrument is perfect. I set up all of my guitars myself and found this one very simple to get right. The bridge saddles are gripped by a small grub screw at the side which when loosened allows full freedom of movement to set playing height and intonation. Once set and the screw is tightened there is never any chance of things moving about. I like the action a little on the low side and was able to set this without string buzz and have found the bass suitable for all styles of playing. It is particularly suited to slap.

This bass has been used live at least twice a week for the last three years and shows no sign on wear. The tuners remain reliable and the bass in always in tune when I take it out of the case. The tuners are a little stiff but this seems to help the retain the tuning perfectly. After I bought the guitar I changed the strings to Elites (105 E string) and set the truss rod to suit my preferred playing height and have never had to reset it. I have used this bass without a backup at every gig for the last three years. Until now that is because I have bought a five string bass for use on certain songs. My only gripe is that the original jack sockets appear to fail as this has happened in both Jack basses. However, replacements are easy to obtain.

I have never contacted Hohner about the basses. I have found that any spares required are readily available in local music shops.

I have been playing guitar and bass for about twenty five years and can honestly say that I enjoy playing this model more than any other. Strings are not a problem as they can be bought in the high street or on line from Elites. I never use any other string. One of the things I like about this bass is that it so different from all others and causes interest from other musicians. If I lost it I would search high and low for another rather than compromise with something else to be my main instrument. My other bass at the moment is an Aria Pro II Magna MAB20/5 and I play both through a Trace Elliott AH 150 Head and a Carlsboro 1x15 1x8 cabinet with a Session 4x10 cabinet, I also use a Zoom BFX708 effects unit. The only thing I wish is that I had another one.