Dating a hofner bass
The back and sides were made of laminated flamed maple with a solid spruce top. Later the top was changed to laminated spruce. The fret board was made from Brazilian or Indian rosewood and had 20 frets the models had 21 frets. The finish consisted of nitro-cellulose lacquer. Early Hofner basses used strip style tuners however later models used individual tuning machines. Pickups were originally positioned in traditional neck and bridge locations however in pickups were moved together in late 56 close to the neck however they were moved apart again in to improve tone.
The only satisfactory way to establish the year of production during this early period is by an internal examination as described in Part 4. This can be a very rewarding exercise as not only the year of production can be found but also the actual day and month. Detailed below are some serial number and corresponding dates as extracted from my own guitars. In the following tables I have used a little initiative to arrive datinb the probable serial numbers that dating a hofner bass shown against the years before These are relatively accurate but https://katzengraben14.de/tools/top-dating-website.php have to be verified by physical inspection. Model First Serial Number Last Serial Number Year Remarks Committee Pre truss-rod models Truss Rods Introduced Redesigned headstock Committee Thinline Truss Rods Introduced Redesigned headstock President Pre truss-rod models Truss Rods Introduced President Thinline 1 Truss Rods Introduced None Listed None Listed ????
Ducks Deluxe : Hofner Guitar and Hofner Bass Guitar Dates : Dr. Ducks Dating Service
Black single coil Strat-type pickups. Control panel diamond shaped arrangement-solid top. Diamond pickups close together at top of body as in Vertical "flowery" Hofner logo. Long tailpiece.
Tuners are enclosed with a gear cover. Pot Code Dating: Pots are date coded with the first 2 digits representing the week and the next digit representing the year. The only problem is that the code repeats every 10 years. For example a code would be 25the week of , 79 or 89 so you will have to use a variety of data to date your Hofner Bass.
Also keep in mind that transitions were not absolute so some basses may have used older parts left over from prior years. Copyright - All trademarks are property of their respective owners. Contact Information: Email: Sales beatlebassdealer.
Damen Ave Chicago, IL Model First Serial Number Last Serial Number Year Remarks Committee Pre truss-rod models Truss Rods Introduced Redesigned headstock Committee Thinline Truss Rods Introduced Redesigned headstock President Pre truss-rod models Truss Rods Introduced President Thinline 1 Truss Rods Introduced None Listed None Listed ????
First Serial Number. Last Serial Number. Pre truss-rod models. Truss Rods Introduced. Redesigned headstock. Enclosed tuners are individual with humped gear cover. Metal tuning buttons replace plastic. Hofner decal on pickguard. Narrow black switches replace wide switches. Pickguards generally less pearloid; more solid white than pearl.
Hofner logo disappears from pickups by or so. Knobs change from teacup style white knobs to black with pointer. This is just a brief guideline.
Some parts vary. I have seen early style neck heels and logos on a Hofner. I have seen a lot of variation. The control panel can be removed and the pots used to get an approximate date.