Hi! Here's my little bass shootout: a 1967 Höfner 500/1 vs a Höfner Ignition BB. Which one do you like more? Just let me know in the comments :-) For this video I used a Hotone Thunder Bass and a TC Electronic SpectraComp. Enjoy!
Great comparison. Sounds like the German made is really only worth the extra dollars if you're making money off your music, or you're just a baller. Ignition sounds perfectly great for the Beatles fan on a budget. 👍
I have the Ignition model and frankly think the difference in sound isn't worth the $2000 extra for the German version. The quality of the Ignition version is really good.
Agreed. I have both, the 500/1 and the Ignition, and to tell you the truth, I like my Ignition better. I think it sounds better and also feels better (the neck is slimmer and more comfortable).
@@fredpearson5204 Interesting observation. I am super happy with my Ignition bass. I really wish I had purchased the Hofter 6 string Violin guitar when it was available. They are going to be collector items one day. I also like my Fender Jazz bass. I have the made in Mexico version and when I play the USA version I think the Mexican one sounds brighter. It's a matter of opinion sometimes.
@@rickkaylor8554, instruments, like everything else I guess, are really a matter of personal taste and what you like or dislike. Enjoy that Ignition--I love mine! P.S. For whatever it's worth, I also have a Rickenbacker 4003 and hate it--heavy, wide neck, and a finicky muting system that doesn't work well. To each his own! Cheers.
I thought there were 3 versions. So the ignitions without the floating neck which is about 300 euros. Then the contemporary that is around 700. And the german made which is around 2000 euros
thank you so much for getting rid of the pointless "hey my girlfriend just got Doritos and i'm jamming these basses today" intros. thank you! great playing, great video, great examples!
This is not first time I thought the Ignition sounded better! Especially on the Come Together cover! I played one at the Guitar Center and it sounded great acoustically as well as amped up!
The German bass sounds a little deeper than the ignition series bass. But, The strings could be making a difference. I prefer the depth of bottom in the German-made bass, naturally. On Come Together, with the German bass, you hear a lot less sustain on the high note. (F) Again, it could be strings. They are pretty close, enough so that strings could make a lot of difference, and also working with an EQ could bring the Ignition series bass closer in tone to the German bass. Thanks for the great demo!
Nice , thanks for doing this! A word of caution when watching this - pay attention to the controls, they are not always the same. I'd say the 67 is fuller overall. but the Ignition can be made to sound good too, in particular with the bass pickup. Some combinations with the treble pup sounds thin compared to the 67. I'm not an expert on how those controls work, but I can see how the Ignition could be fine for my purposes...
For whatever reason, I used to HATE these basses. After playing one and realizing how similar it is to my Upright and how nice it feels, theyve grown on me and I actually love these kinds of basses now.
Owned 2 500/1 back when they cost bout $100-200, dirt cheap. Got me the Ignition for same price. Both are great. Secret is THE FLATWOUNDS and proper EQ on the amp, Take all midrange frequency out, it has enough already. ENJOY!!
No hay Hofner malo, Pepo. El de época con Pyramid (Mas Hofner puro de época, poca definición pero autentico) y el Icon con Labella (Mas versátil, sonido standard y grave) . ¡Cuantos timbres diferentes tienen estos bichos!
Great comparison! I have both basses, identical models. I use the ignition more for practice because of being careful with the 67 after full restoration. The 67 has more body and sounds more natural and warm. Again, great to see this !
Great video. I'd have liked both basses to have the same strings to see a true a/b comparison, but I enjoyed this a lot. No talking, just the basses speaking for themselves.
I agree to useing exact strings and settings if you want to do it right. Both are in the ballpark. Had 2 vintage '68-'69 back then, still kicking my own arse for parting with both, but aquired an Ignition recently used slightly on E-bay. Great sound and looks. The guy even thru in the case. Great deal. Don't feel so bad anymore. Won't part with this one. Great video.... Thanks!
Mario, by the way, I have GH flats on mine. Not a bad brand, been using for many years on my basses. Even went back to flats on my 73' RICK 4001. G H are a bit cheaper than La Bella, but not knocking them. I know they're good. The purpose of flats are to each his own. The Hofner is a whole different animal that thrives on a certain sound and style of playing. Flat wounds are a must for a few styles of playing. The bass fails to do certain things unfortunately. Believe me, I've tried. You don't want to put round wound on it. You'll defeat it's purpose immediately. There is much right handed (or left hand) muteing that you might utilize in your playing to accomplish that "thump McCartney" signature sound you desire from any Hofner, new or old. It is a very cool looking and sounding bass in my opinion. The Ignition does the HOFNER tradition quite well. Lot of fun without breaking the bank!
I say it's a tossup. Different strings. Different settings. Different era. Basically I would gig and record with either one but would rather have the `67 because it's collectable.
Nicely done and very informative. I have an Ignition Club and it sounds identical to the Ignition Violin Bass. But then again Hofner makes the best basses going.
From what I’m hearing they both sound good and are doing what they need but I hear more slightly sustain from the ignition maybe it’s just me but that’s something I am noticing
Are the strings on the 500 perhaps older? That would certainly affect the sound. Plus they're different string brands altogether. It would have been nice to hear them both with the same brand of new flats.
It sure why you would get thumbs down for this. The video was well done and the playing was fine and songs that most would know. I started out liking the67 (black knobs) but towards the end is the video starrre to like the b bass. Tones were comparable.
Apples and oranges? Seriously?...cmon. Js and Ps are apples and oranges. Strats and Les Pauls are apples and oranges. These are both completely in the same ballpark tone wise.
I've owned both and loved the old school handmade craftsmanship of my german 500/1 and the rather deep fat neck. But I disliked the zero-fret and lack of side dots. For those reasons I'd buy the icon again, and not the german, the tone being very similar w/ labella beatle strings. I'd also go for the cavern model. Tone is strings n' fingers really...
T-shirt guy plays more relaxed than button-up shirt guy. With the button-up shirt, there were more playing just down strokes, while T-shirt guy did more relaxed and even up/down strokes.
I can’t believe people are saying they sound alike, the vintage German one sounds just like Beatles recordings, and the Chinese one sounds less elegant, less defined, and lacks treble focus. Of course if you don’t want to sound just like the Beatles, the Hofner ignition bass is a good sounding bass for the price point, but have some cheaply made parts. 🇺🇸
Late 60s blade pickups on the '67 sound different from earlier staple & diamond embossed pickups used by Höfner. The Labellas are fresher sounding strings as well as compared to the Pyramids. Nothing wrong with the polycoated Asian product as Höfner German luthiers have trained their Asian employees well.
The newer Bass sound far superior and so it should do with technology moving forward in the past 54 years. I would still have the 1967 one even if it's just to hang on my wall and look at.
You play well. But the Ignition has staple - like pickups and the 500 has the blade pickups. I suspect with right tweaking, they could sound almost the same.
Backbeat Vintage here on RU-vid did exactly that in one of his videos. It had less to do with the pickups and more to do with the controls. He said if you can afford to get a reissue set of controls plus some good flats (like the LaBella shown here), it will sound just like a vintage 500.
I talked to back beat and I told him I noticed he removed the blade pickups on a 67 and asked him why because I have a 67 with blades I asked him if it was because the blades where no good he said the blades where actually better and the 67 model was one of the best hofner made but the bass he was working on was a seventies reissue and he was going to sell it and most people liked the 63 beatles look so that's why he did it
67 has a big focused low end. Interestingly this also came through when I listened on my phone, so it really extends into the low mids. That can be useful in an age where people might listen to your music on phone speakers. Ignition sounds scooped in comparison. Also has some high freq pick sound missing on the 67. It didn't sound honky (nasal mids) though like most Ignition demos I've listened to. In most use cases I think you'd want to use a bass that delivers the big low end of the 67 in the mix. However, Don't Let Me Down was the one example where I actually much preferred the brighter, clickier tone of the Ignition. I really want a Höfner. Been into psych pop for a long time. Hard to decide what model to get! Also considering the Contemporary series.
Wow. Stark contrast. Not just as simple as overinflated low end. The original has so much articulation and controlled tone.. makes the ignition sound flabby and unfocused. Saving my pennies
I have a real 67 500/1 it was a big transition year they installed the blade p/us it has the lockung tuners I've never played any other original from a diffrent year but some say there is more power and tone in the 67 others say they like the older ones.
The ignition is more than good enough… tbh. The old Hofner of course sounds way warmer and mellower. A lot of that is down to the ageing it has gone through over the years as well as the finish. If it’s possible to swap out the pots in the Ignition for a suitable set of 250 ohm pots that would help a lot. It would be great to have one of the modern German reissue 500/1 basses but is it really worth the extra. If the Ignition came with control plates with the right aesthetics and a neck with a zero fret, then the Ignition would be all that would be needed right out the box
Yes in terms of sound ignition is very good for his cheap price, but personally I prefer the german one. I also have a Contemporary 500/1 hofner bass and an ignition but I prefer the CT one.. it has a sort of warm and thumpy sound
Very similar sound and tessitura, for me the ignition perfectly matches the Hofner sound of course having a German Hofner is always an extra. On the other hand, you will always have to wait for the Ignition to get old to see if the wood and the adhesives stand the test of time.
The 1967 500/1 has more bottom end. So it wins on tonality, however between the two and what they’re valued at, it would be smarter to buy the ignition bass. You can honestly achieve the same tone on the cheaper one if you palm mute while you play. For 2 grand buy a fuckin Rickenbacker! 😉🤟
I have all three--the Rick (4003) is just too damned heavy and unwieldly, the neck is too wide, and the muting system sucks. I'd pick either Hofner before the Rick. But hey, tastes differ.
The German made does not ring out or has the sustain of the Ignition. The Ignition doesn't sound as muted. I guess some muting will make the Ignition sound very close to the German.
Its very hard to differentiate as I kept think the settings weren't - exact ... i will state that the differences were slight enough that in the right players hands good tone could be gotten from either
The difference is 'Slight' without making a song and dance about it. Plus that certain sound which you may require can be obtained via an effects processor, it's all in the head with silly comparisons and despite the budget, it won't make a difference in the studio so you may as well be playing a 'Hello Kitty' model. I have the Contemporary, it's ideal for my needs and I was Not influenced by Beatle material, you can play anything from Punk to Pop on it, no complaints, just do your thing and be individuals not lemmings.
Und ja in meine Ohren ist es halt wie bei allen Reissues Instrumenten. Die klingen halt nahe dem Original aber der holzige Unterton fehlt Ihnen. Nichts geht über das Original! Leider hab ich selbst auch kein Original, sondern auch nur Reissues. Mega Shootout!
Some people swap the control panel on the Ignition for a German-made one, because ‘it it better’, but never say what is better. The build quality, the sound,….
I find it varies on the song for which I like better. I do love the deeper tones of the OG, but Come Together does sound better on the Ignition. I'm getting one this weekend, can't wait!
I like the Ignition better. Better top end clarity and detail. Don't want that? Role the treble down on your amp. Done. I don't why anybody would pay $2800 for a German made 1 trick pony. It's a niche instrument with little versatility. I own a German made Hofner Club, a Hofner Hi BB, and a Rogue copy. Truthfully? I like the Rogue the best, at a whopping $250. gets the job done fine when I need that sound. Hofners were NOT high end instruments when they came out! McCartney bought his because it was symmetrical and cheaper than a Fender, which he couldn't afford. And if he didn't happen to play one, nobody would be today. If you're paying $2800 for one, then you're paying for his name associated with the instruments, not for any outstanding, versatile instrument of high quality.
Yep, the Ignition has a wider neck. It's like comparing a PB-neck to a JB-neck. But just in Höfner dimensions :D The 67 neck feels way smoother. Not so plastic-like.
I'm sorry but my ears tell me that the ignition sounds much better the 67 is rather weak and output and sound let's face it the Hoffman's just look really cool that's about it overpriced The originals get a Rickenbacker 4003 s and you're set man!
True. The 67 got more character but live (for example) it's really bitchy, hard to find a good mix. The Ignition is way more comfortable and got more power.
I have a 67 just like that I also have a 61 cavern ignition they sound pretty much the same by my ear bought their 30 years ago for 700 bucks could never afford a real German one now
Hey, the Ignition got LaBella flats and the 67 got some Pyramid Gold flats. You can read it at the beginning of the video. I prefer LaBella...beside the Rotosound black nylon on my Contemporary.
