Hofner Ignition Violin Bass - Sunburst

A real Hofner violin bass for peanuts, what's not to like?. So it isn't made by a German luthier but the Chinese luthier who made mine did a very decent job. The finish is very good, the book-matched flame maple back is simply stunning and the sunburst finish is very well done even extending to the neck. The woods used are the exact same as the German built guitars which come in at between £500 - £1700 and as far as I can tell from pictures most of the hardware is the same too but don't hold me to that. I'm only using mine for recording but with the flat-wounds I've fitted it sounds great through my software (Reason Record/Line 6) and playing is smooth and easy. If you are going to gig with it remember that it is a full hollow body with all the pit-falls that can bring at high volume. Some of the German models have a centre block to counter feedback issues. The only small (tiny!)gripe I have is the intonation on the E string is slightly out but who plays high up the neck on the E anyway? A bit of setting up may or may not cure it as the bridge is a fairly crude design. Bear in mind the same bridge is used on the German built ones too! Honestly that's all I can find to moan about and I still think it's worth five stars because at this price it's nothing but a niggle. So if you've always wanted one but the prices have scared you off I'd say go for it. Junk the standard strings and put on a decent set of flat-wounds and enjoy playing it as much as you'll enjoy owning and looking at it. It's a bargain and a thing of beauty.

Having ruled out an actual acoustic for practising unplugged, I decided more or less on a whim to go for this bass instead. Once I’d changed the nasty round wound strings for the la Bella flats recommended to duplicate the ‘Beatle Bass’, I found I had a little gem in my hands. Yes, if you expect it to feel and sound like a ‘normal’ bass, you need to reimagine it all a bit. But as long as the strings aren’t too heavy, it plays nicely and sounds good. Never mind nailing the Macca sound, it’s fine for most jobs and being small and light you can play on and on... So I’ll be gigging with it as well as practising. I’ll still want a full size, full weight, traditional style bass sometimes but I’m finding this good fun and very usable.

This Hofner violin bass is, in my opinion, amazing value for money. It has an easy to play neck, with no sharp fret wire down the neck. It also has a nice action, and has a sound and tone that suggests a more expensive price tag. The only change I have made is replacing the original strings with a set of La Bella black silk flat wound 50-100’s, and the difference in sound quality is staggering. I may upgrade the electrics and pickups in the future, but as of now, I am more than happy with this beauty as it is. Highly recommended for wannabe bassists and Beatle fans everywhere. 10/10.

A fantastic well made guitar but the strings let it down they really need to be 105 thou nylon flat wound , they improve the sound & range So much more.

Lovely bass with flame maple back - looks much more expensive than it is. So nice and light and easy to play. Further enhanced by switching the strings to flat wounds. As a predominantly guitar player I find this much easier to play than a standard bass and a lovely tone from it. Bought an additional Hofner gig bag to protect it. Found it sits better with a strap connected up at the headstock than to the button on the body.

I LOVE this Hofner Ignition. Being a Beatles enthusiast and McCartney fan I've always wanted the famous Hofner Bass guitar. For the price of this you serious can't pass it up as German Hofners go for around 800-1000 upwards, but this one for under 500 is honestly a steal. Absolutely brilliant quality and sound. Would definitely recommend and would buy again if I wanted another Hofner. 10/10 🙌

This bass guitar if fantastic. It is light and comfortable to hold. And being shorter than most bass guitars, it is easy to get your fingers in the right positions. The tone is good. And best of all, it looks cool.

I needed a replacement bass for recording. This arrived in a couple of days and, because of the low price, surpassed expectations immediately. The lack of weight is surprising against a traditional solid body, coupled with a short scale neck; great features for beginners. There's good playability even with the close-set string configuration. When seated, the guitar has a slight tendency to tip neck-ward - but nothing you can't adjust for. On the copy I received, the exposed edge of the fret wire at the 12th had a minor spur, soon remedied with a needle file. The centre screw of the scratch plate stood a little proud too - easily fixed. Sound wise, the Hofner 511B "Staple" Humbucking pick-ups deliver a mellow, woody 'purr'. No growling here. For recording purposes, this sits in the mix close to the timbre of a double-bass. If you're after the classic Hofner/distinctive McCartney sound - it's there on tap. Part of that sound is the lack of a centre block - so lessened sustain/resistance to feedback. Not to everyone's taste. Visually, it's very close to the original outline of the classic Hofner violin bass - though I've heard that the Ignition series has experienced a changeable profile with a few variations. The standard of the build quality, pots, control panel divides opinion - but the original 1960's model was cheap in itself. I think that it's great value for the price point. Ditch the pre-fitted round-wound strings and replace them with some La Bella Hofner short scale strings. Bargain.