Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon Miller
I'm definitely lacking the "eye of the luthier" haha. I thought the purfling was identical and the f holes.. lets just say I have a hard time distinguishing any f hole.
The only historical info I was given on the bass was that it was a 1970's German bass. Looking at the catalog you posted a few months back... the 1971 edition from Hofner; there's a model 5/14 violin shape. It seems to fit the bill... down to the ebony trimmings on the neck joint. The neck is also quite flamed...albeit a fake flame. It is a reddish color with faded yellow warn sections.
I'm no expert, but I thought it looked quite similar to the 5/12 model shown in the catalog...it's a shame there aren't many details to go on.
It just strikes me as odd how difficult it is to find any information on these basses. I've seen a select few Hofners turn up on the web, and most were gamba ply basses. Your five string is the closest thing I've come across to being in the same ilk as my bass.
Product distribution is perplexing thing in the bass world!!
http://www.hofner-guitars.com/galler...ogue-1971.html |
Your Neck pics are not so good but just below the scroll box I see the fake flame. This is the Hofner violin model. That detail with the resh of this bass seals the deal in my mind.
Now, who did the repairs and where are the cracks? Condition is very important and so is the grade of repair work. Most old work that I have seen needed to be re-done. Sometimes, the repair work caused even more damage. That happens today as well. With so many shops within several states around me, I old choose those that do not create more work in the future and finish the job properly.
Show some better pics of the condition and maybe we can come to an estimated market value for your bass. I need to see EVERYTHING possible. If you can think of it, I wanna see it, and then some. Unless you bring the bass here. Then I can look it over inside and out.
Image is another important factor with values as well. I have one old Viennese bass on the way from Europe where the maker had an average reputation at best for his violins. This can hurt the value of his basses when associated with his other work. Also, Hofner and Framus made guitars as well as violins thru basses in the string family. The Guitar image does NOT at all help the values of the violin products here in USA. maybe in Europe they are more mature and forgiving with the ability to separate a Beatles bass from a 5-string Orchestra bass but here in the States, Hofner? The Guitar company that made the Beatles bass?
Of the 3 shops mentioned above, the Wilfers are not known to my knowledge of any Guitars. I have played my Hofner 5 in Orchestras here and for the size and model, it is way under appreciated in value and worth as a musical instrument. Now, on many German made basses, the neck-set is different than we usually like here so that is one shadow over most of these shop basses. My Hofner is in the shop now getting this work done. We already re-carved the neck and re-varnished the heel so there is no more fake flame. Also, there is a graphite bar in the neck now to keep it stronger. My bass was over 30 years old and never played out, like new, but the neck bowed forward and we lost the fingerboard but saves the neck. Now, it plays like butter. Before, it was not even playable at all in my opinion.