I had a 1966 Homer President. Sold it to a guy who was collecting all the Beatles type guitars. I went in his living room and there he had a stand set up with a Ludwig drum kit… a Rickenbacker… and a Country Gentleman. He had a guitar stand waiting for the Hofner and placed it in it. It was like the Beatles were just on a break.
Frikin Azz...In 1994 I finally bought a Ric 325C64 from Ace Music in L.A. Then a few months later while looking thru Craigslist, I found a studio guy in Beverly Hills selling a JetGlo 360/12 for $800 bucks! He said that the recording company bought it for him to play on some recordings...but he didn't like the sound. So I snatched it up from him and it still had the sales tags on it along with the grey case!!! But 2 yrs later I was going thru a divorce...and ended up selling the 360 to a good friend that was dying to have it. Then about 10 yrs later...my son needed money for college and I ended selling the 325 to my cousin that was a musican. Both guitars found good homes...but I wish I didn't have to sell them!
Like them both. I'd be happy to have either of them but the player makes. more difference than anything. Too many people worry about the instrument rather than learning how to play it most effectively
Ric bridge pickup has to be my favorite. I've been hunting for a 4003S for a long time so I can add a stereo output and live out my Chris Squire fantasies. I'd also love to compare one to my '76 4001 and see how big of a tonal difference 40 years makes. Great video.
Cool! Bad as basses both of em and you capture them perfectly. But what I love the most is your pocket on that drum set my man.The drum track is just perfect🥁🤘 Get on back here, we can do some projects!
Man I have one of these too and it is the bomb. Seriously well made instruments, right up there with handmade Gera like Lull, Fodera and Sadowsky I had a 1970 500/1 but it crapped out on the road years ago and I picked up a Mersey as a replacement. The Mersey model is as good as any 60s model in sound terms but has far better build quality. The neck is a dream. These newer German Hofner's are just amazing and I know for a fact that guys like Michael Rhodes use them for sessions and they are at the top of the tree over here. That say all I need to know. Nice video BTW I subbed to your channel!
The great Michel Rhodes could play anything and sound amazing. I miss him everyday. I put him and Glenn Woff at the top of the Nashville session heap. Those guys are freakin amazing to watch.
Good comparison. Well recorded and they both sound very very good. I had a FG Ric but sold it because I hated the tailpiece and it was too fat in the neck playing F. Replaced it with a CS J bass which is awesome but brother do I miss that Ric tone. You captured it really well. The Hofner neck sounds ridiculously good. Never played a Hofner but I'd sure like to. Some people say that they're nothing more than a toy. I can't comment about that but this one you play here sounds just terrific. I never knew they had such a grooving bridge pick up tone either. You could so some mean funk with that sound. Great work and thank you for making such a useful video!
Thanks so much for your kind words! I hear a lot about the tailpiece thing but I have never found it to be too bad. Just something you have to live with on a Ric. I went through few that had fat necks too before I settled on my jetglo.
I'd chalk it up to the fact that hofners are pigeonholed so much the bridge pup never gets used at all because almost everyone plays it exactly like Paul McCartney does. Not like there's anything wrong with that but it does get a bit old which is why I almost exclusively play fingerstyle with the bridge pup on my hofner copy lol
If you're specifically going for a solid or heavy sound, the Rickenbacker 4001S is the best choice because it has a solid body. Otherwise the Höfner 500/1 Violin any day. It would be great if they made a solid body version of the Höfner 500/1 Violin.
@@Tommy-TwigFan Oh wow. I had no idea. I always assumed that all Höfner 500/1 Violin bass guitars were completely hollow. Listening to the Höfner 500/1 Contemporary Violin bass guitar, it does sound very different from the regular Höfner 500/1 Violin bass guitar. The block of wood at the centre definitely helps to give the bass guitar a more solid and sustainable sound. I'm not entirely sure whether I think they are better than regular Höfner 500/1 Violin bass guitars. But they are different.
Great demonstration! For me Hofner neck pickup sound is unbeatable. This deep, resonant and muted (at the same time) tone... And here is my question: I can't hear the sound of the pick slapping/hitting the strings. How do you achieve this? Do you use felt pick?
Thanks for your kind words my friends. I have no idea about the pick sound you mention, I just use standard Jim Dunlop nylon guitar pick. Must be the way I attack the strings? Glad you dig that sounds though😀
They're both great. I have a Hofner Violin Contemporary model with Pyramid flatwounds on it, and a Rickenbacker 4003S Fireglo with Thomastik Infeld flatwounds on it. They're both lovely basses for Beatles-type music :-)
I've had a 4001 for decades now and LOVE IT! One proviso for a Rick bass....It may not be an ideal "only bass" for you. It'll certainly be a great addition to your arsenal though! The neck profile and demensions feel good for me and it's a joy to play. It's also a very light bass, so your shoulder won't complain after three sets 😃 It's fun to play around with the tone & volume settings with both pickups switched on too. And don't they look just great! (thanks for the video, Dan - yes, that Hofner sounded really nice in your demo)
Thank Roger✌ The Ric is the one bass I have always had around. Mind you, I have played some heavy ones and some with necks like baseball bats but when I found one in the sweet spot...bass heaven for me🤘🎸 They are quirky but once you really get know them they are crazy versatile.
Nice comparison, thanks! The Rick might -sound- like having hotter pickups but the hofner "staple" pickups are among the stock hottest winded out there for bass. The Rick's "Higains" though have that super-present nasal mid punch that growl loud!
Absolutamente fantástico. Muy bien realizada la comparación. Los dos son excelentes bajos para mi gusto personal. Y tu voz narrando, la reencarnación de John Peel. Un saludo.
I saw your other video of the Ric and the jazz but think that the Ric can cover so much ground between the jazz and a Hofner. Really useful I am soon driving to Thomann to try out a Ric!! Thank you for your videos. Very helpful and I say to you very nice playing.
I like your video, it perfectly shows off these two basses. I used a 500/1 for a semester at university in my jazz course but couldn't get used to the scale. So, I will stick to my EBMM. Never played the other one here but is sounds good. In fact I prefer the Rickenbacker tone in this video.
Two beautiful basses that sound killer and some absolutely fantastic playing! I especially liked the sound of the Hofner bridge pickup. I noticed you have the updated bridge/tailpiece on the Rickenbacker, what year is that bass?
Thanks Nick for your kind words. They are great basses. The Ric is a 2020. I never had an issue with the tailpiece in my older 4003 basses. My biggest gripe about Ric basses is finding one with a neck that isn't too fat at the first fret. Their tone is just so tasty though!
@@danfelixmusic2536 That's the thing about Ric's because so much is still done by hand, you'll see more difference from one to another than you will with, say, a fender, I'll never get rid of my '76 4001 Stereo because I might not find another that feels quite the same and I know from experience that's the sort of bass that causes seller's remorse
Wasn't Macca's a 4001 Ricky with the toaster pickups ? And besides, both pickups together sound gorgeous on both basses, next time please don't forget...
Yep, Paul played a 4001S. I don't know which pups he had, but he could play anything and still sound great. There was a thread somewhere on a bass forum explaining the overhaul his Ric bass had by the very guy who worked on it.
@@danfelixmusic2536 the 4001 has very different pickups (horse shoe and toaster single coils), 4003 features the hi-gain ceramic single coils for higher output. Both do sound good in their own right, yet the 4001 more vintagey.
McCartney actually had a lefty RM1999 which was a 4001 made for european export, which is what the 4003S pays homage to. Chris Squire and John Entwistle also had RM1999's, they had a horseshoe pickup in the bridge position and a toaster in the neck position, and only gave the option of a mono output. Chris Squire wisely installed a stereo jack in his so he could use Ric-O-Sound.
This is a really great video. It's really all in the fingers of the player. They both sound amazing but I sold a Hofner and got a Ric. Never looked back. The Ric just covers more low end ground for mine
A few months ago, I decided to look into buying a Rickenbacker 4003 (a recent one with only a single truss rod). I am just an amateur bassist, but thought I might splurge just because I love the sound. However, after reading and watching many reviews I was scared off by all the complaints over issues relating to build quality. Since no local stores carry Ricks close to where I live I would have to special order one without playing first. Anyway, for the amount of money one costs I was scared off by the reviews and I was not going to risk getting one with multiple issues. Maybe one day I will comes across a used one or something.
Thanks for your comment.I hear you but my Ric experience has been nothing but positive. I have playing Rics on pro basis since the early 90s in all sorts of jobs from bar bands to theatre pits, recording to touring and, I have had three and never had a single issue with any of them including the infamous bridge issue which has now been ratified through new design anyway. Every manufacturer has issues I guess. My latest Ric bass came from Andy Babiuk Guitars in USA and they were excellent to deal with. Answered every email I threw at them. They shipped to me across the Pacific Ocean and the bass was fabulous when I arrived. All set up and ready to go. Have another look at the Ric, don't let complainers put you off. The tone is other worldly✌😁🎸
The Jetglo Rickenbacker looks great especially next to the Hofner. I love Rickenbackers basses but I always preferred the Jetglo/gold pickguard Lennon circa first sullivan appearance look on a Rickenbacker more than any other finish/pickguard combination. Don't get me wrong Fireglo is absolutely gorgeous, so was Mccartneys pyschadelic artwork as well, and the natural mapleglo is probably my favorite finish of paul's ricks. But something about those old school 50s rick gold pickguards and oven knobs I absolutely love and to me the Jetglo finish seems to look best with. Also probably biased from being a huge lennon fan and wanting a jetglo 325 more than anything as a kid
Thanks for your kind words. I'd love a 325 but play bass and drums mostly. Rics are really well finished but the German Hofner is built like a piece of art. Soundwise, I'll take the Ric if I had to choose!
Love the sound of both. I think the Hofner neck sound is highly underrated, and the Rick is a great design because they didn't jam the bridge pickup too far back towards the bridge. The Rick is the only two pickup bass I can think of where the bridge pickup isn't a completely unusable sound when used on it's own.
I agree man, thanks for your comments! You can pull so many tones from a Ric and the bridge pup on its own has many different tones depending on where you pick the strings and also how much tone you have dialled in. I am not a fan of bridge Jazz pups but the Ric bridge pups are superb. Hefner's in general are underrated and disparaged a little too freely. You really have to own one and spend time with it to extract max juice but they mojo for days!
Wow - great vid, thanks! Pleasant surprise. I have a Hofner that is (I think) a Ltd. Edition re-issue of the early 60's Beatle Bass (might be what you have here) and also a blonde 4001 Rickenbacker. I bought both about 20 years ago. Flat-wounds on both and I generally go for Neck on the Hofner and Mid position for the Rick. Sometimes use fingers on the Rick. They are both beautiful instruments for sure!
Thanks for your kind words! Both great basses that can be used for so many genres once you get to know them and dial in the subtleties. I did a jazz recording today with my lil Hofner. Warm n woody all the way🎸
Great video and nice playing! I have found Rickenbacker bass 4001’s have a symmetry that Hofners’ lack. I have had 3 different Ric 4001’s all very similar. My Hofner’s were all different. One stayed in tune. 2 did not.
Thanks for you kind words🙏😁 I played a lot of German Hofner's before finding "the one". That was related to intonation more than anything. As for the Ric, I have had a few and they always felt great to me ergonomically. If I had to choose, its the Ric everytime🎸😁🤘
The Rick is a HEAVY beast, and after some trial and error, I think it sounds most McCartneyish with Rotosound 88 black tapewounds (and the Rickenbacker damping system on the bridge is atrocious and also useless--just use foam). The Hofner is a joy to handle because it's so lightweight, but its main drawback is holding tune. Different basses, different sounds...but if you like playing McCartney bass lines, you really need to have to have both.
Mine Ric weighs in at 9.1lb which makes it the lightest Ric I have owned. I have an old J bass that weights in 10.5.lb. That sucker is just to heavy to gig. The Hof feels like a bit like feather to me but I use it only for recording sessions and it is just awesome. ✌🎸🤘
For light weight I ended up going to a Sadowsky like so many others have because they weigh a whole lot less but still allow for the fullness of tone....If that makes any sense. You know what I mean...
2:42 I have a question to the Rick players. Isn’t that weird gap between bridge pickup and a part for putting pickup cover annoying while playing here with fingers? It looks like your thumb would easily stuck there or plucking fingers would hurt from the plastic with the sharp edge while playing the E string. I was always wondering how Rick players deal with that
That is s good point. For my part, the gap I don't notice at all playing but sometimes the sharp edge is annoying but I generally don't feel it. I thought about sanding it off ever so slightly bit it really doesn't bother that much. Others may differ. Once I start playing that beast I get lost in the joy of the might Ric tone!
Tough question and everyone will have a different view. For me, if I could only have two basses it would be a Sadowksy 5 string and the Hofner. Depends what your needs are.
Always liked a p bass simple but one know can give you such and awesome sound it came up at the same time as rock did it was the talents of the different players that made it so sweet I also heard a story that alot of the better recording studios always have a kind of worn out looking one in the corner and no matter who comes in to play and how fancy a bass they bring the engineers will talk them into using it and when they play it back there blown away with the sound
Nice video! Both of these basses are fantastic in their own ways, HOWEVER I think the Ric is more versatile. I’d arguably call them one of the best bass guitars ever made
To my ears the bridge pickup on both the Rickenbacker and the Hoffner are pretty similar. But the neck pickup is where the real difference lies. The neck pickup on the Hoffner is much more Bassy whereas the neck pickup of the Rickenbacker sounds like the halfway point between the neck and Bridge pickups on the Hoffner
I've had both and love both. Now with that said if I had to pick one it would definitely be the Ric 4003S and the reason being I can play many other types of genres compared to the Hofner, but that's just my two cents.
The Rickenbacker neck was nice and the bridge of the Hofner was nice too. Those were my favorite tones of the video. I own two Rickenbacker basses a 4003s and a 4003. I think I need a Hofner...
I am not knowledgeable about the concerns and features when comparing the the two bass guitars. I felt that the Rickenbacker "delivered" more. I imagine that, in concert now, Paul McCartney uses the Hofner bass more for the sake of the audience's memories and nostalgia.
I agree that the Ric has more presence. It is very clear when listening to the Ric on McCartney's mid 70s output (but a Ric can do so much more than just hat one tone). The Hofner has a lovely tone though and it weights a while lot less. I often use the Hof on jazz gigs as it is a nice sub for a double bass. Both are great great instruments and I use them both all the time. Appreciate your comment ✌🎸
My Hof doesn't really dive but I can't say I dig playing i standinging with the strap. I usually record with it and am sitting when I play it. Neck dive is a dealbreaker though, I hear ya, I been there🎸✌️
I have two German made Hofner Clubs 500/2. Electrically the same as McCartney’s 61 Cavern and his later 63. The difference is pickup spacing. I like the 61 pickup spacing bass better.
Why the compression? that just equalizes things. Keep it raw, man! If you are going to make love to a bass, do it without the rubbers! It may elevate anxiety, but it will definitely feel better.
Well I am a Ric 4001 owner and on my 3rd a 1977 model. I have played a 62 Hofner bass live on stage back in the 70,s and I have to say there is no way the Hofner compares as the Ric demolishes it by leaps and bounds. I could have bought the Hofner for £30 back in those days they were cheap as chips. My first S/H Ric cost £350. Long live Rickenbacker😊🇬🇧
I agree. I can get close to How sound with my Ric using flats but the hofner can not get near the Ric tone,. I think Rics are awesome and way more versatile than they generally get credit for.
@@danfelixmusic2536 Ric neck pick up is superb and I must say I vastly prefer the Ric bridge pick up to any Fender Jazz pick up. That might be courting controversy but it's just a sound my ears gravitate to.
I would say, being a smaller guy, I would prefer playing the Hofner bass, simply because of its size and weight. But listening to some of Paul McCartney's Rickenbacker bass sounds from his Wings' days actually sound better than the Hofner comparison on here. What's the difference, if anybody knows? Is it the strings, the amps or something else?
The player. Paul always sounded like Paul on any bass he played and he is so great at everything. The recording, mixing and mastering also played a part in what we hear on record. I read that WOA was deliberately mixed with the Ric bass upfront. All of his stuff is magic regardless of his bass on the day! Think I'll go back and check out early Wings albums. RRS was a ripper for bass tone. Check out Lazy Dynamite. Superb melodic bass. Always loved the bass that one
@@danfelixmusic2536 Yes, "Lazy Dynamite" has a great bass line and solo as well. Have all of his studio albums, and for me, much of his solo stuff is as good as any Beatles material he wrote. Usually people who put McCartney down are only familiar with some of his solo tunes. I've heard literally hundreds of his tunes so I speak from a broader spectrum of knowledge. What I admire especially about McCartney is his courage to venture into new territories and have a go. And no, there's stuff he's done which I don't like but that's okay. I've written thousands of poems, am I happy with them all? Hell no! I maybe like 5-10% of them. I'm sure Paul looks at some of his stuff and thinks to himself "What the hell was I thinking?" I agree with you that all of McCartney's bass sound comes down to his talent on the bass, and it coming out from that. His bass playing took a major turn after The Beatles had been to the US. From the "Rubber Soul" album onwards he was a different bass player.
From what I read, he bought it because he was in Hamburg and the Hefner's were readily available and relatively cheap.He also like the symmetry of them being a lefty and all. I think Paul could play a tennis racquet and make it musically brilliant!😁
That Hofner sounds better than it has a right to (neck position pickup especially), but unless I was in a Beatles tribute band there’s no way I could justify owning one. It’d be like a lead guitarist on stage playing a striped red Kramer Frankenstrat or a hockey player wearing number 99.
😁Kramer🤘 Makes me think of 80s hair bands😂 I use my Hof for a lot of other work. Great for country and ballads and also for jazz as a substitute for double bass with that short sustains and woody tone. ✌ Thanks for your kind words, made me have a good chuckle. Have a great day
It is a strange thing, I agree, but I just take it as part of the character of the thing.They're a strange animal them Hofner's. Long as it gets the sound I'm after I can overlook its foibles
Thank you for your kind words Rick🙏 The Ric has Sadowsky flats 45-105, the Hofner has standard flats that came with bass from Germany (they feel like 40-95 maybe...) They both play nice and smooth.🎸✌️
@@danfelixmusic2536 Thank you so much Dan ! I have 2 Hofners (Right and Left) and a Dean that I really enjoy playing but the strings really are very super thin and lightweight. What you recommend will set it right. Gracias !
I think you could give a great player like Marcus Miller a cheap nasty bass and he'd still sound amazing on it. It's always about the player rather than the gear.
Rics are not for everyone; the second one I ever owned was a lemon...🎸 But 2/3 have been great. I like the ergonomics of the 4003S model, a little more contoured. Happens with all brands/models as we all know. Enjoy the Cavern bass🎸
🟦…The way you have the samples arranged makes it rather difficult to do a proper comparison. .... A better arrangement would have been first comparing neck pickups of both guitars and then bridge pickups, rather than neck-bridge, neck-bridge.
They were originally made for flat wounds. One guy on the talk forums said rickenbacker wrote him a letter basically cussing him out because the damage on his bass was caused by wound rounds.
I'm a 51 year experience bass player & that Hoffner is a piece of SHIT! I tried one out years ago & OMG what a ROACH!!! The tone is shit, shit feel, just garbage idk what Paul saw in it but I'll never own one if you gave it to me. Id use it like Paul Stanley uses Gibson melody makers to smash on stage. The Ricky isn't far behind I had a 4001 back in high school I had to put a badass bridge cuz the stock one is hollow & shit ala geddy to get the right tone out of it the duel truss rods suck cuz they're close together & you gotta jockey the wrench to get a good bite on the bolt to make an adjustment. The pick up cover has got to go other than that it was a better Rick. Now the price is rediculous they're made with cnc technology ( should be cheaper) & with the inherited bugs the gotta be drinking draining at the factory.
I know some pro players here in Nashville who would disagree and have recorded them on several high profile sessions. Look at what Chris Wood gets from a Hofner. There are quite a few clips of him just killing it with a Hofner. Unbelievable player. Great players can make anything sound good.
![5 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT PAUL McCARTNEY'S BEATLE BASSES + Hofner Tone Demo [4K]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/TqEg30rNmts/mqdefault.jpg)
I had a 1966 Homer President. Sold it to a guy who was collecting all the Beatles type guitars. I went in his living room and there he had a stand set up with a Ludwig drum kit… a Rickenbacker… and a Country Gentleman. He had a guitar stand waiting for the Hofner and placed it in it. It was like the Beatles were just on a break.
Great story!
Frikin Azz...In 1994 I finally bought a Ric 325C64 from Ace Music in L.A. Then a few months later while looking thru Craigslist, I found a studio guy in Beverly Hills selling a JetGlo 360/12 for $800 bucks! He said that the recording company bought it for him to play on some recordings...but he didn't like the sound. So I snatched it up from him and it still had the sales tags on it along with the grey case!!!
But 2 yrs later I was going thru a divorce...and ended up selling the 360 to a good friend that was dying to have it.
Then about 10 yrs later...my son needed money for college and I ended selling the 325 to my cousin that was a musican. Both guitars found good homes...but I wish I didn't have to sell them!
Sounds like it went to a good place.
Like them both. I'd be happy to have either of them but the player makes. more difference than anything. Too many people worry about the instrument rather than learning how to play it most effectively
I agree with you 150%
You’re not supposed to say intelligent stuff- it’s UA-cam!
@@jazzman1954 😂😂
I like the Hofner weight better. Much easier to gig a light bass. for a few hours than a heavy one
2 totaly different basses, its like comparing a Les Paul to a Stratocaster both are awsome
....and of course these two guitars can be heard on the greatest single catalogue of popular music: the fabulous Rutles!!😅✌
😂👍
Is that a Dirk McQuickly $ignature model?
All You Need is Cash😂
I Am The waitress.
🤣🤣
Somewhere Paul is proud. They sound marvellous!
✌️Thank you so much!
Greatest base player for mi
@@danfelixmusic2536 When is your next cover going to be ready?
Me too. He is a true innovator on bass
Ric bridge pickup has to be my favorite. I've been hunting for a 4003S for a long time so I can add a stereo output and live out my Chris Squire fantasies. I'd also love to compare one to my '76 4001 and see how big of a tonal difference 40 years makes. Great video.
Thanks of your comments. A 4001 would be nice to compere with I agree.
You can find them for around $1,800 which seems high but quality costs money
Nothing. but a Ric gets that sound. It's awesome
Cool! Bad as basses both of em and you capture them perfectly. But what I love the most is your pocket on that drum set my man.The drum track is just perfect🥁🤘 Get on back here, we can do some projects!
Thanks Jimmy! No idea when I'll be back there. Soon I hope.🙏 Will email ya😀
Great video! I love how you made the comparison. And great playing. Perfect.
Thank you for your kind words. 🎸✌️
Man I have one of these too and it is the bomb. Seriously well made instruments, right up there with handmade Gera like Lull, Fodera and Sadowsky I had a 1970 500/1 but it crapped out on the road years ago and I picked up a Mersey as a replacement. The Mersey model is as good as any 60s model in sound terms but has far better build quality. The neck is a dream. These newer German Hofner's are just amazing and I know for a fact that guys like Michael Rhodes use them for sessions and they are at the top of the tree over here. That say all I need to know. Nice video BTW I subbed to your channel!
I'm with you man. Build quality is as good as anything custom out there.
@@danfelixmusic2536 Spot on
The great Michel Rhodes could play anything and sound amazing. I miss him everyday. I put him and Glenn Woff at the top of the Nashville session heap. Those guys are freakin amazing to watch.
Good comparison. Well recorded and they both sound very very good. I had a FG Ric but sold it because I hated the tailpiece and it was too fat in the neck playing F. Replaced it with a CS J bass which is awesome but brother do I miss that Ric tone. You captured it really well. The Hofner neck sounds ridiculously good. Never played a Hofner but I'd sure like to. Some people say that they're nothing more than a toy. I can't comment about that but this one you play here sounds just terrific. I never knew they had such a grooving bridge pick up tone either. You could so some mean funk with that sound. Great work and thank you for making such a useful video!
Thanks so much for your kind words! I hear a lot about the tailpiece thing but I have never found it to be too bad. Just something you have to live with on a Ric. I went through few that had fat necks too before I settled on my jetglo.
I'd chalk it up to the fact that hofners are pigeonholed so much the bridge pup never gets used at all because almost everyone plays it exactly like Paul McCartney does. Not like there's anything wrong with that but it does get a bit old which is why I almost exclusively play fingerstyle with the bridge pup on my hofner copy lol
I agree with you.Check out Chris Wood playing a Hofner, oh man unbelievably great tones and one helluva bass player🎸
@@danfelixmusic2536 MMW are one of my fave bands. SO MUCH POCKET!
@@handerson3263 awesome
If you're specifically going for a solid or heavy sound, the Rickenbacker 4001S is the best choice because it has a solid body. Otherwise the Höfner 500/1 Violin any day. It would be great if they made a solid body version of the Höfner 500/1 Violin.
Or maybe a short scale Ric? Either way they're both great to play! 👍
The contemporary ones are semi hollow with a block Wood at the center
@@Tommy-TwigFan Oh wow. I had no idea. I always assumed that all Höfner 500/1 Violin bass guitars were completely hollow. Listening to the Höfner 500/1 Contemporary Violin bass guitar, it does sound very different from the regular Höfner 500/1 Violin bass guitar. The block of wood at the centre definitely helps to give the bass guitar a more solid and sustainable sound. I'm not entirely sure whether I think they are better than regular Höfner 500/1 Violin bass guitars. But they are different.
@@c.syde65 iirc the contemporary are the first hofner basses that are not fully hollow. I think they sound cool, bought myself a cavern
@@Tommy-TwigFan I got one too, coolest pickup position
I have both of these basses. Both have flat wounds on them. As they should
Yes I agree totally 🤣
@@danfelixmusic2536 I do too. A j with flats on he neck pups oozes fatness
Great demonstration! For me Hofner neck pickup sound is unbeatable. This deep, resonant and muted (at the same time) tone... And here is my question: I can't hear the sound of the pick slapping/hitting the strings. How do you achieve this? Do you use felt pick?
Thanks for your kind words my friends. I have no idea about the pick sound you mention, I just use standard Jim Dunlop nylon guitar pick. Must be the way I attack the strings? Glad you dig that sounds though😀
They're both great. I have a Hofner Violin Contemporary model with Pyramid flatwounds on it, and a Rickenbacker 4003S Fireglo with Thomastik Infeld flatwounds on it. They're both lovely basses for Beatles-type music :-)
I agree with you totally😁✌️
ric sounds like jazz to me but very good too
I've had a 4001 for decades now and LOVE IT! One proviso for a Rick bass....It may not be an ideal "only bass" for you. It'll certainly be a great addition to your arsenal though! The neck profile and demensions feel good for me and it's a joy to play. It's also a very light bass, so your shoulder won't complain after three sets 😃 It's fun to play around with the tone & volume settings with both pickups switched on too. And don't they look just great! (thanks for the video, Dan - yes, that Hofner sounded really nice in your demo)
Thank Roger✌ The Ric is the one bass I have always had around. Mind you, I have played some heavy ones and some with necks like baseball bats but when I found one in the sweet spot...bass heaven for me🤘🎸 They are quirky but once you really get know them they are crazy versatile.
Man this such great bases. Cant get this in Mexico City. I dream for Hofner bass! You vidios great amigo!
Thank you Miguel! The Hofner's are hard to find here in Aus too. Appreciate your comments✌😁
Man dat Ric bridge pup is so cool
Yep!!
Nice comparison, thanks! The Rick might -sound- like having hotter pickups but the hofner "staple" pickups are among the stock hottest winded out there for bass. The Rick's "Higains" though have that super-present nasal mid punch that growl loud!
Ric growl is 🤘🎸 Thanks for comments! ✌
Absolutamente fantástico. Muy bien realizada la comparación. Los dos son excelentes bajos para mi gusto personal. Y tu voz narrando, la reencarnación de John Peel. Un saludo.
¡gracias por sus amables palabras!
I saw your other video of the Ric and the jazz but think that the Ric can cover so much ground between the jazz and a Hofner. Really useful I am soon driving to Thomann to try out a Ric!! Thank you for your videos. Very helpful and I say to you very nice playing.
Cool!
They both sound awesome. I would love to hear them next to a fender jazz
Oh man that's a good idea. Jazz basses are smokin✌️🎸
I like your video, it perfectly shows off these two basses. I used a 500/1 for a semester at university in my jazz course but couldn't get used to the scale. So, I will stick to my EBMM. Never played the other one here but is sounds good. In fact I prefer the Rickenbacker tone in this video.
Thanks for your kind words! Never played the famous MM by Ernie Ball. Nice.
Ernie Ball Music Man - now that is a real bass. Not this hollow rubbish that is way overpriced
Two beautiful basses that sound killer and some absolutely fantastic playing! I especially liked the sound of the Hofner bridge pickup. I noticed you have the updated bridge/tailpiece on the Rickenbacker, what year is that bass?
Thanks Nick for your kind words. They are great basses. The Ric is a 2020. I never had an issue with the tailpiece in my older 4003 basses. My biggest gripe about Ric basses is finding one with a neck that isn't too fat at the first fret. Their tone is just so tasty though!
@@danfelixmusic2536 , you're welcome and I agree I love the tone of a Rick.
The bridge on the Hof was a surprise to me. Rarely hear it used
@@Mr01Parrot i never hear it before it sounds great to mi
@@danfelixmusic2536 That's the thing about Ric's because so much is still done by hand, you'll see more difference from one to another than you will with, say, a fender, I'll never get rid of my '76 4001 Stereo because I might not find another that feels quite the same and I know from experience that's the sort of bass that causes seller's remorse
Wasn't Macca's a 4001 Ricky with the toaster pickups ? And besides, both pickups together sound gorgeous on both basses, next time please don't forget...
Yep, Paul played a 4001S. I don't know which pups he had, but he could play anything and still sound great. There was a thread somewhere on a bass forum explaining the overhaul his Ric bass had by the very guy who worked on it.
@@danfelixmusic2536 the 4001 has very different pickups (horse shoe and toaster single coils), 4003 features the hi-gain ceramic single coils for higher output. Both do sound good in their own right, yet the 4001 more vintagey.
McCartney actually had a lefty RM1999 which was a 4001 made for european export, which is what the 4003S pays homage to. Chris Squire and John Entwistle also had RM1999's, they had a horseshoe pickup in the bridge position and a toaster in the neck position, and only gave the option of a mono output. Chris Squire wisely installed a stereo jack in his so he could use Ric-O-Sound.
This is a really great video. It's really all in the fingers of the player. They both sound amazing but I sold a Hofner and got a Ric. Never looked back. The Ric just covers more low end ground for mine
I would choose the Ric too if I had to. Thanks for your comments!
A few months ago, I decided to look into buying a Rickenbacker 4003 (a recent one with only a single truss rod). I am just an amateur bassist, but thought I might splurge just because I love the sound. However, after reading and watching many reviews I was scared off by all the complaints over issues relating to build quality. Since no local stores carry Ricks close to where I live I would have to special order one without playing first. Anyway, for the amount of money one costs I was scared off by the reviews and I was not going to risk getting one with multiple issues. Maybe one day I will comes across a used one or something.
Thanks for your comment.I hear you but my Ric experience has been nothing but positive. I have playing Rics on pro basis since the early 90s in all sorts of jobs from bar bands to theatre pits, recording to touring and, I have had three and never had a single issue with any of them including the infamous bridge issue which has now been ratified through new design anyway. Every manufacturer has issues I guess. My latest Ric bass came from Andy Babiuk Guitars in USA and they were excellent to deal with. Answered every email I threw at them. They shipped to me across the Pacific Ocean and the bass was fabulous when I arrived. All set up and ready to go. Have another look at the Ric, don't let complainers put you off. The tone is other worldly✌😁🎸
The Jetglo Rickenbacker looks great especially next to the Hofner. I love Rickenbackers basses but I always preferred the Jetglo/gold pickguard Lennon circa first sullivan appearance look on a Rickenbacker more than any other finish/pickguard combination. Don't get me wrong Fireglo is absolutely gorgeous, so was Mccartneys pyschadelic artwork as well, and the natural mapleglo is probably my favorite finish of paul's ricks. But something about those old school 50s rick gold pickguards and oven knobs I absolutely love and to me the Jetglo finish seems to look best with. Also probably biased from being a huge lennon fan and wanting a jetglo 325 more than anything as a kid
Thanks for your kind words. I'd love a 325 but play bass and drums mostly. Rics are really well finished but the German Hofner is built like a piece of art. Soundwise, I'll take the Ric if I had to choose!
Love the sound of both. I think the Hofner neck sound is highly underrated, and the Rick is a great design because they didn't jam the bridge pickup too far back towards the bridge. The Rick is the only two pickup bass I can think of where the bridge pickup isn't a completely unusable sound when used on it's own.
I agree man, thanks for your comments! You can pull so many tones from a Ric and the bridge pup on its own has many different tones depending on where you pick the strings and also how much tone you have dialled in. I am not a fan of bridge Jazz pups but the Ric bridge pups are superb. Hefner's in general are underrated and disparaged a little too freely. You really have to own one and spend time with it to extract max juice but they mojo for days!
Hofner Cavern 500/1 which has both pickups close is good to use the end-most one alone.
@@deadandburied7626 I do love that model.
Wow - great vid, thanks! Pleasant surprise. I have a Hofner that is (I think) a Ltd. Edition re-issue of the early 60's Beatle Bass (might be what you have here) and also a blonde 4001 Rickenbacker. I bought both about 20 years ago. Flat-wounds on both and I generally go for Neck on the Hofner and Mid position for the Rick. Sometimes use fingers on the Rick. They are both beautiful instruments for sure!
Thanks for your kind words! Both great basses that can be used for so many genres once you get to know them and dial in the subtleties. I did a jazz recording today with my lil Hofner. Warm n woody all the way🎸
Great video and nice playing! I have found Rickenbacker bass 4001’s have a symmetry that Hofners’ lack. I have had 3 different Ric 4001’s all very similar. My Hofner’s were all different. One stayed in tune. 2 did not.
Thanks for you kind words🙏😁 I played a lot of German Hofner's before finding "the one". That was related to intonation more than anything. As for the Ric, I have had a few and they always felt great to me ergonomically. If I had to choose, its the Ric everytime🎸😁🤘
The Rick is a HEAVY beast, and after some trial and error, I think it sounds most McCartneyish with Rotosound 88 black tapewounds (and the Rickenbacker damping system on the bridge is atrocious and also useless--just use foam). The Hofner is a joy to handle because it's so lightweight, but its main drawback is holding tune. Different basses, different sounds...but if you like playing McCartney bass lines, you really need to have to have both.
Mine Ric weighs in at 9.1lb which makes it the lightest Ric I have owned. I have an old J bass that weights in 10.5.lb. That sucker is just to heavy to gig. The Hof feels like a bit like feather to me but I use it only for recording sessions and it is just awesome. ✌🎸🤘
For light weight I ended up going to a Sadowsky like so many others have because they weigh a whole lot less but still allow for the fullness of tone....If that makes any sense. You know what I mean...
Check out the cover to Creedence Clearwater Revival's _Bayou Country_ ... Rick 4001 Fireglo!
Yes, I too run a Sadowsky for that reason. Light and always dependable in any musical context. Great basses!!
or a Wal. His Way from he late 80s was a tone monster
Great comparison! Very nice job! Brent, VT USA
Thanks so much Brent, much appreciated! They're nice guitars
2:42 I have a question to the Rick players. Isn’t that weird gap between bridge pickup and a part for putting pickup cover annoying while playing here with fingers? It looks like your thumb would easily stuck there or plucking fingers would hurt from the plastic with the sharp edge while playing the E string. I was always wondering how Rick players deal with that
That is s good point. For my part, the gap I don't notice at all playing but sometimes the sharp edge is annoying but I generally don't feel it. I thought about sanding it off ever so slightly bit it really doesn't bother that much. Others may differ. Once I start playing that beast I get lost in the joy of the might Ric tone!
both sound great, but the ric had that cool growl!
Oh yes, and that is what I dig Ric's so much.
If you could only have two basses, do these two compliment each other enough to be your two choices? Thanks so much for the video!
Tough question and everyone will have a different view. For me, if I could only have two basses it would be a Sadowksy 5 string and the Hofner. Depends what your needs are.
Tough call I would go Hofner as its lighter bother both sound fat
Always liked a p bass simple but one know can give you such and awesome sound it came up at the same time as rock did it was the talents of the different players that made it so sweet I also heard a story that alot of the better recording studios always have a kind of worn out looking one in the corner and no matter who comes in to play and how fancy a bass they bring the engineers will talk them into using it and when they play it back there blown away with the sound
Every session player I know has a P or J bass in their gear rig. Hard to go wrong like you say.
Nice video! Both of these basses are fantastic in their own ways, HOWEVER I think the Ric is more versatile. I’d arguably call them one of the best bass guitars ever made
Thanks for your kind words. I agree with you. Rics are far more versatile than they're given credit for✌️🎸
Nice video. You got the sounds down nice!
Thanks my friend!
Had my 1966 playing through a Hartke bass amp and it sounded way deeper in tone.
I'm a huge fan of Harte bass amps and cabs. This video was all DI recorded DI🎸
This is great! I'd have both if I could but I have a Ric and Jazz bass too get my four string chores done y'all
Can't go wrong there!
i take a ric
I have a P & a J
Briefly owned a Rick
But that hofner is is the prettiest bass I ever saw
I must say it's like a pice of art to look at. Nowhere near a s solid to hold as P, J or Ric though. Thanks for chiming in!
Great demo! For me the Hofner bridge pickup sounded most like Mccartney 🎸
Thanks for you kid words. I find Paul always sounds like Paul no matter what he plays. he is THE man for me! Followed by Jack Bruce...
To my ears the bridge pickup on both the Rickenbacker and the Hoffner are pretty similar. But the neck pickup is where the real difference lies. The neck pickup on the Hoffner is much more Bassy whereas the neck pickup of the Rickenbacker sounds like the halfway point between the neck and Bridge pickups on the Hoffner
Yeh, the neck up pick ups on both are where the magic is at for my ears✌🎸 I personally think the Ric blends both pups better but that's just me...
Could you explain the amplifier tone setup you use in both cases? Thanks a lot for the comparison!
No amp used. I recorded them DI through a tube preamp. On may Mesa amp on gigs, I run everything flat.
I've had both and love both. Now with that said if I had to pick one it would definitely be the Ric 4003S and the reason being I can play many other types of genres compared to the Hofner, but that's just my two cents.
100% my experience too. The Ric can do anything.
The Rickenbacker neck was nice and the bridge of the Hofner was nice too. Those were my favorite tones of the video. I own two Rickenbacker basses a 4003s and a 4003. I think I need a Hofner...
I like it my friend! But, I must confess if I had to choose one, I'd take a Ric 4003s every single time.🎸
No you don't
No you don't
God damn wrong person again
Both sound good. Deciding which to use would depend on the style of the song. Paul also liked the way his lefty Fender Jazz Bass recorded.
They're all great and Paul can make anything sound awesome!
I had one of the first, play all night and never a problem with getting tired.
Yeh the weight is a big factor for me too when gigging. I use a Sadowsky for that reason too
The because they sound like dry balsa wood.
Tell it to McCartney!
I prefer the rick, once Paul started playing his rick bass you could actually pick out what he was playing on the record.
I agree man. His Beatles and Wings work on the Ric was great. Check out the 1976 tour and the song Soily. Singing and bass playing is on fire!✌️🎸
I am not knowledgeable about the concerns and features when comparing the the two bass guitars. I felt that the Rickenbacker "delivered" more. I imagine that, in concert now, Paul McCartney uses the Hofner bass more for the sake of the audience's memories and nostalgia.
I agree that the Ric has more presence. It is very clear when listening to the Ric on McCartney's mid 70s output (but a Ric can do so much more than just hat one tone). The Hofner has a lovely tone though and it weights a while lot less. I often use the Hof on jazz gigs as it is a nice sub for a double bass. Both are great great instruments and I use them both all the time. Appreciate your comment ✌🎸
Both sound good. The Hofner neck dive would drive me nuts so it’s off the menu.
My Hof doesn't really dive but I can't say I dig playing i standinging with the strap. I usually record with it and am sitting when I play it. Neck dive is a dealbreaker though, I hear ya, I been there🎸✌️
Lucky man!
I have two German made Hofner Clubs 500/2. Electrically the same as McCartney’s 61 Cavern and his later 63. The difference is pickup spacing. I like the 61 pickup spacing bass better.
Nice!!
2 Classics! Nice that you have flats on them, I'm guessing most Rickenbacker players use Rounds.
Thanks for your kind words. Ric with flats for me everyday, Paul McCartney' influence on me was huge. It's why I started playing bass😁🤘🎸
I preferred the hoffner, and i surprised my self with that realisation.
It's all good with that Hofner, they both are great✌🎸
What about a comparison of the two basses with a blend of both p/u’s?
Oh yeh good idea. Just gotta find the time✌️
Hofner for the neck pup, Ric for the bridge pup.
Winners all round!
Why the compression? that just equalizes things. Keep it raw, man! If you are going to make love to a bass, do it without the rubbers! It may elevate anxiety, but it will definitely feel better.
Best reply ever on any YT page😁🎸
great playing!
Thank you! 🎸✌Really appreciate hearing that👍
Idc much about tone, I just think the Rickenbacker looks really cool. I hope to get one someday.
They do look great!
Well I am a Ric 4001 owner and on my 3rd a 1977 model. I have played a 62 Hofner bass live on stage back in the 70,s and I have to say there is no way the Hofner compares as the Ric demolishes it by leaps and bounds. I could have bought the Hofner for £30 back in those days they were cheap as chips. My first S/H Ric cost £350. Long live Rickenbacker😊🇬🇧
Yeh if. had to pick one it is the Ric everytime. My favourite basses!
Demolishes? On what standards. I’m sure it does in many ways. Just depends what you want. Just stating it demolishes the Hofner is pretty goofy.
I would be happy to have both but if I had to choose it's the Ric. It is som much more versatile.
I agree. I can get close to How sound with my Ric using flats but the hofner can not get near the Ric tone,. I think Rics are awesome and way more versatile than they generally get credit for.
@@danfelixmusic2536 Ric neck pick up is superb and I must say I vastly prefer the Ric bridge pick up to any Fender Jazz pick up. That might be courting controversy but it's just a sound my ears gravitate to.
I would say, being a smaller guy, I would prefer playing the Hofner bass, simply because of its size and weight. But listening to some of Paul McCartney's Rickenbacker bass sounds from his Wings' days actually sound better than the Hofner comparison on here. What's the difference, if anybody knows? Is it the strings, the amps or something else?
The player. Paul always sounded like Paul on any bass he played and he is so great at everything. The recording, mixing and mastering also played a part in what we hear on record. I read that WOA was deliberately mixed with the Ric bass upfront. All of his stuff is magic regardless of his bass on the day! Think I'll go back and check out early Wings albums. RRS was a ripper for bass tone. Check out Lazy Dynamite. Superb melodic bass. Always loved the bass that one
@@danfelixmusic2536 Yes, "Lazy Dynamite" has a great bass line and solo as well. Have all of his studio albums, and for me, much of his solo stuff is as good as any Beatles material he wrote. Usually people who put McCartney down are only familiar with some of his solo tunes. I've heard literally hundreds of his tunes so I speak from a broader spectrum of knowledge.
What I admire especially about McCartney is his courage to venture into new territories and have a go. And no, there's stuff he's done which I don't like but that's okay. I've written thousands of poems, am I happy with them all? Hell no! I maybe like 5-10% of them. I'm sure Paul looks at some of his stuff and thinks to himself "What the hell was I thinking?"
I agree with you that all of McCartney's bass sound comes down to his talent on the bass, and it coming out from that. His bass playing took a major turn after The Beatles had been to the US. From the "Rubber Soul" album onwards he was a different bass player.
Beautiful guitars you got there. Damn you got some mic hiss though.
Thank you and yeh I know and it annoys me like crazy too. 😳😂
Ric is king I wish I could get one.
Good luck, I hope you find one🎸✌️
Both Badass when McCartney plays them!!!!!!
I totally agree. He is without equal to me. I always wished Jack Bruce had played a Ric...🤘🎸
da man! love macca bass
Did Paul play Hofner because he could not afford a Rickenbacker and Fender was not available England at the time?
From what I read, he bought it because he was in Hamburg and the Hefner's were readily available and relatively cheap.He also like the symmetry of them being a lefty and all. I think Paul could play a tennis racquet and make it musically brilliant!😁
Can you please transcribe the tabs of what you played.. Thanks
I just kinda made it up...✌️🎸
No test with both pickups on?
Next time....
That Hofner sounds better than it has a right to (neck position pickup especially), but unless I was in a Beatles tribute band there’s no way I could justify owning one. It’d be like a lead guitarist on stage playing a striped red Kramer Frankenstrat or a hockey player wearing number 99.
😁Kramer🤘 Makes me think of 80s hair bands😂 I use my Hof for a lot of other work. Great for country and ballads and also for jazz as a substitute for double bass with that short sustains and woody tone. ✌ Thanks for your kind words, made me have a good chuckle. Have a great day
Try roundwound strings.
When I get the time🎸 I run rounds on my P and J basses.
Never understood why Hofner ruined the looks of the bass with the switch plate!? Looks like an afterthought.
It is a strange thing, I agree, but I just take it as part of the character of the thing.They're a strange animal them Hofner's. Long as it gets the sound I'm after I can overlook its foibles
Pretty cool comparison between the two most recognized basses in the world. #Dan Question: What gauge flat wounds are on the both Basses ? Thanks !
Thank you for your kind words Rick🙏 The Ric has Sadowsky flats 45-105, the Hofner has standard flats that came with bass from Germany (they feel like 40-95 maybe...) They both play nice and smooth.🎸✌️
@@danfelixmusic2536 Thank you so much Dan ! I have 2 Hofners (Right and Left) and a Dean that I really enjoy playing but the strings really are very super thin and lightweight. What you recommend will set it right. Gracias !
Flat means phat!
right on Miguel! LMFAO.
What kind of strings are you using on the Ric?
Hey there, I have Sadowsky flat wounds on the Ric🎸
pyramid flats?
On the hofner they're standard hofner flats.
Hofner Neck just bounces along… so much more added rhythm…
I agree, it is a really useful little bass!
which saddles do you have on the Ric?
Whatever came outta the factory
That is a V2 bridge (latest type).
@@paulrerrie75 It's better than older ones I have had.
Chris Squire, Paul McCartney?? That's good enough for me!
Yeh man!!🤘
It's basically lick a race car a rich guy can purchase it but it's a pro driver who can actually handle the car same with musical instruments.
I think you could give a great player like Marcus Miller a cheap nasty bass and he'd still sound amazing on it. It's always about the player rather than the gear.
apples and oranges
Yep
Do you have the same strings on both ?
Hofner flats on the Hofner and Sadowsky flats on the Ric.
@@danfelixmusic2536 Sadowskt flats are the best flats you can get IMHO
@@Mr01Parrot I have used them for years oj P, J and my Ric basses
Hofner
Great little bass with sweet tone!
Hofner all the way!
They are a great little bass!!
There's really no comparing the two the Ric sound is soo much better than the hofner
All subjective, depends on the music being played and the player. Hofner won't get you a Lemme Motorhead bass tone🤘
Had both of these basses
The Hofner is a cavern bass I ended up selling the ric couldn't get on with it
Rics are not for everyone; the second one I ever owned was a lemon...🎸 But 2/3 have been great. I like the ergonomics of the 4003S model, a little more contoured. Happens with all brands/models as we all know. Enjoy the Cavern bass🎸
🟦…The way you have the samples arranged makes it rather difficult to do a proper comparison.
.... A better arrangement would have been first comparing neck pickups of both guitars and then bridge pickups, rather than neck-bridge, neck-bridge.
Next time
It should be a sin to put flat wounds on a Ricky.
😁Lucky I have one with flats and one with rounds then🎸✌
They were originally made for flat wounds. One guy on the talk forums said rickenbacker wrote him a letter basically cussing him out because the damage on his bass was caused by wound rounds.
ric sounds better...
Rics are great
The Ric will eat the goofy hofner for lunch!!
Everyone hears things differently, some would agree with you though 🎸
Back in the 60s Hofner was regarded as the worst bass ever
Way before my time✌
Still is! The Damn thing is falling apart!
I'm a 51 year experience bass player & that Hoffner is a piece of SHIT! I tried one out years ago & OMG what a ROACH!!! The tone is shit, shit feel, just garbage idk what Paul saw in it but I'll never own one if you gave it to me. Id use it like Paul Stanley uses Gibson melody makers to smash on stage. The Ricky isn't far behind I had a 4001 back in high school I had to put a badass bridge cuz the stock one is hollow & shit ala geddy to get the right tone out of it the duel truss rods suck cuz they're close together & you gotta jockey the wrench to get a good bite on the bolt to make an adjustment. The pick up cover has got to go other than that it was a better Rick. Now the price is rediculous they're made with cnc technology ( should be cheaper) & with the inherited bugs the gotta be drinking draining at the factory.
Everyone entitled to their own opinion about what they play✌️
I know some pro players here in Nashville who would disagree and have recorded them on several high profile sessions. Look at what Chris Wood gets from a Hofner. There are quite a few clips of him just killing it with a Hofner. Unbelievable player. Great players can make anything sound good.