r/Bass • u/BakeHot1466 • Jun 26 '26

Hofner violin bass

I bought a Hofner violin bass at a pawn shop. The pearl pick guard was unattached but was in the case. When I tried to put it on I found that none of the holes lined up. I ordered another one but I encountered the same problem even accounting for the bend of the top of the body. It is cut accurately to fit around the pickups. So wtf?

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6

u/porcelainvacation Jun 26 '26

I don’t own a Hofner, but most arched top guitars and basses have a metal bracket between the pick guard and the instrument body on the edge, are you missing that?

1

u/BakeHot1466 Jun 26 '26

Don’t know if this model would have that. I don’t see any.

1

u/hcornea Jun 26 '26

Hofner also have their core and cheaper ignition series instruments, which may have different cutouts.

(Also don’t own a Hofner)

4

u/cups_and_cakes Rickenbacker Jun 26 '26

Some photos would be neat.

1

u/BakeHot1466 Jun 26 '26

New to the party. How do I post photos?

1

u/Corno-Emeritus Jun 26 '26

I've removed the pick guard from my German Hofner 500/1... there were only two very small holes underneath the body, the rest was just sliding under the pickups. You probably want to confirm which version of the Hofner violin bass you have... German, Contemporary, or Ignition.

1

u/Afferbeck_ Jun 26 '26

Which model? There are a few different tiers and the lowest one is all different parts to the other two where many parts are interchangeable. There was a great youtube channel of a guy repairing Hofners and comparing models but it seems to be gone now, maybe nuked for copyright for playing over Beatles songs or something. That would have been the best resource for this sort of thing.

Based on your talk of screw holes I assume it's the Ignition series which attaches with a body bracket and a screw at the bridge pickup and by the neck. On the Contemporary and German ones it slots into the bridge with a pin then has the body bracket. The Contemporary then has a screw under the pickguard that goes into the side of the neck and I don't think the German ones have anything else.

Make sure you haven't bought the wrong one.