by abstamaria » Fri Apr 27, 2012 10:24 am
Hello, Donna,
I think you're right in that the guitar the regular bass guitarist would reach or pine for would not be a Hofner. I think that is because it looks old-fashioned, with its varnished, violin-shaped body, and is not quite consistent with the image a young rock bassist might want to project. It is also hollow, and fashion seems to favor solid-body guitars. It has its own voice, too, so musicians might not take the time to learn it.
Anna Treichler, who posts here, uses a Hofner (see the Hofner thread in this section). She used to play with a successful all-woman band that played "retro" music, which I think spanned the 50s through the 90s. She was using a solid bass guitar and after some years shifted to the Hofner pictured in that thread. The lead guitarist and drummer objected to the shift, saying the Hofner doesn't spound "right," use by Paul McCartney notwithstanding. Anna has stuck to the Hofner. She likes the weight, the shorter reach, and sound. It has actually made her stand out on stage, as the guitar looks unique in the sea of painted guitars. I was with her at one large concert with many bands, and tech crew and guitarists from other bands came over to look at the Hofner, treating it in very reverential manner.
I was just watching a documentary on the Beatles last night and noted that Paul McCartney began to use a solid-body guitar in later years with the Beatles. He of course then reverted to the Hofner, but it probably takes the self-assurance of a Paul McCartney to select something not in the usual mold.
My opinion only, probably completely wrong!
Andy