Höfner Ignition SE

I wanted a violin bass but didn’t want the expense of a German made original as it is a novelty instrument for me. The contemporary series were out of stock so I opted for an ignition. I was shocked at how bad the set up was out of the box. The fret board was so dry and part of the finish on it was cracking. The frets were so dull they scraped against the strings. Disappointingly came with round wounds strings meaning I had to spend another €30.00 for Hofner strings bring up the price further though I was aware I’d have to do this. I also had to pay for a pro-set up at my local music shop which I was not expecting. These two things considerably increased the price of the bass. Neck was far too straight and buzzing out and the intonation was haywire too. Neck is so thick on the Ignition SE it’s almost unbelievable. I did give serious consideration to sending it back!?! Now the good news-once the bass was set up it played great and with the flatwounds it took on a whole new character. It certainly looks the part and has a nice finish. There was a nice cert and a bass man sticker included and also a lovely high quality booklet. The SE comes with tea cup knobs and the tuners are excellent given the price point. The pickups and electronics are okay and the bridge and tailpiece may be getting switched out for original parts at some point. It sounded better than I expected to be honest. I’m quite fond of it now though. Overall a good bass at a fraction of the price of the German original. I would recommend the Hofner Ignition SE but be prepared to get a decent set of flat wound strings and a professional set up and add these into the purchase cost . Out of the box these things are unplayable. Happy I bought it but still annoyed at the issues on the fretboard. Average at best but the novelty and nostalgia factor (and a set of nice flatwounds) rescues it from a totally negative review. Overall, average value for money but with a great fun character and fantastic retro style and sound.

I bought 1.5 year ago from Thomann. They shipped to Turkey. It reached to me without any problem and I play since that time. Many thanks to Thomann.

So its my first bass guitar. Im Beatles fan, I would like buy 500/1 bass but expensive for me. I don't have any bass amp then I using with my Scarlett 2i2. Its very nice. I can say the sound just like review video on YouTube. Im happy with my bass. This bass guitar not need any recommend or advise. If it possible buy 500/1 not exactly buy this one. I have advise only for Turkish customer, buy with hard shell case because in Turkey not available. I bought with hard shell case and also Im very happy with that.

Türkiye'den alacaklara tavsiyem kanki bizim oralarda taşıma çantası bulunmuyor birlikte alın ve taşıma Çantaları çok sağlam, kesinlikle birlikte alın.

I already knew before I ordered the Ignition SE, that change of strings was essential for it to sound better, because the default strings sound terrible. So I ordered a set of flat wounds, that were unfortunately too long for this violin bass. I had to reorder a set of medium scale, from the Hofner brand itself, and finally the bass was set up! It sounds amazing with the warm low end from the flat wounds, and the shorter neck makes it super playable. Let's not forget about the bargain you get for this price!

I've dreamed of owning an hofner ever since I was a kid! I do recall bawling my eyes out when I first saw it at a store and couldn't bring it home with me (I was only 14 then). Needless to say, as soon as I got my first ever paycheck, this bass was the so-long expected gift for myself. And I couldn't be happier with it! Its sound is surprisingly brilliant (even though I might upgrade it to labella strings), and I do love the vintage details of this version. Worth the buy!