Hofner Jazzica Custom

[2bornot2bop]

All I know is the more I play it the more in love with Hofner guitars I'm becoming.

Plugged in sounds good, but think going up a guage will help and also I think the top will respond better with heavier strings. At this point like the roundwounds on it, so think I'll still to roundwounds for now. I raised the bridge just a little and the buzz I was getting went away so that issue solved.

Lovin' me some Hofner!!!

Every guitar performs better with "heavier" strings!!! Think piano wire!

Luv that Hofner man!

[feet]

i can't afford one, i don't need one, and i can get the sounds i want from things i already own, yet every time i see a hofner, i get mad that i whiffed on a few and don't own one. why must you anger me so?

[Hammertone]

As a skilled professional, I can help you with your condition, known as Hofneritis.
Or at least determine what condition your condition is in.
Let me in, dude, let me in....I can help you with your rage issues.

[Hammertone]

Then there's this one. One-off, excellent guitar, if anyone is interested:

[docbop]

Then there's this one. One-off, excellent guitar, if anyone is interested:

That is a really interesting finish and PUP and control configuration. Does it have the same neck as a Jazzica?

[pubylakeg]

Congrats Doc, its a beauty !.

[Archie]

I've had both recently. The Jazzica was really nice and comfortable but the President has the deeper tone. They are essentially the same, except the body of the President is deeper.

Both guitars are designed the same way, carved top, X=braced both sound essentially identical but as I said, the President is a little deeper in over tone and thus s a little richer.

Both really nice guitars and absolute acoustic cannons. Never heard a new guitar sound like one made 50 years ago. The openness of the tone (almost too open) and the resonance of the it, is remarkable. By far the most acoustic arhcop in its class by a mile (just like the Jazzica).

[docbop]

Congrats Doc, its a beauty !.

Thanks. It's a great guitar and so comfortable to play and sounds is great. They aren't that well known outside of this forum so they can be found for good prices.

[Hammertone]

That is a really interesting finish and PUP and control configuration. Does it have the same neck as a Jazzica?

It is a Jazzica.
With a one-off paint job - splatter metallic blue over black.
Two mini-switches for pickup on//off.
One volume.
Hofner mini-humbuckers provided by Schaller, dressed as 1960 Hofner "toaster" pickups.
I'll re-arrange the hardware any way anyone wants. Gold? Ebony? sure.

[Hammertone]

I've had both recently. The Jazzica was really nice and comfortable but the President has the deeper tone. They are essentially the same, except the body of the President is deeper.

Yes.

Both guitars are designed the same way, carved top, X=braced both sound essentially identical but as I said, the President is a little deeper in over tone and thus s a little richer.

Not X-braced. Single brace running parallel to the top grain on the bass side of the guitar. Some very early ones (pre-2000) had two parallel braces. Some super-early Jazzicas with X-bracing have been spotted.

Both really nice guitars and absolute acoustic cannons. Never heard a new guitar sound like one made 50 years ago. The openness of the tone (almost too open) and the resonance of the it, is remarkable. By far the most acoustic arhcop in its class by a mile (just like the Jazzica).

….for small-bodied (@16") acoustic archtops.
I like them, too.

[Hammertone]

how is the schaller pu mounted ....... how does it float ?

It floats and is mounted to the finger rest…..

Not quite.
The black plastic pickup ring is attached to the end of the neck.
The pickup is suspended above the top in the pickup ring with two tiny tensioning screws on each of the outer sides of the ring.

[Archie]

Yes.


Not X-braced. Single brace running parallel to the top grain on the bass isde of the guitar.

Actually both mine were X-braced. Well I sill have the President. The Jazzica was a 2006 and the Prez, is a 2007, so maybe something to do with that period.

Actually I can't get my finger in the treble hole of the Prez.

[skykomishone]

My Jazzica has parallel bracing. It's very nice.

[skykomishone]

One parallel brace on the base side.

[coltranetime]

Played a 2002 Jazzica and the neck profile was really thin.
Are all Jazzica's this way?

[Hammertone]

Played a 2002 Jazzica and the neck profile was really thin.
Are all Jazzica's this way?

Not at all.

All the Jazzica necks (and New President, Chancellor, Verythin necks) were rough-shaped on a duplicarver and then inidivisually hand carved by Dieter Fischer. He retired a few years ago. The last run of Jazzicas (made in 2016/17/18) were done by someone else.

The size and shape of these necks changed considerably between 2000 and @2015, based on some customer feedback as well as random factors, like beer. Some necks are quite fat, some thin, and plenty in-between. As well nut widths vary between 1 3/4" and 1 11/16". It's easy enough to get measurements if one is interested in acquiring any of these guitars.

[2bornot2bop]

The size and shape of these necks changed considerably between 2000 and @2015, based on some customer feedback as well as random factors, like beer.

There's yet another classic Hammertonism for ya! You should start a book of them!

[Hammertone]

I'll be posting lots of stuff about Hofner in the very near future. Watch this space.

[floatingpickup]

Not quite.
The black plastic pickup ring is attached to the end of the neck.
The pickup is suspended above the top in the pickup ring with two tiny tensioning screws on each of the outer sides of the ring.

This way of mounting the pickup is absolutely brilliant. In my mind, it is much better than a fingerrest mount, a neck bracket, or anything else I have ever seen. You can even loosen the tensioning screws and raise or lower the pickup in the mounting ring. I don’t own a Hofner, but I love this innovation.
Keith

[Hammertone]

This way of mounting the pickup is absolutely brilliant. In my mind, it is much better than a fingerrest mount, a neck bracket, or anything else I have ever seen. You can even loosen the tensioning screws and raise or lower the pickup in the mounting ring. I don’t own a Hofner, but I love this innovation.
Keith

The original rings were modified versions of the rings used to top-mount Hofner mini-humbucking pickups used from @'60-'66. Hofner started to use deep and shallow versions of these rings again on the reissue 500/1 "Beatle" basses as well as the 500/2 "Club" basses. For use as floating pickup mount, the shallow ring was modified by clipping off the two bottom tabs and drilling two counter-sunk holes through the inside back wall of the ring.

The only problem was that the original plastic was not that flexible, so over-enthusiastic tightening of the four screws that lock the pickup in place often resulted in cracking the ring. Hofner started to use a softer plastic for these floating pickup mounts @10 years ago, which improved their performance. They stuck with the harder plastic for the rings on the reissue basses because that's "vintage-correct."

[Watson]

The only problem was that the original plastic was not that flexible, so over-enthusiastic tightening of the four screws that lock the pickup in place often resulted in cracking the ring. Hofner started to use a softer plastic for these floating pickup mounts @10 years ago, which improved their performance. They stuck with the harder platic for the rings on the reissue basses because that's "vintage-correct."

Mine was broken when I got the guitar. A little bit of superglue fixed that, but just a couple of months ago it cracked again. Do you happen to know the best way to get a new one, Hammertone? Everywhere I look online seems to charge nearly as much for shipping as for the part, and doesn't have the neck mounting holes drilled or the top-mounting tabs removed!

[Hammertone]

Working on that very issue right now.
I'll post some useful info in a few days.