'Left Bank' post 'Blue Notes'
1968
Outside Fifield Memorial Hall
L-R
Bruce Rednap Gtr - Tony Sloan - Drms
Jamie Strong - Slide Gtr/Mouth Harp
Michael (Ken) Dixon Bass - Robin Dufty Vocals
'Hofner'
500/1
Violin Bass
&
Early Memories
The Thames Hotel - Windsor
Once Home to the Famous
'Ricky Tick Club'(Poster 1968)
Michael (Ken) Dixon
with his
Hofner 500/1 Violin (Beatles) Bass
C.1967
The Hofner 500/1 Bass with Pick Guard
Powerful 'Blade' Pickups
'Heavenly Recording Bottom End - Mellow'Musical Notes from Michael Dixon
Hi Everyone
Recently I was asked to photograph my Guitar and Bass Collection.
Collection is really an over-statement - there are only a two guitars and five basses.
In
a previous Blog I put up the very rare Kramer 'Marilyn Munroe' Beretta
Graphic bodied 1988 guitar signed and dated by Kramer's own 'Klini'.
The Kramer has never been played and was purchased as a Limited Edition
investment.
Prior to his 'untimely' death a friend, the late
John Entwistle of The Who, had made moves to buy it from me. He and his
lovely (C.L.) wife Lisa had been suggesting that John buy it.
Of John all I have are memories and a pair of his hand-lasted boots, which I cherish.
'Giant Bird' (was 'Breakfast' initially)
Photo Shoot Windsor + Windsor Castle
1969L-R
Dave Chadd - Vocals Gtr - Gerald T. Moore - Gtr Vocals
Stevie JJ Jones - Keyboards - Tony Sloan - Drums
Michael K. Dixon - Bass GtrI
was asked by an InTouchRadio contact if I could check the date of my
Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass so he could work out how to date his.
The
Hofner 'Violin' or 500/1 Bass Guitar is usually associated with The
Beatles and of course Sir Paul McCartney. The model he used from the
early 1960's would become known as the 'Cavern' Bass.
To be
truthful I hadn't even considered checking my 500/1 bass before but
when I checked the Volume 'Pots' (see further down pics), which are
attached to the 'pearloid' Control Panel I became concerned.
I
believed the bass to come from the mid to late 60's and having played
Hofner from 1963 on had no reason to think otherwise. The person I
purchased it from in the late 198o's had it under his bed in its case
for over 10 years. The previous owner had hardly used it and it too had
been stored - though I was told that he had been a well known
'right-handed' musician and would have gigged the bass.
The Hofner logo Headstock & Enclosed Tuners
This bass has just been dated by Hofner Germany
Late 1960's (1967-8)The
usual method of dating Hofners by serial number is almost impossible as
most non UK (Selmer, London Importers required Hofner to put serial
numbers I believe on for the UK market) models were never given a
serial number giving cause for concern over actual dating.
Another method to date Hofners is by Pickup arrangement and by Pickup type.
Michael (Ken) Dixon & best mate John Penfold
December 28th or 29th 1965
On my return from P&O-Orient Liner S.S. Canberra
World Cruise - Happy to be home.(John Penfold helped pay for my first Bass Guitar - a 'Broadway' from Tin Pan Alley, London
for the princely sum of £7 GBP in 1962 - it had no case and we had to walk part way home to Windsor as we had run out of money!)
I took the
bit between my teeth as I was not able to date my 500/1's Volume Pots;
they had an out-of-sequence numbering (apparently this did happen with
some Hofner's and Hofner also came out with other production variants).
My 'Pot' numbers sent me into a bit of a panic.
An example of 'Pot' dating: 236 = 23rd week of 1966.
Mine
were 706 - there is no week 70 in 1966 and the type of pickup 'Blade'
on mine was introduced, I'm told, in late 1966, but is accepted as 1967.
Michael (Ken) Dixon
Back in The Blue Notes
C. 1966
Post P&O-Orient Liner S.S. Canberra World TripWithout
further ado I contacted the Hofner factory in Germany via their very
well organised web site. I took the liberty of attaching several
photographs pointing out my concerns and showing as much pictorial
information as possible to help identify dating.
The 'Blue Notes' prior name change to 'Left Bank'
C.1967
(All Hofner Guitars)
After Bruce Rednap had been had for 'Vagrancy'
on Paris' Left Bank... Musicians eh!Within a couple of days I received an email from Hofner's Guitar Production Manager, Graham Stockley with the following:
This is a late sixties bass. It’s difficult to be more accurate with the old Hofners. We have a website here www.vintagehofner.co.uk which explains the differences in the models.
The
dates inside the body were usually only found in the 50’s & early
60’s models and Hofner didn’t use serial numbers. The English market
was served by Selmer and these instruments have serial numbers but the
majority of instruments made were for sale elsewhere in the world and
had no serial numbers.
It
looks like the pots have been changed. The originals should have a
fiber board underneath but this being Hofner that’s not always true J
Regards
Graham Stockley
Guitar Product Manager
Relief - I hadn't believed it to be later, a simple eye test of the aging of the finish, colour, the neck and 'feel'.
Whilst checking the 'Pot' numbers I had stripped out the
pickups and checked inside the body for any signatures or dating, which
Graham later pointed out in his email only occured on much earlier
models.
With reference to Graham's observation regarding
the possible replacement of the 'Pots' and 'Switches' any guitar that
is used regularly, or not, the Volume Pots and Sliders can break down
and go 'crackley' - the only way is to change them, even if cleaned
they are liable to go back to the 'snap, crackle and pop' as the carbon
rings age and continue to break down.
It often seems that when
the Pots were changed it might have been easier to replace the whole
Control Panel, which makes sense as the Sliders get the same issues
with age and wear and this 500/1 could well have had it's Control Panel
replaced.
Michael Dixon October 2009
At Home near Glastonbury
with
1967/8 Hofner 500/1 Violin BassAs
I removed the Control Panel to check the 'Pot' numbers I noticed that
the little very fine 'earth' wire that connects from the jack socket to
the tailpiece had broken off.
Out came the soldering iron, I
found some original 'lead' solder and I proceeded to re-attach the
wire, which was just too short!
40+ Years of Playing
Still Good Nothing Needed Yet
1967/8 Hofner 500/1 Violin BassWhat to do next?
A
few expletives later I searched through my drawers looking for 'fuse'
wire, which this 'earth' wire seemed to be made of. No luck. Who uses
fuse wire these days!
Next plan I found an old 'top E' string - too thick, even 9 gauge!
The
mind does strange things when the unexpected happens and I started
another panic mode I didn't want to leave the bass in bits.
Then
I remembered - somewhere I had some 1960's unused Rotasound Banjo
Strings, can you believe with Eric Clapton's picture on the front cover.
I had no choice but to use one of the fine top strings off a '5-String Banjo Set'...
Ah well, I'm unlikely to be playing a '5-String Banjo' in the near future so I set to with the wire cutters.
Neck Pickup Hofner Logo
'Blade' type with Chrome Plate Wear.
1967/8 Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass
Bridge Pickup Hofner Logo
'Blade' type with Chrome Plate Good still.
1967/8 Hofner 500/1 Violin BassIt worked a treat.
Right
gauge, popped it on, with a little detour to take the 'earth' through
the tiny hole of the tailpiece and then went behind to wrap around the
post that holds the guitar strap.
This way the string was longer
but with two attachment points rather than one, which was a very 'Heath
Robinson' setup wrapping round a tiny screw in the tailpiece.
We have to remember this is an early guitar, made before today's electronic 'health & safety' madness.
My
guess for this so-called 'Madness' is that it goes back to those few
who gave their all in the days when there was no 'Safety Earth' in the
village halls and dance venues that had been built before the idea of
portable 'electrical' music and technology's advancement over primitive
electrical systems.
Trust me I know, have seen one of our band
hit his lip on a Reslo ribbon mic whilst playing guitar and he took off
like a 14 stone rocket... he was ok though just very white when we got
to him, his eyes still rolling and hair like he'd just had the latest
perm: other's would have put it down to too much drugs and rock n roll.
We can laugh at those times now but life-threatenly dangerous!
Ex-'Blue Notes' - now - 'Left Bank'
Outside Fifield Village Memorial Hall
1967
Our Practice Place - Still There Today!
Hofner Control Panel - Pots believed were changed
later. Hofner concur - but normal with use.
1967/8 Hofner 500/1 Violin BassAll finished I thought 'A great job, neat and tidy'.
Pickups gently back in place and lightly screwed in.
Finally put the Control Panel back and screwed carefully as not to stress the wood.
Tuner
out -I brought the strings back into tune after adjusting the
'floating' Hofner wooden bridge with its twin roller wheels (that takes
me back to my earliest guitars and basses, especially the non-fixed
bridges - so tuning was always very ... close shall we say and yet my
Hofners all stayed excellently in tune!
Hofner Control Panel
Heavy Pearloid typical of late 60's
(apparently much less after 1970)
1967/8 Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass
'If I hold my body against you.../'
Here's a beautiful body - I've removed the Pick Guard
What a fantastic Sunburst
1967/8 Hofner 500/1 Violin BassHad a cup of tea, actually I'm lying it was a Vodka & Russian, I needed it - believe me I did.
De-stress time.
Quick
plug in to the Ashdown rig and check out the scaling for any out of
tune string length adjustments on the bridge and make sure no fret buzz.
The Heavy Pearloid Pick Guard with Hofner logo
(This is held by two pins into Bridge and side of Neck
and Nickel plated metal arm to support)
1967/8 Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass
'Great. Bloody great!', the words shot out of my bedroom studio.
Nothing
- Zero. 'Got to be the guitar lead - is the amp plugged in - are the
speakers connected - has this Vodka done something to the hearing...?'
I tried every combination of switches. The Hofner Control Panels can be buggers - one switch out and no sound!
Then the thought 'have I broken something? Did I loosen a wire when I gave the connections a quick re-solder? 'Sod!'
By now my patient partner was no longer patient.
Memory Days
Michael (Ken) Dixon
at typewriter - Songwriting at 47 Castle Farm
C.1972Out came the tool kit.
Screws undone again and carefully put in order of removal.
I checked the wiring - it looked fine.
Michael Dixon
Is that a Humming Bird - don't be silly
This musician was not that rich then!
47 Castle Farm
C.1972The solder points ok no 'dry joints'.
I
went back into the other room - touched the 'live' end of the guitar
lead - yep there was an audible signal that made me nearly have a heart
attack. I'd been turning up the volume whilst testing the Hofner.
I'd pulled the cable - the correct thing to do before turning off.
Michael Dixon with 12-String Eko Ranger
Newspaper Photo
C.1971What next?
I grabbed my electric 'Test Meter' - checked the battery was good and that it was working.
No problem there.
Back to the Present
1967/8 Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass
in
Case
2009
Went back to the Hofner and tested out the jack socket - tip to earth - a short!
How could it be shorting out?
I followed the circuit - everything ok. No solder shorts. No dry joints and yet a short!
I
was puzzled and then I realised what I'd done. I'd taken the outside
ring of the jack socket assuming it to be the earth - it was the 'tip'.
What a relief and stress all at the same time.
'Now that's a nice Ass You have there ma'am'
Hofner's Over a Century Experience gave
a legacy that has stood every test of time.
1967/8 Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass
Relief that it was something so simple.
Stress that I had to get the whole soldering iron kit and case back out.
I'm
so glad I put the extra length of that 'banjo' wire as I had plenty ot
re-solder it to the correct 'earth' point on the jack socket.
'And a Nice set of Pearlies you Vixen...'
How many other makers' guitars have lasted as long?
Include the famous USA names too.
1967/8 Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass
Job all done and the whole reassembled I thought - check first before putting away the kit again.
She fired up straight away.
I then put everything away much to the relief of my partner, she went back to watching TV and I plugged back into the Ashdown.
'Hooker Tour 1984'
~The Rock n' Roll Band
You'd Love To Hate To Meet~
Michael (Ken) Dixon (L) - Laurie Keen (R)
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