Hofner HCT5001 CT Series 4-String Electric Bass
Featuring the original Staple-Top pickups popularized by the Beatles, the Hofner HCT5001 electric bass offers the warm, open tone that Hofner fans expect.
Overall User Ratings (based on 42 ratings)
Submitted May 20, 2009 by a customer from yahoo.com
"Hofner Contemporary Bass has looks, sound, and mojo"
I'm keeping this one. Maybe someday I'll get the German one--but not any time soon.
Sound
The pick-ups are great--loud, no buzzing, better than my Jaguar Bass. Because of the nature of the bass, you do have to be careful to avoid microphonics--it's just the nature of this beast, not a defect in the instrument. But those microphonics also create a warm tone, and can make it sound a bit like an acoustic stand up bass. The sustain block and the controls for volume, bass/rhythm are great. The bass/rhythm set-up is more of an equalizer than just a pickup selector--very nice.
Features
Decent case, but nothing special. The finish on the body, the fretboard, the frets, is perfect. Very nice. It feels like the $2000 bass, just a little heavier than the German made one. That being said, this is simply the easiest bass to strap on you back that I can imagine, except for the slightly lighter German version.
Ease of Use
The feel and fit of this bass is phenomenal. I can do complex Beatles bass lines with ease. It works beautifully with muting. You may find it a little difficult to get used to picking it, but it passes. Picks work better than fingers for this one--the thick rubber ones make a great sound.
Quality
This is just a wonderful =ly put together bass. It is a bargain at $750 or so. Easily worth a could hundred more. This is, by its nature, a more delicate bass than a Fender P-Bass, for instance, so you do have to keep it protected from hot weather, etc.
Value
I have difficulty with long scale basses. They are heavy, thick, and too difficult for me to fret. This bass made playing fast, complex bass lines a possibility for me. It improved my playing almost immediately. For younger players, those with physical limitations, or those who tire holding a "bazooka", this is a great sounding, beautiful one to work with. It just feels right to me.
Manufacturer Support
No problems. Web site a little terse. Instruction manual pretty good.
The Wow Factor
It's right up there with a 12-string rickenbacker--it's got that mojo and look. Grabs the attention of all who see it. Simple, light, perfect.
Musical Background:
hobbyist/semi-pro
Musical Style:
Rock, Blues, Country
48 of 49 people (98%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted November 2, 2008 by a customer from aol.com
"seems to be a very well made product"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
so far so good
Sound
this bass seems to be well made. i owned a hofner 5000 club model and i would say that iniyail impressions are that it is as good if not better.
i didn't care for the sound that the original strings provided so i replaced them with hofner flatwounds. the resulting sound was far richer and i was still able to get a very strong treble sound when i wanteed it.
i have no complaints and would recomend this bass.
the only question is durability which i won't know for quite some time.but as of now i am very happy with it
Features
the only beefs i had was the original strings but thats a matter of personal preference. all of the materials seem to be of adequate quality. but there was no truss nut wrench.
Ease of Use
there was no manual...but hey.
the neck is fast and comfortable. the control panel is like my hofner 500....that is it appears to be backwards, but i am used to that
Quality
seems to be
Value
competitive price as good or better tna others i have seen
Manufacturer Support
the only beef i had was the absence of mention of a supplied case. i bought a bag for it and when i received it found that it had a case.
zzounds offered to accept the bag as a return but i decided to keep it for another guitar that i have.
Musical Background:
i have played bass for about 35 years doing all kinds of music
Musical Style:
classic rock, country, blues
34 of 35 people (97%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted April 16, 2015 by Jeffrey W
"Excellent bass thus far."
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I got this bass a few weeks ago, and I absolutely love it. It came almost perfectly set up the intonation was dead on out of the box. I had to raise the lower side of the bridge a miniscule amount just because the E string was fretting out a bit, not enough to really bother, but I'm a perfectionist. The electronics work awesomely, if you switch both pickups to on in shuts it down so there's basically an instant mute built in. The rhythm/solo switch is very useful for me, as I have a few solos in the band I'm in, and the gain provided when I switch to solo is very noticeable. The sustain block in the body certainly lives up to its name, as this thing has sustain for days. I hit a low e and timed how long it took to fade away at halfway volume on my amp, and it was 5 minutes before it quit. The tone of all the pickup settings is excellent, however I prefer the bass pickup myself. I love that vintage sound. Took the pickguard off because I personally don't see the point of pickguards on a bass, since I play fingerstyle. It still looks gorgeous and the silverburst finish is incredible. The weight is awesome, compared to my other bass, a Fender 84-87 Powered Jazz Special, this thing is like holding a cloud. zZounds got me my order shipped quickly, within two days on the standard shipping. I love this bass and recommend to everyone that might be considering it.
Musical Background:
Professional bass player for 10 years.
Musical Style:
Rock, Metal, Praise and Worship, Blues
2 of 2 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted January 4, 2016 by Scott S in Accident, MD
"awsome bass"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I bought this about a year ago. Like everyone else, I put Flat wound strings, which made the sound just come alive. I lowered the action and this thing plays really smooth. It is well made for the price, the finish is great. it is very light weight. The thing i did not like at first, was with a tradition strap, it tends to want to roll forward. I bought a Hofner H65/50 strap and that solved the problem. I play a lot of Beatles, Stones, and the Who, so it suited my style of music.
Musical Background:
Been Playing 38 years, Guitar and Bass, semi-professionally
Musical Style:
Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Blues, Heavy Metal.
1 of 1 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted November 1, 2012 by Judd R in Fulton, MO
"Great Little Hofner"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I have always wanted a hofner ever since I was first starting out with the stringed furniture... This is an amazing bass. Please do not hesitate to grab one while they're still under $1000... I bought mine last year off of zZounds and I have not regretted it yet. Probably never will. I think it is even better than the original hofners without the sustain block... LOVE IT.
Musical Background:
Jammer, been playing 10 years, play bass, guitar, dulcimer, mandolin, etc.
Musical Style:
blues, rock, funk, jazz, psychedelic, MUSIC
2 of 2 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted November 22, 2013 by Cliff Payne in Oak Grove, MO
"Great Bass from the past.."
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Been in the business for 50 yrs...had them all...this and my ric are my main axes...very Beatle like sound with flat wounds...love this bass...light weight, good tone..fast neck....case could be better but over all a good deal..zzsounds is the company to buy from, they take care of their customers....
Musical Background:
50 yrs...bass
Musical Style:
60's with The Bucket Band
1 of 1 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted November 9, 2011 by a customer from skybeam.com
"Great playability and tonal control based on playing position - but controls and string balance are sub-par."
I am starting to look around for something new. Would like to have the uniform strng response and sustain I get with my P-bass with the playability of the Hofner, along with the differnt tones I get from the Hofner when moving my plucking fingers towards and away from the bridge.
Sound
Playing with flatwounds. Very rich bass sound only if played with both pick-ups and loudness switch on, otherwise sound varies dramatically from string to string. Sustain varies from string to string - lots from the D string, a little less from G and A, and a lot less from the E string. However, what I like the most is that I can play up on the neck and get a really deep, mellow sound, but as I move down towards the bridge, the sound gets progressively and dramatically brighter. I find the controls are not easy to use to get the tone I want, but I can get it by changing wihere I play (I use fingers - no pick).
Features
I hate the controls. Not intuitive. Plus, it really only sounds good with both pick-ups on and the loudness switch on - one volume control could replace three controls and 3 switches and I would not miss the deleted items.
The workmanship is beautiful.
Ease of Use
Controls - I don't like them at all. However, playability is really great.
Quality
I've been playing mine for three years, and it is holding up well.
Manufacturer Support
Have not tried to contact the company. It would be nice if their website provided some information on how to adjust the pick-ups for better balance between the strings.
The Wow Factor
Look, feel, and the history of Hofner - lots of appeal.
Musical Background:
Still playing bass after 40 years; high school rock band followed by regular playing with church praise bands.
Musical Style:
Rock, praise.
10 of 11 people (91%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted November 9, 2012 by Stephen Pannone in largo, FL
"Hofner bass"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Love,love,love great fast delivery I will tell my friend and I will be back....
Musical Background:
50 years play home and out...
Musical Style:
Blues, country, rock
1 of 4 people (25%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted June 6, 2008 by a customer from muohio.edu
"Dr. Davis' insights about his new Hofner HCT5001."
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
I will keep it for the rest of my life.
Sound
My new HCT5001 is a very well made bass. I own a reissue (2001) 1962 German made Hofner. I have the two side- by-side for comparison.
The fit and finish of the HCT5001 is superior to the German made Hofner. The HCT5001 is more resonate than the german made Hofner. This is neither better nor worse. Just different.
The HCT5001 intonates more accurately in the upper register than the German made Hofner.
For Hofner purist who want the attack and decay characteristics of the German Hofner, the HCT5001 will produce far too many high harmonics. But, a lot of this can be EQed out. The result is a sound much like a German Hofner, with more sustain. Another solution is to use RotoSound RS88S strings, rather than the Pyramid flatwound strings. RotoSound RS 88S strings are tapewound, and produce far fewer upper harmonic partials than are present in the Pyramid sound. Note that the string grooves in the (HCT5001) nut will have to be enlarged to allow the RS 88S strings to seat properly. Careful! The HCT5001 nut is plasic, and cuts easily. The RotoSound strings make the HCT5001 almost identical in sound to the German Hofner.
Quality
Superior.
Value
A great value. marvelous.
The Wow Factor
A very sexy looking instrument. However, I only purchaed it because of its sound, quality and value. Yeah, sure.
Musical Background:
Doctorate in Music: Composer, Arranger/ Performer/ Music Professor
Musical Style:
Damn near everything.
45 of 46 people (98%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Please wait.