HOFNER “ARTIST” 185 BASS 1963

We are happy to offer for sale this vintage short-scale Hofner Bass. Details as follows:

• Year of manufacture: 1963
• Country of origin: Germany (Bubenreuth Factory)
• Serial number: 1895
• Body Material: Solid wood with an offset-waist, double-cutaway shape
• Weight: 7.80 lbs
• Body Finish: Fiesta Red
• Neck Material: One-piece Maple, bolt-on construction.
• Fingerboard: Rosewood with 21 frets and stripe pearloid inlays
• Scale Length: 30-inch (short-scale)
• Pickups: Two Hofner “Diamond” pickups
• Controls: 4 rotary knobs (2 Volume, 2 Tone), no selector switch
• Bridge: Simple metal bridge with overall height adjustment
• Tailpiece: Simple solid metal plate with "Hofner" engraved
• Hardware: Nickel-plated, featuring "Rugby Ball" style tuners with plastic buttons
• Headstock: Black face with a raised gold Hofner logo
• Condition: 6/10
• Case: Gig bag included

Comments:

The Hofner Artist was the UK-market version of the European Model 185, featuring an offset "Stratocaster-style" solid body, and designed as a higher-end solid bass compared to the single-pickup "Professional" model. The "Artist" name was specifically used by the Selmer company, which was the exclusive distributor for Hofner in the UK during the 1960s. Based on the serial number and the presence of “Diamond” pickups instead of the Staple pickups that appeared in 1963, the bass could be a late 1962 or early 1963 model. During the early 60s, Selmer requested these basses almost exclusively in a bright red finish (often called "Fiesta Red") to capitalize on the popularity of the British band The Shadows, whose guitarists famously used red instruments. Unlike the European 185 which often had a black-finished neck, the UK Artist version featured a clear lacquered maple neck.

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