Got A Ukulele Reviews - Höfner Violin Ukulele

[@raymondstebbins5904]

Good to have you back hope your holiday was good

[@GotAUkulele]

Thank you!

[@saulchapnick1566]

Welcome back, Barry. Thank you for responding to me last week. “Not unattractive “ is a perfect way to describe this ukulele. You are too kind. Lastly, solid poplar being used for the neck is a poor idea. Poplar is very sensitive to the elements and is wont to warp.

[@GotAUkulele]

Thank you!

[@felixcanamerogarcia2473]

Great to see you back, thanks for you honest review, For that price I would look at other thing... Regards

[@KevinCGleason]

Received my Bonanza Baritone based upon your review. Love it! Very grateful.

[@GotAUkulele]

Great to hear!

[@KevinCGleason]

@@GotAUkulele Enjoy your beer!

[@GotAUkulele]

@@KevinCGleason Thanks so much Kevin!

[@sadie771]

So glad you’re back! I learn so much from your reviews, on both good and not so good ukuleles. ❤️

[@GotAUkulele]

Thank you!

[@LorraineKenna]

Great to see you back Baz. Brilliant review as always

[@GotAUkulele]

Thank you kindly

[@markattardo]

Welcome back! Thanks for interesting review👍👍

[@GotAUkulele]

Thanks for watching!

[@crtclb]

Thanks for this review. I was tempted (as a massive Beatles fan) by this instrument for the form factor, but I have enough soprano ukuleles!

[@GotAUkulele]

It's a tenor!

[@crtclb]

@@GotAUkulele my point exactly! Why get a tenor that is sooooo sopranish? (Did I just invent a word LOL)

[@jimb1138]

@@crtclbYeah, scaled like a tenor, plays like a soprano. ​Especially with that narrow nut! Could be a new unique variation of uke. But count me out...

[@cal1405]

I like the idea of a violin shape but where the neck meets the body in the back it almost looks like it's been joined with two mismatched parts, frankenstein style. A deeper tone and darker color would help too, as you mentioned. Thanks for the review and welcome back!

[@GotAUkulele]

Yep - very weird chunky construction!

[@mikek4708]

Glad you’re back and hope you had a great break. Another fair and balanced review, got to agree, APC all over this one. Don’t know why honesty in wood useage isn’t best policy. Quite like the looks and as an oversized soprano it does quite well 😂. Agree with the bass homage. They missed a trick, you never know, you may get some royalties for the idea. You have a great week.

[@GotAUkulele]

Thanks Mike!

[@johnchastain7890]

Welcome back! I hope this oddball uke doesn't spoil your holiday afterglow.

[@GotAUkulele]

I hope so too!

[@richardsnow7299]

Glad you're back Barry and hope your holiday was good. I like this one it's OK nice clarity.

[@GotAUkulele]

Thanks Richard!

[@PhilPage227]

Good to have you back Baz, great review.

[@GotAUkulele]

Thanks Phil!

[@ferg492]

Welcome back Baz, not a fan of this one, but like others have said " nice to see you back"

[@GotAUkulele]

Thank you!

[@MatthewQuilliamMusic]

What a missed opportunity! Would’ve loved to have seen the proper Beatles look and maybe as a UBass too. Enjoyable review as always, welcome back

[@GotAUkulele]

Thanks Matthew!

[@Dr.Turkey]

Rondo Music makes a ubass modeled after the violin bass, I like it quite a bit

[@MarkALong64]

I think that the narrow waist is killing the low frequencies and the heavy bracing is killing the sustain. I don't think that the design is doing any favours to the sound.

[@GotAUkulele]

Agreed

[@Dr.Turkey]

I really enjoy the silhouette on this, though as you said it really needs to commit to the bit. Sunburst finish and f holes, I could take or leave the floating bridge as they wouldn't work great with nylon strings I think

[@mac-noble6812]

Good to have you back, Barry. Do you have anything now or upcoming on the aNueNue Hawaiian Dream Series ?

[@GotAUkulele]

Nothing in the works - sorry!

[@hilltop1845]

In for the thumbs up...good luck Hofner

[@offthewallreubs]

Fab review as per. I would absolutely buy a mini hofner bass! Especially with a bit of sunburst - probably cost an arm and a leg though haha

[@GotAUkulele]

Totally agree!

[@marj1585]

Welcome back! When you posted the macros, I thought, nope. Then, when you posted the sneak peak, I thought, maybe? Yeah... nope.

[@GotAUkulele]

That sneak peak was deliberately flattering!!

[@joephillips4082]

When I read the headline: Hofner Violin Ukulele, I thought, corny if not exploitive. But then I though, exploitive? After it's Hofner's design isn't it, and Paul is still seen with it from time to time. But then I saw it, and I had to say, yes, I loved it at first sight. Unfortunately it diminished with every other comment you made, all well deserved. The tone, meh; the nut, deal-killer; softwood bridge, why?; sloppy interior, what, guitar components inside, glue?; and "agricultural," I take to mean "rustic," not perfectly finished with poor attention to detail. A missed opportunity by Hofner to offer a quality instrument with iconic features sure to attract. Very old Beatles fans like me, might have bought it. Hell, maybe they will anyway, or perhaps its already failed commercially and is on its way out. Good review and thanks for posting it. Welcome back.

[@GotAUkulele]

You know, even if it was likely to appeal to old Beatles fans - why not make it look like the original?

[@joephillips4082]

@@GotAUkulele Fair point, since Fender offers a Tele ukulele that looks fairly original.

[@Wobbz9413]

Pauls Hofner was stolen many years ago, and has only very recently been rediscovered and returned to sir Paul....

[@GotAUkulele]

@@Wobbz9413 That's true

[@bdawgindy]

Ibanez makes one as well. Guitar Center in Indianapolis has it.

[@GotAUkulele]

I've reviewed it - very different construction - kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZ-VmGx_mtB7bKM

[@jensenhealey08]

Looks like an APC of Portugal ukulele to me. I just spotted Brueko are closing down at the end of the year. That's a pity.

[@GotAUkulele]

Yes very sad news

[@GenghisDaniel]

Nice review as ever if not for the Uke ^^. Just on a side note, I have a Weissenborn Kona model which was built in 1927 with a koa bridge which has no problem. As Koa is a species of Acacia, that bridge on the Hofner might not be such a problem. Even though as koa grows high in the mountain of Hawaii maybe koa is in general of higher strength than other Acacia species ?

[@GotAUkulele]

I very much doubt this is Hawaiian though - if the brand who made it are the brand I think they are - this is pale European Acacia. Might still be ok, but no way is that as hard as walnut, rosewood, ebony etc

[@edwardpetersen4309]

You look like you got some sun! To be fair to Hofner, many early Hawaiian made ukes were all Koa including the fingerboards and bridges. They were all what we now call sopranos though. They just called them ukuleles. Probably not a good idea to have all Acacia fittings on this tenor. Seems a bit pricey for what this is, although overhead in Portugal might be higher than in China.

[@GotAUkulele]

Certainly did! And yep - Hofner should know better

[@fiendishthingy1630]

I agree that it does not sound like a tenor. I don't like a lot of sustain, because I don't like lingering notes interferring with the next notes. My preference.

[@GotAUkulele]

Fair enough..

[@karenlynnkennedy6162]

And one could ask the question as to why they didn't use the clef holes instead of a round soundhole?

[@GotAUkulele]

Well, I guess the Hofner bass didn't have them either.

[@connorpark2744]

I still plan on getting this. It'll be my 4th Hofner instrument. I'd like it to be my main uku as I've been wanting a tenor but if it's more of a collection piece thatll be okay. Still left a little disappointed by it based off your observations.

[@GotAUkulele]

Yep, the tone is very very poor really

[@bonniedavidson936]

Good review. It’s too bad. I think they just missed so many opportunities to make a good ukulele. A lot of Beatles fans would like.

[@GotAUkulele]

Very much agree

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

Violins aren’t painted sunburst style. This thing is really thick. Violins aren’t. Violin nuts are very small. Anyway, welcome back Baz.

[@GotAUkulele]

The Hofner violin basses are painted that way though - which is what it's copying.

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

@@GotAUkuleleI saw one yesterday at a party. A gentleman who used to be in the Fab Four played it …

[@ROCKINGMAN]

The Hofner 500/1 bass was inspired by the Gibson EB1, but was better. Unsure what to think of when producing a ukulele based on this design. Hofner did make some nice guitars too and they could have stuck with the traditional ukulele shape. Thought it sounded OK. Thanks for showing this model.

[@GotAUkulele]

Agreed - why not just go with a good regular uke? Or make this as a uke bass?

[@ROCKINGMAN]

Exactly.

[@mrbrick5907]

Like you said, why, oh why not a sunburst bass with a scratchplate, such a half-baked attempt. Surely if you've got something as iconic as the Beatle bass, make a uke version and you've got a unique selling point in the sea of the P-Bass-y style competition.

[@GotAUkulele]

Half baked is right!!

[@MariUSukulele]

😶 mh, DANKE for all the info

[@StevenDoyleLuke]

Tried at a trade show, not terribly impressed. My understanding from a reliable source is that Hofner is having production issues with this Uke

[@GotAUkulele]

Not surprised!

[@SouthsideStrummerBoy]

I’m just wondering if they missed a trick here. Gimmicky? Yes, but I’m guessing that sustain could have been enhanced with a rounded back to offset the narrow waist imo. The 34mm nut is off putting for me too, otherwise I may have taken the plunge if it was at least 36-37mm purely for the Beatles gimmick.

[@GotAUkulele]

Certainly gimmicky - but doesn't actually look like the Beatle Bass anyway!

[@captainchaos3053]

2 things i must get of my chest. 1 im blad im mot the only chap who burns in the sun and 2 much as that uke looks cool as fook its a disappointing effort. Anyway keep on keepin on. I personally look forward to these reviews. Ps perhaps someone could paint this thing into something a little more patriotic?

[@oskarossowickiboll8591]

When I was just starting out playing the ukulele I was considering getting one of these to be my fifths-tuned ukulele. The shape would signify it's a different instrument and also hints at a kinship with the violin family of instruments (which makes ense because they're generally fifths-tuned). Luckily my wife talked me out of it because, according to her, it was ugly. 😢 I was such a noob that I couldn't judge the quality accurately. I thought the Höfner brand guaranteed this would be a quality instrument. Apparently, the brand guarantees no such thing. (Now I steer away from all their stuff.)

[@GotAUkulele]

No - and certainly NOT made by them!

[@nigeldavey1043]

Toldya, fourth form woodwork project. Personally I think i it's more of a parody than a homage , all those hard edges and visually jarring mismatches. You'd think a company in Portugal would do a better job of the instrument that the Portuguese introduced to Hawaii. Ko'aloha tends to use some really pale Hawaiian Koa but this "European " Koa 🤣 is Anaemic to say the least .🙄

[@GotAUkulele]

Yep

[@JonHancockUK]

I've seen floor joists thinner than that headstock...

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

@@JonHancockUK 😂

[@SlaughteredDecay]

Am I having deja vu or have you reviewed a ukulele very similar to thia before?

[@GotAUkulele]

Think you may be thinking of that weird Ibanez with the two side ports?

[@dutchbeef8920]

Would have been a nice bass uke, I guess

[@GotAUkulele]

I think that's exactly what they should have made!

[@BaritoneUkeBeast4Life]

Excellent review as always, Baz. This uke may be original in it's shape but I find it awful to look at, way too pale and anemic looking, I don't like the hard edges, chunkiness, etc. The sound I find to be abysmal. If the company or a representative of Hofner offered to gift this to me for free, I would tell them thanks but no thanks. I would never play this uke, and would not want it in my house.

[@GotAUkulele]

Anaemic is the right word!

[@richbow42cdo]

Such a shame that wasnt made with better materials and more refinement. Would have made an amazing uke if the quality was there. Hopefully an independent luthier will take the idea and make something amazing.

[@JACK_TheAllSeeingEye]

Angle your illumination more to your side...prevents that reflection.

[@GotAUkulele]

Thanks Stanley Kubrick..

[@davidjanusch1857]

Maybe they would be better off to pass it off as a concert.

[@GotAUkulele]

Not sure it even sounds like that

[@rw218]

Makes me want to get a proper white violin and put a Uke neck on it to see what a better body would do.

[@originalmusic1111]

I paid $2000. For an acoustic guitar for all solid woods guitar they have life limited to them sir and they have an awful tone response Yet I paid cheaper for laminate acoustic guitars and they have a better tone. With ukulele I have a laminate Kala bocote soprano ukulele and it was fantastic 😍😊 differs on anyone budget but now these days cost of living crisis everything pricey. All solid tone is brilliant if you got the money' now these days I don't 😢 like most people 😂 that's life

[@Mandobird1]

Needs to be tuned in fifths. 🥴

[@alanwhitney3263]

Very strange as you say, bizarre decision not to replicate the bass. I bought a Snail Tenor from SUS for not much more and it's a lot better

[@GotAUkulele]

MUCH better

[@gardnerfiddle2927]

The name “violin” bugs me a bit. It’s not really a violin shape. It’s shaped more like a contrabass. A violin doesn’t have sloped sides like this. This is more like a viola da gamba shape.

[@GotAUkulele]

True, but they’ve called their bass the violin since the 1950’s - and that’s the inspiration here

[@r4frizbee]

Hofner Hof ner not Hoof ner

[@GotAUkulele]

I didn't say Hoof ner, I said Hoaf ner - which is correct. The umlauted form of o results in the phonetic [œ]

[@GotAUkulele]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6DKo55qqql9odE

[@r4frizbee]

@@GotAUkulele I’ve been buying Horner since 1966 in the the uk it’s always been Hofner not as in loaf lol

[@GotAUkulele]

@@r4frizbeetry learning some German.. which is where they are from.

[@paaddyestrothman6646]

Your redundancy gets boring on this one.

[@GotAUkulele]

Excuse me?