Höfner Verythin Range Round-Up

DUrinG
the first electric
guitar explosion
of the 1950s, it was almost impossible for
young Brits to get their hands on a USA-
made instrument. Seizing upon an
opportunity, a bunch of European
manufacturers, including Framus and
Hagstrom, met the demand for good
quality affordable guitars and basses. The
most iconic of these brands was Höfner –
a German company that attained legendary
status when Paul McCartney picked up one
of its 500/1 violin basses in Hamburg and
stuck with it throughout his career as a
Beatle. He still plays his violin basses today.
Macca’s 500/1 may be the best-known
Höfner model, but the three models in this
round-up feature the Verythin (or ‘Verithin’
as it was known in the 60s) semi-acoustic
body style first seen in 1960. Like the Gibson
ES-335 model it was based on, each
Verythin has a solid block running up the
centre of its body to provide sustain, and
reduce unwanted feedback. And Verythin
wasn’t just a clever name. Like the original
60s guitars, the new models feature a body
depth – at the rim – of just 30mm (1.2”); a
Gibson ES-335 is 43mm (1.7”) deep – giving
them a feel that’s closer to a solidbody
electric than a regular semi-acoustic guitar.
82 June 2016
HÖFNER VERYTHIN
rOUnD-UP
AlOnG
with Lambretta
scooters, Steve
Marriott haircuts and scrapping with
rockers on Brighton’s seafront, the RAF
roundel has come to define the 60s
mod era and Britishness in general.
Originally seen on the wings of fighter
planes, the red white and blue circles
were famously adopted by mod gods
such as The Who, and their followers,
who sewed them onto their parkas.
Here, the iconic roundel sits upon the
Verythin’s laminated spruce top, which
is allied to maple ply back and sides. The
slim-profile, glued-in neck is a single
piece of maple mated with a rosewood
fingerboard, 22 medium frets and a set
of machineheads with pearloid buttons.
All three models here come with
Höfner’s own humbuckers. The four-
control – Quadrophonic? – wiring is
your classic two-volume, two-tone setup
with a three-way pickup selector toggle
switch. The big news is that this guitar is
fitted with a licensed Bigsby vibrato for
some subtle note wobbling. Hardware
is completed by a tune-o-matic bridge
with roller saddles to reduce string drag
and tuning problems.
In keeping with its intended audience,
the Mod pumps out a vibrant crunch
when you subject its bridge humbucker
to overdrive. Think the Small Faces epic,
Tin Soldier or Weller’s tone on The Jam’s
In The City. Crank the dirt up and you’re
in Oasis territory, while tonal versatility
is maintained by the bluesier response
of the middle and neck notches.
Some might say anyone can play this
beautifully made guitar, but the Mod is
obviously targeted at fans of 60s British
power-pop and later icons like Paul
Weller, and later still, Oasis. If that’s your
bag, baby, then best of British to you.
Höfner HCTVTHMOD
VERYTHIN BIGSBY MOD
£649
Mod grooves in delirious ways...
The most iconic
European brand of
the 60s was Höfner
TGR280.gear_round.indd 82 19/04/2016 18:23