NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Discussion of vintage Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Bass VIs, Electric XIIs and any other offset-waist instruments.
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losador
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Re: NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Post by losador » Sat Nov 07, 2020 10:37 am

Johno wrote:
Fri Nov 06, 2020 12:13 pm
Nice, I've always wanted to play one of these....
This is the guitar in the Cure video for Friday I'm in Love?

Edit ... just checked it is in the Cure vid.... weirdly my daughter is sat next to me wearing my wifes Cure t-shirt she bought when we saw them at the Albert Hall in 2014.
Oh wow I didn’t realise that! I guess it belonged to one of them..?

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Re: NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Post by losador » Sat Nov 07, 2020 10:38 am

Pacafeliz wrote:
Sat Nov 07, 2020 3:25 am
I have a beat to crap Hopf Twisty guitar, I guess a later model with what looks like humbuckers. It is the most Rickenbacker sounding guitar that's not an actual Ricky!

Image

Might have to sell it, though, because of the rather thick neck. :(
I’ve always loved the look of these.. such a shame about the neck, I also don’t like really thick necks! Beautiful guitar though.. how does it sound?

Edit - guess it sounds like a Rickenbacker :fp: ;D
Last edited by losador on Tue Nov 10, 2020 2:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Post by Pacafeliz » Sat Nov 07, 2020 11:41 am

losador wrote:
Sat Nov 07, 2020 10:38 am
Pacafeliz wrote:
Sat Nov 07, 2020 3:25 am
I have a beat to crap Hopf Twisty guitar, I guess a later model with what looks like humbuckers. It is the most Rickenbacker sounding guitar that's not an actual Ricky!

Image

Might have to sell it, though, because of the rather thick neck. :(
I’ve always loved the look of these.. such a shame about the neck, I also don’t like really think necks! Beautiful guitar though.. how does it sound?

Edit - guess it sounds like a Rickenbacker :fp: ;D
Dunno about the OP's Saturn, but this is an incredibly light and rather small guitar!
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

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Re: NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Post by Veitchy » Sun Nov 08, 2020 2:00 pm

Is that an XLR out on the control plate?

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Re: NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Post by losador » Sun Nov 08, 2020 3:17 pm

Veitchy wrote:
Sun Nov 08, 2020 2:00 pm
Is that an XLR out on the control plate?
I thought that at first, but actually it’s a 3 pole DIN socket - apparently this present on some models of German made guitars of that era. I had to get a special cable for it, and so far have only been able to source one of them! I did see one or two examples of the Saturn 63 whereby the socket has been replaced by a normal input Jack, but I am really hesitant to do any mods on it tbh

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Re: NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Post by Veitchy » Sun Nov 08, 2020 4:59 pm

losador wrote:
Sun Nov 08, 2020 3:17 pm
Veitchy wrote:
Sun Nov 08, 2020 2:00 pm
Is that an XLR out on the control plate?
I thought that at first, but actually it’s a 3 pole DIN socket - apparently this present on some models of German made guitars of that era. I had to get a special cable for it, and so far have only been able to source one of them! I did see one or two examples of the Saturn 63 whereby the socket has been replaced by a normal input Jack, but I am really hesitant to do any mods on it tbh
DIN plug? That's different. Do you happen to know why they ran with that? Is that an impedance or signal quality thing?

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Re: NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Post by windmill » Sun Nov 08, 2020 5:25 pm

Soviet era russian guitars often used a DIN plug.

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Re: NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Post by andy_tchp » Sun Nov 08, 2020 7:42 pm

Firstly: That guitar is awesome.
losador wrote:
Sun Nov 08, 2020 3:17 pm
I thought that at first, but actually it’s a 3 pole DIN socket - apparently this present on some models of German made guitars of that era. I had to get a special cable for it, and so far have only been able to source one of them! I did see one or two examples of the Saturn 63 whereby the socket has been replaced by a normal input Jack, but I am really hesitant to do any mods on it tbh
That's no worries. Assuming that's a 'real' standards-compliant DIN socket (hopefully a safe assumption given it originated in Germany!) then making up some brand new, high quality cables of your desired length/s to suit is not only possible, but should be fairly straightforward.

Either of these plugs:

* Switchcraft 05GM3M https://www.ebay.com/c/1118433277 or
* REAN NYS321 https://www.canford.co.uk/Products/43-5 ... PLUG-3-pin

on one end, some decent shielded instrument cable in the middle (I'm partial to Canare GS-6) and a regular Switchcraft (or Neutrik) 1/4" plug on the other.


If you were local to me (or at least...not ~10,000 miles away) I'd offer to make up a couple for you for the cost of materials - IIRC you're somewhere in the UK, right? I feel like a decent guitar/amp tech should be able to help you out with this.
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Re: NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Post by losador » Mon Nov 09, 2020 2:36 am

Veitchy wrote:
Sun Nov 08, 2020 4:59 pm
losador wrote:
Sun Nov 08, 2020 3:17 pm
Veitchy wrote:
Sun Nov 08, 2020 2:00 pm
Is that an XLR out on the control plate?
I thought that at first, but actually it’s a 3 pole DIN socket - apparently this present on some models of German made guitars of that era. I had to get a special cable for it, and so far have only been able to source one of them! I did see one or two examples of the Saturn 63 whereby the socket has been replaced by a normal input Jack, but I am really hesitant to do any mods on it tbh
DIN plug? That's different. Do you happen to know why they ran with that? Is that an impedance or signal quality thing?
From the little I know I think it was a standard which was trying to find traction in Germany around that time. They did get used for MIDI eventually which I guess is where most people would recognise them from today in the music world.

Wikipedia article on it here, but doesn't give too much detail on the history:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIN_connector

I couldn't find anything that talks about sound quality differences, but I would assume that there would be no difference between these and a standard jack, though perhaps someone with more knowledge than me could comment on that!

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Re: NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Post by losador » Mon Nov 09, 2020 2:38 am

windmill wrote:
Sun Nov 08, 2020 5:25 pm
Soviet era russian guitars often used a DIN plug.
Interesting! The very last paragraph of the article linked to above mentions that in the very last paragraph:

"In the Soviet Union, three-pin and five-pin DIN connectors named ОНЦ-ВГ (Latin: ONC-VG), could be seen on many pieces of equipment, as well as factory-made audio equipment. Radio amateurs and small cooperatives quickly discovered these reliable connectors and began to put them into almost every low frequency signal device, often with non-standard pin usage. Versions other than three- or five-pin were very rare in the USSR and very hard to buy. Four-pin DIN connectors, for example, were never seen on any device or in stores."

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Re: NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Post by losador » Mon Nov 09, 2020 2:40 am

andy_tchp wrote:
Sun Nov 08, 2020 7:42 pm
Firstly: That guitar is awesome.
losador wrote:
Sun Nov 08, 2020 3:17 pm
I thought that at first, but actually it’s a 3 pole DIN socket - apparently this present on some models of German made guitars of that era. I had to get a special cable for it, and so far have only been able to source one of them! I did see one or two examples of the Saturn 63 whereby the socket has been replaced by a normal input Jack, but I am really hesitant to do any mods on it tbh
That's no worries. Assuming that's a 'real' standards-compliant DIN socket (hopefully a safe assumption given it originated in Germany!) then making up some brand new, high quality cables of your desired length/s to suit is not only possible, but should be fairly straightforward.

Either of these plugs:

* Switchcraft 05GM3M https://www.ebay.com/c/1118433277 or
* REAN NYS321 https://www.canford.co.uk/Products/43-5 ... PLUG-3-pin

on one end, some decent shielded instrument cable in the middle (I'm partial to Canare GS-6) and a regular Switchcraft (or Neutrik) 1/4" plug on the other.


If you were local to me (or at least...not ~10,000 miles away) I'd offer to make up a couple for you for the cost of materials - IIRC you're somewhere in the UK, right? I feel like a decent guitar/amp tech should be able to help you out with this.
Thanks! And thanks for the great info too.. Yes I am in the UK, but using these links I can get a cable made up pretty easily by the looks of it. That's fantastic, thanks so much!

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Re: NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Mon Nov 09, 2020 2:59 am

You could buy a right-angled one & feed the cable back through your strap, above your strap button. Much neater with less of the plug & cable getting in the way.
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Re: NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Post by BoringPostcards » Mon Nov 09, 2020 3:48 am

That's super awesome. I love the look of these, although I've never actually played one.
Good score!
Det er mig der holder traeerne sammen.

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Re: NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Post by losador » Mon Nov 09, 2020 5:37 am

PorkyPrimeCut wrote:
Mon Nov 09, 2020 2:59 am
You could buy a right-angled one & feed the cable back through your strap, above your strap button. Much neater with less of the plug & cable getting in the way.
Great shout - thanks!

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Re: NGD Hopf Saturn 63

Post by losador » Mon Nov 09, 2020 5:48 am

BoringPostcards wrote:
Mon Nov 09, 2020 3:48 am
That's super awesome. I love the look of these, although I've never actually played one.
Good score!
Thanks! Yeah it's quite a unique looker, but so lovely to play, seems to suit my hands perfectly.. you never know which guitars may do that! I'm just really glad this one played the same as the one I had tried in the shop locally before.. took a bit of a risk but it paid off!

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