Diego Magnani
Photo - Raffaella Cambi
Hailing from Rome, Italy, this singer/songwriter/arranger and multi-instrumentalist (instruments played: guitar, keyboards, piano, ukulele, drums but - most of all - BASS) gained lots of recognition as studio and live musician through his association with many indie rock and psychedelic acts in Italy (Weird Bloom, Sumeri, Turchese Musica, San Tiago) as well as lending his skills to other international acts (Dizzyride) paving the way to amazing performances in many important indie music festivals.
Diego is also one of Italy's most accomplished "Beatlesque" singers and musicians, and is and has been a member of some of the most important Beatles tribute band of his country, currently involved with the bands The Beatleg - All-Stars Beatles Tribute and the duo John & Paul, a new development of his career, originally launched as a progressive rock, hard rock, classic rock and pop musician.
His association with Hofner dates back to the late Eighties, when in high school he regularly used to borrow a red Hofner 182 bass from a friend and then later, during his tenure with different Beatles tribute bands he ended up owning, buying and selling any available Hofner Violin Bass model, including Icon, as well as a few different Club and Shorty bass guitars.
Diego's current Hofner gear line-up includes one 1968 Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass, one 2016 Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass 'Mersey' (AKA Vintage '62), which are among the bass guitars he would most frequently bring along to the studio recording sessions he attends in order to add that unique vintage flavor, and one white 2019 Hofner Shorty Bass, his favourite to play at blues and rock jam sessions.
Though his roots are firmly in the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s rock, Diego is a versatile musician and, as a bassist, his main influences are the most diverse, and include Paul McCartney (Beatles, Wings), Chris Squire (Yes), Glenn Hughes (Trapeze, Deep Purple), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Roger Glover (Deep Purple), Harald Bareth (Anyone's Daughter), Mike Rutherford (Genesis), John Entwistle (The Who), Ares Tavolazzi (Area - International POPular Group), Chris Novoselic (Nirvana), Bernard Edwards (Chic) and a few others.