Description

This sunburst hollowbody bass is constructed of a spruce top with bound maple back and sides, and its violin shape gives it all the distinction and elegance of a classical instrument. In fact, it was the appearance which first attracted McCartney (being a lefty, the symmetry allowed him to simply flip it) and the rich sounds it produces, whether amplified or not, helped seal the deal. Acoustically it sounds good, and amplified it retains a lot of its gorgeous acoustic and woody tones.

Even if you’re not a huge Beatles fan, it’s hard not to love that classy tobacco sunburst finish complemented with mother-of-pearl pick guard, control board and neck heel. Notice the matching stripe detail on the bridge and nut and the mother of pearl finishing on neck heel and switch plate.

The nitro-cellulose lacquer shows some deep craze lines, more so on the front than the back. This is one of the more desirable ‘black neck’ models of this famous bass. In good, original condition and presented in its original soft shell case.

Background

Founded in 1887, Höfner became quickly became Germany’s largest manufacturer of stringed instruments (and still is, despite the fact that the name is mostly unheard of to the layman.) Amazingly, the company has been family owned throughout its entire history and has only moved production plants a couple of times, once due to the outbreak WWII.

Höfner and its fine team of luthiers have been playing by their own rules over the last century, seemingly disinterested in directly competing with any other manufacturer. And this isn’t an exercise in being unique just for uniqueness’ sake – their range of guitars and basses are extraordinary in quality, design and subsequent sound output.

The whole company can be typified with a single instrument: the Höfner 500/1 Bass which you see above. Featuring innovative electronics, greatly responsive humbuckers and specially designed ebony bridge, the 500/1 is also the German company’s most famous bass… popularity generally ensues when a Beatle uses one of your instruments, so much so that this is usually just called ‘the Beatles Bass’

500/1 Features

• 11¼” Violin shaped hollowbody bass in antique sunburst
• Lightweight – approx 5lbs
• 30” Scale Length
• Plastic nut with zero fret, 1 5/8” width
• Double-bound German spruce Top
• Double-bound maple back and sides
• Three-piece maple set black neck
• 22-fret Rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays
• Bound headstock with raised Höfner logo
• Mother-of-pearl pick guard and control panel
• Mother-of-pearl neck heel (‘Made in Germany’ stamp just visible)
• Chrome tuners
• Brass trapeze tailpiece
• Höfner-designed ebony bridge
• Two Höfner 511B Humbucking double pole pickups
• Individual volume knobs for each pickup
• Rhythm/Solo, Bass and Treble slider switches
• Original soft shell case

Hofner Beatles bass tags

Hofner, Höfner, 500/1, Beatles bass, Paul McCartney