Höfner 500/1

500/1 Violin Bass
Left-handed Höfner 500/1 Vintage '62 World History LH
Manufacturer	Karl Höfner GmbH & Co.
Period	1955-Present
Construction
Body type	Hollow
Scale	30"
Woods
Body	Spruce (Top), Maple (Back/Sides)
Neck	Maple
Fretboard	Rosewood
Hardware
Bridge	Höfner Ebony Bridge
Pickup(s)	Höfner 511B Humbucking Pickups
Colors available
Sunburst

The Höfner 500/1 violin bass (nicknamed the "Beatle bass" or "Cavern bass") is a hollow-bodied bass guitar manufactured by Höfner under several varieties. It was introduced in the mid-1950s and gained celebrity during the 1960s as one of the primary basses used by Paul McCartney of The Beatles.

History

In 1956, Walter Höfner designed an electrically amplified, semi-acoustic bass guitar. The hollow body made this style of guitar very light and easy to play, as well as giving it a rich tone, similar to that of the traditional double bass.

A major advantage for the bass came in early 1961, when it caught the eye of a young Paul McCartney. McCartney is left-handed, and he admired the instrument's symmetrical shape, allowing him to simply switch sides. McCartney would acquire two of these models over time; his original 1961 model, and an updated 1962 model the company gave him in 1963. Afterward, McCartney mainly played the 1962 model, leaving the original to serve backup duty. In 1964, he had his 1961 model refinished in sunburst and had new pickups and an updated pickup surround system installed. He can be seen using this bass in the "Revolution" promo video, strangely with the strap attached to the top of the headstock instead of the neck heel strap button. He continued to regularly use the violin bass until 1965, when he switched to a Rickenbacker 4001S; afterward, he would rotate between the two, the 1962 making its last Beatle appearance at the Apple rooftop concert. He switched back to the Rickenbacker for the recording of Abbey Road. Sometime during the recording of Let It Be, the 1961 model was stolen from Abbey Road Studios, a fate met by much of the band's equipment over the years. He switched to using his 1962 model for the remainder of the album. He is still in possession of the 1962 bass as of 2012.

The 500/1 was preferred by a young Gene Simmons prior to his success with KISS, and was often seen photographed with one.

Images

• 
  Höfner 500/1 Anniversary RH
  Cavern Bass
• 
  Höfner 500/1 Vintage '62 World History RH

Variations

The following variations are currently sold by Höfner:

• 500/1 Vintage '59
• 500/1 Cavern Bass (no longer available from Höfner)
• 500/1 Vintage '61 Cavern Bass (2011 model - based on Paul McCartney's original specs)
• 500/1 Vintage '62
• 500/1 Vintage '63 (no longer in production)
• 500/1 Vintage '64 (replaced '63)
• 500/1 125th Anniversary 'Black Violin Bass'
• 5000/1 Deluxe Bass
• H500/1-CT Contemporary Series
• Icon series B-Bass, made in China (production ceased in 2010)
  • Höfner produced limited runs of the Icon B Bass in 5 custom color schemes. Only 150 of each color were manufactured and made available for sale in 2008.
  • In 2008, the Icon B Bass was also issued in a limited edition "Dark Burst" finish, of which 88 were produced.
• HI series B-Bass (Ignition), made in Indonesia, from 2010

Imitators

Due to the cost of the official Höfner bass, several guitar companies offer more affordable versions of the "violin bass". These include Greco, Epiphone, Tokai, El Degas, Jay Turser, Duesenberg, Rogue, Douglas, Harley Benton and Eko. These range anywhere from US$200 to $1,500. Höfner themselves make an affordable version of their famous bass (the Ignition).

It appeared in Guitar Hero II while the Epiphone Viola appeared in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. A replica of the Höfner bass used by McCartney (albeit right-handed) is used as the basis for a guitar controller, included with the special edition bundle of The Beatles: Rock Band.

See also

• Paul McCartney
• The Beatles

External links

• Official Höfner webpage
• Detailed information on guitars used by The Beatles
• Vintage Hofner Basses for Sale