Höfner 500/1

Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass
Vintage 1962 model
Manufacturer	Karl Höfner GmbH & Co.
Period	1955-Present
Construction
Body type	Hollow[a]
Scale	30 in (760 mm)
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, black, laurel, rosewood and many others

A 1961 Höfner 500/1 "Cavern" Bass reissue

The Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass (also called the "Beatle bass" or "Cavern bass") is an electric bass guitar made by Höfner since 1955. It became very popular in the 1960s when Paul McCartney of The Beatles started using it.^[1]

History

In 1955, Walter Höfner made a semi-acoustic electric bass, that was made to be light. It was also made to sound like a double bass. It was first shown at the Frankfurt Music Fair in 1956.^[2] Paul McCartney bought a Höfner 500/1 in 1961 while in Hamburg. It would become his main bass for the rest of his career. McCartney using the bass made it very popular and Höfner still make the bass because of this.^[3]

References

1. "Hofner 500/1". Hofner. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
2. "Höfner Geschichte - Über Höfner". Archived from the original on May 10, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
3. Miles, Barry (1997). Many Years From Now. Vintage-Random House. pp. 74–75. ISBN 978-0-7493-8658-0.

Notes

1. The Contemporary series models have a wood centre block.