| 500/1 Violin Bass | |
|---|---|
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.
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In 1956, Walter Höfner invented an electrically amplified, semi-acoustic bass guitar.[1] 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.[2] McCartney would acquire two of these models over time; his original 1961 model, and an updated 1962 model the company gave him. The guitar given to McCartney was a '62 model, even though he received it in 1963.[3][4] 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.[5] He switched to using his 1962 model for the remainder of the album.[6] He is still in possession of the 1962 bass as of 2011[update].
The following variations are currently sold by Höfner[7]:
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.[10]
A replica of the Höfner bass used by Paul McCartney (albeit right-handed) is used as the basis for a guitar controller, included with the special edition bundle of The Beatles: Rock Band.
