Vintage late 1960s Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass, made in West Germany featuring a solid spruce top, maple back and sides, maple neck (bound) with a gorgeous dark rosewood fingerboard and dot inlays. This model would be mid-late 1968 at the earliest thanks to it's newly designed 'umlaut' silkscreen decal that replaced the larger, plastic plaques that were placed on the headstock during the mid 1960s.
Loaded with the original Hofner Blade single coil pickups, these late 60s Violin basses keep up to speed with more modern instruments thanks to the higher output of the pickups rather than the very low output staple pickups found in the originals.
Controls for each pickup with a tone cap can be found via the very quirky control plate at the bottom, however limited it may seam, these controls offer a fairly large range of tone that isn't just instant McCartney.
All original with all original Schaller made hardware aside from the output socket. A fantastic instrument that is as iconic as it gets, in wonderful playing and cosmetic condition too.
Freshly setup with LaBella Tapewound Strings, this Hofner is in fantastic condition. Very little signs of wear in the nitro-cellulose finish and the action is low.
Missing the original pickguard however includes what we think might be the original hardshell case however we cannot be sure. It is blue-lined (this may be from a later Hofner period in the 1970s).
Video: https://youtu.be/uT-gDIEcrP0
Product Specs
- Item Number: 37772
- Make: Höfner
- Model: 500/1 Violin Bass
- Condition: Excellent
- Finish: Sunburst
- Categories: bass-guitars ⇒ 4-string
- Year: 1968-1969
- Made In: Germany
- MPN: 37772