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Up for sale, a 1967 Hofner 500/1 Violin “Beatle Bass” in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with a hardshell case. Indelibly linked with Paul McCartney and the Beatles, this genuine vintage 500/1 captures the round, pillowy thump and definition inherent to the iconic Beatles sound, with a fully hollow body and first-year blade pickups.
There's a distinctive pluck, percussive cut, and hollow thud that this bass delivers even unplugged, with a broad sonic range between the two pickups. The bridge pickup has more nasally upper-midrange cut and sweet growl, and the neck position has a warm, broad thump. Controls include individual Volume knobs for each pickup as well as a two-way Rhythm/Solo tone switch which adds a tic-tac cut and punchy presence in the “Solo” position. Featherweight at just 4lbs 15oz, this Hofner 500/1 Violin bass has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 42-100 flatwound strings, easy-playing action, and accurate intonation.
Neck Specs:
-Wood: Maple
-Shape: Round C, measuring .905” 1st fret, .975” 12th fret
-Fretboard: Rosewood, dot inlay
-Frets: Slender, faint wear on frets 1-7
-Scale Length: 30”
-Nut: 1 9/16”, zero fret (replaced "all white")
-Tuners: Open-gear (modern, early '60s-style)
-Serialization: “Made in Germany,” serial sticker on back of peghead
Body Specs:
-Wood: Spruce, Flame maple
-Pickups: Blade single coil x2
-Harness: Preh pots date to 41st and 42nd week of 1967
-Hardware: Ebony bridge, trapeze tailpiece (nickel-plated)
-Plastics: Pearloid pickguard, control plate
The Sunburst gloss finish is 100% original, highlighting tight, dimensional flame figuring extending liberally across the bookmatched maple back, with more subtle flame on the rims. The finish shows limited broad checking, most prominent on top, and cosmetic wear includes light buckle rash central to the back and some minor dings on the body as a whole, largely concentrated along the rims. The neck profile retains its smooth gloss, with a few shallow nicks along the treble-side shoulder that are not distracting to the palm while fretting.
A modern black tolex hardshell case is included, along with a partial set of vintage tuners (not a full 2x2 set).
There's a distinctive pluck, percussive cut, and hollow thud that this bass delivers even unplugged, with a broad sonic range between the two pickups. The bridge pickup has more nasally upper-midrange cut and sweet growl, and the neck position has a warm, broad thump. Controls include individual Volume knobs for each pickup as well as a two-way Rhythm/Solo tone switch which adds a tic-tac cut and punchy presence in the “Solo” position. Featherweight at just 4lbs 15oz, this Hofner 500/1 Violin bass has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 42-100 flatwound strings, easy-playing action, and accurate intonation.
Neck Specs:
-Wood: Maple
-Shape: Round C, measuring .905” 1st fret, .975” 12th fret
-Fretboard: Rosewood, dot inlay
-Frets: Slender, faint wear on frets 1-7
-Scale Length: 30”
-Nut: 1 9/16”, zero fret (replaced "all white")
-Tuners: Open-gear (modern, early '60s-style)
-Serialization: “Made in Germany,” serial sticker on back of peghead
Body Specs:
-Wood: Spruce, Flame maple
-Pickups: Blade single coil x2
-Harness: Preh pots date to 41st and 42nd week of 1967
-Hardware: Ebony bridge, trapeze tailpiece (nickel-plated)
-Plastics: Pearloid pickguard, control plate
The Sunburst gloss finish is 100% original, highlighting tight, dimensional flame figuring extending liberally across the bookmatched maple back, with more subtle flame on the rims. The finish shows limited broad checking, most prominent on top, and cosmetic wear includes light buckle rash central to the back and some minor dings on the body as a whole, largely concentrated along the rims. The neck profile retains its smooth gloss, with a few shallow nicks along the treble-side shoulder that are not distracting to the palm while fretting.
A modern black tolex hardshell case is included, along with a partial set of vintage tuners (not a full 2x2 set).
