1965 Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass Vintage Beatle Bass w/ Staple Pickups & Case
Up for sale, a 1965 Hofner 500/1 Violin “Beatle Bass” in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with a vintage hardshell case. Indelibly linked with Paul McCartney and the Beatles, this genuine vintage 500/1 captures the round, pillowy thump and definition of the iconic Beatles sound, with a fully hollow body and “staple” 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 14oz, this Hofner 500/1 Violin bass has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 45-100 flatwound strings, easy-playing action, and accurate intonation.
Neck Specs:
-Wood: Maple
-Shape: Medium C, measuring .825” 1st fret, .980” 12th fret
-Fretboard: Rosewood, dot inlays
-Frets: Slender, light wear on frets 1-7
-Scale Length: 30”
-Nut: 1 9/16”, zero fret
-Tuners: Open-gear, pearloid button
Body Specs:
-Wood: Spruce, maple
-Pickups: “Staple” x2
-Harness: Preh pots date to the 10th week of 1965
-Hardware: Ebony bridge, trapeze tailpiece (nickel-plated)
-Plastics: Pearloid pickguard, control plate, “teacup” knobs
The Sunburst gloss finish is 100% original, exhibiting prominent vertical checking (particularly on top), and there are just a handful of minor dings and finish scratches on the body. The gloss on the neck profile is smooth and clean, and a different tuner set was installed in the bass’ lifetime, with the tuner post holes doweled and touched-up, restoring the smaller post hole size of the stock Hofner tuners. Any additional tuner mounting holes have also been cleanly doweled and touched-up.
A vintage black tolex hardshell case with pink form-fit interior is included.
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 14oz, this Hofner 500/1 Violin bass has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 45-100 flatwound strings, easy-playing action, and accurate intonation.
Neck Specs:
-Wood: Maple
-Shape: Medium C, measuring .825” 1st fret, .980” 12th fret
-Fretboard: Rosewood, dot inlays
-Frets: Slender, light wear on frets 1-7
-Scale Length: 30”
-Nut: 1 9/16”, zero fret
-Tuners: Open-gear, pearloid button
Body Specs:
-Wood: Spruce, maple
-Pickups: “Staple” x2
-Harness: Preh pots date to the 10th week of 1965
-Hardware: Ebony bridge, trapeze tailpiece (nickel-plated)
-Plastics: Pearloid pickguard, control plate, “teacup” knobs
The Sunburst gloss finish is 100% original, exhibiting prominent vertical checking (particularly on top), and there are just a handful of minor dings and finish scratches on the body. The gloss on the neck profile is smooth and clean, and a different tuner set was installed in the bass’ lifetime, with the tuner post holes doweled and touched-up, restoring the smaller post hole size of the stock Hofner tuners. Any additional tuner mounting holes have also been cleanly doweled and touched-up.
A vintage black tolex hardshell case with pink form-fit interior is included.
$1,890.00
Original: $5,399.99
-65%1965 Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass Vintage Beatle Bass w/ Staple Pickups & Case—
$5,399.99
$1,890.00
Description
Up for sale, a 1965 Hofner 500/1 Violin “Beatle Bass” in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with a vintage hardshell case. Indelibly linked with Paul McCartney and the Beatles, this genuine vintage 500/1 captures the round, pillowy thump and definition of the iconic Beatles sound, with a fully hollow body and “staple” 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 14oz, this Hofner 500/1 Violin bass has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 45-100 flatwound strings, easy-playing action, and accurate intonation.
Neck Specs:
-Wood: Maple
-Shape: Medium C, measuring .825” 1st fret, .980” 12th fret
-Fretboard: Rosewood, dot inlays
-Frets: Slender, light wear on frets 1-7
-Scale Length: 30”
-Nut: 1 9/16”, zero fret
-Tuners: Open-gear, pearloid button
Body Specs:
-Wood: Spruce, maple
-Pickups: “Staple” x2
-Harness: Preh pots date to the 10th week of 1965
-Hardware: Ebony bridge, trapeze tailpiece (nickel-plated)
-Plastics: Pearloid pickguard, control plate, “teacup” knobs
The Sunburst gloss finish is 100% original, exhibiting prominent vertical checking (particularly on top), and there are just a handful of minor dings and finish scratches on the body. The gloss on the neck profile is smooth and clean, and a different tuner set was installed in the bass’ lifetime, with the tuner post holes doweled and touched-up, restoring the smaller post hole size of the stock Hofner tuners. Any additional tuner mounting holes have also been cleanly doweled and touched-up.
A vintage black tolex hardshell case with pink form-fit interior is included.
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 14oz, this Hofner 500/1 Violin bass has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 45-100 flatwound strings, easy-playing action, and accurate intonation.
Neck Specs:
-Wood: Maple
-Shape: Medium C, measuring .825” 1st fret, .980” 12th fret
-Fretboard: Rosewood, dot inlays
-Frets: Slender, light wear on frets 1-7
-Scale Length: 30”
-Nut: 1 9/16”, zero fret
-Tuners: Open-gear, pearloid button
Body Specs:
-Wood: Spruce, maple
-Pickups: “Staple” x2
-Harness: Preh pots date to the 10th week of 1965
-Hardware: Ebony bridge, trapeze tailpiece (nickel-plated)
-Plastics: Pearloid pickguard, control plate, “teacup” knobs
The Sunburst gloss finish is 100% original, exhibiting prominent vertical checking (particularly on top), and there are just a handful of minor dings and finish scratches on the body. The gloss on the neck profile is smooth and clean, and a different tuner set was installed in the bass’ lifetime, with the tuner post holes doweled and touched-up, restoring the smaller post hole size of the stock Hofner tuners. Any additional tuner mounting holes have also been cleanly doweled and touched-up.
A vintage black tolex hardshell case with pink form-fit interior is included.
