seed · 2025-01-01
Consensus: iconic look and lightweight thump; not for modern techniques — a character instrument.
bass · hollow
Violin Bass (500/1)
| Maker | Höfner |
|---|---|
| Origin | Germany |
| Type | bass · hollow |
| Introduced | 1956 |
| Price | USD 1899 (2026-09) |
| Maker founded | 1887 |
| Status | current |
A compact violin-shaped semi-hollow bass that weighs very little and answers with a soft, percussive thump instead of deep sustain.
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Why it matters
The 500/1 has been in continuous production since the mid-1950s and remains the instrument most associated with Paul McCartney, which keeps demand steady across several price tiers. Höfner builds the German versions itself and also offers Contemporary and Ignition variants made elsewhere at much lower cost, so the same silhouette covers a wide spread of budgets. Few bass designs have such a distinctive voice with so little in the way of substitutes.
Note
THE Beatle bass; light, thumpy, unmistakable.
Specifications
- Scale length: 762 mm (30 in)
- Neck shape: unknown
Before you buy
- decide which tier first — German-built, Contemporary or Ignition, because prices differ sharply
- the small body and shorter scale take some adjustment for players used to a full-size bass
- the hollow body feeds back sooner than a solid instrument at loud stage volume
Collected notes
Other opinions
One video is one opinion. These are the other videos for this entry, most-viewed first. The order is the view count, not a ranking of ours.
Bass Bonedo · 2023-11 · 22,695 views
“*Buy now: Here's a sound demo of the Höfner H500/1 Artist Violin Bass with many sounds and settings.”
No-talking sound demo of the Hofner H500/1 Artist violin bass.
Höfner Guitars · 2026-01 · 3,874 views
“High quality headphones or speakers recommended!”
Hofner's own clip of the H500/1-63-RLC-0 violin bass.