Hofner 500/1B "Beatle" Bass guitar
This is my very special guitar, a rare 1967 Hofner 500/1B Bass (better known as Beatle Bass) and it seems to be one of only 3 remaining of the very limited number produced. Paul McCartney used the well known 500/1 but this rare one has a built in bass booster (hence the B) and another rare edition, is the one with built in mixer (500/M). I bought it in 1968 when I was just starting out as a bass player and later stored it for years before discovering it's vintage value. The other two are owned by a collector the USA. Replicas of the 500/1 are numerous, being produced from Japan to Korea and China but there is no known replica of this one. Little knowledge is available since the original company didn't keep much records until they became a novelty due to the use by Paul McCartney.
HISTORY:Master violin maker Karl Hofner founded Hofner in Schonbach, Germany in 1887. Hofner quickly gained a reputation for quality, craftsmanship and innovation. Hofner's Son Joseph joined his father in 1919 and brother Walter in 1921. In 1956, Walter Höfner had an idea for a violin shaped semi-acoustic bass. Launched at that year's Frankfurt Music Show, his idea revolutionized popular music and with continuous production from 1956 this bass is one of the few guitars available today that can trace it's origins back to the very beginning of Rock 'n' Roll.
Hofner was relatively unknown outside Germany until the late 1950's when a UK Distributor, Selmer began promoting Hofner. Hofner's awareness grew exponentially after Paul McCartney and the Beatles became 60's music icons. McCartney bought his first Hofner bass in a music shop in Hamburg Germany. The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964 and millions saw Paul McCartney's Hofner 500/1 bass. Fans nicknamed the 500/1 violin bass the "Beatle Bass and it was used on many Beatles songs and became a 60's pop culture icon. This intrument in all it's forms, from the early bass with black bar pick-ups to the mid sixties 'Beatle Bass' and the later DeLuxe model with it's exotic bird's eye maple finish and gold plated hardware was revered by many players as a legend because of its historical significance and its warm, woody, double-bass-like amplified tone. The Höfner Violin Bass was a unique instrument with a smooth, sweet sound and a playing ease that simply eludes most ordinary basses.New Year 2009/2010-Sydney Harbour cruise
New Year's eve 2009/2010 on a cruiser in Sydney's Darling Habour, the Opera House on one side and Harbour Bridge on the other with my daughter Naomi, boyfriend Justin and his mom Jenny. The fireworks display was out of this world, the food to die for and all drinks on the house! My first non-working New Year in ages was well worth it.
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Loved this car! Castle Properties were next door to Portofino on the strip and this car belonging to Peter the owner was often parked in front. Took it once for a ride. Great performance!
