Hofner 1984 500/1 20th Anniversary Violin Bass 1964-1984 20th Anniversary w/case, Excellent

No sales tax for US customers outside California.

This Hofner 1984 500/1 20th Anniversary Violin Bass in sunburst is in excellent condition.  The bass is on the Hofner Owner Registry, which is a key authentication of the instrument.

It has a spruce top with maple back and sides, a maple neck with a rounded C profile, and a rosewood fretboard with 22 frets. The finish, pickups, tuners, bridge and electronics are all original, and the body, neck and frets rate excellent.

The 30" scale neck is 1-9/16" wide at the nut, with a vintage-style near-flat radius. The control cavity cover looks like it has been moved very slightly, perhaps due to a stripped mounting screw hole. The only other small detail to note: one tuner screw broke off in the head on the A string but is still solid. Please see the pics. It comes with its Hofner-issued case in very good condition.

Walter Hofner designed the 500/1 Violin Bass in 1955, and it was first shown to the public at the Frankfurt Music Fair in 1956. It's a hollow-body bass with a short 30" scale, and it was meant to appeal to upright bass players making the switch to electric. Paul McCartney bought one in Hamburg in 1961 because he couldn't afford a Fender, and that's how it picked up the nickname "Beatle Bass." The Beatles arrived in the US in 1964, and twenty years later Hofner marked the anniversary with the 1964-1984 20th Anniversary 500/1. Hofner has kept the 500/1 in production since 1955, which is a pretty amazing run for a bass that started as a German alternative to the upright!

SPECIFICATIONS

• Color: sunburst
• Body Material: spruce top, maple back and sides
• Body Condition: excellent
• Body Original?: yes
• Body Repairs: none
• Body Binding: yes
• Body Binding Condition: very good
• Body Finish Original?: yes
• Body Finish Condition: excellent
• Body Length: 18-1/8"
• Lower Bout: 11-3/16"
• Waist: 6-11/16"
• Upper Bout: 9"
• Body Depth/Thickness: 2-5/16"
• Overall Length: 42-11/16"
• Pickguard Color: Mother of Pearl
• Pickguard Original?: yes
• Pickguard Condition: excellent
• Pickguard Screws Original?: yes
• Strap Buttons: yes
• Scale Length: 30"
• Has Truss Rod: yes
• Truss Rod Condition: excellent
• Neck Material: Maple
• Neck Profile: rounded C
• Neck Thickness At 1st Fret: .795"
• Neck Thickness At 12th Fret: .939"
• Action 1st String At 12th Fret: 3/32"
• Action 6th String At 12th Fret: 3/32"
• Neck Condition: excellent
• Neck Repairs: none
• Neck Finish Original?: yes
• Fretboard Material: rosewood
• Fretboard Condition: excellent
• Fretboard Repairs: none
• Fretboard Radius: vintage style near flat 20+"
• Fret Condition: excellent
• Fret Repairs: none
• Fret Count: 22
• Nut Material: bone
• Nut Repairs: none
• Nut Width: 1-9/16"
• Bridge Brand: Hofner 2 piece floating ebony
• Bridge Original?: yes
• String Spacing At Bridge: 1-3/4"
• Bridge Condition: excellent
• Tuner Model: Closed-back / nickel
• Tuners Original?: yes
• Changes To Headstock For Tuners?: none
• Tuner Condition: excellent
• Tuner Screws Original?: yes, one broken off head A string. still solid
• Truss Rod Cover: yes
• Pickup Brand: Höfner blade style
• Pickup Count: 2
• Pickup Original?: yes
• Pickup Condition: excellent
  
• Pickup Cover Color: nickel
• Knob Color: white / gold
• Knob Count: 2
• Knobs Original?: yes
• Knob Condition: excellent
• Control Cavity Cover Material: Mother of Pearl
• Control Cavity Cover Original?: yes
• Control Cavity Condition: good. looks like it has been moved and redrilled - see pics
• Potentiometer Count: 2
• Potentiometers Original?: yes
• Potentiometer Condition: excellent
• Solders Original?: yes
• Wiring Original?: yes
• Switch Condition: excellent
• Switch Original?: yes
• Output Jack Original?: yes
• Case Brand: Hofner issued
• Case Original?: yes
• Case Condition: very good
• Case Smells?: none
• Documentation: none
• Smells?: none
• Accessories Included: none

We buy, sell, and take trades.

Be sure to check out the other cool guitar related stuff on our site!
Fender Electric Guitars — Gibson Electric Guitars — Vintage & Used Amplifiers — Vintage & Used Effects Pedals

Shipping Policy
By completing your purchase you are agreeing to our shipping policy.