1965 Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass Vintage Electric Bass, (Used)

The 1965 Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass is a vintage electric bass that has become one of the most iconic instruments in music history, largely due to its association with Paul McCartney and The Beatles. The Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass, was manufactured in Germany and features a distinctive violin‑shaped hollow‑body design that makes it extremely lightweight and comfortable to play. 

Its body is constructed from spruce top and maple back and sides, giving it a warm, resonant acoustic‑like tone even when unplugged. The maple neck is paired with a rosewood fingerboard, and the short 30″ scale length gives the bass a familiar feel and manageable string tension, ideal for melodic playing and rhythmic grooves alike. Vintage 1965 examples typically include two “staple” style pickups and an adjustable ebony bridge with a trapeze tailpiece. 

Controls on this vintage model include separate volume knobs for each pickup along with the original rhythm/solo switch, plus individual bass and treble switches that offer a surprisingly broad range of tonal shaping for a bass of its era. Its combination of light weight, distinctive tone, and historical significance — especially its Beatles heritage — has made the 1965 Höfner Violin Bass a highly sought‑after instrument for collectors and players alike.