HÖFNER VIOLIN BASS RESTORATION
Guitarists and bassists may be breeds apart but there is some degree of crossover, and there are a handful of four-stringed instruments that most guitarists regard as cool. Topping that list are vintage Fender Precision and Jazz Basses, the Rickenbacker 4001 and this, the Höfner 500/1. It’s probably no coincidence that Paul McCartney famously played two of them.
Of course, he’s most closely associated with the Höfner – commonly known as the Violin Bass due to its body shape. Paul bought his first one, his all-time favourite, in the Steinway music shop in Hamburg in 1961. It’s the one he played during The Beatles’ residency at The Top Ten Club after he switched from guitar to bass, and at all those Cavern Club gigs.
Höfner gave him another bass in 1963 but Paul is on record as saying his first 500/1 remained his favourite and he was still using it during the filming of Let It Be. But the ‘Cavern Bass’ disappeared shortly afterwards and its whereabouts remain unknown. No wonder his ’63 Höfner is reportedly insured for £4m.
The Höfner 500/1 we’re featuring here isn’t one of Paul’s and its owner bought it many years ago while
