I have a vintage (1983) Hofner 500/1 "Beatle" bass guitar for sale. This is a beautiful instrument in the RARE natural finish and it is in excellent condition, with no checking, no cracks, no deep scratches, and all original parts!
I traveled over 5 hours from my home in Virginia down to Sand Hills, NC, to look at and purchase this beauty. It was well worth it! The 500/1 Hofner bass was made famous by Paul McCartney of the Beatles when he chose it to play with the band.
The instrument is hand made in West Germany. BUT the unfinished body and neck, plus all the hardware were sold as a KIT! The owner was responsible for finishing and assembling the bass, made easier by having a bolt-on neck. I think the first owner hired a professional to do the finishing work, as it is flawless.
This was probably the only year in which Hofner sold this kit, making this a rare find indeed! I had to do some pretty intensive research to find a dealer who actually sold these kits. Many Hofner collectors have never even heard of this kit Hofner, and I have proven to them that it is all original Hofner and not a copy. In brief, I emailed Hofner USA about information on a Hofner 500/1 with a decal on the headstock and a metal neckplate on the back. The General Manager of Hofner responded that he never heard of such a Hofner. I next went to Elderly Instruments and did the same, with the same results. Next, I went and emailed Gruhn Guitars, and George Gruhn said to write Carl Grefenstette, owner of Pittsburgh Guitars, an expert on Hofners. Carl immediately recognized the photos of my Hofner I sent him and wrote me a letter of authentication (LOA) that goes with the bass. It wasn't easy proving that I have an original and very rare Hofner!!
Apparently my research came to the attention of some Hofner collectors in England who have an extensive website of Hofners and company history. They emailed me asking for permission to use the photos I put up of my Hofner, saying it was a very rare Hofner and photos of that model did not exist. I think they, like me, were glad to have proof that such a model actually DID exist! The photos are here on their website: www.vintagehofner.co.uk/gallery/bass/bas72.html
It is very light weight, is shaped like a large violin, and has its famous acoustical properties- a sound that can only be described as a blend of an upright acoustic bass and an electric bass guitar. This tone is perhaps best used in playing lighter rock, Christian, bluegrass, folk music, or for players with shorter fingers. I tend to play mostly a harder rock and blues music style, already own a 1966 Fender Jazz bass, and thus do not need this one. Plus, I need the money to buy professional recording equipment. Otherwise, I wouldn't sell any vintage instrument.
The one real advantage of owning a collectible vintage instrument is that it will certainly increase in value over time. A new instrument will lose value for many years before it (if ever) begins to slowly climb in its value. This Hofner is rare and valuable already. Add to that its beautiful natural finish and you have an even more valuable guitar! It is absolutely stock, original parts, and nice hardshell case in very good condition.
I did remove the slightly warped "mother of toilet seat" pickguard because I wanted to show off its gorgeous natural finish, but the pickguard is in the case waiting for its next owner to reinstall it. The strings are high enough above the body of the bass that I didn't have to worry about a player digging his pick into the wood.
The only real flaw in this instrument is a discoloration on both sides of the neck just below the headstock. This was the result of my using a cheap utility room "U" shaped hanger to hang the bass on the wall of my music room years ago. The hanger was coated in rubber and the rubber reacted with the finish on the neck. It's not easily noticed, being up very high near the headstock, but it does slightly hurt the value, I realize. I have never checked, but assume a decent luthier could easily refinish this small area for a low price if near perfection is desired.
I have lots of photos of this Hofner bass over at my Multiply site: http://www.bricescreek.multiply.com/ Please take a look and read the ton of comments I wrote about the Hofner. Then do your homework and research Hofner 500/1 "Beatle" kit basses with original parts and original case on different sites like eBay. Try and find one in this natural finish. They are very rare! I can attest that finding a KIT Hofner is almost impossible. Then, if you are serious about knowing more, please call Mike at 252-474-3990. Thanks for looking.
Asking price is $2000. I will consider most offers.
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