This might be a quick history for this famous bass therefore we can’t explain every modification and modification which was meant to it on the several years it was in manufacturing. Neither is it feasible to go over every one of the people and businesses that have added to its passage through history.

The bass ended up being created by Walter HГ¶fner in 1955 and first proven to the general public during the Frankfurt Musikmesse within the spring of 1956. It would appear that Walter’s intention would be to make a bass electric guitar that might be appealing to players for the bass that is uprightdual bass) who no more desired to carry such a large hefty tool around to relax and play in beat and jazz teams. He additionally designed the bass so your construction technique will be familiar towards the employees at HГ¶fner who had previously been violins that are making years. Therefore we got a bass which includes the design and shape maybe perhaps maybe not unlike a traditional stringed tool and built in very similar means, hollow bodied, arched topped and a collection in throat. Walter utilized elements from the HГ¶fner guitar that is electric and adpated these when it comes to bass, so that it got the familiar ebony bridge, the cable tailpiece, the oval control board, the black colored club pickups. He’d utilized a few of these on their Club guitars the before year.

The model Violin Bass in 1955. It differs somewhat from production models since it possesses black colored scrachplate and control interface plus the logo design from the body is in the top bass bout, perhaps perhaps not underneath the tailpiece. The headstock form additionally is apparently slightly dissimilar to the last manufacturing design.

The Violin Bass gets its debut that is public at Musikmesse in 1956. Its from the end for the front side row having a HГ¶fner 126 (Club) electric electric guitar to its right. In the dining dining table is Wanda HГ¶fner (Walter HГ¶fner’s spouse) with, presumably, a client.

Today we do not understand if anybody paid any attention to this new small bass. Maybe they did as a power bass electric guitar had been, in 1956, a serious brand new thing!

From the delivery in 1956 the 500/1 Violin Bass has withstood changes that are many. These have the majority of concerned equipment modifications, your body staying practically the exact same, as the throat has became slimmer. The next is a quick summary of this modifications made.

1956The batch that is first of had the pickups «wide spaced», this is certainly one because of the throat and another because of the connection.

1957Either in belated 1956 or early 1957 the connection pickup had been relocated up towards the throat. We do not understand why it was done, presumably to boost the tone.

1959The oval control interface changes towards the type that is rectangular. This modification had been made on all Höfner guitars and basses from 1958 onwards.

1960The bar that is»black pickups change to «Toaster» kinds. Truss rods now utilized in the throat.

1961The «Toaster» pickup is changed because of the «Cavern» kind pickup. The control interface utilizes cream pearloid while the pickguard modifications from tortoiseshell to cream pearloid. Laminate tops in place of solid tops begin to be used.This could be the famous «Cavern» bass – Paul McCartneys very first HГ¶fner in 1961.

1962The «Cavern» pickup changes towards the «Diamond Logo» kind. The pickup that is treble down beside the bridge. The headstock logo design modifications and today uses the HГ¶fner script logo as being a decal

1963The «Diamond Logo» pickups are changed because of the «Staple» kind. Two piece necks begin to be utilized, not on all basses. Single tuners begin to relace the 2-on-a-strip kind.Paul McCartney got their 2nd bass in 1963. He nevertheless utilizes it at evey concert.

1964The throat gets binding that is white. The decal logo design is changed by a 3D white and gold synthetic logo design

1965-66The control board gets bigger. The pickup mounts switch to a sort making height modification easier but what this means is the most truly effective has got to be routed to accomodate the pickups. a smaller tailpiece happens to be utilized, this being typical to your Club bass additionally.

1967-72The pickups modification to the «Blade» kind. New enclosed type tuners are employed. By 1968 the raised logo design will alter returning to a decal in gold. Steel tuner buttons are getting to be utilized.

1970s midThe switches regarding the control board modification to thinner black colored kind. The höfner is had by some basses logo design in the pickguard. Head logo modifications to script decal that is silver.

1970s lateKnobs on control interface modification to black colored kind. Höfner logo design stamped regarding the pickups vanishes.

1980s»Blade» pickups changed towards the 1965/66 kind on some basses. Control interface continues to be the same.(The electric electric guitar into the image is lacking its pickguard.)

1990″Blade» pickups once more used. Pickguard is screwed to human International dating service anatomy top in the place of making use of repairing mails.Pearloid is provided from Japan as German supply is not any longer available.

Throughout the belated 1980s and early 1990s pressure ended up being placed on HГ¶fner, from Japan therefore the United States Of America, to make a «content» associated with the 1963 bass as utilized by Paul McCartney. It was perhaps maybe not, nonetheless, this type of task that is simple. All of the initial companies of components within the 1960s that are early disappeared so lots of elements had been unavailable. Perhaps the pearloid employed for the control panel and pickguard could never be acquired. HГ¶fner did their utmost to fulfill these demand and lots of variations had been produced for the Japanese market. None nevertheless, ended up being just like a 1963 bass.

Around 1990 a guitar that is british became included because they wished to produce a reproduction for the 1961 «Cavern» bass. They worked along with HГ¶fner plus in 1992 the re-issue that is first had been launched. This is the H500/1-61 model, also referred to as the V61 Cavern Bass.

Therefore began the re-issues. Whilst the V61 «Cavern» had been developed with Music Ground HГ¶fner had been focusing on making a bass that could be much like Paul McCartney’s bass. The results had been the re-issue that is v63 launched within the early 1990s. This is a exemplary bass, nevertheless the specification had not been just like McCartneys. Further work will be required before this is accomplished, using the V62 ultimately launching.