Hofner 500/5 Owned by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco Model Hollow Body Electric Bass Guitar (1960), made in Bubenreuth, Germany, serial # 231, sunburst lacquer finish, laminated maple body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, brown hard shell case.
There is the classic violin-shaped Hofner Beatle Bass that remains (along with the Fender Precision and Jazz) the most imitated electric bass of all time, and then there is this: The OTHER Beatle Bass. Not Sir Paul but a different Beatle made the 500/5 his signature instrument in the very early 1960s, but while his Liverpool mates went on to conquer the pop world Stuart Sutcliffe died tragically young not long after leaving the band. If not for an obsessive interest in everything Beatle, Sutcliffe's fairly brief musical dalliance would have likely faded into obscurity decades ago. BUT as we all know the Beatle myths are still as strong as ever; Sir Paul continues to use his Hofner live even now, 60+ years on, and obsessive interest in the group's historic instruments extends to this model as well.
This bass model is actually historic for another reason; in the late 1950s there were only a very few electric bass guitars available in England, and this was the best of them. The only really comparable choice was the Framus Star Bass, another German import. This Hofner was sold in the UK exclusively by Selmer, who simply called it the "Hofner electric Bass"; the violin shaped 500/1 was actually the older design, but Selmer saw no commercial potential in it for the UK market! Many early beat groups used this model until Fender and Gibson basses became available a couple of years later.
This "Hofner Electric Bass" dates to 1960 and has the Selmer UK import label in the body; the model is stamped as "Basse" and the serial number is #231. Stuart Sutcliffe's personal bass was #199, so this one is pretty close to the Beatle grail! The two pickups are Hofner's early single coil units with black plastic covers, both mounted down by the neck like Paul's first violin-shaped Hofner. The other fittings are typical Hofner: the adjustable rosewood bridge with individual fretwire saddles, elevated pickguard, small-barrel Van Gent tuners with pearloid buttons and the infamous "flick action control" panel with 3 switches and two knobs that has confused generations of players.
This instrument has an old clear overfinish over the body and a black overfinish or refinish on the neck, it is hard to tell. We would assume this is covering a heel repair, which is pretty much ubiquitous on these. It is otherwise original and plays very well, with a tight but booming sound that puts you right back at the Casbah Club in 1960. While prone to feedback at high volume this bass has an excellent sound at lower levels and is a superb recording instrument; Keith Richards often uses a 1961 model today to lay down bass tracks. This one was lately at the Wilco loft in Chicago and is now ready to go back out into the world.
Overall length is 46 in. (116.8 cm.), 17 3/8 in. (44.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 3/16 in. (5.6 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 30 in. (762 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This bass is very clean overall, but does appear to have had either a complete high-grade (likely factory) refinish or an overspray over the entire instrument. We can't say exactly when or by whom but the instrument had a detailed and super professional re-work at some point. The patina on the body actually looks exactly like a later-than-1960 Hofner lacquer finish, which would be confirmed by the "Hofner" sticker on the face if it is in fact a total refinish. There is some checking to the face but hardly any subsequent wear overall.
The neck is finished in black; this is something Hofner did randomly in the 1950s and beyond. We can't confirm if this neck was originally black or sunburst; it is very likely there was a heel repair/neck reset along the way (inevitable with these) but the joint is completely solid with an excellent angle. There is a strap button added at the heel, no other alterations are evident at all.
This is actually the best player of the (very few) early 500/5 models we have seen with a nice straight neck, unworn frets and a near-perfect neck angle. Whoever (presumably) restored this bass did an excellent job, and it is a superb instrument to play. It comes complete in an ENORMOUS and possibly custom made fitted HSC with the Wilco Loft markings in the standard spot along the lower end. Overall Restored to Excellent Condition.
