Höfner H500/1-HGL Green Line B-Stock

B-Stock with Full Warranty
Return, slightly used

Electric Bass

Beatles bass
Top: Spruce
Back and sides: Flamed maple
Binding: Walnut
Neck: Maple / birch / maple
Fretboard: Walnut
22 Frets
Scale: 760 mm
Nut width: 42 mm
Headstock: Walnut
Pickups: 2 x H511B humbuckers
Bridge, pickguard and potentiometer buttons made of walnut
Finish: Waxed
Colour: Natural
Case included
Handmade in Germany

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

3-Year Thomann Warranty

Available since February 2018
Item number 635753
Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
Colour Natural
Top Spruce
Back and Sides Maple
Neck Maple, Birch
Fretboard Walnut
Frets 22
Scale Shortscale
Pickup System HH
Including Case Yes
Incl. Gigbag No
Body Maple
Fingerboard Walnut
Pickups HH
Neck Width 42,0 mm
Electronics Passive
Mechanics Standard

Also available as brand new product 11.595 AED

9.995 AED 2.310,08 €

The price in AED is a guideline price only

Since we ship from Germany, additional costs through taxes and customs may be incurred

Sales Rank

in 4-String Semi-Acoustic Basses

For yesterday and tomorrow

Höfner H500/1-HGL Green Line, violin bass, front view

All over the world, Höfner is a synonym for instruments handmade in Germany, with some of their guitars and basses having a major influence on music history. One very recognisable piece in Höfner's line-up is the 500/1, also known as the Violin Bass or Beatles Bass, because of its most illustrious owner, Sir Paul McCartney. The Höfner 500/1 Green Line delivers exactly the warm, thumpy bass sound so redolent of the 60s and 70s – but it's not just for bassists who long for yesterday. In building the Greenline, Höfner have used wood wherever possible, making this instrument both a historic classic and a way of preserving what matters for tomorrow.

Höfner H500/1-HGL Green Line, violin bass, body

It's a clean machine

Soon after its debut in 1956, the Höfner 500/1 earned the nickname Violin Bass – no surprise, considering it was inspired by the string instruments Höfner started out making. The compact body is made from flamed maple and topped with German spruce, and is hollow like an acoustic instrument – adding a round warmth to the tone. The scale length is 76cm, so the maple neck, with its walnut fingerboard, is shorter too. The lightweight, resonant tailpiece also takes its cues from traditional string instruments. Two Höfner humbuckers – alongside the passive electronics with twin volume controls and three switches – deliver a very varied palette of vintage and retro tones. The dials, as well as the nut, saddle, and pickguard, are also made from walnut, instead of a synthetic composite. All the Green Line's wooden surfaces and components are finished with environmentally friendly wax or oil.

Höfner H500/1-HGL Green Line, violin bass, rear view

Now and Then

Despite its historical significance, this isn't just a bass for fans of the Fab Four – the Höfner Green Line is a high-quality, hand-made instrument, and its light weight and compact shape make it a blessing for any bassists who like it a little lighter. The short scale also makes switching from guitar to bass a breeze, so six-stringers will feel at home in no time; that's a big plus for anyone who only plays the thicker strings now and then. Speaking of 'Now and Then': Anyone looking for piece of Beatles history that they can actually play has found exactly that here. But this is also a piece of history with an eye on the future, designed for anyone who wants their instrument to have as positive an impact on the environment as possible.

Höfner H500/1-HGL Green Line, violin bass, headstock

About Höfner

The Höfner company has a long tradition and was founded by Karl Höfner in Schönbach at the end of the 19th century. Initially, the product range consisted mainly of bowed string instruments, and the first guitars were added around 1930. After the Second World War, the company was relocated to Möhrendorf in Bavaria. In the 1950s, the company flourished thanks to new musical trends, and basses were now introduced in addition to guitars. Legendary models were created during this time, such as the President, the Committee, and the 500/1 short-scale bass, which made music history a short time later with the Beatles. The subsequent boom in Beat music quickly brought Höfner enormous demand and enduring world fame. Today, Höfner is one of the best-known and largest manufacturers of bowed string instruments and of archtop, semi-acoustic, and solid-body guitars, as well as a wide range of basses.

Every day, in every way...

In a way, music is all about authenticity, and this is particularly true of the sound and look of an instrument. The shorter scale length of the Höfner 500/1, combined with its regular string gauge, means that the sound retains all of the low end but loses a little of its definition and sustain.. Happily, this makes it perfectly suited to the Pop and Rock music of the '60s, as well as '60s Soul and Blues; in fact, anything that might be called vintage, any styles in which a transparent, well-defined sound would actually be too ostentatious and wouldn't fit with the mix. Thanks to its factory-fitted flatwound strings, the sound of the Höfner 500/1 Green Line bass comes extremely close to its illustrious predecessors from the early days of modern music, while keeping one eye on the future. To preserve its natural look for as long as possible, it comes with a bespoke Höfner hardcase.

Served with love!