Höfner H500/1-HGL Green Line

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.

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.