Höfner Violin “Beatle” Bass Book – 2011 Edition

This year marks the 55th anniversary of Walter Höfner’s 500/1 Höfner Violin Bass, made famous by Paul McCartney and dubbed by many as the “Beatle bass”.

Author Joe Dunn has updated his guide to the bass, with the 2011 edition of Höfner Violin “Beatle” Bass, the only one dedicated to the instrument. The updated edition is an all-color, hardcover book with new photos of McCartney and a letter from Höfner’s daughter.

Dunn offers a rich history of the bass, focusing heavily on McCartney’s own history with the instrument. The author details McCartney’s use a 1961 model of the bass through late 1963, when he obtained his second 500/1, which he used near exclusively during the Beatle’s tours. By 1966, McCartney had switched to a Rickenbacker in studio, but used the Höfner for the Revolution promo film in 1968 and again for the Let it Be documentary a year later. During the filming, McCartney’s ’61 bass was stolen, causing him to switch to the ’63 model for the remainder of the film. McCartney continued to play the ’63 throughout his solo career, and plays it to this day.