Hofner 500/5 "Reeperbahn" Bass 1959 Reissue Stuart Sutcliffe Beatle Model Super Rare

Hello here is a Hofner 500/5 1959 Reissue Reeperbahn Bass. These basses were a very short run with only a handful made and has been since discontinued. This bass is in pristine condition and has had pearloid fret markers installed being that Hofner doesn’t use fret markers. Also added was a genuine vintage Hofner 500/5 1959 tailpiece. I do not have the factory repro tailpiece anymore unfortunately. Also included is a Hofner Strap and straplocks. The original strap buttons and original strings are included. The bass has Labella flatwounds on it now.

This Bass will be shipped fully insured.

Please ask any and all questions before buying.

Here’s the Hofner specs from their site.

Handmade in Germany.

The Höfner 500/5 bass was first produced in 1957 and continued until the early 1970s.

It is a large hollow bodied bass with no centre block, designed around the big archtop guitars that were extremely popular in the 1950s. The body is 17 inches wide across the lower bout though only 2.5 inches deep, like the “thinline” models of that period. Despite it’s slimmer depth it is nonetheless a big guitar and can seem daunting to modern players used to solid body basses. It is fitted with a short scale (30 “) neck, standard to all Höfner basses, which aids playability on such a big guitar.

The H500/5-REP-0 model is inspired by the 500/5 bass as it was made in 1959, with twin black-bar close spaced pickups, tortoiseshell control panel and pickguard and with the slim headstock. The finish is Höfner “Brunette”, a delicate sunburst which looks stunning on this big bass. It comes in a Höfner case together with a vintage style leather strap, Höfner polishing cloth, certificate and a short history of the model.

The 500/5 bass proved popular with many groups in the 50s and 60s. Although used by many players none is quite so famous as Stuart Sutcliffe who, urged on by John Lennon, purchased a new 500/5 early in 1960 (a 1959 model) and began his all too short career as the bassist with The Beatles. He would leave The Beatles in 1961 to follow love and art, selling his bass to Klaus Voormann.

The 500/5 bass is often mistakenly called the President bass to which it is closely related. The President model was not developed until 1963 and then only for the British market.

SPECIFICATION SHEET  Instrument:H500/5 Reeperbahn Bass Model:H500/5 CategoryTermDescriptionBodyShape17" JazzWood TopArched spruceSoundhole Traditional F-Hole (2)Wood BackArched - flame mapleWood SidesFlame MaplePurfling TopBlack / White / BlackPurfling BackBlack / White / BlackBinding SidesWhiteCenterblockNoneFinishBrunetteNeckWoodFlame mapleConstruction3 pieceHeadstock Shape500/5 1959 shapeLogo and ArtworkScript LilyNeck JointBass Set NeckJoint At16th FretThickness Neck + FB At 1st Fret21mmThickness Neck + FB At 12th Fret26mmHeel CapWhiteFinishBrunetteFingerboardWoodMapleScale30"/76cmNut Width42mmWidth At 12th Fret48mmInlaysPearl DotsBindingNoneSide DotsYesNumber Of Frets21BridgeMaterialEbonyTypeHofner FrettedHardwareTunersSingle Nickel Hofner H61/73BTuner ButtonsPlastic - pearlTailpieceHofner Trapeze Nickel - LongNut MaterialPlasticPickguardTortoiseshellPickup NeckHofner Black Bar H517Pickup BridgeHofner Black Bar H517Potentiometer KnobsHofner Teacup gold cap H909/15ElectricsHofner control panel tortoiseshellStringsFlat Wound medium scale (Pyramid)Approximate Weight KG SetupAction Bass String at 12th Fret3mmAction Treble String at 12th Fret2mm