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THE HÖFNER 500/1 The Höfner 500/1 electric bass guitar is instantly recognizable to all students of popular music and rock and roll. Sometimes called a violin bass because of its hollow-body construction and shape, it more often carries the moniker of a Beatle Bass. Designed by Walter Höfner this German-made bass made its debut at the Frankfurt Music Fair in 1956. In 1961 its unique shape caught the sharp eye of a young Paul McCartney. Being a lefthanded player McCartney immediately realized that the symmetrical viol shaped body would not appear upside down when played left handed as a standard cutaway guitar body would. With the global fame of The Beatles, the Höfner 500/1 and subsequent model variations would become forever linked to those avatars of the British Invasion.

HÖFNER, BUBENREUTH, 1963-65

A HOLLOW-BODY ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR, 500/1

Details

HÖFNER, BUBENREUTH, 1963-65
A HOLLOW-BODY ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR, 500/1
The applied logo at the headstock Hofner, stamped to the reverse 393, with later hardshell case bearing a label inscribed HOFNER VIOLIN BASS #393 and SERIAL NO. DG1078; accompanied by a business card from The Bass Place
Length of back 17.15/16 in. (45.6 cm.)

Literature

Taylor, P. Pink Floyd: The Black Strat - A History of David Gilmour's Black Fender Stratocaster, London, 2017, illus. p. 178.

Special notice

Please note lots marked with a square will be moved to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services (CFASS in Red Hook, Brooklyn) on the last day of the sale. Lots are not available for collection at Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services until after the third business day following the sale. All lots will be stored free of charge for 30 days from the auction date at Christie’s Rockefeller Center or Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services (CFASS in Red Hook, Brooklyn). Operation hours for collection from either location are from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm, Monday-Friday. After 30 days from the auction date property may be moved at Christie’s discretion. Please contact Post-Sale Services to confirm the location of your property prior to collection. Lots may not be collected during the day of their move to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services (CFASS in Red Hook, Brooklyn). Please consult the Lot Collection Notice for collection information. Lots made of or including (regardless of the percentage) endangered and other protected species of wildlife are marked with the symbol ~ in the catalogue. This material includes, among other things, ivory, tortoiseshell, crocodile skin, rhinoceros horn, whalebone certain species of coral, and Brazilian rosewood. You should check the relevant customs laws and regulations before bidding on any lot containing wildlife material if you plan to import the lot into another country. Several countries refuse to allow you to import property containing these materials, and some other countries require a licence from the relevant regulatory agencies in the countries of exportation as well as importation. In some cases, the lot can only be shipped with an independent scientific confirmation of species and/or age, and you will need to obtain these at your own cost.

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Lot Essay

David Gilmour acquired this Höfner bass from The Bass Place, Birmingham, England, in January 1990 and kept it for studio use. Bassist Guy Pratt can be seen using the guitar in footage released from the Barn Jams recording sessions at Gilmour’s West Sussex home in January 2007. Having enjoyed working with friends and fellow musicians Richard Wright, Guy Pratt and Steve DiStanislao so much during his 2006 On An Island Tour, Gilmour invited the group for a week of jamming together in one of the barns at his countryside home. Beautifully lit with strings of fairy lights and filled with plenty of heaters to combat the freezing weather, the barn was set up with recording and filming equipment to capture the sessions live. A few of the jams were included on the live concert DVD Live in Gdańsk, released in September 2008.

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