Currently available from Bass Emporium:
Hofner 500/1 '63 Reissue 4-String Electric Bass Guitar w/ Aluminum Bullet Case - Coming!
Hofner 500/2 Reissue Club Bass w/ Aluminum Bullet Case - Coming!
Hofner 500/2 Reissue Club Bass, Custom Shop Flame Maple Back/Sides & Spruce Top w/ Natural Finish & Aluminum Bullet Case - IN STOCK!
Hofner 500/2 Reissue Club Bass, Custom Shop Vintage Sunburst & Cavern Spacing Pickups w/ Aluminum Bullet Case - IN STOCK
Hofner H500/1-59-0 Vintage Reissue '59 Violin Bass w/ Vintage Case - Only 100 made!! - IN STOCK!
Hofner H5000/-0 Deluxe Violin Bass, Birdseye Maple Back & Sides/Spruce Top w/ Bullet Case - IN STOCK!

Founded in Schonbach in 1887 by master luthier Karl Hofner, the company became the largest manufacturer of stringed and fretted instruments in Germany. Craft skills and business initiative laid the foundation for a reputation that, even before World War I, extended far beyond the borders of Germany.

His two sons, Josef and Walter, joined their father's company in 1919 and 1921 respectively. They successfully expanded Hofner's worldwide market, enabling them to survive the years of recovery, which marked the phase after World War II and the related resettlement from the "Sudetenland" to Bavaria. In 1950, new production facilities were built in Bubenreuth.

To date, more than two million stringed and fretted instruments - from student to master models - have been produced, 75% of which have been exported worldwide, emphasising the outstanding position enjoyed by Karl Hofner GmbH in the world market.

The product range of Hofner is extensive and not only confined to stringed instruments and classical guitars. In 1955, Walter Hofner, a creative businessman as well as a violin and guitar maker, invented an electrically amplified semi-acoustic bass. The distinctive 500/1 bass was launched at the 1956 Frankfurt Music Fair and subsequently rose to fame under a different name. In 1961, Paul McCartney bought his first Hofner bass in a shop in Hamburg and used it on many of the Beatles' most famous songs. Paul still plays his "Beatle Bass" live on stage today.

A new chapter in Hofner's history opened in 1994 when the company joined the internationally successful Boosey & Hawkes Group. Since then millions of Deutschmarks have been invested in new production technology. In 1997, the company moved from its premises in Bubenreuth to the neighbouring village of Hagenau.

Here is a list with links to more detailed information on products from this company. We may not keep everything from this list in stock, so let us know if you see something here that you would like to order.
Hofner 500/2 Club 4-String Electric Bass Guitar
Hofner 500/1 '62 Reissue 4-String Electric Bass Guitar
Hofner 500/1 '63 Reissue 4-String Electric Bass Guitar
Hofner 5000/1 Deluxe 4-String Electric Bass Guitar