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DIY Electric Bass Kit — Hofner 500/1 Violon style with flame maple top
Hofner 500/1 Bass Kit by The Guitar Fabrik, combining vintage charm with modern sophistication. Includes a flame maple-inspired top, maple neck with rosewood fretboard, and chrome solderless hardware with a white pearl pickguard.
Body top: Flame maple-inspired top | Neck: Maple | Fretboard: Rosewood | Hardware: Chrome, solderless | Pickguard: White pearl
- Inspired by the classic Hofner 500/1 Violon Bass shape
- Maple neck paired with a rosewood fretboard
- Chrome solderless hardware simplifies wiring
- Includes a white pearl pickguard
This Hofner violin bass kit blends vintage Beatle-era aesthetics with modern functionality, featuring a flame maple top and solderless chrome hardware for easier assembly. A faithful 500/1 violin bass DIY kit for builders chasing that iconic semi-hollow tone, in stock and dispatched from our UK warehouse.
Bass Build Levels and Challenges
This flame maple violin bass kit is best suited for advanced builders. Its semi-hollow body with a flame maple veneer does not require filler, but sanding requires extra care—especially for natural finishes—to avoid damaging the veneer. Flat surfaces make painting relatively easy.
Assembly is more complex: the set-in maple neck must be glued precisely, with scale length, alignment, and string action checked beforehand, as corrections are impossible once glued. Wiring is simplified by the solderless system, but working within the semi-hollow body adds difficulty. If you'd like to compare other models before committing, browse our full range of diy bass guitar kit options, all with fast UK delivery.
The floating bridge must be positioned based on measured scale length and is ideally glued only after the neck is set and setup is verified. Fine-tuning playability is more demanding than with standard bridges, as it lacks adjustable saddles—intonation and string height are set by positioning the bridge. The nut is easy to remove for adjustments.
Key Features
- Body crafted from hollow maple wood with a flame spruce veneer.
- Canadian maple neck with a rosewood fretboard and white dot inlays.
- Chrome set hardware including floating bridge and mini humbuckers.
Specifications
| General | |
| Scale Length | 764mm (30.08") |
| Hand Orientation | Right Handed |
| Neck / Body Fit | Set-in Joint |
| Number of Strings | 4 |
| Bass Body | |
| Wood Type | Hollow Maple Wood with Flame Spruce Veneer |
| # of Wood Block | Made of 2 to 3 blocks of wood |
| Neck Pocket Dimension (LxWxH) | Undefined |
| Body Height (H) | Undefined |
| Cavity/Routing | Pick-up, Bridge, Neck, Wiring routing, cover plates and switch |
| Pilot Predrill | No pre-drilled pilot holes except for the neck pocket |
| Paint | No lacquer, No sealer, No finish |
| Bass Neck | |
| Tuner Pre-Drilled Holes | 10 mm |
| Wood Type | Canadian Maple |
| Fretboard | Rosewood |
| Inlay | White dot inlay |
| Nut | White Bone Nut (42mm) |
| Fret Number | 22 frets |
| Fret Size | Jumbo Fret |
| Fret Material | CuproNickel |
| Neck Radius | 305mm (12") |
| Neck Profile | Modern C |
| Truss Rod | Double action, on the head side |
| Paint | No lacquer, No sealer, No finish |
| Bass Hardware | |
| Colour | Chrome set |
| Bridge | Chrome Trapeze Floating Bridge with Tailpiece |
| Pick-up | 2 Mini Humbucker, Chrome (H-H Configuration) |
| Switch | 3 cursor controller |
| Machine Head | 2R2L, Chrome |
| Knobs | 2 volumes & bass, rhythm, treble |
| Strap Button | Chrome |
| Covers | Control Plate White Perloid |
| Wiring | Solderless Wiring |
