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Karl Höfner GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of musical instruments, with one division that manufactures guitars and basses, and another that manufactures other string instruments.

Much of Höfner's popularity is attributed to Paul McCartney's use of the Höfner 500/1 bass throughout his career. This violin-shaped model is commonly referred to as the "Beatle bass."

Contents [hide] 1 Company history 1.1 Changes of ownership 2 Selected models 3 Notable Höfner users 3.1 Paul McCartney 3.2 Other Violin Bass users 3.3 Other users 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit]Company history

The Höfner company was founded by luthier Karl Höfner in the city of Schönbach in 1887, at a time when the city, later to become Czech, was German. He soon became the largest manufacturer of string instruments in the country. His sons Josef and Walter joined the company around 1920, and began spreading the brand's reputation worldwide. The company suffered some upheavals during and after