Höfner H500/1 Artist Violin Bass BK

I bought this a while ago but the first one I received had some manufacturing issues. Thomann was very helpful and replaced it with a new one which is perfect!
I have an early inexpensive 'Ignition' version of this bass, made in Indonesia. I upgraded the control panel and added flatwound strings on the cheap one which improved it a great deal. It's been amazing but it has started to get rather worn out.
I decided to save up and buy the German made version (It took a while!). The sound of the German bass is very different to the Ingnition. Much fuller and smoother but it's not a 'night and day' difference. The Ignition is a still great bass with the upgrade.
The setup is good out of the box but it needed a little intonation adjustment.
The finish on this instrument is flawless. I opted for the black paint.
I love how light-weight this bass is and the short scale is great for me. I can get a wide range of tones from this but it does the vintage/ Beat/ Motown 'thump' better than any other bass I've played.
It is a vintage design and therefore there are some limitations with it. It appears pretty fragile.
If you are looking for a replacement for a P bass etc. it's probably not for you.
A fantastic dream-come-true bass for the Beatles fans.