The Höfner Shorty Bass BK is a travel bass that is based on Höfner's classic Shorty guitar design, which was launched back in the 1980s and has been available again since the early 2000s. What makes this instrument special is that it combines an extremely compact body with a genuine short scale length. The basswood body is finished in black, and the bolt-on neck, which is made from a single piece of maple for enhanced sustain, features a rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays on the front and upper edge as well as a plastic nut. The bass features the typical "Shorty" headstock design and a full-sounding covered Höfner humbucking pickup in the bridge position. The scope of delivery includes a basic gig bag, and a padded gig bag is also available as an option.
The Höfner Shorty Bass has the same 76cm (30") scale length as other, larger short-scale basses and features a full 24 frets, thus giving bassists plenty of space even for solo runs and melodies, so no compromises need to be made in terms of playability. The neck is relatively narrow with a nut width of just 43mm, so guitarists will also feel instantly comfortable on this bass. And as players have long come to expect from basses that can played with a pick, the Shorty Bass also has a screw-mounted scratchplate that covers and protects the circuitry.
As a space-saving travel instrument, the Höfner Shorty Bass is the ideal solution for musicians who love to travel but don't want to be without a "real" electric bass with a short scale length (or as Höfner confidently calls it, a "medium scale length"). For a relatively low budget, players get a fully-fledged instrument that might even be described as "pocket-sized", and correct intonation is ensured by a fixed bridge with four individual saddles. Allergy sufferers should note, however, that the machine heads on the Shorty Bass are made from nickel.
The Höfner company has a long tradition and was founded by Karl Höfner in Schönbach at the end of the 19th century. Initially, the product range consisted mainly of bowed string instruments, and the first guitars were added around 1930. After the Second World War, the company was relocated to Möhrendorf in Bavaria. In the 1950s, the company flourished thanks to new musical trends, and basses were now introduced in addition to guitars. Legendary models were created during this time, such as the President, the Committee, and the 500/1 short-scale bass, which made music history a short time later with the Beatles. The subsequent boom in Beat music quickly brought Höfner enormous demand and enduring world fame. Today, Höfner is one of the best-known and largest manufacturers of bowed string instruments and of archtop, semi-acoustic, and solid-body guitars, as well as a wide range of basses.
At less than a metre in length, the Höfner Shorty Bass is very easy to transport and thus the ideal travel companion for everyone who can't NOT play bass while on vacation. Höfner states that it will even fit into the overhead luggage compartments of most commercial airliners. The Shorty Bass's scale length also makes it ideal for practising scales and exercises while watching TV at home or while colleagues are out of the office. Combined with a small battery-powered amp - and of course with a buddy playing a Höfner Shorty guitar - it can also provide the perfect musical accompaniment for garden parties, barbecues, and even around the campfire - time to ditch those hiking songs in favour of some good old Rock classics.