Hofner Club 40 from 1956

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Here we have another great example of why it's so easy to love Hofner guitars. What a beautiful and simply elegant guitar. This Hofner Archtop benefits in style by not having F-holes, and I say looks pretty lively for something that is old enough to retire.

At $3599 Canadian she'll need to find that special someone to spend her golden years with.
I wish it were I

R.W. Haller




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Hobner Export Quality Archtop guitar. Cool Hofner copy used as bait

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Not only is this a nice copy of a Hofner, but the ad makes me want to visit the shop where it's being sold.

You could go and play this guitar at their unplugged Fridays. They also have Art classes, Tattoo design classes, and you can learn to play chess

Perhaps the best part of this place is that it is the "Home of the not-so-famous $5-all-you-can-shove-into-a-bag"

I've never played a Hobner so I can't speak to it's sound or quality. The first guitar I ever played in my life was my Dad's Martin copy made by Marlin, another switch a letter to avoid a lawsuit brand. It was an utterly horrible guitar, yet still there is a place in my heart for these obvious knock offs.

R.W. Haller


© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Hofner 172 R Bass project with vinyl covered body

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Alas, this instrument is not in the best of condition, but that doesn't stop it from being interesting. It's a 1960s Höfner 172 R Bass which - as was fashionable at the time - has a vinyl-covered body. Regular readers might notice the similarity with instruments from the American Kapa company, which often used necks, pickups and other hardware imported from Höfner. Here, of course, we are seeing the German-made original!

Although the condition isn't great and it is being sold as a project, even Höfner parts are quite sought after these days by collectors. This bass is currently listed on eBay and has a Buy It Now price of $329.

G L Wilson

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Another of Höfner's less celebrated guitars, the S3N

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Following on from this post, here's another of Höfner's less celebrated guitars. The seller says this Höfner S3N dates to the 1970s or 1980s - my guess would be the 1980s simply because of the presence of Shadow pickups on this particular example. The seller also likens it to a Les Paul, which is a pretty lazy analogy because the only thing Les Paul like about it really is the single cut body design (and I'm guessing scale length too). The slab body, bolt-on neck, pickup types and control layout are all decidedly un-Les Paul like. Other than this, I am afraid I don't have much to tell you about this guitar. It certainly looks nice enough, and knowing Höfner I'd imagine it plays well; I could see using this as a general workhorse of an instrument - it's nothing too flashy or over-the-top but it looks like the kind of instrument that would get the job done without any fuss.

But maybe you know differently?

Currently listed on eBay UK with a Buy It Now price of £425.

G L Wilson

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Höfner Alpha - one of their less celebrated guitars

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The name Höfner conjures up images in the mind's eye of such classic German-made guitars as the Höfner "Beatle" violin bass, the Höfner Verithin, and the Höfner President, amongst others. I doubt that the first model ever to spring to mind would be the Höfner Alpha. Take one look at this guitar and you know instantly that it's from the 1980s. However it's a lot more attractive than many of its contemporaries in the era of haair metal. The design could be said to be an unholy alliance between the Gibson Explorer and the Fender Telecaster, with perhaps a few Stratocaster appointments thrown in for good measure! I confess that I quite like it - in fact, I suspect that the shape may well be quite ergonomic.

I'm guessing this is a very rare and/or much sought after model because the seller (located in Siberia) is asking a whopping $1,799.99 for the Buy It Now price.

G L Wilson

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Kapa Challenger - cool 1960s vintage guitar from one of America's lesser known manufacturers

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As a resident of the United Kingdom I have never actually laid eye on a Kapa guitar "in the flesh" as it were, but through featuring them on this blog I have developed quite a soft spot for this little-known brand. Actually, even though the legend on the headstocks of these guitars declares "Made in USA" that statement wasn't completely true as the necks were known to be made in Germany by Höfner. Hardware was also courtesy of Höfner or else was sourced from Japan on some of the later models. However, bodies were made - and finishing and assembly took place - in Hyattsville, Maryland. This particular guitar was apparently the top of the line model, the Kapa Challenger, and whilst I guess it was Kapa's answer to the much emulated and ever popular Stratocaster, I can't help but see a combination of Höfner and Mosrite in the design. It just looks like a very cool guitar and looks like it would be ideal for surf music what with that Jazzmaster-style vibrato.

Check out that lovely piece of flamed timber used for the neck!

This guitar is currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $799.99.

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

Left-handed Höfner 4578 (Ambassador)

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Again, there've been so many Höfner models with so many variations over time that they are difficult to identify with certainty, but I have enough elements to say it's a mid-1960s 4578 - the continental equivalent to the Ambassador model sold by Selmer in the UK. 

It's a beautiful classic guitar, and like usually my heart melts for an archtop with double florentine cutaways - but I'm right-handed so this baby is not for me.

Bertram D

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

Hofner Shorty - the little guitar that is ripe for modding

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This eBay UK seller, impressed with the quality and playability of Hofner's inexpensive little travel guitar, the Hofner Shorty, has modded seven of them installing the Wilkinson WVS50 two-point trem system on each, and made them available for sale on eBay with a Buy It Now price of £175 a piece.

He makes a very good case for the playability and versatility of these babies, as evidenced in the above video.

Meanwhile, another modder has routed out the body of his Hofner Shorty, reinstalled a new top and bridge, and with the help of piezo pickups and a little technology has converted it into a quite convincing sounding electro-acoustic guitar for busking.

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!

Another "Unknown" guitar needs identifying - Any ideas out there?

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Adrián writes:

I have something else you would be interested in. My mate at the band (Leroy y los masoquistas) has this weird guitar and he wanted to know something about it: maybe you can help us :)

I only have this bad quality photos, but I think they'll do the trick. The pickups were replaced because of malfunction.

Thank you very much!

Regards,

Adrián F. Leiro.

Hi Adrián, the first thing I thought when I saw the photos is that the pickups had been swapped for something more modern. It also looks like the tuners have been replaced and possibly other hardware too(?). I fear that I can offer little assistance other than to say that the shape of body and headstock are reminiscent of certain 1960s Hofner guitars.

Perhaps our readers might have a more concrete identification for you?

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!

1966 Hofner Galaxie in absolutely beautiful condition on eBay

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With a starting price of £799 on eBay UK right now, this Hofner Galaxie is in such wonderfully good condition for a guitar made in 1966 that it causes you to do a double take, to inspect the photos a little more closely for signs of wear and aging to prove that it isn't a modern reissue. The fact that it's also in its original ultra rare sonic blue finish makes this guitar all the more desirable. But enough words already, lets see some more photos:

G L Wilson

© 2012, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Hofner Diamond Jubilee violin bass, limited edition of just 60 instruments

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I remember watching Paul McCartney playing his new patriotic Hofner violin bass at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert last month, and thinking to myself that this would be the next Hofner limited edition.

Sure enough, Hofner have now issued this Union Flag emblazoned bass as a limited edition of 60 units: that's one for every year of the Queen Elizabeth II's reign. Note that the limited edition is not exactly the same as McCartney's model. The red diagonal stripes of the flag are now more accurately proportioned, whilst the back and sides of the bass are finished in blue whereas McCartney's was natural maple. His doesn't have a pickguard either. I would hazard a guess that McCartney's bass is the only left-handed example too.

This bass is currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of £1,995 - note also that this eBay seller will ship to the United States where the bass has not been made available via the usual sources.

I'm glad to see that Hofner were able to get the flag the right way around, unlike Gibson.

G L Wilson

© 2012, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Sexy in red 1965 Höfner Verithin 4574

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Close your eyes if you don't like vintage german archtop guitars (I'd be sorry for you), here is another Höfner, a 1965 Verithin 4574 - it took me a while to identify it since the 4574 has been changing its features from one year to the next, and probably different versions coexisted, with different pickups, tremolos, knobs configurations, etc...

I shouldn't post about this guitar here because I strongly feel like bidding on it and should keep it discreet - but I'm not in a buying guitar phase, so it's better to give up already and offer it to you admiration...

Bertram D

© 2012, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Höfner Club gold top HCT-GC-GT

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Put on your shades, here comes the glistering Höfner Club gold top HCT-GC-GT ! It is the current version (labelled 'Contemporary Series') of the classic Höfner Club model from the 1960s (we've seen one here some times ago) that was the first pro guitar of such musicians as John Lennon or David Gilmour (and many more), and with which it shares the vintage looking singlecoil 'bar pickups' (it's good to see non-standard pickups once in a while, isn't it?)(too many brackets!)

The new Höfner Club is a semi-hollow guitar with a central beam - the original model was completely hollow - and no sound-holes, with a set neck sporting the typical Höfner stripe fretboard inlays and nice floral pattern on the headstock. It has a classy classicism that probably inspired Duesenberg and that allows a finish like the 'gold top' to not be awfully vulgar.

Bertram

© 2012, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Hofner archtop with a Gibson headstock

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I like this slightly bizarre modification of an unidentified old Hofner archtop guitar from the late 1950s. It has now a dog-ear P90 pickup in neck position, smartly outlined in white to recall the white binding - a little bit like a Charlie Christian pickup that P90s replaced around 1950 on Gibson archtops.

It also sports a Gibson logo on the headstock but the photo is too small to figure out how it's done - it looks like a real mother-of-pearl inlay but the neck itself and fretboard are typically Hofner so it is not a neck swapping...

The result is nice and I've considered bidding on this guitar on sale on eBay, but I'm uncertain of the quality of this guitar mod, so I will stick to the plan and save my money for a brand new Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin...

What do you think of this guitar? 

Bertram

© 2012, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Hofner 4577 thinline

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This Hofner 4577 - the thinline version of the 477 hollow-body model, introduced in 1967 - has at least two features that make it much desirable: a florentine cutaway and a Hofner tremelo, both things that I love on a semi-hollow.

Add to this the Hofner 512 pickups - you should start to be familiar with these by now - and a dangerous looking scratchplate, and you have again a very cool vintage German jazz guitar...

Bertram

© 2012, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

1960s Hofner V3

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This early 1960s Hofner V3 looks quite rough - probably because of that huge beaten square trem cover that seems ripped off a Panzer tank.

But it has all the gear that looks cool on other models of the same time - the three  toaster pickups, the perloid control plate, the rotary switch, the fret board inlays...

Bertram

© 2012, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Vintage 1960s solidbody electric guitar - but is it a Hofner or a Vox?

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This guitar, currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $299, presents us with something of a conundrum. The seller lists it as follows:

Vintage Rare Hofner Electric Guitar

I bought this guitar around 2002. I suspected it was a Hofner though it did not have anything on the headstock to indicate that. At the Dallas guitar show that year there was a Hofner guy that confirmed for me that indeed it was a Hofner and offered a substantial amount of money for it. I declined because my intentions had been to get the guitar working for my own use but it's been sitting around, I've had some financial problems, and now I want to sell it.

I think that the "Hofner guy" at the Dallas guitar show doesn't know what he's talking about. I'd swear that it was a Vox Marauder. Unless Hofner had a near identical model, or Vox/Hofner had guitars built at the same factory and branded them afterwards (which is something I'm not aware of, but I'm not ruling it out).

Can anyone confirm or deny my suspicions?

G L Wilson

EDIT: The listing has ended already. I guess someone used the Buy It Now option. I did, by the way, email the seller saying I believed it to be a Vox Marauder.

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Selmer vintage lap steel with integral case

guitarz.blogspot.com:

I've not seen another guitar like this before, and I suppose a lap steel (or console guitar) would be the only kind of guitar that would suit this format. It's a Selmer-branded lap steel which is actually built into its own case. That is to say, the case forms part of the guitar body. All you need to do is open and detach the lid, plug the guitar in and you're ready to go.

Selmer were a musical instrument manufacturer established in the early 1900s and based in Paris (surely their best known guitars were the gypsy jazz guitars as played by Django Reinhardt). By 1928 they had aquired a semi-independent UK branch. From the 1950s and through to the 1970s some of Selmer UK's own-brand guitars were produced by Germany's Höfner especially for the UK market. With the logo on this particular example proudly proclaiming "London, England", it's possible that this is a Höfner-made instrument. Unless you know differently...

Unfortunately the eBay auction for this guitar has already ended, although it did not sell despite a starting price of £175 (which I'd say was cheap for a vintage lap steel, and a possible Höfner-made one to boot). If you are interested, keep checking those auctions as maybe it will be re-listed at some point.

G L Wilson

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Vintage modified Höfner 182 bass

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My uncle gave me a bass which he'd informed me a friend had made for him when he was in the army in the late '60s/early '70s... this is it. I was mildly surprised and rather pleased to see it was in actual fact a (very badly) modified Hofner 182 Solid. The neck was held on by standard (and odd) wood screws, the 'strap button' on the upper bout was also a wood screw and the scratchplate was clearly a home job. The pickups (one broken) I've never seen before. The finish looks lovely, far better than the colours (or the vinyl) that I've seen on these basses before - I'm guessing it's been stripped and varnished, but if so it has been very well done. I'm setting about restoring it, but I won't touch the finish.

Dave Coulson

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Here's another guitar to identify ... Any ideas?

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Guitarz reader Bobby writes:

I bought a strange guitar a couple of years ago off of ebay, but am struggling to find any information on it...

The pickup is a Höfner, but I can't find a similar/same one online in Google searches. It's a very thin body, all one piece with the neck.... Do you or your readers have any ideas?

Well, seeing as it has a Höfner pickup my first question has to be is there any possibility it could be a Höfner? It's certainly not a model that I'm aware of, but I guess another possibilty is that it's been heavily modified. The pickguard does look to be homemade, and the blue finish is almost certainly a piece of self customisation.

It's possible that the whole guitar was built from parts, although the fact that this isn't a bolt-on neck job, but instead it is glued into the body (or else is a neck-through which I kind of doubt) would make this quite a mean feat for the casual DIY luthier.

This guitar has a very 1960s look to it, so I'm guessing that is when it dates from. The headstock shape is reminiscent of those on certain Vox guitars of the period, but is this original to the neck or has it been re-shaped? And then there's those tuners ... I've seen those somewhere else, surely?

So, do any of you guys out there recognize this axe or have any clues as to its provenance? Pleae let us know in the usual way via the comments. Thanks.

G L Wilson

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!