Hofner at the Frankfurt Music Fair in Spring 1956. Frau Wanda Hofner (Walter Hofner's wife) is sat at the table. The "new" 500/1 Bass model can be seen at the right-hand side of the main display. A similar bass from 1956 can be found HERE on this website.

Workshop discussions at Hagenau! The current and recent Hofner models are now fully illustrated on this website in the following new Galleries -

Many of the original Hofner workshop schematic wiring diagrams can now be found on this website HERE.

A beautifully restored Hofner 163 Solid Guitar from 1961/62, complete with its original gig-bag. Owned by Olaf Poeter.

RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE WEBSITE

1963 Hofner 500/1 Bass Guitar (26 August 2010)
1980's Hofner 4572/E2 Semi (17 August 2010)
c1952 Hofner 457/S Archtop Guitar (13 July 2010)
The Guy Audoux Archtop Collection (13 July 2010)
2009 Hofner CT H185-LS Bass Guitar (12 July 2010)
1959 Hofner President Thinline Archtop (9 July 2010)
1976 Hofner 4581 Semi - Magazine Scan (4 July 2010)
c1961 Golden Hofner Thinline #20 (4 July 2010)
1956 Hofner 500/1 Bass (2 July 2010)
c1959 Black Hofner 449 Archtop (2 July 2010)
1994 Hofner Verithin Thinline Guitar (26 June 2010)
1995 Hofner 20/40 Anniversary 500/1 Bass Guitar (24 June 2010)
1995 Hofner 20/40 Anniversary 500/1 Bass Guitar (24 June 2010)
1962 Hofner Congress (11 June 2010)
1961/62 Hofner 163 Solid Guitar (11 June 2010)
Mid-2000's Hofner Jazzica Custom (11 June 2010)
New Gallery: Bass Guitars - Post 2000 German Made (27 May 2010)
New Gallery: Archtops & Semis - Post 2000 German Made (27 May 2010)
New Gallery: Guitars & Basses - "CT" & "Ignition" (27 May 2010)
1966/67 Hofner President Bass (18 May 2010)
1955 Hofner 465/S (Birds-Eye Maple) Archtop (11 May 2010)
The "Thomas Special" Archtop Bass Guitar (9 May 2010)
1960 Hofner President fitted with De Armond Pickup (1 May 2010)
Modified 2009 Hofner CT Galaxie Active (30 April 2010)
Original Hofner Workshop Wiring Diagrams (26 April 2010)
1973-79 Hofner 174 Solid Guitar - Cat Scans (17 April 2010)
Electrics Description for Hofner 171H Solid Guitar (17 April 2010)
2010 Hofner '64 Re-Issue 500/1 Prototype (17 April 2010)
2010 Hofner 459 One-Off Special Order - New Pics (17 April 2010)
1970 Hofner 4579 Semi-Acoustic - CatScan (16 April 2010)
1969 Hofner 471/E2 Archtop Guitar - CatScan (16 April 2010)
Graham Forsaith's Hofner Collection (14 April 2010)
Hofner Description of the Type 514 "HiFi" Pickup (9 April 2010)
Control Functions for Hofner Alpha Solid Guitar (9 April 2010)
Hofner S5E, S5PA, S7L, & S7-12 Control Function Tags (9 April 10)
Hofner T2S & T4ST Control Function Tags (8 April 10)
1962 Hofner 500/1 Bass Guitar (8 April 10)
1965 Hofner Committee Bass Guitar (2 April 10)
1970's Hofner 450/S Archtop Guitar (2 April 10)
c1955 Hofner 455/S/E3 Archtop Guitar (12 Mar 10)
1972 Hofner Verithin "66" (8 Mar 10)
Hofner 182 Solid Bass Restoration (2 Mar 10)
Operating Instructions for Hofner S5E Solid (16 Feb 10)
Operating Instructions for Hofner 178 Solid (16 Feb 10)
1988 Hofner Reference Ghia Solid Guitar (14 Feb 10)
1984 Hofner S2A Solid Guitar (14 Feb 10)
1988 Greco/Hofner VB-165 Violin Bass (13 Feb 10)
1986 Hofner "'56 Vintage" Bass - Japanese Mkt (13 Feb 10)
1995/96 Hofner 40th Anniv. 500/1 Bass (13 Feb 10)

MAIN WEBSITE INDEX

THE HOFNER GUITAR GALLERY:

Just about every Hofner model and model variant is illustrated in this gallery. It is therefore intended as a tool to help you identify your own Hofner.

ARCHTOPS AND SEMI-ACOUSTIC GUITARS - PRE 2000	1A: Selmer Distributed Models	1B: European & US Market Models
SOLID BODY GUITARS - PRE 2000	2A: Selmer Distributed Models	2B: European & US Market Models
BASS GUITARS - PRE 2000	3A: Selmer Distributed Models	3B: European & US Market Models
FLATTOP & CLASSICAL GUITARS - PRE 2000	4A: Selmer Distributed Models	4B: European, & US Models
ARCHTOP & SEMI-ACOUSTIC GUITARS - POST 2000 GERMAN MADE	5A: Archtop & Semi Acoustic Guitars - Post 2000 German Made
BASS GUITARS - POST 2000 GERMAN MADE	5B: Bass Guitars - Post 2000 German Made
HOFNER GUITARS & BASS GUITARS - MADE IN CHINA & THE FAR EAST	5C: Guitars & Basses - "CT" & "Icon/Ignition"
CUSTOM-BUILT, MODIFIED & ODDBALLS	6: Selmer UK, European, & US Models
HOFNER COLLECTIONS	7: Selmer UK, European, & US Models
HOFNER MANDOLINES, BANJOS, ETC...	8: Vintage & New Models
VERY EARLY HOFNER GUITAR MODELS	9: Early Models made in Schoenbach and Moehrendorf

THE VINTAGE HOFNER GUITAR REGISTER

If you own a Hofner Committee, Golden, Deluxe, President, Verithin, Senator, Congress, or 500/1 Violin Bass, you can register it on this website. The details that you supply about your guitar will also be made available on the website to help us all understand further the development of that model. Other Hofner model registrations will be set up in the future.

The Vintage Hofner Guitar Registration Page

HOFNER GUITAR FACT FILES:

Individual topics to assist in dating and identifying Hofner models particularly in the Selmer range, but also with some topics of use hopefully to owners of non-Selmer models.

Hofner Wiring Diagrams- Original Hofner Workshop Diagrams	Hofner Wiring Diagrams - Provided by Visitors to this Website
The Golden Hofner	Hofner 12 String Flattops
The Hofner Committee	The Hofner Colorama
The Hofner President	The Hofner Senator
The Hofner Congress	Hofner Electric Hawaiian Guitars
The Hofner Shorty	The First "Club 40" Model ?
The Sudbury Stash	The Hofner/Carvin Connection
Hofner Guitars Made in Spain?	Selmer and the Bigsby Vibrato Tailpiece
Hofner Guitar Amplifiers	Selmer Guitar Cases
Hofner Guitar Pickups - A Guide To Dating	Hofner Classical Guitars
Dating Your Hofner from "Pot Codes"	Find Your Hofner Archtop's Body Date
Hofner Active Electronics	Selmer Guitars - Made by Hofner
Standard Hofner Bridges	Pickups Sold by Hofner as Accessories - Parts 1 & 2

FEATURED HOFNER GUITARS
A detailed look at some of the Hofner guitars that I own or have owned in the past.

1958 Vienna Classical	1955 President Acoustic
1979 Country & Western 12 String (Model 492)	1959 President Semi-Acoustic
1958 Congress Acoustic	1963 Verithin Semi-Acoustic
1957 Senator Acoustic	2003 Verythin Classic
1959 Senator Acoustic	1965 Ambassador Semi-Acoustic
1961 Colorama II	1963 Artist Solid Bass
1962 Colorama I	1959 Committee Acoustic
1961 V3 Solid	1964 Committee Brunette Electric-Acoustic
1959 Club 60	1965 Committee Thinline Blonde
2004 Hofner "Shorty" Travel Guitar	1962 Hofner Solid Bass Guitar
1958 Hofner 497 & 2005 Hofner HZ27 Classical Guitars

FEATURES

The Futurama Guitar Story Ramsay McKinnon's Hofner Guitar Project

The Futurama Visitors' Gallery The Hofner Workshop - Hagenau, Germany

Hofner at the 2010 Frankfurt Musikmesse - NEW!!

The Hofnerhounds Annual Meeting, October 2007

The Hofnerhounds Annual Meeting, November 2008

NOSTALGIA

Famous Hofner Users Memories of an Old Hofner Player

Not-So-Famous Users

Hofner Endorsees - Famous Current Users

The Hofner Workshop - Hagenau, Germany

HOFNER & SELMER IN PRINT

Selmer & Hofner in Melody Maker Selmer, Hofner, & Beat Instrumental Magazine

The Selmer Guitar Catalogues

LINKS

The Hofner Links Page

MAIN WEBSITE HOME PAGE

- For links to the Selmer, Watkins/Wem, Bird, Fenton-Weill, Grampian, Dallas, and Elpico Amplifier Sections of the Vintage Hofner Website.

HOFNER GUITAR CATALOGUES CAN NOW BE DOWNLOADED FROM

THE OFFICIAL HOFNER WEBSITE: http://www.hofner.com

HOFNER COMPANY CONTACTS

Hofner Germany Egerland St. 38 91083 Baiersdorf-Hagenau Germany Tel No: +49 (0) 9133 77580 Email: graham.stockley@hofner.com		Hofner USA PO Box 580713 Pleasant Prairie WI 53158 Tel No: +1 262 942 4811 Email: rob.olsen@hofner.com
Barnes & Mullins Unit 14, Mile Oak Industrial Estate Oswestry Shropshire, England SY10 8GA EMail: sales@BandM.co.uk		Hofner Canada 417 Roehampton Avenue Toronto, ON Canada M4P 1S3 Tel No: +1 416 440 4031 EMail: hofnercanada@ca.inter.net

JOIN THE HOFNER HOUNDS INTERNET DISCUSSION FORUM
- THE place to discuss all aspects of Hofner guitars with fellow enthusiasts.

CLICK TO VISIT THE HOFNER HOUNDS FORUM

and..........to discuss European guitars in general, visit Hofner Hounds' Sister Site:

THE VINTAGE EUROPEAN GUITAR FORUM

The Kaisers - probably the most successful 60's-retro band in the UK, who use Hofner instruments extensively.

Flashback - Another UK band that uses old Hofner guitars for what they were intended........gigging!! (Yes, that is the Cavern Club in Liverpool!)

HOFNERS OLD & NEW

THE SECTION OF THE VINTAGE HOFNER WEBSITE WHICH DEALS WITH THE MANY GUITAR AND BASS GUITAR MODELS PRODUCED BY HOFNER FROM THE EARLY 1950'S TO THE PRESENT DAY.