THE HOFNER COLORAMA - FACT FILE

• c1958 - 1959

  
  
  This model was the first Colorama imported into the UK by Selmer. It originally started life as the Hofner Models 160 (single pickup) and 162 (twin pickup). which were produced for the European market from 1956 to 1960. The guitar featured a "semi-solid" body, i.e it looked like a solid guitar but was really a heavily reinforced plywood box!
  These very earliest examples had a "tear" shaped scartchplate, with the later models (1959-60 below) having a more stylized shape like the one in the photo.
  A square cornered version of the standard Hofner "black-bar" pickup was fitted, without the usual rotary height adjustment wheel. The controls were installed in the classic Hofner consul.
  Metallic finishes were the norm with this first model. The guitar featured here has a light blue metallic finish on its front, and a darker blue on the rear body and neck.
  There is a nice photo of a "tear" Colorama on Page 44 of "Hofner Guitar - A History" by Gordon Giltrap & Neville Marten. Click HERE for more pictures of this very famous Colorama.
  
  Click HERE for c1958 Hofner Colorama Catalogue Entry
  
  Selmer List Price in 1959:
  
  One Pickup Model - 18gns
  Two Pickup Model - 22gns
  
  

• c1959-60

  The next Colorama model was of identical construction to the first, but was fitted with a different scratchplate, and the metallic finishes were dropped in favour of a beautiful dark red cellulose. Probably the best identification feature of this model is the twin gold stripes running around the body sides - presumably to disguise the joints in the "solid" body?
  The 160 and 162 received a 6-a-side headstock from about 1961 onwards and were then called the 161 and 162(ii). Whilst the UK Colorama progressed onto an entirely different design at about the same time, the semi-solid 161 and 162(ii) continued for European consumption until 1970ish.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• c1961

  The next Colorama to arrive on the UK's shores was made of genuine solid hardwood, maple or certainly something similar! It also had a 6-a-side headstock, which was angled back (just like on my own 1961 Hofner V3). The comparative non-Selmer models are the Hofner 163 (single pickup) and Model 164 (two pickups). The finish was a beautiful translucent ruby wine colour (later guitars bright red), and the headstock had a black plastic facia with a Hofner logo decal set on this. The set neck was three piece mahogany, with a reasonable quality rosewood fingerboard.
  Single and twin "toaster" pickups were available, together with the standard Hofner control consul. A few later guitars of this model were fitted with the "diamond" pickup units. A "horseshoe" mounted Bigsby unit (made under licence by Selmer in the UK) could be ordered as an extra. These budget cost guitars gave the feeling of quality by the bucket-load, and my view is that they were the best Colorama's made.
  
  Selmer List Price in 1961:
  
  One Pickup Model - 23gns
  Two Pickup Model - 27gns
  Extra Charge for Bigsby Unit - 12gns
  
  

• c1962-1963

  
  At this stage, the pressure was coming on Hofner to produce as many budget solid guitars as possible, preferably in bright red. The Hank Marvin influence had very much been felt by the youth of Britain! Hofner seemed to approach this requirement for speedy cheap production in three ways - by cheapening the body and the neck construction, together with developing a finish that could be applied without wasting the time to let paint dry!
  Solid mahogany was out, and replaced by a laminate of mahogany veneer on the front and rear with a core of spruce(?) blockwood. The three piece mahogany set neck was replaced with a bolt-on neck made from one piece of maple, and the angled headstock became straight.
  The majority of these guitars was covered in a red vinyl material, with white pipeing running all the way around the edge. Some are finished in red paint, but they seem to be very much in the minority.
  The guitar could be fitted with or without a tremolo. The Bigsby unit had now been dropped, and Hofner began fitting their own integral units routed to fit flush with the body top.
  The pickups on these Coloramas are exclusively the "diamond logo" type. During the currency of this version of the Colorama, the classic Hofner control consul was dropped, being replaced by white skirted rotary control knobs - two for the single pickup and four for the two pickup alternatives.
  
  Selmer List Price in 1962:
  
  One Pickup Model - 23gns
  One Pickup Model with Tremolo - 28gns
  Two Pickup Model - 27gns
  Two Pickup Model with Tremolo - 32gns
  
  

• c1963 - 1965

  
  The final main change to the Colorama resulted in a rather bland looking body with unsymmetrical cutaways. Otherwise this version had the sane features as its predecessor, i.e. choice one or two pickups, with or without integral tremolo unit. The "diamond logo" type of pickup units seem to have been retained on this model, even after the "staple" unit was being fitted to most of the other Hofner models. It was presumably the duty of the budget model to use up the old stock!
  The maple neck, with clear finished headstock initially, was retained, but a choice of red, cream, or ice blue body colours was now on offer. Later guitars seem to revert to a black plastic headstock facing, similar to that used on the Galaxie and Artist Bass.
  This particular version just did not have the charm of the earlier Coloramas, possibly resulting in production of the Colorama generally coming to an end in 1965 or thereabouts.
  
  Selmer List Price in 1964:
  
  One Pickup Model - 25gns
  One Pickup Model with Tremolo - 32gns
  Two Pickup Model - 29gns
  Two Pickup Model with Tremolo - 36gns