logo.jpeg - 8KbVISITORS' GALLERY

The page where other people's Hofners are featured.

 

GALLERY 1A: ARCHTOPS AND SEMI-ACOUSTICS
SELMER DISTRIBUTED MODELS



Gordon Giltrap with the "Rosanne Cash" Congress owned by Paul Thompson. It seems very appropriate to have a nice photo of Gordon on this particular webpage, because of his book "The Hofner Guitar - A History", which has done so much to promote interest in the old Selmer-distributed Hofners.



The following picture-sets of Hofner archtop and semi-acoustic guitars have been sent to me over the years by their owners. This has allowed me to present a much greater range of models and vintages than encompassed by my own collection, and maybe this will help other visitors to the site to identify and date their own Hofner.

Click on the underlined heading for each guitar to view photographs of that particular example.



VISITORS' OWN HOFNERS:

THE HOFNER "FOUR SQUARE"

An example of this model has only just been discovered. It has all the features of the Square Dance below, but it has a 20 fret neck as opposed to the 18 fret of the Square Dance, plus a slightly smaller body at 19.5" body length x 14.5" lower bout. Because of the earlier (?) body label style and lower Serial Number, I can only assume that the Four Square pre-dates the Square Dance. More information on this model is definitely required!!

 

 

THE HOFNER "SQUARE DANCE"

This guitar seems to have been the predecessor of the Congress. Small 19.5" x 14.5" x 3" body, with 18 fret neck joining the body at the 12th fret. It actually had a flat top and back, rather than arched. Single dot fret markers, and very plain headstock. Presumably replaced in the Selmer catalogue by the Congress in 1954/55.

THE HOFNER CONGRESS

The budget guitar, made only as a non-cutaway acoustic archtop, and only in "brunette". (Early guitars were finished in a non-sunburst brown stain, that is sometimes mistaken for a "blonde" finish.)
Produced between about 1955 and the early 1970's, this guitar has a smaller body than other Hofner archtops at 19.5" x 15" x 3". (Early Congress guitars have a 14.5" lower bout dimension.) The equivalent European market Hofner archtop was the Model 449. The Congress was the guitar that started Hank Marvin on his way to fame.

THE HOFNER SENATOR


Produced in acoustic archtop, electric archtop, and thinline semi-acoustic/electric versions, all in either blonde or brunette finishes. A single pickup was fitted to electric versions. The acoustic was produced from about 1953 onwards, with an electric version appearing from about 1957 onwards. The thinline semi-acoustic Senator appeared towards the end of 1959. The electric archtop and semi received a Venetian cutaway in 1965/66, with the acoustic being likewise equipped in 1966/67. The Thinline Senator was still in the Bell's Catalogue in 1971, but disappeared soon after. The comparable European market Hofner archtop was the Model 455.

THE HOFNER CLUB 40

The basic Club model, with one pickup and very little decoration. Produced between about 1956 and 1962, and available in either blonde or brunette finishes. Very early models have the simple circular control panel with just volume and tone rotary controls. From 1958/59, to the end of production, the rectangular Hofner control consul was fitted with one rotary volume control and three slide switches.

THE HOFNER CLUB 50

Two pickups fitted, together with either a four rotary control oval control console on very early guitars, or more usually the rectangular Hofner console with two rotary volumes and three sliders; otherwise very similar to the Club 40.

THE HOFNER CLUB 60

The deluxe specification model in the Club range. Produced between 1958 and 1962. Better quality flame maple veneers to back and sides, an ebony fingerboard, more complex body binding/purfling, ornate mother of pearl fret markers and headstock inlays.

THE HOFNER CLUB 70

Made presumably as a replacement for the original Club 40/50/60's which had been discontinued, somewhat prematurely, some years before. It was introduced into the Selmer range at the British Musical Instrument Trade Fair of September 1967. The Club 70 was only in the catalogue for a year or so, and therefore examples are fairly rare, with less than 200 being made. Equipped with two "Blade" Type 512 pickups, it was the only Club to have two volume and two rotary controls not fitted to a console, plus a separate three-way pickup selector switch in the same locations as a Les Paul. Ornamentation on the guitar was fairly austere, in the same tradition of the Club 40/50.

THE HOFNER VIOLIN GUITAR

Introduced by Selmer into the UK in September 1966, presumably in an attempt to capitalise on the success of Paul McCartney's 500/1 bass. It used the same body as the 500/1, and a bolt-on neck with similar ornamentation to the Verithin - i.e. bar fret markers and vine leaf headstock inlay. Sunburst appears to have been the standard finish. Twin pickups were fitted, with three simple rotary controls and three way pickup selector - a similar arrangement than that usually fitted to its European/US market cousin, the Hofner Model 459. As with the Club 70, the Violin was not a great success, with only 100 to 200 being sold during its production period in 1966 and 1967. The Brits at that time aspired after American guitars!

THE HOFNER PRESIDENT

The standard Hofner middle-of-the-range archtop throughout the 50's, 60's, and into the 70's. Introduced in acoustic format around 1953 as the upgraded version of the Model 457 for the UK market, the President was equipped with solid carved spruce top. This was dropped in favour of a laminated top, initially on electric models during the early 1960's and finally on acoustics as the 1960's progressed. The electric version appears to have been introduced in 1955. All versions of the President had a single body cutaway, Venetian style up to 1966, when this was changed to a Florentine cutaway. Triple dot fret markers, neck/F-hole binding, and vine leaf mother of pearl inlays to the headstock facia, provided a suitable level of ornamentation for this classy guitar. Blonde and brunette finishes were available. A thinline electric President was introduced during late 1959, although a full depth body version had been available from about 1957. Twin pickups were fitted, with controls following the usual Hofner pattern for the various periods - i.e. Oval console up to 1958, rectangular console up to 1962, four rotary controls up to 1966/67, and finally three rotary controls plus three-way selector switch up to about 1972/3 when the President disappeared from the Selmer catalogue.

THE HOFNER VERITHIN

Hofner's answer to the Gibson 330! Twin body cutaways and a "very thin" body; only 1.25" (30mm) deep. The Verithin did not have a central sustain block, so it must be classed as a thinline electric archtop. 

Introduced in 1960 with Venetian (rounded) cutaways, which were changed to Florentine style (pointed) in 1966. Most were finished in a rich cherry-red lacquer. However, the very first examples had a "russet mahogany" finish and from the early 1970's, cherry red sunburst and blonde options appeared in the catalogues, but I have never seen either of the later finishes on a true Verithin. These finishes were fairly common though on the Verithin's European/US market equivalent, the Model 4574.
Twin pickups and controls as described for the President above. A Stereo-wired version was produced between 1963 and 1965, but this sold in very limited numbers. The Verithin seems to have disappeared from the UK market around about 1972.



THE HOFNER AMBASSADOR

Introduced in 1965, this thinline archtop had twin Type 511 "Staple" pickups, and two Florentine cutaways on it's 2" deep body. Finish was tobacco sunburst, and with its fully inset neck joint, as opposed to Hofner's usual cantilever violin style joint, it was much more in the style of a Gibson. The Ambassador was available to Selmer customers only, up to about 1968. It's European/US equivalent was the Hofner Model 4578. The option of having factory fitted De Armond pickups at extra cost was offered in the Selmer catalogue.

THE HOFNER COMMITTEE

Top of the regular range of Hofner archtops, the Committee was designed to impress. It was introduced as a UK-only model around 1953/54. The Committee sported the over-large "frondose" headstock up to 1963, when this was replaced by a President size headstock, but still retaining the the impressive "tulip" style mother of pearl inlays in the facia. Birds eye maple veneer was almost exclusively used for the body back and sides, with carved solid spruce body tops, although these seem to have been replaced with laminated tops during the 1960's, particularly on the electric version. As with the President, a full depth body electric version was available from about 1957, with a thinline model appearing in late 1959. Twin pickups were fitted on these, with four rotary controls plus a large three-way selector switch taking over from the Hofner consul in 1963. This arrangement changed to three rotary controls plus selector switch in 1967. The Committee retained its single Venetian (rounded) body cutaway throughout its production span, which ended around about 1969.

THE HOFNER DELUXE

The deluxe version of the Committee model, and fore-runner to the Golden Hofner. Made over a very short period in 1958, these Deluxes are rare and beautiful! It would seem that they were part of the development process leading up the Golden Hofner model, as they incorporate quite a few features of the Golden, most notably the 11-piece neck construction. The 17.5" wide "body has a solid carved spruce top, with heavily flamed maple back and sides. The effect of the binding and purfling around the body top and back has been increased dramatically by staining of the maple strips enclosed by the purfling. Gold plated enclosed tuners are fitted, but strangely the engraved "Escutcheon" style tailpiece seems to have been nickel plated.

THE GOLDEN HOFNER

The "Holy Grail" of Hofner collecting! For a full description of the Golden's assets and history, visit the Golden Hofner Factfile elsewhere on this website



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