VISITORS'
GALLERY
The pages where other people's Hofners are featured.
GALLERY 9: EARLY HOFNER GUITAR MODELS
(HOFNERS MADE BEFORE WORLD
WAR 2 IN
SCHOENBACH, BOHEMIA AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE WAR IN MOEHRENDORF,
BAVARIA.)
Photo
(c) Stefan Lob from www.schlaggitarren.de
The Karl Hofner Company was founded in 1887 for the manufacture of
stringed instruments, in particular orchestral instruments such as the
violin, double bass, and cello. The company was based in the
town of Schoenbach in the district of Egerland, Bohemia, which at that
time was
in
the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.
After the First World War, Schoenback became part of Czechoslovakia,
but the Hofner Company and the many other instrument makers continued
their operations in that area between the two world wars. By this time,
Karl Hofner's two sons, Joseph and Walter, had taken on significant
roles in the family business.
Immediately
after the Second World War, the victorious Allies set about re-defining
the map of Europe, and as part of this process, Schoenbach
became
part of Czechoslovakia. Hofner's business was very quickly taken into
state control, and those German-speaking people living in the
Sudetenland, as the area where Schoenbach was now
known, were forced to re-locate into Germany. So it was that the Walter
Hofner
found himself in Moehrendorf, near Erlangen, (which
lies just to the north of
Nuernberg), in Bavaria. Here, in 1947, he began working with Fred
Wilfer on a joint venture which developed into the Framus
Company.
In 1948, Karl
Hofner together with his elder son Joseph, also arrived in
Moehrendorf, and so Walter broke away from Fred Wilfer and the two
Hofner brothers re-established the Hofner company, using a large number
of their former employees, in an old labour camp
barracks
in Moehrendorf.
In 1950, Hofner made the
decision to move to a new purpose-built
factory close by at Bubenreuth, and
production re-commenced there in 1951, where it continued until the
mid-1990's. At that time, the Bubenreuth factory was closed down and
since then all Hofner manufacturing has taken place at
Hagenau. Just about all the guitars featured on this website come from
the Bubenreuth and Hagenau workshops.
In the period
between the two world wars, Hofner had commenced manufacturing
acoustic flattop guitars at the Schoenbach, and these were
followed by archtop "Jazz" guitars ("Schlaggitarren") in
the early 1930's. This continued up to WWII breaking out, and hence the
basis
for the various, and much better known these days, post WWII Hofner archtops began
to formaulate from that period. I personally had not encountered any of
the pre-war guitars until a gentleman in Germany called Stefan Lob made
contact with me. Stefan sent me photographs of one of his own Hofner
guitars which was almost certainly made prior to the war, together with
a page from an 1931 Hofner catalogue. (Stefan has now set up a website,
Schlaggitarren ,
which showcases his own
collection of German-made guitars.)
This stimulated my interest in the pre-WWII Schoenbach period, and I
therefore set up this page in order to share what little knowledge I
have on the subject. Further much appreciated information and assistance has been received from Dr. Chritian Hoyer of the Framus Vintage website, and from Xosé Crisanto Gándara in Spain.
I would be most grateful if any visitor to the
website who owns a pre-war or immediate post-war Hofner guitar, or who
can supply any
information at all on these instruments could make contact with me.
PRE-WAR
& IMMEDIATE POST-WAR
HOFNER GUITAR MODELS
DISCOVERED TO DATE:
ARCHTOPS:
HOFNER MODEL 501H ACOUSTIC "HAWAIIAN" ARCHTOP GUITAR
HOFNER MODEL 455 ARCHTOP
- 1937 HOFNER MODEL
455 ARCHTOP GUITAR
A scan from the 1937 Hofner Schoenbach catalogue, which describes the
guitar as having a plywood body with binding around the body top, and a
plywood pickguard.
- c1947
HOFNER/FRAMUS 455 ARCHTOP GUITAR
Made during the period when Walter Hofner was working together with
Fred Wilfer in the fledgling Framus Company. This guitar is described
in the 1948 Framus price list as having "simple equipment". It is
therefore obviously the "budget" archtop of the period. It bares a
distinct visual resemblance to the earlier 1937 Hofner 455 model and
also to the later one from Bubenreuth.
HOFNER MODEL 456 ARCHTOP
- c1947
HOFNER/FRAMUS MODEL 456 ARCHTOP GUITAR
As with the above c1947 455 model, this was presumably a guitar
designed by Walter Hofner whilst working with the Framus company. It is
a slightly better quality version of the 455 above and the description
in the price list says "solid execution and brightly polished". Now
does that mean a solid carved top?
HOFNER MODEL
457 ARCHTOP
- c1947
HOFNER/FRAMUS MODEL 457 ARCHTOP GUITAR
This one is literally described in the price list as "deposits fine,
good execution, brightly polished". I suspect that means that it is
made of good quality timbers, which have been nicely put together and
then well polished. !! However, the picture of the guitar does look
very much like the Bubenreuth 457.
HOFNER MODEL 462 ARCHTOP
- 1937
HOFNER MODEL
462 ARCHTOP GUITAR
Another scan from the 1937
Hofner Schoenbach catalogue, which describes the 462
guitar as having a plywood body, but having binding on the neck and
block pearloid fret markers. Perhaps this guitar metamophised into the
later 456 model?
HOFNER MODEL
463 ARCHTOP
- 1937
HOFNER MODEL
463 ARCHTOP GUITAR
The catalogue describes the 462
guitar as having a birds eye maple body. (Later Bubenreuth 463 models
has mahogany back and sides, so there doesn't seem to be any connection
between this and the later model versions.) It also has
binding on the neck and
block pearloid fret markers. The pickguard is "celluloid". This was
definitely a few steps up from the 455 and 462.
HOFNER MODEL 464 ARCHTOP
- 1937
HOFNER MODEL
463 ARCHTOP GUITAR
The body on this model is all mahogany, with an ornate picture
decoration on the body top! It has very little similarity with any of
the Bubenreuth models.
HOFNER MODEL 465 ARCHTOP
- c1947
HOFNER/FRAMUS MODEL 465 ARCHTOP
This version of the 465 is very close to the Bubenreuth version, with
rosewood back and sides and a solid spruce carved top. The typical
Hofner rhombus used later on cheaper models is there on the headstock,
as is the Hofner strip type fretmatkers and Lyre tailpiece.
UNKNOWN HOFNER MODEL
- PRE-WAR
HOFNER ACOUSTIC ARCHTOP GUITAR
A lovely old archtop, owned by Stefan Lob in Germany. This guitar has a
carved headstock, plus carving around the F-holes !! It has a solid
spruce top with un-bound maple back and sides.
ACOUSTIC FLATTOPS:
HOFNER 460 ACOUSTIC FLATTOP
- 1937
HOFNER MODEL 460 ACOUSTIC GUITAR
I don't have a catalogue description for this one, but
it appears to be a high quality steel-strung acoustic from the photo.
The body seems to be made from a beautiful quilted maple.
HOFNER 480 ACOUSTIC FLATTOP
HOFNER 481 ACOUSTIC FLATTOP
HOFNER 483 ACOUSTIC FLATTOP
- 1931
HOFNER MODEL 483 ACOUSTIC GUITAR
A highly decorated parlour guitar, with a maple body
which is covered in decorative designs. Very weird! The 483 model
produced from 1951 onwards was a very different instrument.
HOFNER 485 ACOUSTIC FLATTOP
HOFNER 522 ACOUSTIC
- 1937
HOFNER MODEL 522 ACOUSTIC GUITAR
This looks to be very much a "budget" or a "beginners"
acoustic guitar. It utilisers a simple trapeze tailpiece, and has a
celluloid pickguard glued onto the body top. The Hofner 522 model in a
very similar format resumed production after the war and was made into
the 1970's.
HOFNER 524 ACOUSTIC
- 1937
HOFNER MODEL 524 ACOUSTIC GUITAR
The 5 - - model number again probably
indicates that this was intended as beginners guitar, but it has more
decoration than the 522 above. The trapeze tailiece is still utilised
however.
CLASSICAL GUITARS:
HOFNER 486 CLASSICAL
- 1931
HOFNER MODEL 486 CLASSICAL GUITAR
The 486 was a mid-range Concert model, that was put back
into production after the war, and which was made right through the
1950's, 60's, and 70's during when it was a very conventional classical
guitar with spruce top and maple back and sides. The 1931 version had a
"detachable neck", and there is no mention of a spruce top.
HOFNER 487 CLASSICAL
HOFNER 497 CLASSICAL
- 1937
HOFNER MODEL 497 CLASSICAL GUITAR
A large Spanish model with spruce top and rosewood
sides. Again the 497 model was resurected after the war and produced in
very much the same format as the 1937 version right through to the
1970's.
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MISCELLANY INDEX PAGE.