"Well, I suppose that we could raid a bank to raise the cash?"

From Jean-Pierre Legendre

The Hofner Anniversary Book is now available for purchase at the Thomann Cyberstore and at Amazon.
325 pages of pure nostalgia with lots of pictures from the Hofner Company Archives!  

HOFNER RELATED WEB SITES

Karl Hofner GmbH & Co - The official site of the Hofner Guitar Company. All the new models are featured here, together with Michael Naglav's excellent "Vintage Showroom" which catalogues the earlier models.

The Official Hofner Guitar MySpace Website - This is a new and very much interactive website which is hosted by Graham Stockley of Hofner UK.

Pyramid Strings - The Bubenreuth-based string manufacturer that has been supplying strings to the Hofner Company since the pre-World War days when both companies were together in Schoenbach. Every conceivable musical instrument string is listed on this website.

Collecting Hofner Vintage Guitars - Part of a much larger site, this must rate as just about the most detailed source of information on Hofner European/US market archtops available anywhere. Written by Stephen Candib.

Ramsay McKinnon's Hofner Guitar Project - The results of 12 years collecting of, and research into, the Selmer UK distributed Hofner archtop guitars from the 1950's and 60's.

German Jazz Guitars - A website run by Konstantinos Zarifopoulos in Germany which showcases his very impressive collection of German-made archtop guitars, many of which are hinh-end Hofners. The photos on the site are stunning.

Alan Cramp's Just Jazz Guitars Website - A site set up to showcase Alan's collection of vintage jazz guitars, including Gibsons, D'Angelico, Guild,....and Hofner. There is also a "For Sale" section on this website.

Katou Hidekazu's Website  -  This excellent Japanese site provides information on the Japanese-Market 500/1 Bass Guitars.

Verithin Geoff's Website - The site for all-things Verithin, run by Geoff Walton in Queensland, Australia.

Schlaggitarren - A brand new website run by Stefan Lob and which features his very extensive collection of German-made guitars of all makes, including Hofner. 

Dr. Christian Hoyer's Personal Website - Dr. Hoyer is a professional historian who specialises in research into the German musical instrument industry.

Jazzgitarren - Vintage German Made Archtops Guitars - An excellent website produced in Japan that showcases all German manufacturers, including Hofner. The photos are stunning!

The Carvin Museum - Hofner supplied the necks used in the construction of Carvin guitars and bass guitars during the 1960's and 70's. This superb website documents all the many models made by Carvin over the years. (See also Hofner/Carvin Fact File)

Excellentleads - A site run by Will Halligan that, as well as dealing with the electronics of electric guitars in general, also has very useful sections on Hofner guitars. The Hofner section of the 1968 Selmer Catalogue is reproduced on this website.

Bengt Ericsson's Hofner Club Site - The definitive website for the Hofner Club series guitars.

George Smith's 1965 Hofner Site - A US site that is based on George's 500/1 Hofner Bass. Some very nice detail pictures here.

Fab Guitars of the Beatles - This site, run by John Crowley, is the place for information on the Beatles' guitars, including of course the Hofners which they used in their early days.

Hoagys Guitars - A new website dedicated to vintage archtop guitars and accessories. It has a bias towards German-made archtops, and features several nice Hofners which are owned by the website owner, Greg Hough.  Some of  the guitars on the site are also for sale.

Ruby Music - John Espinosa in Sydney, Australia, runs this site which as well as having a gallery of vintage basses for sale also has live music played by his band.

The BeatlesGear.com - A website dedicated to Paul Aujla's impressive collection of guitars and basses associated with the Beatles, including some Hofners,

HOFNER RELATED DISCUSSION GROUPS & FORUMS

Hofner Hounds Discussion Forum - Now resurrected and run by Geoff Walton, this is THE forum for Hofner enthusiasts to discuss all matters relating to Hofner guitars.

The Vintage European Guitar Forum - The "sister site" to Hofner Hounds, dealing with all the other European makers such as Framus, Hoyer, Hopf, Hagstrom, and the Czech Futurama makers, Drevokov and CSHN.

The Beatgear Cavern Forum - Run by Wes Cooksey, this forum is for discussion on Beatle related gear, including the Hofner guitars and basses used by the Fab Four.

The Vox Showroom - For all things Vox, old and new. As well as lots of photos and info. on just about every Vox amp, guitar, and keyboard ever made, it also has a very intense discussion group attached.




BOOKS WITH INFORMATION ON HOFNERS

"Hofner Guitars & Violins - A Celebration" - Written by Nick Wass, Harry Sibum, and Steve Russell to mark Hofner's 125 Year Anniversary. This is definitely not your usual reference book, but a 325 page volume packed full of old photos, historical documents, and a great deal of Hofner nostalgia! It can be obtained at the Thomann Cyberstore and at Amazon.

"Hofner - The Guitars that made the Beat Boom Happen" - Written by Nick Wass and Harry Sibum. Full of 1950's and 60's nostalgia, together with some great photos of Hofner guitars! Unfortunately no longer available.

"The Hofner Guitar, A History" - Written by Gordon Giltrap and Neville Martin, published by IMP Books. This very readable British book deals with the Selmer period, and gives very good information on dating Hofners from that time.

"Hofner-Guitars Made in Germany" - Written by Michael Naglav, published Ulrich Plaumann (Germany). Full of photographs of just about every Hofner, guitars and basses, made. An excellent book!
Click HERE to order direct, or write to Michael Naglav, Pestalozzidorf 14 c 45964 Gladbeck, Germany (Tel # 049 2043 44316)

"Electro-Gitarren Made in Germany" - Written by Norbert Schnepel and Helmuth Lemme. A more general book than the one above, as it covers most of the more famous German guitar makers, including Hofner. Obtainable from Musikkeller

"Hofner Violin 'Beatle' Bass" - Written by Joe Dunn. The 500/1 Bass player's bible!

"The Ultimate Guitar Book" - Written by Tony Bacon and Paul Day, published by Dorling Kindersley. A book that covers most manufacturers of guitars, with a page or two on Hofners.

"Seventeen Watts" - By Mo Foster, published by Sanctuary Publishing Ltd. A book which describes, with anecdotes from many of the guitar pioneers, the first 20 years of British Rock History. Not specifically written on guitars, but Hofners appear time and again in the text and photographs. Amusing and very entertaining!

"Beatles Gear" - By Andy Babiuk, published by Backbeat Books. It's just as the title says...Gretsch, Rickenbacker, Vox, Gibson, Futurama, Selmer, and of course the early Hofners! A "must have" for every vintage gear (and Beatle) enthusiast.

"Framus - Built in the Heart of Bavaria" - By Dr. Christian Hoyer. This book deals with the Framus Company history, part of which during the immediate post-war years was entwined with that of the Hofner Company. Obtainable via the Framus and Framus Vintage websites.

SPECIALIST HOFNER RESTORATION, REPAIRS, & SPARE PARTS

Red Barn - The Facebook page of James Payze and John Cooper, who carry out repairs and restoration projects on all makes of guitars and amps in Braintree, Essex .

The Hofner House - Harry Sibum's website which included superb photography of lovely old Hofners. Harry carries out restoration work on vintage Hofner guitars. He is also compiling a schedule of Van Wouw serial numbers.

DEALERS IN HOFNERS & SPARE PARTS

Old Hat Guitars - This must be one of the vintage guitar market's biggest secrets. Based in a store in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England, Old Hat carry a very large inventory of old guitars and amps, with quite a number of old Hofners.

Fretted Americana - A retail store in Los Angeles, California which has a large stock of extremely high quality vintage guitars, including Hofners. David Brass, the owner, works very hard to ensure that the descriptions and provenance of his stock is 100%.

Music Ground Inc- A music store with a very active website and associated stores in Denmark Street, London, who specialise in vintage guitars of all makes.  Always a good stock of vintage Hofners, as well as an enormous number of other vintage and new guitars and amps.

Parts is Parts - A US company selling spares  for Hofner guitars and basses, and for many other vintage makes, such as Vox, Marshall, Bigsby, and Echoplex.

Real Vintage Guitars - Run by Nino Fazio in Italy. Some Hofners, but also many stunning vintage American instruments. The "Playmate of the Month" feature on the website is a must!!

Marnic Instruments - A company owned by Ton Paulussen in The Netherlands that retails current CT Hofners, together with own-brand Marnic budget guitars and banjos. 

GOOD MUSIC

Guitar Swing - A nice sounding German three-piece string/swing band.

Rolf Carlsson - Superb classy music from Sweden. Rolf is also a Hofner President player!

Nervous Records - Old-style Rock n Roll and Rockabilly!

The Dave Cartwright Website - Dave has been a professional musician for many years, recording, appearing on TV, and performing live all over the world.

508 Park - A Texas-based band that have a wide repertory. 

MISCELLANEOUS

TonePedia - A social site for guitarists where they can find and explore guitars and gear based on their sound. Users can open a profile and add their gear to it. When they add gear they can also upload a sound sample of it and even describe other gear that took part in the recording (pedal, amp, etc).

Rockbeare Guitars - Features a UK-based collection of guitars, amps, and associated gear, together with a blog and feedback facillity.

F. Charle Instruments de Musique à Cordes - A very classy shop in Paris that deals equally classy acoustic guitars including Selmer-Maccaferri. 

Irish 60's Showbands Vintage Instruments Museum - A superb record of the Showbands and which instruments they used back in the 1960's. Hofner guitars and basses were very popular with them!

The Broadway Guitars Website - Details of the old guitars marketed by Rose-Morris in the UK during the early 1960's. A Broadway 1921 Solid was my own first guitar!

Fetish Guitars - An Italian site run by Stefano Aria, which is full of old European guitars, including some Hofners. A must for the connoisseur of "cool" and very unusual guitars!

The Official Bert Weedon Website - Provides information on "Mr Hofner" of the 1950's and early 60's. Famous for his guitar tutor "Play in a Day", it has been said that Bert made the big time with "A Yard of German plywood".

The Sandstorms - A book all about life with this Bournemouth band back in the late 1950's and early 1960's. This really does capture the vibes from the old days!! (See below:

A book written by Roger Downton based on his experiences as a member of "The Sandstorms" in late 1950's/early 1960's Bournemouth. 

Price £5-95 plus Delivery.

Order your copy by clicking HERE.

Vintage Vertigo, written by François Charle, André Duchossoir and Arnaud Legrand, is full of vintage guitars associated with the French music scene over the years.

The Vintage Vertigo website is at  http://www.vintagevertigo.fr/

OPTIMA STRINGS 24 CARAT GOLD -PLATED GIVE  YOUR HOFNER A TREAT! Contact : Andrew Morgan (UK) Bob Cocozza (USA)

Hofner Artist Hawaiian Guitar, photo courtesy of Great Guitars, Australia. (Now Sold). Click HERE for further pictures of this guitar.