HOFNER
LINKS
From Jean-Pierre Legendre
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.
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.
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.
Trevino Music Enterprise - Frank Trevino's site in Hawaii. Deals with the Beatles, Vintage Vox amps, and Hofner 500/1 bass guitars. There is an excellent page on this site which deals with the dating of 500/1 basses.
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 full Selmer/Hofner 1968 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.
HOFNER RELATED DISCUSSION
GROUPS & FORUMS
Hofner
Hounds Discussion Forum - Run
by Nick Wass, 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.
Voxtalks
- Another
dedicated Beatle discussion group, which includes topics on the Hofner
guitars used at various times by Paul, George, and John.
BOOKS WITH INFORMATION ON
HOFNERS
"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!
"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
James Payze Guitar Services - If you need a repair, restoration, or a set-up for your guitar, or even a custom guitar made, James Payze in Suffolk, England, may be the one to help you. He also carries out very impressive restorations of vintage amps.
Hania Guitars - Martin Harrison in Lincolnshire is a top class luthier and guitar repairer/restorer. He is highly experienced in working on Hofner guitars and basses.
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.
Project Guitar Parts - A UK company selling original vintage, new Hofner, and reproduction spares for Hofner guitars and basses. Alan Exley runs this company.
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.
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.
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!
Soulweaver - Check out their demo video of "Rememberance Day" by clicking HERE.
Nervous Records - Old-style Rock n Roll and Rockabilly!
Jazzgitarren von Artur Lang - A very comprehensive website dedicated to the Artur Lang German archtops.
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".
Olivewood Parlour Guitars - This website showcases the beautiful guitars made by Malcolm Weaver.
The new book by Nick Wass and Harry Sibum; full of 1950/60's nostalgia and old
Hofners!! See a preview and order your copy direct from the publishers.
Click on the logo.......... 
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OPTIMA
STRINGS
24 CARAT GOLD -PLATED GIVE YOUR HOFNER A TREAT! Contact : Andrew Morgan (UK) Bob Cocozza (USA) |
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