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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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)
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.
DEALERS IN VINTAGE
HOFNERS
& SPARE PARTS
Music
Ground- A music store in
Doncaster, England that carries large stocks of Hofner spares,
unfinished bodies and necks acquired from the Bubenreuth factory.
Always a good stock of vintage Hofners in the store, as well as an
enormous number of other vintage and new guitars and amps.
Great
Guitars Australia - Michael
Skehan runs a business "down-under" which specialises in vintage
guitars in general, and Hofner spare parts in
particular. His gallery page contains some great images of vintage
archtops.
Musikkeller
- A company in Germany that specialise in the sale of vintage
German guitars, including Hofners. They also supply Hofner
spare parts.
Project
Guitar Parts -
A UK company selling original vintage, new Hofner, and reproduction
spares for Hofner guitars and basses. Alan Exley runs this company.
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.
Music
Project -
A store, owned by Simon Catherall, in Wallasey, Liverpool which
specialises in vintage musical instruments, with a Beatles (and
Hofner!) bias.
Top
Gear Ltd -
A US store in Athens, GA that specialises in vintage gear, with a
distinctly 60's British feel about it! Also includes the Michael
Guthrie Band website.
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!!
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!
Jazzgitarren von Artur Lang - A very comprehensive website dedicated to the Artur Lang German archtops.
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".
Rick
Hardy - If you want
to read about the real story behind Cliff Richard, the Shadows, and the
Beatles,
visit this website. Rick was there and he played a major part in it all
!!
Flaxwood
Guitars - Guitars designed for
the 21st Century and made from very advanced materials.
Egmond
Guitars -
No, it's not a Hofner related site, but....I like the fact that Wim
Markenhof has put together information about a brand name of which very
little was previously known. Maybe a bit like the Selmer section of
this website!!??
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.
