Harry Sianian's Hofner Model 495/S Acoustic Guitar.

The following picture-sets of Hofner flattop 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 on the website, 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 the photographs of that particular example.

EUROPEAN & US MARKET GUITARS


6-STRING "CLASSIC" ACOUSTIC GUITARS:

• HOFNER MODEL 509 "CLASSIC" ACOUSTIC GUITAR
   The Model 509 was at the more basic end of the range and was fitted with steel strings. It had a solid spruce top with laminated sides and slightly arched back, but no body binding. The small body lower bout measurement was 13½". This lovely example is owned by Franck Raimundo in France.
  
  
• HOFNER MODEL 512 ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  Again, a very basic guitar with painted binding to the body and soundhole. This model seem to have varied in specification over the years - sometimes it had a laminated body top, sometimes a solid spruce top. Also, it was shown in the catalogue at various times fitted with either nylon or steel strings. Owned by Joachim Herl in Germany.
  
  
• HOFNER MODEL 5121 "CLASSIC" ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  By the 1970's the 512 seems to have developed into the 5120 and 5121 models. These were nylon-strung guitars with a solid spruce top and a decal-type soundhol;e rosette. The 5121 had a polished gloss finish with a light brown stained top, whereas the 5120 had a mat finish and natural un-tinted top. Only the top of the body was bound. This lovely example is owned by Donnie Martinez.
  
  
• HOFNER MODEL 513 "CLASSIC" ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  A little higher up in the budget acoustics range, this little guitar had a solid spruce top with laminated maple back and sides. It also sported a modest soundhole decoration which was carved into the top. As appears common with the budget "Classics", the guitar was designed to use steel strings, although certain Hofner catalogues describe the guitar as being nylon strung. The 513 had a lower bout measurement of 13½", but a larger bodied version with a lower bout of 14" was also produced called the 513G model. This example is owned by Christopher in Madrid, Spain.
  
  
• HOFNER MODEL 517 "CLASSIC" ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  I am fairly sure that this a 517, but confirmation of that would be appreciated! Solid spruce top, flame maple back and sides, and "herring-bone" purfling around the body top and soundhole. No binding to the back of the body though. (!) This example is owned by Tim in Belgium.
  
  
• HOFNER MODEL 522 "CLASSIC" ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  Also one of the "Classic Guitars for Beginners" range. This steel-strung guitar is easily identified by its trapeze tailpiece and screwed-on scratchplate. All body timbers were laminated maple. During the 1970's, there was actually a nylon-strung version called the Model 522a, with a conventional glued-on classical bridge tailpiece. Owned by Richard Arnold.
  
  
• HOFNER MODEL 4830 "CLASSIC" ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  This model was at the top of  Hofner's "Classic Guitars for Beginners" range in the 1970's. It had a solid spruce top and nicely flamed maple back and sides. Binding was only applied around the top edge of the body however. Owned by Bryan Hackett of Yorkshire, England.
  
  

6-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITARS

Hofner's mid to top-end steel-strung acoustics. 

• HOFNER MODEL 486 ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  A beautiful old flat topped guitar, made in the classical style but with steel strings and a tailpiece! Owned by Gord Fisher. The alternative Model 486a was nylon strung and fitted with a classical guitar style bridge and no scratchplate.
  
  
• 1970's HOFNER MODEL 489 "WESTERN" GUITAR
  Hofner's budget flattop through the 1970's. Solid spruce top, with modestly flamed maple back and sides.
  
  
• 1970 HOFNER MODEL 489 "WESTERN" GUITAR
  A flattop with solid spruce top and a flame maple back. This particular guitar has had a De Armond pickup fitted to its soundhole. It is also finished in sunburst, which is very unusual for a 489. Owned by Mark in Canada.
  
  
• 1970's HOFNER MODEL 4890 "WESTERN" GUITAR
  The 4890 model was the slightly deluxe version of the 489. It had a more ornate soundhole rosette and the maple back and sides was stained a darker colour. This example is owned by Bernhard Zubragel of Germany.
  
  
• 1966 HOFNER MODEL 491 "WESTERN" GUITAR
  A good quality spruce/mahogany flattop, acting as Hofner's answer to the Gibson J45. This one's a brunette, but blonde top finishes were also available for a few more marks/dollars. Owned by Soren Koch in Copenhagen, Denmark.
  
  
• 1967 HOFNER MODEL 491 "WESTERN" GUITAR
  A nice example of a mid 1960's Hofner 491, owned by Lennox Killner. This guitar has been played by three generations of the Killner family..  
  
  
• 1970 HOFNER MODEL 491 "WESTERN" GUITAR
  Another brunette 491, but this one is a little later than the last with a more ornate rosette, improved bridge, and enclosed machine-heads. Owned by Eric Miller in California, USA
  
  
• Early 1970's HOFNER MODEL 491E "WESTERN" GUITAR
  A left handed 491, factory fitted with a soundhole pickup and body-top-mounted controls. Owned by Charles Broschart in the USA.
  
  
• Mid/Late 1970's HOFNER MODEL 491 ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  A later, and maybe more typical example of the Hofner 491. Owned by Bernhard Zubragel in Germany. 
  
  
• Mid 1950's HOFNER MODEL 495/S ACOUSTIC CUTAWAY  GUITAR
  An unusual guitar. Good quality with solid spruce top and mahogany back/sides. Beautiful headstock inlays, a five-piece neck, and...a body cutaway. This particular guitar is steel-strung, although Hofner originally intended it to be nylon strung, hence the classical style bridge/tailpiece. A non-cutaway version was also produced. Owned by Philippe in the South of France.
  
  
• Mid 1950's HOFNER MODEL 495/S ACOUSTIC CUTAWAY GUITAR
  Another nice example of the 495/S. Harry Sinanian of Queensland, Australia has supplied some excellent detail photos of his guitar.
  
  
• Mid 1950's HOFNER MODEL 495/S ACOUSTIC CUTAWAY GUITAR
  This version of the 495 has a "pin-type" bridge for steel strings. Seems like Hofner made versions for both steel and nylon stringing. The guitar has also been signed by Pat Halcox, and Chris Slaughter, both well respected Jazz players back in the 1950's. Owned by Hans Stamer (R&B Allstars; Hans Stamer Band; Stamer & Schuld; Long John Baldry; etc).
  
  
• Late 1950's HOFNER MODEL 495 ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  This 495 is the version without the body cutaway. Because the headstock has the bold Hofner logo but no-truss rod, I would guess that it was made between about 1957 and 1959. Owned by Johann Frisch in Bavaria, Germany.
  
  
• 1964/65 HOFNER MODEL 495/S ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  It would seem that around 1964, Hofner were using a method of bolting the neck to the body horizontally through an un-glued joint. This technique is illustrated in the photos of this particular example. Many thanks to Hans Peter Müller of Germany for showing us this feature on his guitar.
  
  
• 1964/65 HOFNER MODEL 495/S ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  Another fine example of the 495/S, owned by Dan Nicholson in London, UK.
  
  
• Late 1950's HOFNER MODEL 496 ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  I believe that this guitar is an early version of the 496 model. It does not have the fancy pickguard or the purfling at the bottom of the body top of later examples, but otherwise all the usual features are there - gold plated tuners with elaborate buttons, ebony fingerboard with "arrow-head" fret markers, and superb body timbers. This very beautiful old guitar is owned by Russ Parker in Derbyshire, England. 
  
  
• 1964 HOFNER MODEL 496 "WESTERN" GUITAR
  Top of the range flattop from Hofner during the 1960s and 70s. Heavily encrusted in mother of pearl inlays, flamed maple and ebony. This one is the cutaway body version, owned by Ramsey McKinnon up there in Scotland.
  
  
• 1960's HOFNER MODEL 496 "WESTERN" GUITAR
  A non-cutaway Model 496 this time, owned by Mike Kennedy in Pennsylvania, USA.
  
  
• HOFNER MODEL 496 "WESTERN" GUITAR
  A lovely example of Hofner's prestige flattop, owned by Jean-Marie Lavall of Paris, France.
  
  
• 1975 HOFNER MODEL 496 ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  Another example of Hofner's premier flattop from the 1960's and 70's. Owned by Greg Feo in California, USA.
  
  
• 1974 HOFNER MODEL 496 ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  I'm fairly sure that this is a 496, despite the fact that the fret markers and headstock inlays are not quite the same as every other 496 I have seen. It does have the beautiful spruce/flame maple inlayed body, the mother of pearl, and the gold plating though. Owned by Tom Dees of Tennessee, USA.
  
  
• 1980's HOFNER MODEL 4914 ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  I'm not 100% confident that this guitar is a Model 4914 (??), but it is a beauty! The rosewood back/sides look superb, and the guitar is obviously of a high quality. Owned by Sascha in Germany.
  
  
• 1983 HOFNER MODEL HA-43 ACOUSTIC GUITAR
   In the early 1980's, Hofner introduced their "HA" series of acoustic flattops which superseded the previous long-running "4--" series acoustics. The HA-43 cutaway was the top of the new range, and featured a spruce/rosewood body, maple neck, and ebony fingerboard. It was offered with piezo electrics as a factory option, as on this guitar, owned by Bernhard Zubragel. 



• THE HOFNER "DOVE" ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  No prizes for guessing where Hofner got their idea for this one! Some 12-string verions of this Gibson-look-a-like also exist.
  
  
• c1990 HOFNER CHRYSALIS ELECTRIC-ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  A flattop guitar fitted with a piezo pickup, that was produced for a short time between 1989 and 1991. Apparently only fifty of these guitars were ever made. It features an eliptical sound hole and slotted headstock, with a heavily tapered body depth. I assume that it was Hofner's up-to-date version of the old "gypsy-jazz" Selmer Maccaferrri guitars. It looks absolutely gorgeous though with a stunning black/red sunburst finish. Apparently a deluxe version was also produced called the Chysalis Special. Owned by Bob Cocozza in Florida, USA.

12-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITARS:

• 1970 HOFNER MODEL 490 12-STRING GUITAR
  A nice original example of Hofner's base model 12 string guitar. Spruce top and blonde flame maple sides. Owned by Michael Trowbridge.
  
  
• c1970 HOFNER MODEL 490 12-STRING GUITAR
  This guitar displays the un-stained maple back and modest body binding of the 490, but has a fairly elaborate soundhole decoration. Owned by Bernhard Zubragel in Germany.
  
  
• 1972 HOFNER MODEL 490 12-STRING GUITAR
  A sunburst example of the 490, which is fairly unusual. Most 490's are a natural finish. Owned by Franck Raimundo in France. 
  
  
• 1973 HOFNER MODEL 490 12-STRING GUITAR
  A nice original example of the 490, owned by Michael Bonnevie in Denmark.
  
  
• 1970's HOFNER MODEL 490M 12 STRING GUITAR
  Hofner's budget 12 string, the 490, was supplied with either a "polished" gloss finish, or matt. This is the matt version, and it's owned by William Schart of Texas, USA.
  
  
• MID 60'S HOFNER MODEL 492 12-STRING GUITAR
  A 492 fitted with a very unusual "T"-shaped bridge/tailpiece. Has anyone ever seen anything similar? Was this bridge factory fitted? An interesting guitar owned by Brian Penikas of the USA.
  
  
• 1966 HOFNER MODEL 492 12-STRING GUITAR
  A fine example of an early Hofner 492, with its spruce top and mahogany back & sides. Gary Scourtas, of Massachusetts USA, describes the guitar's recent history.
  
  
• 1966 HOFNER MODEL 492 "WESTERN" 12 STRING GUITAR
  ........and a brunette finish 492, owned by Ola Paulson of Sweden.
  
  
• LATE 60s/EARLY 70's HOFNER MODEL 492E ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC 12 STRING GUITAR
  Another 492, but this time an electric! The pickup is built into the end of the fretboard. Owned by Barry Garvin of Ontario, Canada.
  
  
• 1977 HOFNER MODEL 492 "WESTERN" 12 STRING GUITAR
  Solid spruce top and mahogany back/sides. A large number of these "Western" guitars seem to have been sold in the US during the 1970's. This one is owned by Frank Rokob of the USA.
  
  
• 1972 HOFNER MODEL 499 12 STRING GUITAR
  Top of the range model with spruce top and rosewood back and sides. Owned by Dennis Perkins in North Carolina, USA.
  
  
• 1969 HOFNER MODEL 499E 12 STRING GUITAR
  This is an example of an early 499 factory-fitted with a pickup set-in to the end of the fingerboard. Owned by John Hyde of Sydney, Australia.
  
  
• 1973 HOFNER 12-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  This is a good quality Hofner 12-string, with superior fretboard and headstock inlays. I think that it is a Model 499, but the body back and sides do look rather like mahogany instead of rosewood. Can anyone else confirm the model? A very nice guitar, owned by Shane in the USA.
  
  

CLASSICAL GUITARS:

• HOFNER MODEL 485 CLASSICAL GUITAR
  This is the European/US market of the UK Selmer distributed Vienna Classical. It has the carved rosette and flame maple back/sides of the Vienna, but it does not have the Vienna's fingerboard fret markers, nor of course the Model/Serial # label inside the body. The headstock is also a slightly different shape. Owned by Simon Cockell in Tasmania.
  
  
• 1950's/60's HOFNER MODEL 493 CLASSICAL GUITAR
  A mid-range classical guitar with spruce top, beautiful rosewood back and sides, and a lovely mosaic soundhole decoration, all of which gave this guitar a similar appearance to the more expensive Model 497. However, the 493 had a slightly smaller body at  at 14¼" across the lower bout. It also had a three-piece neck together with a rosewood fingerboard and bridge, which on the 497 were ebony. This very attractive guitar is owned by Claus in Denmark.
  
  
• c1958 HOFNER MODEL 494 CLASSICAL GUITAR
  I am fairly sure that this guitar is a Model 494 because of it's birds eye maple back/sides, and also because of the very pretty dog's tooth purfling around the body sides and soundhole. It is a very interesting classical guitar in that it has a cantilevered 5-piece neck over the body top. Owned by Brock Hansler in Toronto, Canada. 
  
  
• 1967 HOFNER MODEL 494 CLASSICAL GUITAR
  Previously part of Daniel Lee's collection, this guitar features stunning birds eye maple timbers and beautiful binding and purfling. Thanks to Great Guitars, Australia for the pictures.
  
  
• HOFNER MODEL 497 CLASSICAL GUITAR
  A large bodied (14¾" body width) classical guitar with solid spruce top and beautifully figured rosewood back and sides. This was one of Hofner's better quality classicals, made over a long period spanning the 1950's, 60's, and 70's. Heavy purfling/binding to the body edges, inlayed soundhole, and a five piece neck made this an impressive instrument. Owned by Harry Leek of Leicestershire, England. 
  
  
• 1966 HOFNER MODEL 498 CLASSICAL GUITAR
  Hofner's premium flattop for many years - they described it as an "instrument of master class". It had the large 14¾" body width, with a solid spruce top and superb (but laminated) flame maple back and sides. A three-piece neck was fitted on this 1966 version of the 498, plus ebony fingerboard, gold-plated tuners, and elaborate binding/purfling around the body. Owned by Wolfgang Eggersdorfer in Germany.
  
  
• HOFNER "TREND STYLE" MODEL TS4 "KONFETTI" 
  During 1989 and 1990, Hofner produced a range of classical style guitars with extremely trendy finishes: 
  • The TS1 - "Blue Stripes"
  • The TS2 - "Harlekin"
  • The TS3 - "Zebra"
  • The TS4 - "Konfetti" (as on this example)

  Apparently there were also two short necked "Youth Guitars" called the TS30 and TS40 for younger players which were finished in similar outrageous colours. Many thanks to Alfred Ruhfass in Germany for the photos and information.
  
  

• HOFNER "TREND STYLE" MODEL TS3 "ZEBRA"
  And now an example of the Trend-Style Zebra. Pictures supplied by Isy Galey in Australia.




• c1984 HOFNER MODEL CS1 ELECTRIC CLASSICAL GUITAR
  Produced between 1982 and 1985, this little guitar was Hofner's answer to the Gibson Chet Atkins CEC model. It had a body depth of 2" and a solid sustain block in a hollow body. A piezzo-ceramic pickup was fitted to the bridge, and according to the catalogue, the circuit included a 9 volt preamp..........although this particular guitar has a passive circuit! Owned by Bob Cocozza in Florida, USA. 
  
  

HOFNER GUITARS MADE IN SPAIN:

• 1960's HOFNER ACOUSTIC 12-STRING SLOTTED HEADSTOCK GUITAR
  An acoustic 12-string flattop with slotted headstock. Owned by Juanjo Llopiz Joga of Madrid, Spain.
  
  
• 1960's HOFNER ELECTRIC 12-STRING SLOTTED HEADSTOCK GUITAR
  The electric version of the above, owned by Armand Valeta in Spain.