1957 Höfner Club 50 renovation

[Hammertone]

Just for fun...

A local music student was looking for a small-bodied, short-scale jazz guitar, so I dug this out of the archives - a late '57 Höfner Club 50 with a carved top, and all sorts of problems. It probably would have languished in the bunker and been tossed after my eventual demise, but this was an excuse to revive it. As in, cleat the crack, reset the neck, plane and refret the board, and more.

She loved all the added decals and visible wear on the guitar - it tells a story. So, it's all still there.

She wanted a pickguard and I did find an old one that fits - celluloid (kaboom!). I did warn her to keep it away from open flames and not to shred too hard.

And ... WOW! it sounds great - warm and woody - with a set of TI Swings, new repro '60 OEM "toaster" pickups, a new control panel, new frets, and a new heel (that was the fun part). I was surprised by how good it sounds. Traditional archtop jazz guitar geometry with a 24 1/4" scale and a 13" body.

[pecktime]

Wow cool! No f holes though? What do you do when all the notes fill up on the inside?

[Hammertone]

Wow cool! No f holes though? What do you do when all the notes fill up on the inside

There are four tiny holes in the top, either left over from the original FUMA pickup installation, or venting holes for all the extra music build-up, hmmmm....

[Hammertone]

This one's next - '57 Club 40, a few months earlier. BIG neck. I have found the original control panel and pickguard, so I'll have it put together soon enough. For myself, at least for now. And a shot showing another, marginally newer Club 40 (newer pickup) w/pickguard and panel attached.