The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #51

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    Are Hofner (Hooofner) tops thick or thin? I'm talking about the soundboard. I really like the thin top on my Eastman--I can feel every note and I feel like it speaks more acoustically than a thicker top (it definitely produces a different sound to my ear).

    Also, has anyone played a Hofner with round wounds--how did it sound? I'm not sure if Jimmy Wyble played with round wounds on his Very Thin. All I know is that he loved that guitar.

    I have a Shadow AZ and I like it, for now... If I were to get another pup, I'd go completely custom--John Carruthers makes some good pups (he kept pressuring me to buy one when I took my guitar in for a refret)

    That old Hofner that Jimmy Raney played towards the end of his life looked absolutely wild. I wonder how it sounded in person.

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  3. #52

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    Speaking for my Jazzica, the top is incredibly thin relative to a Gibson-type of archtop. That and the single tone bar make it a very snappy and fast-responding instrument, and I typically use round-wounds on it.

  4. #53

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hammertone
    As of May, 2019, the Chancellor has disappeared from Hofner's website. Up until earlier in 2019, there were a couple of archtops shown, including a German-made Chancellor, an all-laminated German-made "New Committee", and a bunch of Chinese-made archtops. They have all been removed. Maybe they'll be back tomorrow. Or not. There may be one or two in varying states of assembly hanging from the ceiling at Hofner, waiting to be completed, or a stack of top and back plates sitting on a shelf, gathering dust. Or not. Maybe a Chancellor will pop up again on their site, or at a retailer, offering Chancellor lovers some choice. Or not.
    I certainly don't see them trying to get back into the archtop marketplace anytime soon, let alone make more Chancellors. Hofner made fewer than 150 of these guitars between 2003 and 2018 and they don't come up for sale, new or used, very often. This one for sale is a really lovely guitar. We'll see how long it takes to sell. If someone here chooses to buy it, perhaps they will post their impressions.
    Proving the point, now Chancellor-lovers have a choice.

    Here's one, finished in 2019, dressed to sort of resemble a well-played Hofner archtop from the mid-1960s. How about that, eh? Only USD @8,000, plus shipping.
    Hofner The Chancellor Aged Prototype*One of a Kind All Solid | Reverb
    It has a reliced wax finish, a cool idea that Hofner has played around with a bit.

    And Thomann has had a natural finish one in stock for awhile, or so they claim (bottom). This one dates back to 2016, and has a catalyzed polyester finish:
    Hofner Chancellor Natural – Thomann United States
    [ed: looks like this one got sold.]

    And here's another new one - lovely! As an observer might note, no one has clue about these guitars - look at the price spread.
    Hofner Chancellor Violin Finish HC-V-0 | Reverb
    Attached Images Attached Images Hofner Chancellor-hof-chancellor-beyers-png Hofner Chancellor-screen-shot-2019-02-21-3-09-48-am-jpg Hofner Chancellor-hof-chancellor-americanguitarshopberlin-png 
    Last edited by Hammertone; 06-02-2020 at 02:24 AM.

  5. #54

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hammertone

    CMI's posted neck measurements are a bit off, I think. Unless I was drunk when I took these measurement from this instrument before originally selling it, the actual neck dimensions are:
    -width at nut: 1 23/32" | 1.7188" | 4.37 cm.
    -width at 12th fret: 2 3/32" | 2.0938" | 5.3182 cm.
    -depth at 1st fret: 29/32" | 0.9063" | 2.302 cm.
    -depth at 12th fret: 1" | 1" | 2.54 cm.
    The guitar has a carved top, carved back and solid maple rims.
    Very useful information, thanks for that. Do you also know if the Chancellor really has a 7.25" fretboard radius? Seems unlikely to me and would certainly be a dealbreaker.

  6. #55

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    I don't know, but I suspect that's unlikely. What I can do is check the fretboard radius on the four Chancellors I have here, maybe along with those on a few New Presidents and Jazzicas. To quote George Wootton, channeled through the immortal Lone Watie, of course, "Let us endeavour to persevere!"
    Last edited by Hammertone; 05-23-2019 at 12:51 PM.

  7. #56

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    Well, I'm not planning to buy one of the currently offered Chancellors but at one point in my life I want to add a carved top and back floating pickup 17" archtop to my L5 CES and the Chancellor has very interesting specs to me. And it would certainly be good to know about the fretboard radius they usually have. Of course I could just write an email to Hofner so please don't go through lengths to measure yours. But if you own those radius measure tools (don't know how to call them but you sure know what I mean) that let you measure the radius without removing the strings, I would certainly appreciate receiving this information from a reliable source as yourself.

  8. #57

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    Quote Originally Posted by Drifter
    Of course I could just write an email to Hofner...
    The lovely old folks who are in charge of such things are very busy with whatever keeps them busy. Dealing with interested potential buyers of expensive guitars prevents them from doing their very important work, so they usually ignore emails. Faster and easier if I do it. More to come.
    Last edited by Hammertone; 06-02-2020 at 02:26 AM.

  9. #58

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    Those are some gorgeous guitars, and the couch is indeed nice as well. Sorry for being late to the party.

  10. #59

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    The party has been over for quite some time, actually.

  11. #60

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hammertone
    ...More to come.
    Yes, please! Also, the party ain't over till it's over. Especially with a guitar like that.

  12. #61

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    I measured the fretbord radius on two Chancellors and will check two other Chancellors. I'll also measure a couple of Jazzicas and New Presidents. The fretboard of each Chancellor has a compound radius, from 7 1/4" at the nut end to @9 1/2" at the body end. Now I know - previously I just played the things and was impressed with their comfort and playability.

    Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
    Last edited by Hammertone; 05-25-2019 at 01:55 AM.

  13. #62

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    Now that's interesting! A compound radius and a pretty round one on top of that. I like a radius like that on a Fender style guitar but even there I'd prefer it a little flatter. I've never played a Chancellor but I would certainly be interested in trying one. Maybe it is perfectly comfortable. The nut width and neck thickness are are exactly how I like it. Thanks a lot for taking your time to measure!

  14. #63

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    Quote Originally Posted by Drifter
    Now that's interesting! A compound radius and a pretty round one on top of that. I like a radius like that on a Fender style guitar but even there I'd prefer it a little flatter. I've never played a Chancellor but I would certainly be interested in trying one. Maybe it is perfectly comfortable. The nut width and neck thickness are are exactly how I like it. Thanks a lot for taking your time to measure!
    Well, American Guitar Shop in Berlin has one - why don't you go over there and try it out, since you are also in Berlin? Doing a deal with them is your business, but playing it would certainly give you an idea of what the model is all about.
    They are at Goethestraße 32/49, 10625 Berlin | Phone: +49 30 31504644

    Beyer's has one and they are near Essen - not sure if you ever get over there from Berlin - bit of a drive.
    Last edited by Hammertone; 06-02-2020 at 02:27 AM.

  15. #64

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    Indeed, there's one available at the American Guitar store, I didn't know that, thanks for pointing it out. Very pricey though, you're right, don't think it'll sell anytime soon. I should give it a try some time, although I'd be risking a bad case of GAS once again.

  16. #65

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    Höfner plus Berlin spells Guitar Doc in Köpenicker Straße. He has new old stock, too - discovered bodies and necks from the sixties and built new guitars from them.


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  17. #66

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hammertone
    The party has been over for quite some time, actually.
    Quote Originally Posted by Hammertone
    As of May, 2019, the Chancellor has disappeared from Hofner's website. I certainly don't see them trying to get back into the archtop marketplace anytime soon, let alone make more Chancellors
    And, as of July 2019, there were no archtop guitars listed on Hofner's website.
    As of October 2019, there are a few archop guitars listed on Hofner's website.
    As of June, 2020, there are still a few archtop guitars listed
    on Hofner's website.

    Last edited by Hammertone; 06-02-2020 at 02:29 AM.

  18. #67

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    I finally got to play that Chancellor at the American Guitar Shop and it was an interesting experience indeed. As expected, it is an exquisite guitar in all aspects. Coming from a Crimson L5 CES the neck felt a little fatter and just a tiny bit wider. Alas I didn't like the strings and it wasn't setup to my liking so it didn't play as easily as my L5 but I am sure that I could set it up to my preferences with the strings I prefer so that it would play like butter. The radius wasn't an issue at all, it just felt right. The acoustic tone is strong and beautiful but didn't quite have the same finesse as a Heritage Golden Eagle I once owned but sold for its skinny neck. Then again, it is a nearly new guitar and I am sure that the tone will develop the more it is played. The electric tone is heavenly as expected. Don't know about feedback, I just played very softly in a small cabin in the store.

    Interestingly this guitar already has a story to tell - it has been sold once to a German celebrity who took it on a hiking trip (yikes) and returned it afterwards in a state so beat-up that the shop had to return it to Hofner to have it refinished. Not sure why they took it back in the first place. And when inspected closely, it seems to have gotten a beating since then as well, quite a few superficial scratches, all in all slightly used condition as typically seen on floor models in guitar stores. Nothing to care about if you're a player but still an argument for price negotiations, especially in that price range. As is the refinish of course. Well, the offer they have made will probably not keep me awake at night. I really liked the guitar but it wasn't love at first sight, mostly because of the strings and setup. And I don't think that they will sell it anytime soon for the price they are asking. I wish them good luck though, that shop is certainly the most likeable guitar store in town, always has been.

  19. #68

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    Cool. That guitar appears to have a shellac finish, like a violin. Very soft, very scratchable, but infinitely repairable. Most likely, Hofner didn't refinish the guitar, they just had one of their violin finish guys "French Polish" it, adding and amalgamating shellac to restore the original finish.

  20. #69

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    You're probably right. I have zero experience with shellac finishes. It didn't look so different to a nitro finish though. Either way, it is very beautiful.

  21. #70

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    I know I totally missed this party, but I'm still wondering if there are any Chancellor's out there? I noticed they have one on the Hofner site.

    I'm a huge Hofner fan and had a chance to get a hold of an HM-96 Gigue a few years back, but the Chancellor has been on my mind for a long time now. I also have a couple of the Very Thin JS variety: a blonde and a brunette. Still can't seem to get enough, it seems.

    Any Idea if they are still making them, and a way an American guy like me can get one? I really want one with a violin finish!

  22. #71

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mwhitcombb
    I know I totally missed this party, but I'm still wondering if there are any Chancellor's out there? I noticed they have one on the Hofner site.
    I'm a huge Hofner fan and had a chance to get a hold of an HM-96 Gigue a few years back, but the Chancellor has been on my mind for a long time now. I also have a couple of the Very Thin JS variety: a blonde and a brunette. Still can't seem to get enough, it seems.
    Any Idea if they are still making them, and a way an American guy like me can get one? I really want one with a violin finish!
    Welcome to the forum. Where are you located?
    As per the posts above, the following Chancellors are available at retail:
    Hofner The Chancellor Aged Prototype*One of a Kind All Solid | Reverb
    Hofner Chancellor Violin Finish HC-V-0 | Reverb
    and one in the US:
    Hofner Chancellor 2008 Natural | Saratoga Guitar | Reverb

    There may be more - I'll poke around a bit and see.
    As well, I can always arrange for you to get one from Hofner in Germany, via the US distributor.
    Check your PM.


    Last edited by Hammertone; 05-29-2020 at 08:05 PM.

  23. #72

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    I stumbled onto a well-played violin varnish Chancellor on Reverb in December. I’m a big fan of this guitar. Keep hunting!

  24. #73

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    Here's another one for you. Leihinstrumente has been a big supporter of Hofner German-made jazz guitars over the years:
    Full-Resonance Archtop Jazz Guitar HOFNER CHANCELLOR HC-V-0 Gold Label + hardscase - Schellack - all solid, Factory-new buy at www.leihinstrumente.com, Guitars, Archtop Guitars, musical instruments, Archtop-Guitars, Jazz-Guitars, JG-HC-V-0
    Attached Images Attached Images Hofner Chancellor-20-05-30-leihinstrumente-jpg 
    Last edited by Hammertone; 06-02-2020 at 02:51 AM.

  25. #74

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    Beyers had a thinline one as well - not sure if it's still available:
    Hofner Thin Chancellor - Handmade in Germany - finest top | Reverb
    Attached Images Attached Images Hofner Chancellor-hof-chancellor-beyers-thinline-reverb-png 

  26. #75

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    Quote Originally Posted by Irez87

    That old Hofner that Jimmy Raney played towards the end of his life looked absolutely wild. I wonder how it sounded in person.
    That was one of four made at the time. Pat Metheny has one of them I believe. Jimmy's was in Copenhagen at one time, where Doug Raney lived.