Not much love for Höfner Archtops?

[SierraTango]

Thank you, HT for placing a timeline on the Bruno/Hofner connection. I was introduced to Benedetto through Jimmy in the 90's and if I could have afforded one I would have ordered. I was at the 2005 NAMM show when the Sadowsky Bruno model was introduced. His bass player was Tal Wilkenfeld, she almost stole the show. I wandered over to the Hofner booth and it was pretty quiet. If I remember correctly at least one of the guitars in your photos was on display.
With all your knowledge I would assume you are/were involved with importing these instruments?

[Hammertone]

Show me a solid, carved, 17 inch archtop Hofner with a single mounted neck pickup and 2 knobs on the top, bound f-holes, 3 inch rims, bound ebony fingerboard, and a pretty, shiny, metal tailpiece (can't stand wooden tailpieces).

Somthing like this, but with bound f-holes?
I like the ivory, but maybe you prefer a nice sunburst finish?

[Hammertone]

...I get what you say about the company size but there are small output luthiers that are desired by many but aren't big outfits so I think it is cart before the horse to blame the popularity and numbers treasured on the company size.

Yes, they are small, but, to be clear, their position in the marketplace is the result of their utter incompetency when it comes to marketing.The forex situation as mentioned above is another important factor - thanks DRS. Other than having a bit of fun, I usually try to simply impart information that is not so easy to find. I think some of the comments above speak to your point and are very insightful.

….I would assume you are/were involved with importing these instruments?

I began working with Hofner in 1999. In 2007, I became the distribution agent for Canada. That's why I have several NOS Hofner guitars that I am selling (as well as a few that I am keeping - I like them!). I usually work at the Hofner booth at NAMM, and will be there this year as well. If any of you attend the show, come on down! [ed: After taking a break from 2012-2015, I became involved in Hofner distribution again. In 2019 and up to now, mid 2020, production has been so low that I don't have anything to distribute!]

[50Hz]

I have a Red Korean HI-J5 with a floater and I love it. For the small amount of money I paid for it I'm pleased and I really like the German designs as well as they seem very clean. If I had the cash I'd love to love to try out a Chancellor with the Floater/pickguard mounted controls in the blonde finish. And I hadn't noticed the German models have the heel joint lower down and that actually appeals to me as well. All I need to do now is fast forward a few years till I'm out of school and working again haha.

[Chimera1to1]

Their archtops look beautiful and can't understand that their most frequent mentions on the net are often that someone is selling theirs.

Alan Gregory in the UK has a great website full of Hofner's but I went in the other day and all they had was a Chinese verithin.

I was considering a German verithin (25.5 scale) as an alternative to my teles

[fumblefingers]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I have always found them to be quite homely.

[Hammertone]

A German Verythin (25.25" scale) is actually a great alternative for the Tele player looking for a semi. These guitars are really easy to handle for players used to Fenders - the scale is similar and the sound is sort of between Fender and Gibson. I used to market them as "the semi for Fender players."

I think the reason you see ads for used ones as opposed to new ones is simpy because in the past few years, Hofner has really moved to more of a Custom Shop "Limited Edition" approach for German-built jazz guitars and Verythins. This means that there are extremely few new ones on the market. These new ones have been done mostly in custom finishes and colours. Very few of these make it to the USA.

At the same time, the used market continues to cycle through with all sorts of activity, including a representative number of Verythin Classics and Standards, mostly built between 2000 and 2010. I have sold out my stock of Verythin Standards and only have Verythin Classics left for sale - once those are gone, it will be hard for me to get any more. I'll probably get Custom Shop ones in the future if I can get them at all.

[michael_s]

hi all,
I am new to this board and just received a hofner archtop via ebay, very nice guitar but I am totally unable to identify the model (no sticker or serial#).

some details:

16'' wide
2.36'' (6cm) deep
25 1/4'' scale

attila zoller PU, vol and tone knobs fitted on body (not ebony pickguard), probably "re-electrified"?
gotoh tuners (no trace of a change)
very hofner-unlike tailpiece (again no trace of changeover)





seller was not very knowledgeable, said it´s a "chancellor made in 2000 for the US market" which I doubt very much :wink:

I understand that there are some real hofner experts around and would be grateful for any claryfing posts...

michael

[Hammertone]

My, my. Someone's been having some fun.

The body and neck of the guitar are that of a Thin President made @2004, made in Hagenau. This started out as the "Jimmy Bruno" model.
- 22 fret neck
- ebony/mop fingerboard
- 16th fret neck/body joint
- carved spruce top
- a bit under 16" in width
- etc.
The hardware and the finish are not what Hofner used for any of those guitars.
- excellent pickup, IMO
- that tailpiece was used on archtops made in the former East Germany during the 1950s and 1960s
- the bridge, pickguard, trussrod cover and tuners are also not to any Hofner specification.

Attached are pix of the Hofner version - these have set-in pickups, but they also came with floating pickups.





This version of the Thin President, as well as the Jazzica and Zoller models, had controls mounted to the top combined with floating pickups. I'd swap out those very heavy-lookng knobs for lightweight wood or plastic ones reduce stress on the top, btw. It's most likely that the body was sold "white" (without finish or hardware) and finished elsewhere, if there aren't any visible mounting holes for a previous tailpiece, tuners, trc and so forth.

It looks like really nicely put-together guitar.

Hofner also did up this body as a Thin President (first version) with two pickups and nickel hardware. Here:


It makes sense for the seller to have called it a "chancellor made in 2000 for the US market" since the Chancellor is Hofner's most expensive archtop with a street price new of over US$6,500 and almost never comes up for sale used. But that guitar was only launched in 2004, and is a 17"-wide archtop with 3" rims. Here's one:

[michael_s]

Thank you so much, hammertone!
In the flesh the body looks like it might be in the genuine violin finish - pictures above were taken with flash, here's one without:



I think I'll try my luck hunting for an ebony tailpiece and ebony knobs...

[Hammertone]

Thank you so much, hammertone!
In the flesh the body looks like it might be in the genuine violin finish - pictures above were taken with flash, here's one without …[ ]...I think I'll try my luck hunting for an ebony tailpiece and ebony knobs...

Hard to tell from here what the finish is, but it looks like it was done quite professionally.
Please post pix of the back of the headstock and the back of the body - it's always nice to see these guitars.

Any Hofner dealer can get you a correct ebony Hofner tailpiece.
Ebony knobs are widely availble.

To find a European dealer (I'm guessing you are in Europe):
Hofner Guitars and Strings

[Hammertone]

A brief update is in order. It's pretty simple. Speaking in terms of current and recent jazz and electric instruments (since @2000), Gibson (and any of the other well-known "American" brands), makes more guitars, spends more on marketing, and provides more support and instruments to high-profile artists in a day than Hofner does in, er, ah, several years.

Most of the jazz players associated with modern Hofners still have them, but have moved on with instruments provided to them by more active luthiers and companies. Bobby Broom was given a Koentopp by Dan, John Stowell endorses Soulezza, and also plays a Soloette and a Doolin. Sid was playing a Hafling last I checked. They all still have their Hofners, I'm sure.

These days, Hofner makes the occasional jazz guitar, but their electric instrument focus seems to be more on Beatle basses and other non-jazz-oriented instruments. I suspect we will see very few European-built Hofner jazz guitars for the next while - I grab them whenever the opportunity presents itself, and will continue to offer them to players for as long as I can get them.

[pcjazz]

The late great Jimmy Wyble loved his Verithin.

[neatomic]

not that hofner basses can't be used in a jazzy situation..chris wood of medeski, martin and wood...uses hofner club and violin basses...they thump nicely with flats!



cheers

[Dedalus]

The late great Jimmy Wyble loved his Verithin.

Love those videos on YouTube of Jimmy playing his Verithin.

[child as audience]

The Stowell is the one that got me into looking at Hofner. I’ve always wanted one. I still don’t have one, and have never seen or played one.

I did did however pick up a blonde Jazzica finished in nitro with black binding from HammerT, and while waiting for that to arrive, got a 2nd violin Jazzica finished in shellac with black binding. So i’m all set with my sister Jazzicas.

I was worried about the radius as I prefer really flat fretboard, but I’ve just played and played and not thought about it. Really cool and unique guitars.

The violin one through my DV LJ is what electric jazz guitar sounds like in my head.
The blonde one is currently set up as an acoustic arch top with no electronics which is really cool for unamplified playing.

[Little Jay]

Someday I’m gonna get me one of these:

[Wildcat]

I fell in love with the violin finish model with black binding. Very classy with classical symphonic string instrument vibe.

[Hammertone]

Here are some pix of the last of three Verythin Classic guitars w/violin varnish finish I grabbed for Hofner Canada awhile back. Finally put together and good to go. Just plain WOW.

[Hammertone]

...and a few more.

[Little Jay]

Wish they would make the modern Verythins hollow like the old Verithins.....

But it looks superb!

[Arnesto]

Hofner BlueTone Super Luxe Archtop Jazz Guitar with Hard Case | Reverb

I see new höfners right there any try them?

[Rob MacKillop]

Are they made in Germany?

[Gitterbug]

Hardly, at this price. The official website doesn't give a straight answer but a clue: the Chancellor does get a mention of being handmade in Germany.

[Hammertone]

The folks over at Hofner sometimes forget to describe things the way they actually are because that would interrupt their beer-drinking and over-all rest/lunch/nap/surf-the-net schedules.

Hofner started selling lower-cost instruments a dozen or so years ago +/-, made in China for them under contract by various Chinese factories. There were two tiers of product - cheapy Icon/Ignition (same thing) instruments and much nicer CT/"Contemporary" (same thing) basses, Verythins, and various other items.

These included a series of CT hollow-body archtop guitars, introduced @2007-2008. The specs have remained reasonably consistent despite a few random name changes:
-17" wide;
-deep rims;
-25 1/2" scale;
-laminated spruce tops on laminated maple bodies;
-maple necks with dyed rosewood or ebony boards;
-single floating pickup w/dyed rosewood or ebony bits versions, as well as set-in, full-sized humbuckers x 2, w/metal&plastic bits versions;
-blonde or sunburst finishes..

These can be really nice nice guitars - I've sold a few and was quite impressed with them.
They are made in China but do take some visual cues from European-made Hofners.
More recently, they have started to use the odd bit of hardware that is very similar to that used on European-made Hofners.
The guitar in the photo appears to have the same floating pickup that Hofner used on its European-made archtop guitars. Earlier versions used a more generic black floater.

As far as pricing goes, ebay and Reverb are your friends here - if you search through their listings for awhile, you'l discover a wide range of pricing for new and used versions. Hofner did not have many of these instruments made, and did not put too much effort into marketing them, so they are not well-known, especially in North America, but they are out there. Hofner's website only shows one version of the guitar as of today, but there others out there, as per the pix below. My guess is that there are also single-floating-pickup versions out there in blonde.