Hofner Thin President

[gkorm]

Yes. The Thinline President switched from
-carved top, hollowbody, venetian cutway, then
-laminated top, early block, venetian cutway, then
-laminated top. large block (as shown in the photo), venetian cutway.
Subsequently, they made a few with
-laminated-top hollowbody florentine cutway, then a few with
-laminated-top, large block, florentine cutway
The current/standard version has a laminated-top, large block, venetian cutway.

Hofner makes very few of these, typically in batches of 6 or so, and they are quite handmade, so, over the past 14 years, there have been variations in the details of the block, rim depth, and other details. @raal - post a picture of yours!

I've kept one for myself - a 2014 with laminated-top, hollowbody, florentine cutway:

Sadly, I missed a chance on another rare and beautiful version of this guitar which sold before I was able to pay for it:
2005 Ho?fner 457 Vintage "Sunburst" | Reverb

Here is the info that I gathered on this particular Thin President:

From the web page linked above:

A very limited edition Hofner guitar hand made in Germany! This 457 vintage model is one of only about 6 made as a predecessor to the reissue President model. It features a thinline, semi-hollow body design, Schaller humbucking pickups, and A vintage style sunburst finish, as well as the original Hofner case. The German build quality is exceptional making this a fantastic instrument for the money, while the limited nature of this model make this ideal for any Hofner fan!

From my correspondence with the folks who are selling this (looks like a very nice shop in Nashville) - a series of replies to my questions:

The guitar weighs 6.1 lbs. The neck is straight and has room for adjustment to your taste. The frets are in good shape; it has been played but there are no divots or areas with heavy pitting and is playable all the way up the neck. There is still plenty of room left to crown/level the frets if you so choose.

The wood used is maple for the back and sides, spruce top, ebony fingerboard and headstock overlay. The center block appears to be pine.

The exact neck measurements are as follows:
1.721" nut width
2.060" wide at the 12th fret
.847" deep at the first fret

The bridge is comparable to a Gibson Nashville bridge, so if replacing with Graphtech style you can use either the ABR-1 or Nashville size and it will work for this guitar.

We do have a full service repair shop and can help with anything you need on this or any other guitar.

.890" deep at the 12th fret.

Sonically the guitar is a quite reedy, similar to a 335.

The center block seems like solid wood but the top and back are laminates.

Has anyone here seen a version with a pine center block?

If another one comes along, I'd love a chance to get it! Feel free to pm me if you know of one for sale! : )

[Hammertone]

Sadly, I missed a chance on another rare and beautiful version of this guitar which sold before I was able to pay for it:
2005 Ho?fner 457 Vintage "Sunburst" | Reverb
Here is the info that I gathered on this particular Thin President:
From the web page linked above:A very limited edition Hofner guitar hand made in Germany! This 457 vintage model is one of only about 6 made as a predecessor to the reissue President model. It features a thinline, semi-hollow body design, Schaller humbucking pickups, and A vintage style sunburst finish, as well as the original Hofner case. The German build quality is exceptional making this a fantastic instrument for the money, while the limited nature of this model make this ideal for any Hofner fan!
From my correspondence with the folks who are selling this (looks like a very nice shop in Nashville) - a series of replies to my questions:
The guitar weighs 6.1 lbs. The neck is straight and has room for adjustment to your taste. The frets are in good shape; it has been played but there are no divots or areas with heavy pitting and is playable all the way up the neck. There is still plenty of room left to crown/level the frets if you so choose.
The wood used is maple for the back and sides, spruce top, ebony fingerboard and headstock overlay. The center block appears to be pine.
The exact neck measurements are as follows:
1.721" nut width
2.060" wide at the 12th fret
.847" deep at the first fret
The bridge is comparable to a Gibson Nashville bridge, so if replacing with Graphtech style you can use either the ABR-1 or Nashville size and it will work for this guitar.
We do have a full service repair shop and can help with anything you need on this or any other guitar.
.890" deep at the 12th fret.
Sonically the guitar is a quite reedy, similar to a 335.
The center block seems like solid wood but the top and back are laminates.

Has anyone here seen a version with a pine center block?
If another one comes along,I'd love a chance to get it! Feel free to pm me if you know of one for sale! : )

George: Rumbleseat has been around for many years, first in Ithaca NY, now in Nashville TN. They have always focussed on great vintage American gear, given Elliot's (the owner) keen commercial instincts, so they are not too fussed about accuracy when it comes to obscure German gear that's not worth a lot of money. Here are few corrections to the ad:
-it's a Thin President, not a 457;
-the finish is violin varnish finish (shellac), not vintage style sunburst;
-the laminated wood used for the back and sides is anigree, not maple;
-the center block is spruce, not pine.

Of course, they neglect to mention two key aspects of the guitar, not immediately apparent:
-the scale length is 25 1/4";
-the neck meets the body at the 16th fret.

I'd be happy to forward any listings that appear on my radar.

[gkorm]

Thank you, Hammertone! I'm grateful for clarification on those details.
That was quite a lovely guitar (visible despite the "artistic" lighting in those pics).

[gkorm]

Hi All,

I see beautiful Hofners here with goldtop hat bell knobs. I need to replace the teacup knobs on my Verythin Classic which are again cracking (they have already been replaced once, so are not the original knobs). I'm wondering what top hat knobs Hofner used and if I can find a set that would fit the volume and tone shafts properly.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Best wishes,
George

[Hammertone]

Hi All, I see beautiful Hofners here with goldtop hat bell knobs. I need to replace the teacup knobs on my Verythin Classic which are again cracking (they have already been replaced once, so are not the original knobs). I'm wondering what top hat knobs Hofner used and if I can find a set that would fit the volume and tone shafts properly. Thanks in advance for any advice! Best wishes, George

Standard, off-the-rack copies of Gibson knobs. Widely available everywhere in the colour of your choice. They are press-on knobs, and the splined pot shafts are slotted, so the shafts can be adjusted (very carefully!) for fit.

[gkorm]

Standard, off-the-rack copies of Gibson knobs. Widely available everywhere in the colour of your choice. They are press-on knobs, and the splined pot shafts are slotted, so the shafts can be adjusted (very carefully!) for fit.

Thank you, Hammertone!

I was going to ask how to determine whether I had course or fine knurled shafts in order to pick the right knobs from StewMac. I found the answer online. : )

[gkorm]

Thank you, Hammertone!

I was going to ask how to determine whether I had course or fine knurled shafts in order to pick the right knobs from StewMac. I found the answer online. : )

Another question: Did the Verythins that came from the factory with top hat bell knobs have the knobs sitting high of the guitar? In case the top hat bell knobs from Stew Mac sit high of the guitar, is there a way to adjust the height?

[Hammertone]

Another question: Did the Verythins that came from the factory with top hat bell knobs have the knobs sitting high of the guitar? In case the top hat bell knobs from Stew Mac sit high of the guitar, is there a way to adjust the height?

It all depends on how drunk they were that day.

Pot height adjustment is tedious. If the shaft of the pot extends above the top too much, then the knob will sit too high. The solution is to add additional washers or nuts to the threaded shaft underneath the top to adjust the amount of the shaft that extends through the top. The idea is simple and easy for most guitars, but annoyingly difficult with semi guitars like the Gibson ES 335 and ES-330, as the wiring loom is much harder to access. Because Verythins have less space top-to-back than conventional semis, it's even more difficult and annoying to make these adjustments. It's all doable, but requires a plan of attack and a lot of patience.

[gkorm]

It all depends on how drunk they were that day.

Pot height adjustment is tedious. If the shaft of the pot extends above the top too much, then the knob will sit too high. The solution is to add additional washers or nuts to the threaded shaft underneath the top to adjust the amount of the shaft that extends through the top. The idea is simple and easy for most guitars, but annoyingly difficult with semi guitars like the Gibson ES 335 and ES-330, as the wiring loom is much harder to access. Because Verythins have less space top-to-back than conventional semis, it's even more difficult and annoying to make these adjustments. It's all doable, but requires a plan of attack and a lot of patience.

I was thinking that might be the case. Thank you for clarifying!

[gkorm]

It all depends on how drunk they were that day.

Pot height adjustment is tedious. If the shaft of the pot extends above the top too much, then the knob will sit too high. The solution is to add additional washers or nuts to the threaded shaft underneath the top to adjust the amount of the shaft that extends through the top. The idea is simple and easy for most guitars, but annoyingly difficult with semi guitars like the Gibson ES 335 and ES-330, as the wiring loom is much harder to access. Because Verythins have less space top-to-back than conventional semis, it's even more difficult and annoying to make these adjustments. It's all doable, but requires a plan of attack and a lot of patience.

Might I have better results with ebony knobs? Do they tend to fit closer to the guitar top? If so, do I need Hofner ebony knobs (maybe some that you still have in stock), or should I look for proper ones from other sources. I notice that the pots on the beautiful Jazzica that you sold me, which came with ebony pots, are course knurled, whereas the pots on my Verythin Classic are fine knurled.

[Hammertone]

Höfner just buys off-the-shelf pots and knobs, so you can do the same thing.