The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    This popped up on ebay the other day and I jumped at a nice bargain ! It's a 2009 model, in mint condition and all original parts.
    The workmanship, fit and finish is just about perfect, the controls have a really useable taper and the Schaller pups deliver a full,
    warm and balanced tone. I was surprised at the extraordinary sustain this guitar has while still retaining the typical semi-hollowbody
    characteristics in regards to the quick response and a woody and ever so slightly nasal tone. The body is thinner than your
    standard 335-type but has a 16" width which is comfortable for me. The sustain-block is made out of spruce and has a curious curved
    shape : underneath the floating (!) bridge it fans out a bit and quickly tapers back to maybe 2,5" - I can't see if it goes through to the tailblock.
    The Bigsby is a welcome addition and even though this guitar has the standard Hofner bridge design it doesn't have any tuning issues when
    used lightly. No need for a roller bridge I think. The guitar has some heft to it but it's not HEAVY- in the sturdy case however you have
    more than a handfull... Compared to my '63 ES-345 this one has a slightly fuller tone, the 345 cuts a bit more but all in all there is not
    really that much difference. Except in price/value....
    Anyone looking for a pro-level semi should have a look-see at this IF you can find one. Great bang-for-the-buck, timeless design and solid
    tone + playability. My only issue is with the fugly and cheap-looking plastic pickguard - this needs to be replaced soon with a home-made
    one , either in some black wood (stained maple ?) or fake tortoiseshell- a nice project for the coming weeks !
    Attached Images Attached Images Hofner Thin President-img_1997-jpg 

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    There’s B-stock (finish checking) Thin President on reverb for $1300 and change. For another $700 there’s a Verythin Classic, which is well below the price I normally see them listed at.

  4. #3

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    2008 - they skipped the letter I because it looks like the number 1. And they skipped the letter O because it looks like the number 0.

    These are excellent guitars, but, yeah, those pickguards are utterly lame.

    Here's what the spruce block looks like, below. It was designed to accommodate the bushings for a Schaller Nashville-style bridge, and/or a stop tailpiece, and/or a Bigsby. When Hofner stopped making the Thin President as a carved-top, hollow version of the New President, and also stopped making the Verythin Classic, they combined features of the two models for this updated version of the Thin President.

    Some early ones have Hofner mini-humbuckers, most have Hofner-branded full-sized set-in humbuckers, supplied by Schaller until Schaller left the pickup business.
    Some have floating bridges, most have set-in bridges.
    Some have trapeze tailpieces, most have licensed Bigsby B-70 (made in China) tailpieces.
    Only a handful were made in natural finish. Most were made in opaque colours, typically black or white. There are a few in wild colours and wild wood.

    The model is still shown on the Hofner website, here:
    (discontinued 2021)

    The listed specifications, typical of Hofner, are almost correct (the top is not carved, but laminated).
    Attached Images Attached Images Hofner Thin President-hof-tp-block-jpg 
    Last edited by Hammertone; 11-16-2022 at 05:23 PM.

  5. #4

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    Good catch! As a '06 trapeze / mini hb version owner, I agree with the body dimensions striking a good balance between acoustics and comfort.

  6. #5

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    Great picture. Funny, when looking inside, I'm not seeing a center tone block like that on mine. Rather it looks like couple ~0.5" thick braces the top is glued to. It's a '06 Stuehlein trapeze / mini humbucker version. Did they change that later?

  7. #6

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    Hammertone,
    what is the difference between the licenced Bigsby's and the genuine ones ? Reading the specs on the Hofner page I detect one other - minor - discrepancy :
    this one has normal pots without the switching option .
    I guess they just didn't adhere too strictly to the officially stated specs and simply built the guitars with the parts they had ready in the shop at the time -Thomas Stühlein in this instance....
    no biggie, others have done so since the beginning.

  8. #7

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    as per bigsby...in usa they are sandcast aluminum...hands on old school process...labor costs...asian made bigsbys are die cut...high initial cost to set up the machinery, but then spits them out...probably more uniform qc since there is less room for human error

    on your guitar, the biggest difference is that the mounting bracket that connects to the rim of the guitar is not the same...so requires new holes to be drilled...thats the difference, say, between a b7 usa and a b-70 asian made (that's on your hofner)...


    also the usa models allow for more options regarding replacing the actual whammy bar/arm..there are quite a few variations!! but thats for bigsby fanatics !! haha

    cheers

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by gitman
    what is the difference between the licenced Bigsby's and the genuine ones ?
    As described by neatomic. They are all "genuine" - one happens to be made in the US and the other in China. In the '60s, licensed Bigsbys were also made in England, FWIW - whole other story.

    The stock mounting bracket on the B-7 does not fit the rims of a Verythin - it is too deep. The stock mounting bracket on the B-70 does fit a Verythin. Hofner introduced the Bigsby onto some "limited" Verythin models, almost all Chinese-made models. So they used B-70 Bigsbys. They could have switched to B-7 Bigsbys once they started making the Thin President semis, since they have deeper rims, but they chose not to do so.

    Interestingly enough, the stock mounting bracket on the American-made B-12 also fits the rims of a Verythin. In addition to being more costly that a B-70, it's entirely possible that the old people at Hofner don't know what a Bigsby B-12 is. When I retrofit Bigsbys to German-made Verythins, I use the B-12 (see below).

    Quote Originally Posted by gitman
    this one has normal pots without the switching option.
    Your guitar was built 12 years ago. The specs on the Hofner site are theoretically for the current version.

    Here's a B-12 on a Hofner Verythin Classic:
    Attached Images Attached Images Hofner Thin President-hof-verythin-classic-sbc-0661-jpg 
    Last edited by Hammertone; 07-04-2020 at 10:30 PM.

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by raal
    Great picture. Funny, when looking inside, I'm not seeing a center tone block like that on mine. Rather it looks like couple ~0.5" thick braces the top is glued to. It's a '06 Stuehlein trapeze / mini humbucker version. Did they change that later?
    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:
    Attached Images Attached Images Hofner Thin President-hof-tp-q12043-florentine-white-sbc-jpg 
    Last edited by Hammertone; 07-05-2020 at 07:23 PM.

  11. #10

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    Huge dynamic range with TI jazz swing 13's. Humbuckers tilted in their rings to compensate for strong bass. The adjustable poles also help to balance B and E strings volumes.

    Sorry my browser doesn't play nice with this website so here's a gallery link. Update your browser to use Google Drive - Google Drive Help

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by raal
    Good catch! As a '06 trapeze / mini hb version owner, ...
    Quote Originally Posted by raal
    Great picture. Funny, when looking inside, I'm not seeing a center tone block like that on mine. Rather it looks like couple ~0.5" thick braces the top is glued to. It's a '06 Stuehlein trapeze / mini humbucker version. Did they change that later?
    raal, your guitar was built in 2004 - hollow, carved spruce top. This is the first version of the Thin President. It should have one single brace running down the bass side of the top.
    Attached Images Attached Images Hofner Thin President-hof-tp-e12063-raal-lo-jpg 
    Last edited by Hammertone; 07-07-2020 at 08:08 AM.

  13. #12

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    Thanks for the insights Hammertone. At closer inspection, it appears there's brace visible through the treble f-hole so this is correct, only one brace. I was told the top is spruce. It is my very first archtop, a December '17 purchase through local Craigslist for $1,275.

  14. #13

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    Nice. A carved-top instrument, serious pro gear, hand-made in Germany, with Schaller hardware, for $1,275. Hahahahahahaha. These are excellent guitars. You did well.
    Last edited by Hammertone; 07-07-2020 at 08:07 AM.

  15. #14

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    I'm having to adjust intonation on the hof'. I'm planning to use my micro wiha screw drivers to drive the pads out of their channels and relocate to other channel. Any recommendation on handling the little pads riding in the grooves?

    as this design only offers discrete adjustments through the channel pitch and not sure yet of the outcome, I'm considering retrofit to a TOM as a backup options. Opinions on that are welcome.

  16. #15

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    the hofner bridge saddles are just a cut fret...they pop out easily...just make sure you line them up correctly as far as string spacing, when switching "channels"

    of course a tuneamatic is more precise, but the classic hofner bridge has its charm

    i always try to work with the hof bridge

    luck

    cheers

  17. #16

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    I agree the hoefner bridge has its visual appeal, will report progress. Thanks.

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by raal
    I agree the hoefner bridge has its visual appeal, will report progress. Thanks.
    Teller developed the Model 103 bridge in the early 1950's. It was used by Hofner, Lang and any other other makers who wanted it. Teller is still making it (with a couple of small improvements) in ebony or rosewood, and it is widely available online (along with various cheap Furutama copies).

    The fretwire saddles do add a bit of zing to a wood bridge. Adjustments are fairly crude, but back in the day, these guitars were set up with much heavier strings, and the need for micro-intonation adjustment was much less apparent. The most recent version of this bridge allows for swapping in a tune-o-matic directly, but older versions have wider post spacing, so you would need to relocate the post holes on the bridge base. I recommend getting a new bridge base that fits a tune-o-matic and switching the entire bridge out, which provides the flexibility of going back to the original bridge if desired.

  19. #18

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    Interesting background. Assuming bridge base curvature is to be matched with the top's, this does not seem as easy swap. Also the current bridge is used for securing one of the pickguard attachments. I guess I'll give the Teller a shot see how far off i can get with it.

  20. #19

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    Nice guitar. Congratulations, and play it in good health!

  21. #20

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    Worst i would get is about 6 cents off in pos 17 so will probably stick with it for the time being. Hofner Thin President-20201014_163535-jpg

  22. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hammertone
    Teller developed the Model 103 bridge in the early 1950's. It was used by Hofner, Lang and any other other makers who wanted it. Teller is still making it (with a couple of small improvements) in ebony or rosewood, and it is widely available online (along with various cheap Furutama copies).

    The fretwire saddles do add a bit of zing to a wood bridge. Adjustments are fairly crude, but back in the day, these guitars were set up with much heavier strings, and the need for micro-intonation adjustment was much less apparent. The most recent version of this bridge allows for swapping in a tune-o-matic directly, but older versions have wider post spacing, so you would need to relocate the post holes on the bridge base. I recommend getting a new bridge base that fits a tune-o-matic and switching the entire bridge out, which provides the flexibility of going back to the original bridge if desired.

    Hammertone,
    I've swapped out the tuners to the Schaller/locking version and also replaced the roller-bar of the Bigsby to one with sealed bearings - all in order to improve the tuning stability of the guitar. Much to my chagrin it's still not where I want it to be, even though I have a very light touch on the Bigsby. I suspect the bridge to be the last piece in the puzzle so I got a Schaller roller-bridge BUT that sadly didn't work out either since the radius of the fingerboard is much smaller than that of the bridge ! So I'm really clueless at the moment - should I just dump the whole bridge, install a tunomatic type with rollers and have the fingerboard flattened or is there an easier way out ? I really like the tone and the response of this guitar and a set-in bridge would very likely result in a different feel and sound... any suggestions ?

  23. #22

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    You have some other options before fooling around with the fretbord itself. Last time I checked, these Hofners had compound radius fretboards - pretty small radius at the first fret, but flattening out up the board.

    1.
    Gotoh makes a height-adjustable tune-o-matic bridge. Excellent product, IMO.
    It will allow you to adjust the saddles to whatever curvature suits your fancy.
    I've never had a problem using standard precut saddles or properly re-notched saddles with a Bigsby with light Bigsby usage.
    GB-2585 Gotoh 510BN Height Adjustable Bridge — Allparts Music

    2
    Any nice tune-o-matic with nylon or Graph Tech saddles - simply file/notch the saddles to match the curvature of the fretboard. Gotoh, TonePros and others offer them. Graph Tech sells sets of Graph Tech and "String Saver" saddles as well as complete bridges. These materials are all slippery enough to work well with Bigsby tailpieces.
    Attached Images Attached Images Hofner Thin President-gb-2585-010_384x256-jpg 

  24. #23

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    Thanks for the tips ! Do you happen to know which tune-o-matic model will have the correct post-spacing to fit on the Hofner bridge-base ? IIRC the spacing on these is NOT readily compatible with most other bridges ....

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hammertone
    You have some other options before fooling around with the fretbord itself. Last time I checked, these Hofners had compound radius fretboards - pretty small radius at the first fret, but flattening out up the board.

    1.
    Gotoh makes a height-adjustable tune-o-matic bridge. Excellent product, IMO.
    It will allow you to adjust the saddles to whatever curvature suits your fancy.
    I've never had a problem using standard precut saddles or properly re-notched saddles with a Bigsby with light Bigsby usage.
    GB-2585 Gotoh 510BN Height Adjustable Bridge — Allparts Music

    2
    Any nice tune-o-matic with nylon or Graph Tech saddles - simply file/notch the saddles to match the curvature of the fretboard. Gotoh, TonePros and others offer them. Graph Tech sells sets of Graph Tech and "String Saver" saddles as well as complete bridges. These materials are all slippery enough to work well with Bigsby tailpieces.
    This one seems the odd-one out : the radius stays rather small, the fretboard has quite a radical curvature til the very end ...
    Attached Images Attached Images Hofner Thin President-img_3432-jpg 

  26. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by gitman
    Thanks for the tips ! Do you happen to know which tune-o-matic model will have the correct post-spacing to fit on the Hofner bridge-base ? IIRC the spacing on these is NOT readily compatible with most other bridges ....
    If the Schaller roller bridge fit, then various Gotohs will probably fit - easy to find technical drawings for both Schaller and Gotoh on the net to check.
    Quote Originally Posted by gitman
    This one seems the odd-one out : the radius stays rather small, the fretboard has quite a radical curvature til the very end ...
    No idea. The guys in Germany do their own thing. It's a voyage of discovery, possibly with with lots of beer involved.