An Interesting Hofner 450 - Model, Year, Value?

[Tony Cmajor]

I have just got this Hofner 450 and I think its 1949-1953 model. Interesting headstock and bridge; butchered heel stock, and very plain fingerboard (for Hofman that is).

Any ideas as to model, year value

Thanks

[Hammertone]

Not a Hofner.
Probably a Klira.
More to come...

[Tony Cmajor]

Thanks Hammertone, indeed it is a Klira "Triumphare de luxe" maple ply, and because it doesn't seem to to have a truss-rod probably late 50's. However it still nice even if it's not as valuable as a Hofner 456S. Do you think the heel can be mended properly? The bridge is also strange. The metal screws seem to rest on two very thin veneers of wood. the action at the 12th is 3.25. But as I said intonation is OK and it plays and sound good.
If I want to use it for blues can you suggest a pickup and strings
Love the headstock worth bringing back to playability for that alone.
Keep the info coming

[Tony Cmajor]

Not a Hofner.
Probably a Klira.
More to come...

Hi Hammertone, still waiting for any little extra info on the Kline
Thank you

[Hammertone]

Just been busy, getting to it.

[QsDuesBlues]

Klira Triumphator De Luxe body shape, though those F-holes aren't typical of the model, so could be a very early example (doesn't that small transfer lower right say "Triumphator De Luxe"? they usually do, and in just that spot). Headstock finish and bridge lower section look customised, the (flat?) bridge base may be to reduce the string height by a few further mm's ?

German-Vintage-Guitar.de website has a paragraph or two on the model and it's timeline - and some great photos of a museum-quality restored example. These non-truss rod inexpensive archtops were still being made as late as 1963 , as I just bought a 1963 example 2 days ago. It's on its way over from Germany, courtesy of DHL - hope it arrives in good shape as it's a nice clean example with a low action - just a mucky fretboard and "Gibson" messily etched on the headstock fascia!

Any student of German 50's / 60's archtops will notice that there are certain often-recurring body shapes that can have multiple brand names, e.g. Klira / Hopf / Astro / Kreibich / and a few more - seems the basic moulds for these were often identical - or else the guitars all originated from the same workshops (large artisan villages I think) before being altered according to final branding and spec.?

Hammertone will know all about this aspect and the reasons for it ........and might elaborate on my scanty knowledge. In the U.K. from 1937 right up until 2005, there was the BATA shoe factory (of Czech origin) down near East Tilbury, with its 'worker village' - a complete artisan town community in fact, with company housing (and another one further North in England, I think) and all the usual utilities (once described as "a modernist marvel in the marshes of Essex")

Meanwhile here's the Klira 'Triumphator De Luxe' below. I only realised last year (when I bought an anonymous violin (marked "Z2") that Klira guitars were made by the Otto Jos. Klier company - makers of quality orchestral stringed instruments and more..........and still doing well, I think. Maybe with the ceasing of Hofner's archtop production in Germany, Otto Jos. Klier could consider filling the gap with some updated Klira's?