He played this bass throughout his time with the Beatles, and despite having other basses available always came back to this most notably using it on the famous Apple building rooftop concert of 1969.īy the end of the 1960s, a decision had been made to move Epiphone guitar production from the USA (at the Kalamazoo plant where Gibson guitars were made), to Matsumoto in Japan, creating a line of guitars and basses significantly less expensive than the USA-built models (actually less than half the price). Then, of course, there was Paul McCartney who had bought his 500/1 violin bass in 1961. More expensive American guitars by Gibson, Gretsch and Guild were largely unavailable (or at least unaffordable) due to trade restrictions, at least until 1961, and at this point British guitar makers were unable to produce well-built hollow-body guitars, so Hofner initially had little competition.
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They were distributed in the UK and Commonwealth by Selmer and sold well in the late 1950s and very early 1960s, both as student and professional instruments. They were similar in many ways to some European models. Hofner made special UK models like the President, Senator, Congress, Committee, Verithin and numerous others. Hofner guitars have always been popular in the United Kingdom. Sales were rising, buoyed, by the advent of rock 'n' roll and then beat music, and the Bubenreuth plant had to be extended on several occasions to keep up with production.ġ962 Hofner Verithin thinline electric acoustic guitar have a closer look Hofner guitars in the 1960s But guitar demand grew massively over the next two decades both in Germany, but also increasingly worldwide. As the 1950s progressed numerous improvements were instituted Hofner certainly kept up with the important developments in American guitars, and by the very end of the decade were producing thinlines, and fitting adjustable truss rods to all models. Hofner's long history in orchestral stringed-instrument manufacture dictated the kind of guitars produced: well-built hollow bodies with set necks, many with hand carved tops, many acoustic and many utilising the inlaying skills of Hofner's craftsmen. Instrument production started again with a big new plant in another German town, Bubenreuth, opening in late 1950. The Schonbach plant ceased instrument production during the second world war, and was closed shortly afterwards. Vintage Hofners can be great functional instruments, but need to be handled with care to remain in tip-top condition.ġ966 UK Hofner advertisement - see other vintage Hofner advertisements here Likewise finishes, whilst beautiful looking, are not able to handle the wear and tear of decades of use. After several decades, the joints of guitars built this way will often need regluing most vintage Hofners have had or will need a neck reset. Violins are held together with animal hide-based glue in order that necks can be steamed open and reset. But one downside is the fact that they are less durable than many equivalent instruments after all violinists don't thrash their instruments, and a typical Hofner can not take the beating that many rock guitarists like to mete out. Players more used to other brands are often amazed at the light weight of hollow-bodied Hofner guitars and basses, and the superb "woody" tone. He and his sons, Josef and Walter, built the business in Schonbach, Germany, building their first guitars there in the 1930s.Ĭoming from a tradition of Violin making did have a noticeable impact on the guitars they produced, and not just in body style, as in the aforementioned 500/1 bass. Karl Hofner started producing violins in 1887, adding other stringed instruments to the line soon after.
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