The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Archtops

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 03-02-2020, 03:03 PM
SuperB23 SuperB23 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 5,122
Question Vintage Hofner Archtops

Anyone know much about old 50s and 60s Hofner Archtop guitars? How do they compare to US built brands like Epiphone, Gibson, Gretsch and such from back then? They seem quite affordable. I've noticed solid wood President models under $1k on reverb and such.

This thread is a bit of a long shot but I thought I'd try on here. I'm particularly interested in the solid wood President and Committee models.
__________________
High End Guitar Review Videos.
www.youtube.com/user/rockinb23

Last edited by SuperB23; 03-02-2020 at 05:28 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 03-04-2020, 10:08 AM
NotALuth NotALuth is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: UK
Posts: 398
Default

Hi SuperB23

Firstly, let’s get the disclaimer out of the way. I have never played any Hofner Archtops, so all of this is ‘received wisdom’. Hopefully you will get some replies from people with hands-on experience. However, I do have in my possession a copy of ‘The Hofner Guitar - A History’ by Gordon Giltrap and Neville Marten., and have read numerous articles in the UK guitar press over the years regarding them. As well as the usual info on models, the book contains some info on dating and construction as well as artist interviews (including Paul McCartney, Alvin Lee, Ritchie Blackmore and Bert Weedon).

So, FWIW, my interpretation of this information can be summarised as:

Hofner’s are regarded with affection by a generation of UK guitarists, despite a number of shortcomings. They were considered to be a quality step up from other European and far-east instruments at the time and were an aspirational instrument for many. Most players mention chunky necks with high action (although necks became thinner over time).

They are said to have an unique sound. Generally thought to have weak pickups.

Despite being regarded as being of higher quality than the other available options at the time (USA guitars not being generally available for most of this period) the book states (after praising the quality of the inlay work) “One idiosyncrasy of this handiwork is that frets are often set inaccurately; either out of parallel to one another or even at slightly incorrect distances.”

Most professional owners abandoned their Hofner’s as US imports became available (including Bert Weedon who had acted as an unofficial brand ambassador for Selmer, the UK importers, who switched to Guild).

If you want any info specific models let me know and I’ll see if I can help.

Hope that helps,
Clive
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-04-2020, 11:08 AM
SuperB23 SuperB23 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 5,122
Default

Thanks for the info Clive, due to the mostly less than rave reviews on playability and intonation I found online, I decided to go with a 1946 Epiphone Broadway instead of the Committee guitars I was looking at.
__________________
High End Guitar Review Videos.
www.youtube.com/user/rockinb23
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-04-2020, 05:25 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,985
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperB23 View Post
...I decided to go with a 1946 Epiphone Broadway instead of the Committee guitars I was looking at.
Excellent choice - those New York Epis are legendary among archtop aficionados for their acoustic projection ("cutting power" as it was known in their heyday); here's Al Caiola playing his '40s Broadway on this Johnny Mathis favorite (BTW if you listen carefully there are no drums - that's all guitar you're hearing, holding down both harmonic support and rhythm duties):

__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool"
- Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-04-2020, 06:34 PM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: The Isle of Albion
Posts: 22,068
Default

I've had three, or four.

The last one I owned, I had converted to an octave mandolin. Later found out it was the last ever built !



The basic one were serviceable, neck profiles were a little uncomfortable.

The high grade ones were things of rare beauty.
__________________
Silly Moustache,
Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer.
I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-05-2020, 06:02 AM
cmajor9 cmajor9 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 82
Default

Congratulations on your '46 Epiphone, SuperB23! Epis from that era have a justified reputation as excellent archtop guitars. I have a Broadway from the late '30s that doesn't disappoint.

For anyone still looking for information on Hofner archtops, Steve Russell's site in the UK is full of info (and great photos):

http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/contgal1.html
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 03-05-2020, 06:59 AM
MC5C MC5C is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Tatamagouche Nova Scotia
Posts: 1,136
Default

Pre-truss rod Hofners (around 1960 or so, I think) have chunky necks, which I kind of like. I have a 1957 Senator acoustic. Sound-wise, quite a good archtop sound for a laminate guitar, far better than the Godin 5th Ave's I've compared it to, not all that different than my 1946 Epiphone Zephyr. The neck joints are sometimes problematic, they are a plain (not dovetail) tenon joint and can come loose and cause high action. I had mine reset and refretted 30 years ago, and it is still dead straight, hasn't moved, and plays beautifully.

Congrats on your 1946 Epi. Broadway. Be gentle with the truss rod, it works backwards to typical truss rods and pushes up on the fretboard. My Epi's neck is dead straight and I simply leave it alone...
__________________
Brian Evans
Around 15 archtops, electrics, resonators, a lap steel, a uke, a mandolin, some I made, some I bought, some kinda showed up and wouldn't leave. Tatamagouche Nova Scotia.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 03-05-2020, 11:30 AM
SuperB23 SuperB23 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 5,122
Default

Thanks for all the great info everyone, I'll post an NGD thread with a video of the Broadway when I have it in hand.
__________________
High End Guitar Review Videos.
www.youtube.com/user/rockinb23
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 03-11-2020, 07:11 PM
SuperB23 SuperB23 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 5,122
Default

Just an update because I didn't want to leave this thread hanging. I got the Epiphone in and I couldn't at all get along with the neck and the string spacing at the nut. It was way too narrow for me. I was shocked because I'm usually good with everything from 1 11/16" all the way to 1 13/16" with no issue whatsoever but I borderline couldn't quite play this one. I had a 48 hour return period and I opted to return it. It sure sounded great but it just wasn't going to work for me. I think I'll weather the financial storm here for a month or so and consider buying something different down the road.
__________________
High End Guitar Review Videos.
www.youtube.com/user/rockinb23
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 03-14-2020, 09:02 AM
WordMan WordMan is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,696
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperB23 View Post
Just an update because I didn't want to leave this thread hanging. I got the Epiphone in and I couldn't at all get along with the neck and the string spacing at the nut. It was way too narrow for me. I was shocked because I'm usually good with everything from 1 11/16" all the way to 1 13/16" with no issue whatsoever but I borderline couldn't quite play this one. I had a 48 hour return period and I opted to return it. It sure sounded great but it just wasn't going to work for me. I think I'll weather the financial storm here for a month or so and consider buying something different down the road.
Have you played a 50’s Gibson L-7c? 1 3/4” nut - might be up your alley. Truly wonderful guitars.
__________________
An old Gibson and a couple of old Martins; a couple of homebrew Tele's
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 03-14-2020, 07:00 PM
SuperB23 SuperB23 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 5,122
Default

An L7 has been on my radar for a while. I've wonder what years have the best sound. I posted a thread about this on the UMGF a year or so ago. I was considering one of the mid to late 30s model ones too. I played a 35 Super 400 a while back at Gruhn that I really loved!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by WordMan View Post
Have you played a 50’s Gibson L-7c? 1 3/4” nut - might be up your alley. Truly wonderful guitars.
__________________
High End Guitar Review Videos.
www.youtube.com/user/rockinb23
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 03-14-2020, 07:59 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,985
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperB23 View Post
An L7 has been on my radar for a while. I've wonder what years have the best sound...I was considering one of the mid to late 30s model ones too...
I had a '47 (prewar script logo, very early white-label A-Series non-cutaway) and IME the early postwar Gibsons are very much like their prewar counterparts structurally/tonally but tend to come a little cheaper, possibly as a consequence of the parallelogram vs. "picture-frame" inlay; while any pre-Norlin example can be a fine-sounding instrument, I've found the real "prewar-postwar" differentiation begins to kick in around '49-50 with the shift to the current Gibson logo - not to mention the recognition that most of them would be electrified (the "McCarty" suspended pickup assembly was introduced around this time, and was in fact marketed as OEM on the L-7E series) and carving/graduating patterns adapted accordingly...
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool"
- Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 03-19-2020, 05:25 AM
jazzer57 jazzer57 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Jacksonville, Fl.
Posts: 264
Default Hofner Guitars

Hi Everyone,

For what it's worth, I have been researching a bit on the Hofners and have found that most, if not all, tend to have a 42MM nut putting them between 1-5/8" and 1-11/16" which for me is too small. Too bad though. I believe the higher end ones to be quite nice and a decent value as well.

Regards,
DJ
__________________
1950 Maccaferri 'Islander' Soprano Uke
2016 Gypsy Oval Hole (Walnut/Sitka) My Build
2017 Gypsy D-Hole (Koa/Sitka) My Build
2019 Gypsy Round Bouche (Myrtle/Sitka) My Build
2022 Gypsy 'Enrico Macias' model (Maple/Sitka) My Build
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 04-01-2020, 08:25 AM
radiofm74 radiofm74 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Italy and Switzerland
Posts: 57
Default

I am the lucky owner of a beautiful 1953 Höfner 465. I confirm that it has a rather narrow nut which makes it unsuitable (to me at least) for intricate chord-melody.

On the other hand, it looks wonderful and has the most comfortable neck ever for 4-to-the-bar grips. Slap a rhythm chief on it and you’re in business.

It costed me very little for a carved top archtop.



An alternative you might consider, if you’re not dead set on buying vintage, is a Loar LH-600 or LH-700. They’re very good guitars, excellent with a little set-up. Again, put a DeArmond on and you’re ready to swing.


Last edited by radiofm74; 04-01-2020 at 08:39 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 04-01-2020, 01:59 PM
SuperB23 SuperB23 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 5,122
Default

Great looking Hofner!!!


Quote:
Originally Posted by radiofm74 View Post
I am the lucky owner of a beautiful 1953 Höfner 465. I confirm that it has a rather narrow nut which makes it unsuitable (to me at least) for intricate chord-melody.

On the other hand, it looks wonderful and has the most comfortable neck ever for 4-to-the-bar grips. Slap a rhythm chief on it and you’re in business.

It costed me very little for a carved top archtop.



An alternative you might consider, if you’re not dead set on buying vintage, is a Loar LH-600 or LH-700. They’re very good guitars, excellent with a little set-up. Again, put a DeArmond on and you’re ready to swing.

__________________
High End Guitar Review Videos.
www.youtube.com/user/rockinb23
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Archtops

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:05 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=