Collecting Hofner vintage guitars, part 3. Vintage guitars collecting info web site. Private vintage guitar collector. Pictures, history for vintage guitars amps lapsteels ukuleles.
Die Höfnering (collecting Hofner vintage guitars), Part Three.

By Stephen Candib, moniker@ca.inter.net. Copyright 1995-1997, used by permission. (Steve is a friend of mine with very unusual vintage guitar tastes. His article on this lesser-known brand of vintage guitars appears here as a special feature. I hope you enjoy it. If you have any strange Hofner questions, feel free to email him, and not me! - VGI editor -).

Go to Part 1, Introduction.
Go to Part 2, General Model Info.
Go to Part 4, Specific Model Info, models 460 thru 470/S.
Return to the Feature Index.
Return to the Main Index.


Specific Hofner Model Info, models 449 thru 459

Hofner Model 449
The faker’s guide Hank Marvin made it famous and almost collectible
Related Selmer Model Congress
Introduced 1957 or earlier?
Body Size / Depth / Length slightly smaller than 450 - 15" lower bout, 12" upper bout, 3" depth, 19.5" long
Body Woods laminated; plain maple top, plain one piece maple back, plain maple sides.
Finish brown sunburst
Neck Woods two piece maple or three piece maple/beech/maple
Fingerboard Style / Woods / Inlay unbound mystery wood fingerboard, mother -of-toilet-seat block neck inlay (or double dot markers on unbound rosewood board later on), brass frets, b/w/b plastic string spacer. Congress: always had double dots.
Peghead Overlay Style mother-of-toilet-seat/tortoiseshell combination, Congress: plain black with Hofner logo on gold decal or dimensional plastic. Also acrylic over gold HOFNER and treble clef/staff pattern on black. Also acrylic over white HOFNER and three white dots of descending size on black.
Scale Length 25.5"
Binding and Purfling w/b/w/b binding top only, white on top side, unbound back
F-holes standard shape, unbound
Tuners open strip tuners with white rectangular plastic buttons on brass plates, pressed bushings
Bridges black-dyed maple, footed, height-adjustable, compensated with slanted bone/plastic insert
Tail-pieces nickel-plated, single narrow rectangular flat bar with six string holes, simple rod attachment on either side, hinged, floral-shaped base attached to end of guitar with three screws or pins. Congress: "Compensator" tailpiece
Hofner Logo Impressed into wood below treble foot of bridge, later gold decal on upper bass bout
Pickguards white mother of toilet seat, Congress: tortoiseshell with gold pinstripe

Hofner Model 450
Related Selmer Model none
Introduced 1953?
Body Size / Depth / Length 16" lower bout, 12" upper bout, 3" depth, 20.25" long: available only without cutaway until 1961
Body Woods laminated; plain maple top, plain one piece maple back, plain maple sides
Finishes darkbrown sunburst, redbrown sunburst
Neck Woods two piece maple or three piece maple/beech/maple
Fingerboard Style / Woods / Inlay unbound mystery wood fingerboard, mother -of-toilet-seat block neck inlay (or triple dot markers on unbound rosewood board later on), brass frets, b/w/b plastic string spacer
Peghead Overlay Style mother-of-toilet-seat with inlaid rhombus of mother-of-tortoiseshell, later styles include plain black with gold Hofner decal across top
Scale Length 25.5"
Binding and Purfling w/b/w/b binding top only, white on top side, unbound back
F-holes standard shape, unbound
Tuners open strip tuners with white rectangular plastic buttons on brass plates, pressed bushings
Bridges black-dyed maple, footed, height-adjustable, compensated with slanted bone/plastic insert
Tail-pieces nickel-plated, single narrow rectangular flat bar with six string holes, simple rod attachment on either side, hinged, floral-shaped base attached to end of guitar with three screws or pins.
Hofner Logo Impressed into wood below treble foot of bridge, later gold decal on upper bass bout
Pickguards white mother-of-toilet-seat

Hofner Model 455
Related Selmer Model Senator
Introduced 1951?
Body Size / Depth / Length 16" lower bout, 12" upper bout, 3" depth, 20.25" long: available only without cutaway, cutaway introduced 1961
Body Woods laminated; plain maple top, mildly flamed one piece maple back, mildly flamed maple sides
Finish reddish sunburst, blonde on cutaway model only introduced 1963
Neck Woods two piece maple or three piece maple/beech/maple
Fingerboard Style / Woods / Inlay unbound mystery wood fingerboard, mother -of-toilet -seat block neck inlay (or triple dot markers on unbound rosewood board later on), jumbo brass or nickel-silver frets, b/w/b plastic string spacer. Senator always had triple dot markers
Peghead Overlay Style mother-of- toilet-seat with inlaid rhombus of mother-of- tortoiseshell, later styles include three strip pattern of white mother -of-toilet -seat / mother-of- tortoiseshell / white mother -of-toilet -seat, each strip separated by thin detail of b/w purfling; Senator: plain black with Hofner logo on gold decal or dimensional plastic with small hard-edged mother of pearl inlaid "sword". Also acrylic over gold HOFNER and treble clef/staff pattern on black.
Scale Length 25.5"
Binding and Purfling w/b/w/b on top and back , white on sides
F-holes standard shape, single thin white layer of binding
Tuners open strip tuners with white rectangular plastic buttons on brass plates, pressed bushings
Bridges black-dyed maple, footed, height-adjustable, compensated with slanted bone/plastic insert
Tail-pieces nickel-plated, single narrow rectangular flat bar with six string holes, simple rod attachment on either side, hinged, floral-shaped base attached to end of guitar with three screws or pins. Senator: Höfner "Compensator" tailpiece
Hofner Logo Impressed into wood below treble foot of bridge, later gold decal on upper bass bout
Pickguards white mother-of-toilet-seat

Hofner Model 456
Related Selmer Model none
Introduced 1951?
Body Size / Depth / Length 16" lower bout, 12" upper bout, 3" depth, 20.25" long: available with or without venetian (round) cutaway, cutaway introduced in 1961
Body Woods laminated; plain maple top, flamed bookmatched maple back, flamed maple sides.
Finish brown sunburst, blonde introduced 1955, sunburst 1961
Neck Woods two piece maple three piece maple/ beech/ maple five piece maple/ mahogany/ maple/ mahogany/ maple
Fingerboard Style / Woods / Inlay rosewood fingerboard, mother -of-toilet-seat block neck inlay (or triple dot markers) single thin layer of white binding, nickel-silver frets, w/b/w plastic string spacer
Peghead Overlay Style three strip pattern of white mother -of-toilet-seat / mother-of- tortoiseshell / white mother -of-toilet-seat, each strip separated by thin detail of b/w purfling. Also acrylic over gold HOFNER and treble clef/staff pattern on black.
Scale Length 25.5"
Binding and Purfling w/b/w/b on top and back, sometimes w/b/w/b/w/b, white on sides
F-holes standard shape, single medium layer of white binding
Tuners open strip tuners with white rectangular plastic buttons on brass plates, pressed bushings
Bridges black-dyed maple, footed, height-adjustable, compensated with slanted bone/plastic insert
Tail-pieces nickel-plated, single narrow rectangular flat bar with six string holes, simple rod attachment on either side, hinged, floral-shaped base attached to end of guitar with three screws or pins. Also Hofner "Compensator" tailpiece
Hofner Logo Impressed into wood below treble foot of bridge, later gold decal on upper bass bout
Pickguards white mother of toilet seat

Hofner Model 457
The faker’s guide George Harrison played a very early President for awhile. That model is seriously collectible to a Beatles fan
Related Selmer Model President
Introduced 1952?
Body Size / Depth / Length 16" lower bout, 12" upper bout, 3" depth, 20.25" long; available with or without venetian (round) cutaway; binding on both sides of neck; cutaway tapers with neck on older models
Body Woods laminated; spruce top, highly flamed bookmatched maple back, highly flamed maple sides.
Finish redbrown sunburst, blonde option
Neck Woods five piece maple/ mahogany/ maple/ mahogany/ maple
Fingerboard Style / Woods / Inlay rosewood fingerboard, mother of toilet seat block neck inlay (or triple dot markers) w/b/w binding, nickel-silver frets, w/b/w plastic string spacer. President: triple dot markers, single thick white binding
Peghead Overlay Style three strip pattern of white mother -of-toilet-seat / mother-of- tortoiseshell / white mother -of-toilet- seat, each strip separated by thin detail of b/w purfling; later versions and President had single-layer- bound, black wood veneer face with mother of pearl inlay in floral/vine pattern inlay. Also acrylic over gold HOFNER and treble clef/staff pattern on black.
Scale Length 25.5"
Binding and Purfling w/bw/b/w/b on top and back, white on sides
F-holes standard shape, single thick layer of white binding
Tuners open strip tuners with white rectangular plastic buttons on brass plates, pressed bushings; later versions and President had individual open- backed nickel-plated tuners with off-white buttons and heavy bushings.
Bridges black-dyed maple, footed, height-adjustable, compensated with slanted bone/plastic insert; later electric versions appeared with "micro-matic" bridge.
Tail-pieces nickel-plated, single narrow rectangular flat bar with six string holes; additional crossbar and three tines connecting the string holding bar and the crossbar, with a Höfner medallion attached to the three tines; hinged, floral-shaped base attached to end of guitar with three screws or pins. President: Hofner "Compensator" tailpiece, then "Lyraform" tailpiece.
Hofner Logo Impressed into wood below treble foot of bridge, then gold decal on upper bass bout
Pickguards white mother of toilet seat, President: tortoiseshell with gold pinstripe

Hofner Model 458
Related Selmer Model none
Introduced 1956?
Body Size / Depth / Length 16" lower bout, 12" upper bout, 3" depth, 20.25" long; available with or without venetian (round) cutaway
Body Woods laminated maple top, maple back, maple sides.
Finish black
Neck Woods ?
Fingerboard Style / Woods / Inlay rosewood fingerboard, mother -of-toilet-seat block neck inlay; w/b/w binding, nickel-silver frets, w/b/w plastic string spacer
Peghead Overlay Style plastic inlay on headstock; white mother-of-toiletseat on either side black strip in center with mother of toiletseat blade in center of black strip
Scale Length 25.5"
Binding and Purfling w/bw/b/w/b on top and back, white on sides
F-holes standard shape, single thick layer of white binding
Tuners open-backed nickel-plated tuners with off-white buttons?
Bridges black-dyed maple, footed, height-adjustable, compensated with slanted bone insert
Tail-pieces nickel-plated, "Lyraform"
Hofner Logo Impressed into wood below treble foot of bridge, later gold decal on upper bass bout
Pickguards white mother-of-toilet-seat

Hofner Model 459
Related Selmer Model none
Introduced 1952?
Body Size / Depth / Length 16" lower bout, 12" upper bout, 3" depth, 20.25" long; available with or without venetian (round) cutaway
Body Woods spruce top, birds-eye maple back, birds-eye maple sides.
Finish light brown
Neck Woods five piece maple/ mahogany/ maple/ mahogany/ maple
Fingerboard Style / Woods / Inlay to come...
Peghead Overlay Style to come...
Scale Length 25.5"
Binding and Purfling Tortoiseshell, in combination with white and black
F-holes flame shape, tortoiseshell binding
Tuners open-backed nickel-plated tuners with off-white buttons?
Bridges black-dyed maple, footed, height-adjustable, compensated with slanted bone insert?
Tail-pieces nickel-plated, Frequensator style
Hofner Logo Impressed into wood below treble foot of bridge, later gold decal on upper bass bout
Pickguards tortoiseshell

Go to Part 1, Introduction.
Go to Part 2, General Model Info.
Go to Part 4, Specific Model Info, models 460 thru 470/S.


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