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.