1965/66 Selmer Guitars and Accessories Catalog, Page 14: Hofner Acoustic and Electro-Acoustic >> Vintage Guitar and Bass
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SELMER | CATALOGS | 1965/66 | PAGE 14

Hofner Acoustic and Electro-Acoustic

1965/66 Selmer 'Guitars and Accessories' catalog page 14

This page details two Hofner 'Country and Western' guitars: the Hofner Acoustic and Electro-Acoustic; basically the same flat-top acoustic guitar with a pickup at the 21st fret of the latter.

Ever aware of current requirements, the Hofner design team have produced a jumbo with the authentic Country and Western sound. The fine quality materials used and clever construction of the body combine to provide great carrying power and excellent tone for vocal accompaniment

1965/66 Selmer "Guitars and Accessories" catalog, page 14: Hofner Acoustic and Electro-Acoustic guitars
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Vintage RARE Hofner 4990-12 1975 Natural Acoustic Made in Germany

Vintage RARE Hofner 4990-12 1975 Natural Acoustic Made in Germany

Mount Sinai, New York, 117**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$995

Up for sale is a RARE Hofner 4990-12 from 1975. Made in Germany. Featured on Steve??s Vintage Hofner website! A photo of this guitar was apparently never put in their 1975 catalogue. I have never seen another like one like this. Definitely a rare find

The projection in on this guitar is very powerful. The grain on the woods are beautiful. And the bookmark matched back is truly stunning. It is a work of art!

Open chords are easy to play. The action is high as you get down ... more
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Hofner Vintage 1972 12 String Acoustic Guitar as-is Made in Germany

Hofner Vintage 1972 12 String Acoustic Guitar as-is Made in Germany

Oswego, Illinois, 605**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$300



Hofner Vintage 1972 12 String Acoustic Guitar as-is Made in Germanyas pictured. stable neck crack, took at hit on the bottom
Any questions, please feel free to contact us!
Great item by DeMont Guitars!
Returns not accepted from overseas and buyer should assume item is 'as-is' please feel free to ask any and all questions prior to auction end. Please email if you plan on bidder, or would like to purchase item for out-of-USA delivery
WE DO NOT DO PARTIAL REFUNDS
will ... more
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Hofner 12-string acoustic guitar flame maple 1970s Germany Western space oddity

Hofner 12-string acoustic guitar flame maple 1970s Germany Western space oddity

Seattle, Washington, 981**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$895

I am selling my vintage 1970s Hofner 12 string acoustic guitar made in West Germany
Spruce soundboard. Flamed maple back and sides. Laminate layered wood
I believe this guitar is pre-1976 based on some online resources stating Hofner did not put serial numbers on their guitars until 1976. This guitar has no serial number that I can see
This guitar was setup by The Trading Musician in Seattle. There's a lot of neck adjustability that I have never needed to bother with. Besides a truss... more
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Vintage Hofner Model 457 1950??s Archtop Venitian Cutaway Acoustic Guitar

Vintage Hofner Model 457 1950??s Archtop Venitian Cutaway Acoustic Guitar

Collingswood, New Jersey, 081**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$949

Here we have a Vintage 1950??s Horner 457

This archtop acoustic guitar is one of the many variations of the Hofner Model 457 from Germany with a classic sunburst finish. This archtop has a maple top, sides, and back complete with a Venetian cutaway, rosewood fingerboard, zero fret, and white block inlays to match the headstock to give it a "zebra" look. This guitar plays very well considering its age and repairs that have been done to it and looks like the beautiful jazz ... more
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Hofner HW300G Acoustic Guitar (Needs Work)

Hofner HW300G Acoustic Guitar (Needs Work)

New York, 100**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$75

Hofner HW300G Acoustic Guitar Needs Work - has twangy sound, may need new strings or other issueNo Truss RodSome scuff marks, minor smudge otherwise VG and BeautifulSols as is. Final SaleSame Day ShippingVisit my Ebay Store and search for books, cassettes, boots, electronics, CDs, Winter Vintage Coats, Tee shirts and other unique and hard to find items, Smoke free environment. Check out reviews
... more
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1959 Höfner President acoustic guitar

1959 Höfner President acoustic guitar

Felixstowe, IP11***, UNITED KINGDOM

£1000

1959 Höfner President acoustic guitarGorgeous with some cosmetic marks, some of which are very noticeable
Cosmetic damage can be seen in the pictures, nothing happening that effects palyability I'm a big fan of Höfner, they truly make fantastic guitars
The guitar palys well and looks beautiful (even with the cosmetic marks), constructed to last forever It comes with a TGI Extreme padded case (I bought this new, exactly for this occasion)
I box all my guitars for shipping, it is ... more
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Vintage Hofner 459 / S 1950s acoustic guitar maple Birdseye Maple tear drop

Vintage Hofner 459 / S 1950's acoustic guitar maple Birdseye Maple tear drop

Ipswich, IP4***, UNITED KINGDOM

£1399

1950's Hofner 459 / S acoustic guitar
With modern hard case
Free MAINLAND UK post
Lovely used condition for its age. Various marks, lines, small indents, small scuffs. Nothing major at all. Please view all photos - more available on request
To the best of my knowledge its a 459 / S model (single cutaway) with the unique F holes shape and frequensator style tailpiece. No electrics ever fitted, and the pickguard is long gone. All original apart from one tuning peg button looks to ... more
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Hofner Acoustic with case Hofner Committee serial number 3900 date 1963

Hofner Acoustic with case Hofner Committee serial number 3900 date 1963

Nuneaton, CV10***, UNITED KINGDOM

£3500

Superb guitar well cared for so condition is very good, quite rare offering free UK delivery, reference IML... more
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Hofner Semi Acoustic Vintage 1970s Guitar & hard Case - See Description And Pics

Hofner Semi Acoustic Vintage 1970s Guitar & hard Case - See Description And Pics

Edinburgh, EH17***, UNITED KINGDOM

£390

hi there here I have is my Hofner Semi Acoustic which I've had for around 15 years and played a number of times,  it truly ie a greta sounding guitar! comes with a grwta hard case which is worth a bit on it's own,  but stopped playing some years back  one of the strings is broken,  I recommend changing all strings to a new set off strings ... more
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Gitarre Höfner 4575 Verythin 1965 German Thinline Archtop Semi-Acoustic Guitar

Gitarre Höfner 4575 Verythin 1965 German Thinline Archtop Semi-Acoustic Guitar

Regensburg, 93***, GERMANY

€1800


Vintage - 60's German Jazz / Blues Guitar
HOFNER 4575 from 1965
Thinline Verythin Archtop Semi-Acoustic Guitar Cherry Red
JAZZGITARRE
HÖFNER
Modell: 4575
Made in Germany
Halb- bzw. Semi-Akustische Jazzgitarre aus der Mitte der 60er Jahre
von
HOFNER bzw. HÖFNER
Modell: "4575" Verythin
Warm und rund klingendes Instrument
das perfekt für Jazz oder Blues geeignet ist
Trotz des Alters ist sie in recht gutem Zustand. Sie hat
natürlich ... more
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Hofner Committee vintage electro acoustic guitar

Hofner Committee vintage electro acoustic guitar

Billingshurst, RH14***, UNITED KINGDOM

£1399

Rare and beautiful vintage Hofner Committee guitar appx 1958 in Sunburst as played by Rock & Roll hero's of the time The HofnerCommittee was the top of the range arch top offered by Hofner from the mid1950s through to the late '60s. Hofner were distributed in the UK extensivelyby Selmer,
constructedfrom a carved Spruce top with beautifully figured Maple back and sides, andfinished in a subtle golden tinted sunburst. The deep body arch top designgives the kind of jazzy, full bodied tone ... more
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Hofner Senator brunette 1963 REPAIRED vintage archtop acoustic guitar

Hofner Senator brunette 1963 REPAIRED vintage archtop acoustic guitar

London, Camden , NW0***, UNITED KINGDOM

£380

Hofner Senator Brunette, made in Germany in 1963.
Repaired as the headstock broke off. I used glue, screws, and wood for support. In my experience, it won??t break again.
The repair was painted over, it looks and feels pretty good.
Apart from that, all the accessories were replaced, so it lost most of its collectible value, but it is still a very good looking German 60??s archtop guitar that sounds and plays amazing.
... more
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Hofner Guitar:Verithin:Vintage1960:Archtop:Electro-acoustic:Rare Ruby Red:V Good

Hofner Guitar:Verithin:Vintage1960:Archtop:Electro-acoustic:Rare Ruby Red:V Good

Nunthorpe, TS7***, UNITED KINGDOM

£920

A Vintage, Hofner Verithin from 1960, in the rare Ruby Red finish, that has been well looked after The control panel has been replaced, ready for the next 60 years
The Headstock carries the original ,elegant ,set of Hofner Tuners, Hofner logo and inlaid design The Neck is straight, the joint soild The frets and fretboard are in good condition with a low action Lightweight, easy to handle and a joy to play all the way down the fretboard The original, Twin, Toasters have a lovely tone and ... more
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Hofner Senator 1958 Archtop Acoustic Guitar

Hofner Senator 1958 Archtop Acoustic Guitar

Stoke-on-Trent, ST6***, UNITED KINGDOM

£499

Hofner Senator
In really good condition overall
Had replacement tuning peg (see photos)
Just needs a setup
... more
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Hofner 457 / S Mid 1950s Archtop Acoustic Guitar + Hiscox Case

Hofner 457 / S Mid 1950's Archtop Acoustic Guitar + Hiscox Case

Chesterfield, S42***, UNITED KINGDOM

£795

In exceptionally clean condition this mid to late 1950's Hofner requiring a neck repair a previous one at the top tendon of the heel had failed
Images are attached as to how this simple repair was carried out
The inside there's a pencil written '53' in spite of the guitar more likely having beenbshipped and sold a few years later
Spec is a spruce top with laminated Maple back and sides and repair aside, is all original down to the last screw
Presented in exceptionally clean ... more
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Hofner Guitar:Congress:Vintage 1967 Archtop:Electro-acoustic:Excellent

Hofner Guitar:Congress:Vintage 1967 Archtop:Electro-acoustic:Excellent

Nunthorpe, TS7***, UNITED KINGDOM

£420

A Vintage, Hofner Congress, from the 1967, recently fitted with a Vintage, Hofner Diamond, Pickup, Volume and Tone control The Headstock carries a set of new tuners and the Hofner, Plastic, logo The Truss Rod Neck is straight, the joint solid, the frets are in good condition, as is the fretboard, with a low action The Hardwood, adjustable, Hofner Bridge is linked to an iconic Hofner ,Compensator ,Tailpiece The Acoustic Voice has bright treble and deep Bass tones, sounds great through an ... more
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Hofner Guitar:Senator:Cutaway:Vintage 1966:Archtop:Electro-Acoustic:Excellent

Hofner Guitar:Senator:Cutaway:Vintage 1966:Archtop:Electro-Acoustic:Excellent

Nunthorpe, TS7***, UNITED KINGDOM

£450

A Vintage, Hofner Senator, Type 66 with single cutaway, with original, Blond finish, from 1966, in excellent condition This acoustic Guitar has been recently converted by the addition of a 1960s Hofner Diamond pickup, Volume and Tone controlls
The Headstock carries the original, Hofner logo, set of Tuners and inlay The Neck is straight, the joint solid, the frets and fretboard are in excellent condition, with a low action The Rosewood ,Bridge is adjustable and is linked to an iconic Hofner ... more
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Hofner Guitar:Ambassador:Thinline:1965:Archtop:Electro-acoustic:Excellent

Hofner Guitar:Ambassador:Thinline:1965:Archtop:Electro-acoustic:Excellent

Nunthorpe, TS7***, UNITED KINGDOM

£1050

A Beautiful, Hofner Ambassador, Vintage 1965, Thinline, Cleaned, polished, serviced, hardly a mark on this Guitar Few and far between
The Headstock carries the elegant Hofner Tuners, with Resin Buttons, the Hofner logo and MOP inlays The Neck is straight, the joint solid, the frets are in good condition ,as is the fretboard, with a low action The Twin, Hofner, Staple, pickups are linked to Two Volume, Two Tone controls, with original knobs The hardwood based, Chromatic Bridge is adjustable ... more
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Hofner  Committee acoustic  1959-60 Brunette, tobacco burst

Hofner Committee acoustic 1959-60 Brunette, tobacco burst

Horncastle, LN9***, UNITED KINGDOM

£1500

OHV is offering our only accoustic fat body committee
For 60 years of age it is in remarkable condition. There are some scratches, in fact quite a few all around the body. Cosmetic and with the nicely darkened laquer they give the instrnent this wonderfull patina. Around the side srew of the pick guard is a little touched up area and on the backside bottom edge where the ornamentel inlay ends is a tiny patch of dopped out laquer. The neck has no trussrod and is pretty chunky, but as the... more
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Vintage Psychedelic Era Hofner Guitar 12 String Acoustic 492  1966 Great Player

Vintage Psychedelic Era Hofner Guitar 12 String Acoustic 492 1966 Great Player

London, NW8***, UNITED KINGDOM

£245

Vintage Hofner Guitar 12 String Acoustic 492 Circa 1966 Great Player in lovely Vintage condition, has a great sustain and loud mellow tone, as can be seen and heard in the uploaded video
Wonderful instrument with straight neck, low action and no bellying

PLEASE NOTE THE EARLIEST THIS CAN NOW BE POSTED OR COLLECTED IS THE 4TH DECEMBER

Can collect from London NW8
Good luck and happy bidding
... more
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Find more Hofner acoustic guitars for sale at vintageguitarsforsale.co

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1971 Selmer guitar catalogue

1971 Selmer guitar catalogueScan of 1971 Selmer guitar catalogue showing the range of electric and acoustic guitars distributed by the company: guitars by Gibson, Yamaha, Selmer, Hofner and Suzuki. 1960s Selmer had always placed Hofner at the front end of their catalogues, no doubt these were the better sellers - but into the 1970s Hofner were slipping somewhat and only appear at the tail end of this publication, pride of place going to Gibson, and to a lesser extent Yamaha. In fact this is the last Selmer catalogue to include the many Hofner hollow bodies (Committee, President, Senator etc) that had defined the companies output for so many years - to be replaced in the 1972 catalogue by generic solid body 'copies' of Gibson and Fender models. A number of new Gibson models are included for the first time: the SG-100 and SG-200 six string guitars and the SB-300 and SB-400 basses.

1968 Selmer guitar catalogue

1968 Selmer guitar catalogueScan of 1968/1969 Selmer guitar catalogue (printed July 1968), showing the entire range of electric and acoustic guitars distributed by the company: guitars by Hofner, Gibson, Selmer and Giannini. Selmer were the exclusive United Kingdom distributors of Hofner and Gibson at the time, and this catalogue contains a total of 18 electric guitars, 7 bass guitars, 37 acoustics, and 2 Hawaiian guitars - all produced outside the UK and imported by Selmer, with UK prices included in guineas. This catalogue saw the (re-)introduction of the late sixties Gibson Les Paul Custom and Les Paul Standard (see page 69) and the short-lived Hofner Club 70. Other electric models include: HOFNER ELECTRICS: Committee, Verithin 66, Ambassador, President, Senator, Galaxie, HOFNER BASSES: Violin bass, Verithin bass, Senator bass, Professional bass GIBSON ELECTRICS: Barney Kessel, ES-330TD, ES-335TD, ES-345TD, ES-175D, ES-125CD, SG Standard, SG Junior, SG Special GIBSON BASSES: EB-0, EB-2, EB-3 - plus a LOT of acoustics branded Gibson, Hofner, Selmer and Giannini

1961 Hofner Colorama I

1961 Hofner Colorama IHofner Colorama was the name UK distributor Selmer gave to a series of solid and semi-solid guitars built by Hofner for distribution in the UK. The construction and specifications of the guitars varied over the period of production, but by 1961 it was a totally solid, double cutaway instrument, with a set neck, translucent cherry finish, six-in-a-row headstock, and Hofner Diamond logo pickups. Available as a single or dual pickup guitar, this sngle pickup version would have been sold in mainland Europe as the Hofner 161.

1971 Commodore N25 (Matsumoku)

1971 Commodore N25 (Matsumoku)Commodore was a brand applied to a series of guitars produced in Japan at the well-respected Matsumoku plant from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s - and sold primarily (perhaps exclusively?) in the United Kingdom. The models bearing the Commodore name were all guitars available from different distributors with different branding. Although there may have been some minor changes in appointments (specifically headstock branding) most had the same basic bodies, hardware and construction. Equivalent models to the Commodore N25 (and this is by no means an exhaustive list) include the Aria 5102T, Conrad 5102T(?), Electra 2221, Lyle 5102T, Ventura V-1001, Univox Coily - and most famously the Epiphone 5102T / Epiphone EA-250.

1960 Hofner Colorama II

1960 Hofner Colorama IIThe Hofner Colorama was the name given by Selmer to a series of solid (and semi-solid) body Hofner guitars distributed in the United Kingdom between 1958 and 1965. The Colorama name actually applied to some quite different guitars over the period, but in 1960 it was a very light, semi-solid, set necked guitar with one (Colorama I) or two (Colorama II, as seen here) Toaster pickups. Although an entry-level guitar, it was very well-built, and a fine playing guitar; certainly a step up (at least in terms of craftsmanship) from many of the Colorama guitars that would follow, and a good deal of the guitars available in Britain circa 1960.

1971 Epiphone 1820 bass (ET-280)

1971 Epiphone 1820 (ET-280) bassBy 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). The Matsumoku factory had been producing guitars for export for some time, but the 1820 bass (alongside a number of guitar models and the 5120 electric acoustic bass) were the first Epiphone models to be made there. These new Epiphones were based on existing Matsumoku guitars, sharing body shapes, and hardware, but the Epiphone line was somewhat upgraded, with inlaid logos and a 2x2 peghead configuration. Over the course of the 70s, the Japanese output improved dramatically, and in many ways these early 70s models are a low point for the brand. Having said this, there are a lot worse guitars out there, and as well as being historically important, the 1820 bass can certainly provide the goods when required.

1981 Gibson Marauder

1981 Gibson MarauderProduction of Bill Lawrence's Gibson Marauder began in 1974, with production peaking in 1978. But by 1980 the model was officially discontinued, though very small numbers slipped out as late as spring 1981. Over 7000 examples shipped between 1974 and 1979, and although no totals are available for 1980 and 1981, it is unlikely production reached three figures in either of these years. These final Marauders were all assembled at the Gibson Nashville plant, and had some nice features not available through the later years of production, such as a rosewood fretboard, and in this case, an opaque 'Devil Red' finish. It's a great looking and fine playing guitar!

1971 'Pick Epiphone' Catalog

1971 Pick Epiphone catalogWhen Epiphone production moved from Kalamazoo to the Matsumoku plant in Japan, a whole new range of electric, flattop and classic acoustic guitars was launched. Between late 1970 and 1972 the new models were launched and refined. This 'folder' catalog contains various inserts released over these years detailing four electric six-strings (ET-270, ET-275, ET-278, and thinline EA-250), three bass guitars (ET-280, ET-285, and thinline EA-260), three folk/steel acoustics, four jumbo flattop acoustics, two 12-string jumbos, four classic acoustics, and a banjo.

1981 'Gibson Specials' Pre-Owners Manual

1981 Gibson Specials Pre-Owners Manual'Gibson Specials' was part of the June 1981 pre-owners manual series, but unlike the other folders contained a mish-mash of different guitars: limited editions, test marketing and close outs. "You will find the unusual, the brand-new, and the bargain within this folder". End of line 70s guitars like the Marauder, S-1, and L-6S Custom mixed in with brand new models the The V, The Explorer and the Flying V Bass.
It was the largest folder in the series, with 24 inserts, (19 guitars and 5 basses): Guitars: 335-S Standard, Melody Maker Double, Marauder, L-6S Custom, S-1, RD Artist, Firebird, Firebird II, Flying V, Flying V-II, The V, Explorer, Explorer II, The Explorer, The "SG" Standard, Les Paul Artist, Les Paul Artisan, ES-335 Heritage, ES-175/CC Basses: Grabber, G-3, L-9S, RD Artist Bass, Flying V Bass

1970s Shaftesbury 3263 bass

1970s Shaftesbury 3263 bassRose-Morris were selling Shaftesbury-branded Rickenbacker copy instruments from the late 1960s right through the 1970s. The 3263 bass was one of the first models, (alongside the 3261 six string and 3262 twelve string) available from late 1968 until about 1974. The earliest incarnation was a set neck bass, produced very briefly in Japan. But production quickly moved to Italy. This bolt-on neck example was built by Eko, in Recanati, using the same hardware and pickups as fitted to Eko, and Vox basses built around the same time. It's certainly a fine looking bass, and not a bad player either.

1961 Hohner Zambesi

1961 Hohner ZambesiThis very early, and pretty rare British-built guitar is branded Hohner London. Hohner were, of course, a German company, better known for their harmonicas and accordions, but they were keenly expanding into guitars at the birth of the 1960s. This model, along with the Hohner Amazon and (particularly) the Hohner Holborn, bear some similarity with Vox guitars of the same period; furniture manufacturer Stuart Darkins constructed bodies and necks for both brands, with Fenton Weill assembling them using their hardware and pickups. These guitars do have some hardware peculiarities, and they are not the most adjustable of instruments, but they actually play very nicely, being solidly built out of some very nice woods. Check out the video on this page.

1963 Vox Super Ace

1963 Vox Super AceThe Vox Super Ace was a mid-priced British solid body electric guitar, produced by JMI at their factory in Dartford, Kent. It was broadly modelled on the Fender Stratocaster, and a sibling model to the dual-pickup Vox Ace. Both the Ace, and Super Ace (along with several other models), were redesigned in 1963 with a new body shape, headstock style, and pickup layout - only increasing the resemblance to the aforementioned Fender. The Super Ace had a 1963 price tag of £47 5S. It's a pretty nice playing guitar with some lovely sounds - check out the videos on this page, and in the Vintage Guitar and Bass supporting members area

1966 Vox New Escort

1966 Vox New EscortThe Vox New Escort was Vox's version of the Fender Telecaster, at a time when American guitars were out of reach for most British musicians. It was made by JMI in England, for the British market, and unlike the majority of other models, didn't have an Italian-made equivalent. But the New Escort wasn't a slavish Fender copy, adding Vox's stylish teardrop headstock to the tele-style body, with a stop tailpiece and two Vox V2 single coil pickups. And it's a pretty substantial, and nice playing guitar, with a very comfortable neck. Check out the images, specifications, and watch a video of it in action. There is also extra content in the vintageguitarandbass supporting members area.

1969 Fender catalog, Fender Lovin' Care

1969 Fender catalog, Fender Lovin CareCatalog scan. The 1969 Fender Lovin' Care catalog consisted of 48 pages of electric guitars, basses, amplifiers, steel guitars, acoustic guitars, banjos and keyboards. Like the previous catalog, this featured the company's guitars in a variety of interesting settings around California, from the Whiskey-A-Go-Go, to the Hollywood Bowl. Several instruments were making their first appearance amongst it's pages: the Telecaster bass, Montego and LTD jazz guitars, and the Redondo acoustic. It was the final catalog appearance, however, of the Electric XII, Bass V, Duo-Sonic, Coronado I and Coronado Bass I.

1973 Eko Ranger Folk

1973 Eko Ranger FolkThe Eko Ranger series of guitars was incredibly popular in the second half of the 1960s and through the 1970s, selling in very large numbers. The Ranger Folk was 1 1/4" smaller, and 1" shallower than the Ranger VI and XII - and with a narrower waist. Not a bad guitar; a little quiet, but pretty playable. These were great value in 1973, and because they sold so many, they are easy to find and excellent value today.

1966 Vox Symphonic bass guitar

1966 Vox Symphonic bass guitarThe Symphonic bass was built in the UK, by Vox parent company JMI. It was the Vox equivalent to the Fender Precision bass, and was one of the most expensive Vox guitars produced. It was actually a great playing bass, rather similar to the Precision in feel and sound, but was probably just too expensive compared to an actual Fender and consequently sold poorly. When Vox hit financial problems in 1968, unsold guitars and basses were passed on to Dallas Arbiter, who briefly sold the excess Symphonic bass stock as model 4537. This bass, although with a neck date of February 1966, was most likely one of the unsold Vox guitars sold on by Dallas Arbiter. Check out the bass, and the two video demos through 1960s Ampeg and WEM amplifiers.

1968 Shaftesbury 'Electric Guitars' catalog

1968 Shaftesbury catalogThe 1968 Shaftesbury 'Electric Guitars' catalog was just four pages long, and contained four guitar models: the six string Barney Kessel-style 3264; and three Rickenbacker-styled semi-acoustic models: the six-string 3261, the twelve string 3262 and the 3263 bass. Shaftesbury was the house-brand of major UK distributor Rose-Morris, and seems to have been launched as a response to the company's loss of it's distribution deal with Rickenbacker. The guitars were mid-priced, and built in (initially) Japan, and later Italy, by Eko

1970 Rose-Morris 'Exciting Electrics Wonderful Westerns Celebrated Classics' catalog

1970 Rose_Morris catalog1970 Rose-Morris catalog, dated April 1970. It featured 6 electric guitars, 32 acoustic guitars, 3 basses and 1 steel guitar. It contains the following instruments, over 20 pages: Electric guitars: Shaftesbury 3261, 3262, 3264, 3265, 3400; Top Twenty 1970; Bass: Shaftesbury 3263, 3266; Top Twenty 1971; Acoustic guitars: Eko Rio Bravo, Rio Bravo 12, Ranchero, Ranchero 12, Colorado, Ranger, Ranger Folk, Ranger 12; Aria 1674, 1675, 1676, 1679, 1680, 1695, 'John Pearse' Jumbo, 'John Pearse' Folk; Rose-Morris 15-11, Kansas, Georgian, Florida; Suzuki 1663, 1664, 1665, 3054, 3055, 3060; Tatay 1713, 1714, 1715; Peerless 3052; Steel guitar: Aria 3425

1971 Rose-Morris 'Exciting Electrics Wonderful Westerns' catalog

1971 Rose_Morris catalogThe sixteen-page 1971 Rose-Morris catalog featured electric guitars by Rose-Morris' own brand, Shaftesbury, and budget brand Top Twenty; aswell as acoustics by Eko, Aria, and for the first time Ovation. The catalog contains the following instruments: Electric guitars: Shaftesbury 3261, 3264, 3265, 3400, 3402; Top Twenty 1970; Bass: Shaftesbury 3263, 3266; Top Twenty 1971; Acoustic guitars: Ovation: Balladeer, 12 String, Glen Campbell, Glen Campbell 12 string; Eko Rio Bravo, Rio Bravo 12, Ranger, Ranger Folk, Ranger 12, Colorado, Ranchero, Ranchero 12, Studio 'L'; Rose-Morris Florida; Aria 'John Pearse' Jumbo, 'John Pearse' Folk

1972 Fender Precision bass

1972 Fender PrecisionA detailed look at an early 1970s Fender Precision bass guitar in custom black finish, with rosewood fretboard. 1972 list price, $307.50. The Fender Precision had been shipping since at least very early 1952 - with just one re-design circa 1957. This example, then, shows a model already two decades old, but barely changed since the '57 revamp. Fender got it right first time around, and although there are numerous minor cosmetic differences, the essence of this bass is effectively the same as it was in '52: a simple, single pickup instrument with a GREAT sound. Check out the demo video through an old Ampeg B15. It's no wonder this is the bass that everybody wants!

1967 Vox Stroller

1967 Vox StrollerThe Vox Stroller was the brand's entry level electric solid body guitar, fitted with just one pickup and a fixed tailpiece. Although aimed at student guitarists, it wasn't a terrible instrument, but did lack somewhat in adjustability, having no accessible truss rod and only a floating rosewood bridge. But this example is actually quite an improvement on earlier versions, with a standard 1/4" jack and a solid mahogany body. 1967 price £18 2s. JMI ceased UK guitar production in late '67, and combined with decreasing demand for the Stroller, this surely must be one of the last examples shipped.

1963 Vox Clubman Bass (left handed)

1963 Vox Clubman Bass left handedA nice example of the Vox Clubman II bass, built by JMI in Dartford, Kent in 1963. This is a lightweight bass, short (30") scale and very easy to play. It is an early example, and as such has a thin black scratchplate and side mounted, coaxial output jack. JMI offered left handed examples of their solid body Vox guitars and basses at 10% premium. Production numbers are unclear, but left-handed examples rarely come up for sale

1977 Gibson ES Artist 'prototype'

1977 Gibson ES Artist prototypeNot to be confused with the Gibson ES Artist launched by Gibson in 1979; this ES Artist was an early model designed by the Gibson research and development team in Kalamazoo in 1977, the instruments themselves constructed by Gibson artist Chuck Burge. It was planned for launch as a high end semi acoustic with 335-style construction (central maple block) and innovative circuitry - but was pulled at the last minute, being deemed too expensive. Apparently, several examples were produced with varying specifications, though exactly how many actually left the Kalamazoo plant is unclear. Certainly two guitars were sold to LaVonne Music by Gibson in around 1980. Read more about the development of this guitar, with details from Chuck Burge and the story of it's sale to LaVonne music

1959 Hofner Committee

1959 Hofner CommitteeThe Hofner Committee was a truly beautiful guitar produced in Germany, primarily for the UK market. It was a large bodied (initially 17 1/2") guitar with a carved spruce top, available as an acoustic or electric guitar. By the early sixties the carved top was replaced with a laminate, and although still a very fine guitar, the earlier carved top examples, with frondose headstock (like the example shown here) are far more highly prized amongst musicians and vintage guitar collectors.

1965 Gretsch Chet Atkins Tennessean

1965 Gretsch Chet Atkins TennesseanThe Gretsch Chet Atkins Tennessean, or model 6119 was Gretsch's best selling hollow body of the 1960s. This wonderfully faded example from 1965 was originally Dark Cherry Red, but has turned a mid-orange brown. The original color, however, can be seen underneath the pickup surrounds. 1965 specs: maple body, two-piece neck, Brazilian rosewood fretboard and Hi-Lo 'Tron single coil pickups. Nickel plated Gretsch Bigsby tailpiece.

1965 Gretsch 'For the Spectacular Sound of the Times' guitar and amp catalog

1965 Gretsch catalogThe 1965 Gretsch catalog, or catalog #32, featured 10 hollow body electric guitars, including the newly launched Gretsch Viking; four solid body electrics, including the Astro Jet - making it's only catalog appearance; just one bass, the single pickup PX6070; nine acoustics and 12 tube amplifiers. Pride of place went to the Chet Atkins Country Gentleman that adorned both the front and back covers. 24 pages, six of which are in full color.

Guitar Repair: fixing fret buzz and sharp fret ends

Guitar Repair: fixing fret buzz and sharp fret endsLoose frets are especially problematic in certain old guitars, but are generally very easy to fix. You'll be amazed at the difference you can make with just a few tools, a bit of knowledge, and a little time. Fixing loose frets can eliminate fret buzz, remove sharp fret ends, and greatly improve the tone of any guitar. If your luthier bill will be greater than the value of your guitar, definitely time to have a go yourself!

1966 Hagstrom 'worlds fastest playing neck' catalog (Merson USA)

1966 Hagstrom guitar catalogHagstrom guitars were distributed in the mid-1960s United States by Merson of USA. This eight page 'worlds fastest playing neck' catalog, printed in two-colors contained six solid body electrics, three solid body basses, two electric acoustic guitars, two electric acoustic basses and five acoustics.

1965 Hofner President

1965 Hofner PresidentThe President was produced by Hofner in Bubenreuth, Germany, specifically for Selmer, who distributed the brand in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and other commonwealth nations. The President was a hollow body electric acoustic, available as a full body or thinline, and with blonde or brunette finish. It was a great playing guitar that sold fairly well in the second half of the 1950s, throughout the 1960s, and into the very early 1970s. The example shown here is a full-body depth guitar in blonde - and as a 1965 guitar, one of the last to feature the rounded Venetian cutaway. From late 1965 until 1972, the President sported a sharp Florentine cut. Naturally, such an electric acoustic suggests jazz and blues, but many of the original British Hofner President players were part of the rock 'n roll, skiffle and beat scenes of the late 50s and early 60s.

1963 1964 Fender catalog

Fender 1963 catalogue"The Choice of Professional and Student Musicians Everywhere" This eight page catalogue was included as an insert in the 1963 annual "school music" issue of Downbeat magazine (September 1963). As well as keyboards and pedal steels, this catalog contains seven guitars, three basses and ten amplifiers - from student guitars such as the Musicmaster and Duotone to professional models like the new Jaguar.