THE HOFNER PRESIDENT - FACT FILE

1959/60 President Thinline Electric (Transition Model) - Courtesy of Bob Bullock

The President was the main "middle-of-the-range" archtop in the Selmer catalogue between 1952 and 1972/73 when it finally disappeared. It was really a deluxe version of the Hofner Model 457, which was also introduced around 1952.

The main features of the President, carried across all variants, were:

A spruce body top (solid carved spruce until 1959/60, then laminated spruce), and the use of fine flame maple veneers for body back and sides.

Blonde and Brunette finish options.

A single body cutaway (initially Venetian; later Florentine).

Beautiful vine/flower headstock inlay using mother of pearl.

Triple dot fret markers.

The European/US Market equivalent guitars were the Hofner 457 (full-depth body) and the 4570 (Thinline body). These were finished in a more basic format than the President however, without the headstock inlay work and compensator tailpiece.

There are several examples of this model in the Archtops Section of the Visitors' Gallery. In this Fact File, I have therefore attempted only to describe the features of the President at the various stages in its evolution. The headstock and body cutaway type changes are perhaps the most positive method of illustrating the various stages, and hence these are illustrated below.

Please note that the evolution described below should only be taken as a guide, and not as 100% gospel. Hofner being Hofner, there was a degree of overlap between the various stages, and not every President falls exactly into the pattern. This can be seen from the 1959/60 "transition" example above.

1952-54:

Carved solid spruce body top, and flame maple back and sides.
Single purfling strip covering centre joint in veneers on body back.
Lower Bout width: 16.25"
Flared-top headstock initially, then symmetrical style.
Plain white binding, with multiple black/white purfling to body. Very early examples do not have the binding, just the purfling to the body top..
Tortoiseshell scratchplate.
Five piece slightly flamed maple/mahogany laminated neck.
Plain white binding to neck.
Six fret markers on fingerboard.
No truss rod.
Elongated "Gibson-style" headstock without HOFNER name.
Machine heads are 3-on-a-plate classical guitar type, with plastic surrounds on barrel. Plastic buttons
Rosewood fingerboard.
"Compensator" style tailpiece. Earliest have "Straten" logo rather than Hofner.
Two piece rosewood single plastic saddle bridge with only vertical adjustment.
Hofner logo stamped into body top just below, and to treble side of, bridge.
Only an acoustic version offered.

1954 - 1956:

Carved solid spruce body top, and flame maple back and sides.
Single purfling strip covering centre joint in veneers on back.
Lower Bout width: 16.25"
Symetrical-top headstock
Plain white binding, with multiple black/white purfling to body.
Tortoiseshell scratchplate.
Five piece slightly flamed maple/mahogany laminated neck.
Plain white binding to neck.
Six fret markers on fingerboard.
No truss rod.
Elongated "Gibson-style" headstock without HOFNER name.
Machine heads are 3-on-a-plate classical guitar type, with plastic surrounds on barrel. Plastic buttons
Rosewood fingerboard.
"Compensator" style tailpiece, with Hofner logo stamped in.
Two piece rosewood or ebonised single plastic saddle bridge with only vertical adjustment.
Hofner logo stamped into body top just below, and to treble side of, bridge.
Only an acoustic version offered initially, with twin-pickup electric option from 1955 onwards. Oval shaped control consul on electric versions.

1956 - 1957:

Carved solid spruce body top, and flamed maple back and sides.
Single purfling strip covering centre joint in veneers on back now disappeared.
Lower Bout Width: 16.25" on both acoustic and electric versions.
Plain white binding, with multiple black/white purfling to body.
Tortoiseshell scratchplate
Five piece slightly flamed maple/mahogany laminated neck.
Eight fret markers on fingerboard.
No truss rod.
Elongated "Gibson-style" headstock without HOFNER name.
Machine heads are single "hydrant-style" open units, with solid brass barrels.
Rosewood fingerboard.
"Compensator" style tailpiece.
Two piece "ebony" single plastic saddle bridge with only vertical adjustment.
Hofner logo decal applied to body top, located on bass side of fingerboard extension..
Full-bodied acoustic and electric versions offered.
Oval shaped control consul on electric versions.
Two Black-Bar pickups with rosewood bodies on electric versions.

1957 - 1959:

Carved solid spruce body top, and flamed maple back and sides. some later examples with laminated spruce tops.
Lower Bout Width: 16.25" on both acoustic and electric versions.
Plain white binding, with multiple black/white purfling to body.
Tortoiseshell scratchplate
Five piece slightly flamed maple/mahogany laminated neck.
Eight fret markers on fingerboard.
No truss rod.
"Splayed corners" headstock with HOFNER name inlayed in capitals.
Machine heads are single "hydrant-style" open units, with solid brass barrels.
Rosewood fingerboard.
"Compensator" style tailpiece.
Two piece "ebonised" single plastic saddle bridge with only vertical adjustment.
Hofner logo decal on bass side of body top bout.
Acoustic and full-bodied electric versions offered. Thinline version introduce in later half of 1959. (2" Deep body)
Initially Oval and then from mid-1958, rectangular shaped control consuls on electric versions.
Two "Black-Bar" pickups on electric versions. Rosewood bodies replaced by plastic in mid-1958.

1960 - 61:

Mainly laminated spruce body top, and flamed maple back and sides, but occasional carved solid spruce tops.
Lower Bout Width: 16.25" on both acoustic and electric versions.
Plain white binding, with multiple black/white purfling to body.
Tortoiseshell scratchplate
Five piece slightly flamed maple/mahogany laminated neck.
Eight fret markers on fingerboard.
Truss rod fitted to neck.
"Splayed corners" headstock with HOFNER name inlayed in capitals. From mid-1960.the non-splayed headstock was fitted.
Machine heads are single "hydrant-style" open units, with solid brass barrels.
Rosewood fingerboard.
"Compensator" style tailpiece.
Two piece "ebonised" single plastic saddle bridge with only vertical adjustment.
Hofner logo decal on bass side of body top bout: no longer fitted after mid-1960.
Acoustic, Full-bodied electric, and Thinline electric versions offered.
Rectangular shaped control consuls on electric versions.
Two "Toaster" pickups on electric versions.

1961 - 1963

Laminated spruce body top, and flamed maple back and sides,
Lower Bout Width: 16.25" on both acoustic and electric versions.
Plain white binding, with multiple black/white purfling to body.
Tortoiseshell scratchplate
Five piece slightly flamed maple/mahogany laminated neck.
Eight fret markers on fingerboard.
Truss rod fitted to neck.
Non-splayed corners headstock with HOFNER name inlayed in capitals.
Machine heads are single, open units, with solid steel barrels.
Rosewood fingerboard.
"Compensator" style tailpiece.
Two piece "ebonised" single plastic saddle bridge with only vertical adjustment.
No Hofner body logo decal on body top bout.
Acoustic, Full-bodied electric, and Thinline electric versions offered.
Rectangular shaped control consuls on electric versions.
Two "Toaster" pickups (1960-61) and "Diamond Logo" (1961-63) Type 510 pickups on electric versions.

1963 - 1965:

Laminated tops on all versions, with flamed maple back and sides.
Lower Bout Width: 16.25" on both acoustic and electric versions.
Plain white binding, with multiple black/white purfling to body.
Tortoiseshell scratchplate
Five piece slightly flamed maple/mahogany laminated neck.
Eight fret markers on fingerboard.
Truss rod fitted to neck.
Non-splayed corners headstock with HOFNER name inlayed in capitals.
Machine heads are single, open units, with solid steel barrels.
Rosewood fingerboard.
"Lyre" style tailpiece.
Hofner "Micro-matic" bridge fitted on electric versions. Two piece "ebonised" single plastic saddle bridge with only vertical adjustment on acoustic version.
Acoustic, Full-bodied electric, and Thinline electric versions offered.
Four rotary controls (2 x Volume ; 2 x Tone) fitted to electric versions.
Two "Staple" Type 511 pickups fitted on electric versions.

1965 - c1971:

Laminated spruce body tops on all versions, with flamed maple back and sides..
Single Florentine cutaway on all versions.
Lower Bout Width: 16.25" on both acoustic and electric versions.
Plain white binding, with multiple black/white purfling to body.
Black/white laminated scratchplate
Five piece slightly flamed maple/mahogany laminated neck.
Eight fret markers on fingerboard. Later Presidents (from about 1968) seem to have reverted back to six triple markers.
Truss rod fitted to neck.
Non-splayed corners headstock with HOFNER name inlayed in capitals.
Machine heads are single, open units, with solid steel barrels.
Rosewood fingerboard.
"Lyre" style tailpiece.
Hofner "Micro-matic" bridge fitted to electric versions. Two piece "ebonised" single plastic saddle bridge with only vertical adjustment to acoustic versions.
Hofner logo decal on bass side of body top bout now disappeared.
Acoustic, Full-bodied electric, and Thinline electric versions offered.
Three rotary controls (1 x Volume ; 2 x Tone) plus three-way pickup selector switch on treble side of upper bout fitted to electric versions.
Two "Staple" Type 511 pickups fitted on electric versions up to 1967. Then "Blade" Type 513 units fitted. Large plastic surrounds to pickups from 1965 onwards.

PRESIDENT 12-STRING GUITAR c 1967:

Laminated spruce body top, with flamed maple back and sides..
Single Venetian cutaway.
Lower Bout Width: 16.25" on both acoustic and electric versions.
Plain white binding, with multiple black/white purfling to body.
Black/white laminated scratchplate
Five piece maple/mahogany laminated neck.
Eight fret double-dot markers on fingerboard.
Truss rod fitted to neck.
Elongated "Gibson-style" headstock with "glued-on" plastic Hofner script logo, and mop "dagger" inlay.
Machine heads are single, open units.
Rosewood fingerboard.
"Club" style trapeze tailpiece.
Hofner ebonised two piece bridge, with individual string saddles made of fret wire (adjustable in slots.)
Only Thinline electric version offered.
Three rotary controls (1 x Volume ; 2 x Tone) plus three-way pickup selector switch on bass side of upper bout fitted to electric versions.
Either two "Staple" type or "Bar Magnet" type pickups fitted.

December 1952 Selmer advertisement featuring the new Hofner President.