As stated in Part 4, there are numerous guitars about containing serial numbers that predate those prior to 1958 which are still available in Hofner’s own records. The only satisfactory way to establish the year of production during this early period is by an internal examination as described in Part 4. This can be a very rewarding exercise as not only the year of production can be found but also the actual day and month.
Detailed below are some serial number and corresponding dates as extracted from my own guitars.
|
Model |
Serial Number |
Body Date |
|
Committee |
2129 |
31/08/54 |
|
Committee |
2536 |
31/10/57 |
|
Committee |
3745 |
20/03/61 |
|
Committee |
3932 |
12/08/63* |
|
Committee |
3950 |
25/06/63* |
|
President |
2277 |
24/09/55 |
|
President |
5549 |
18/03/59 |
|
President |
7293 |
22/03/60 |
* It can be seen from the Committee numbers, anomalies occur even in the simple task of co-ordinating serial numbers and dates.
In the following tables I have used a little initiative to arrive at the probable serial numbers that are shown against the years before 1958. These are relatively accurate but would have to be verified by physical inspection.
|
Model |
First Serial Number |
Last Serial Number |
Year |
Remarks |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Committee |
2000 |
2141 |
1954 |
|
|
|
2142 |
2282 |
1955 |
Pre truss-rod models |
|
|
2283 |
2325 |
1956 |
|
|
|
2326 |
2564 |
1957 |
|
|
|
2565 |
2950 |
1958 |
|
|
|
2951 |
3313 |
1959 |
|
|
|
3314 |
3677 |
1960 |
Truss Rods Introduced |
|
|
3678 |
3745 |
1961 |
|
|
|
3746 |
3793 |
1962 |
|
|
|
3794 |
3954 |
1963 |
Redesigned headstock |
|
|
3965 |
4109 |
1964 |
|
|
|
4110 |
4177 |
1965 |
|
|
|
4178 |
4189 |
1966 |
|
|
|
4190 |
4247 |
1967 |
|
|
|
4248 |
4258 |
1968 |
|
|
|
4259 |
4264 |
1969 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Committee Thinline |
1000 |
1175 |
1960 |
Truss Rods Introduced |
|
|
1176 |
1275 |
1961 |
|
|
|
1276 |
1325 |
1962 |
|
|
|
1326 |
1485 |
1963 |
Redesigned headstock |
|
|
1486 |
1525 |
1964 |
|
|
|
1526 |
1653 |
1965 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
President |
1500 |
1874 |
1953 |
Pre truss-rod models |
|
|
1875 |
2180 |
1954 |
|
|
|
2181 |
2490 |
1955 |
|
|
|
2491 |
2985 |
1956 |
|
|
|
2986 |
3480 |
1957 |
|
|
|
3481 |
5100 |
1958 |
|
|
|
5101 |
6533 |
1959 |
|
|
|
6534 |
7967 |
1960 |
Truss Rods Introduced |
|
|
7968 |
8047 |
1961 |
|
|
|
8048 |
8126 |
1962 |
|
|
|
8127 |
8309 |
1963 |
|
|
|
8355 |
8728 |
1964 |
|
|
|
8729 |
8976 |
1965 |
|
|
|
8977 |
8982 |
1966 |
|
|
|
8932 |
8988 |
1967 |
|
|
|
8989 |
8995 |
1968 |
|
|
|
8996 |
9002 |
1969 |
|
|
|
9003 |
9015 |
1970 |
|
|
|
9016 |
9029 |
1971 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
President Thinline |
1 |
681 |
1960 |
Truss Rods Introduced |
|
|
None Listed |
None Listed |
1961 |
|
|
|
682 |
822 |
1962 |
|
|
|
823 |
962 |
1963 |
|
|
|
963 |
1134 |
1964 |
|
|
|
1135 |
???? |
1965 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Senator |
1000 |
1040 |
1953 |
Pre-Truss Rod Model |
|
|
1041 |
1087 |
1954 |
|
|
|
1088 |
1375 |
1955 |
|
|
|
1376 |
3738 |
1956 |
|
|
|
3739 |
4403 |
1957 |
|
|
|
4404 |
7800 |
1958 |
|
|
|
7801 |
9801 |
1959 |
|
|
|
9802 |
11400 |
1960 |
Truss Rods Introduced |
|
|
11401 |
11702 |
1961 |
|
|
|
11703 |
12079 |
1962 |
|
|
|
12080 |
12680 |
1963 |
|
|
|
12726 |
13516 |
1964 |
|
|
|
13517 |
13674 |
1965 |
|
|
|
13675 |
13768 |
1966 |
|
|
|
13769+ |
|
1967 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Senator Thinline |
1 |
375 |
1958 |
|
|
|
376 |
845 |
1959 |
|
|
|
846 |
1088 |
1960 |
Truss Rods Introduced |
|
|
1089 |
1227 |
1961 |
|
|
|
1228 |
1316 |
1962 |
|
|
|
1317 |
1404 |
1963 |
|
|
|
1405 |
1533 |
1964 |
|
|
|
1534 |
1660 |
1965 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Congress |
2000 |
2850 |
1955 |
Pre-Truss Rod Models |
|
|
2851 |
4717 |
1956 |
|
|
|
4718 |
5808 |
1957 |
|
|
|
5809 |
7800 |
1958 |
|
|
|
7801 |
8859 |
1959 |
|
|
|
8860 |
9917 |
1960 |
Truss Rods Introduced |
|
|
9918 |
10958 |
1961 |
|
|
|
10959 |
12278 |
1962 |
|
|
|
12279 |
13371 |
1963 |
|
|
|
13922 |
14321 |
1964 |
|
|
|
14322 |
14891 |
1965 |
|
|
|
14892 |
15141 |
1966 |
|
|
|
15142 |
15366 |
1967 |
|
|
|
15367 |
15456 |
1968 |
|
|
|
15457 |
15471 |
1969 |
|
|
|
15472 |
15517 |
1970 |
|
|
|
15518 |
15523 |
1971 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Club 40 |
Pre |
254 |
1957 |
Pre-Truss Rod Models |
|
|
255 |
420 |
1958 |
|
|
|
421 |
921 |
1959 |
|
|
|
922 |
1534 |
1960 |
Truss Rods Introduced |
|
|
1535 |
1674 |
1961 |
|
|
|
1675 |
Onwards |
1962 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Club 50 |
Pre |
478 |
1957 |
Pre-Truss Rod Models |
|
|
479 |
650 |
1958 |
|
|
|
651 |
1151 |
1959 |
|
|
|
1152 |
1782 |
1960 |
Truss Rods Introduced |
|
|
1781 |
Onwards |
1961 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Club 60 |
1 |
180 |
1958 |
Pre-Truss Rod Models |
|
|
181 |
681 |
1959 |
|
|
|
682 |
1296 |
1960 |
Truss Rods Introduced |
|
|
1297 |
1607 |
1961 |
|
|
|
1608 |
Onwards |
1962 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Club 70 |
- |
- |
- |
Footnote |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Verithin |
1 |
350 |
1960 |
Truss Rods Introduced |
|
|
351 |
699 |
1961 |
|
|
|
700 |
1238 |
1962 |
|
|
|
1239 |
2223 |
1963 |
|
|
|
2260 |
3313 |
1964 |
|
|
|
3314 |
Onwards |
1965 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Verithin Florentine Deluxe |
1000 |
1190 |
1965 |
|
|
|
1191 |
1293 |
1966 |
|
|
|
1294 |
1388 |
1967 |
|
|
|
1389 |
1403 |
1968 |
|
|
|
1404 |
1408 |
69/70 |
|
|
|
1407 |
1411 |
1971 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ambassador |
50 |
177 |
1965 |
|
|
|
178 |
443 |
1966 |
|
|
|
444 |
468 |
1967 |
|
|
|
469 |
480 |
1968 |
|
© Ramsay McKinnon 2006.