One of the Best Guitar Models Ever Made - the Höfner 176!
This is the ’60s. This is Surf. This is Rock ’n’ Roll!

The Höfner 176 offers everything you might miss on the 172, 173 and 175. Its circuitry is as sophisticated as it is easy to understand and offers an enormous variety of sounds. You’ll quickly find your favourite tones - the harder part is deciding which one to play next. Equipped with three of the famous Höfner Franz Pix 511 “Nova Sonic” staple humbuckers, this guitar offers impressive tonal flexibility and is suitable for almost any style of music.

This Höfner 176 dates from 1964 and naturally shows signs of use consistent with its age. Despite being more than 60 years old, it remains in beautiful and well-preserved condition. The finish, hardware and plastic parts show the usual signs of age and use. The finish on the neck has some fine hairline cracks and areas of wear, but still retains a beautiful gloss.

The white vinyl is exceptionally well preserved, sits cleanly and securely around the entire body and once again has a beautiful shine following the restoration. Over the decades, it has naturally developed some light yellowing, and there is one small area of damage to the vinyl near the vibrato cover. The surrounding piping is also still cleanly and securely in place. The celluloid pickguard shows normal signs of use but remains free of cracks and is very well preserved. The original lettering is also still clearly visible.

Of the three pickups, a total of five of the six coils have been professionally rewound by me. For my rewinds, I use the same type of wire, the same tape and crepe materials, the identical winding direction, the original number of windings and the same assembly technique originally used by Höfner and Franz Pix. The result is an authentic sound with no audible difference compared to an original, untouched pickup. All pickups, switches and potentiometers are working perfectly. The complete electronics remain original.

The guitar received a comprehensive restoration down to the smallest detail. The finish and vinyl were thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and polished. The tuners were completely disassembled, cleaned, polished and freshly lubricated. Every single screw was removed, cleaned and restored. The vibrato was completely disassembled, serviced and freshly lubricated. The entire electronics were cleaned and inspected, and the grounding was checked.

The fingerboard and new frets were given their final treatment, cleaned and polished. The neck was optimally adjusted, and the entire guitar was professionally set up and intonated.

The Höfner 176 is perfectly intonated and ready to play.

Ready to Rock ’n’ Roll!

• Pot Dates: 250K 464 (CW46 1964)
• Solid double-cutaway body covered in white vinyl
• One-piece maple neck with black finish
• Rosewood fingerboard with binding and 22 frets
• Celluloid fingerboard inlays
• Three Höfner Franz Pix 511 “Nova Sonic” staple humbuckers
• 3x pickup ON/OFF switches, Rhythm/Solo switch
• 1x chicken-head switch with 5 tone variations
• Master volume and 3x tone controls
• Höfner vibrato and height-adjustable bridge with muting function
• New Pyramid Nickel Classic strings 10–46
• Weight: 3.67 kg

General Information

Please keep in mind that this is a more than 60-year-old vintage instrument. The condition described above represents the condition in which the guitar leaves my shop and could be personally collected.

Despite careful packaging, changes can occur during shipping, particularly during international transportation involving significant fluctuations in temperature or humidity. Original celluloid parts in particular can shrink or develop stress cracks over the decades. Likewise, expansion and contraction of materials can, in rare cases, affect solder joints or the windings of old pickups.

I pack every instrument with the greatest possible care and, should an issue arise, I will of course support my buyers in a fair and straightforward manner. Nevertheless, please remember that vintage instruments are not new products. Age-related wear, material changes and a certain degree of sensitivity are all part of the character and history of these instruments – and part of what makes them so special.