Hofner Club 50 Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar, c. 1959, period black hard shell case.

Hofner Club 50 Model Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar, c. 1959, made in Germany, natural lacquer finish, laminated maple body, spruce top; laminated maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, period black hard shell case.

The Club 50 is one of the Hofner company's most original creations -- a small-body slim archtop with no f-holes that was available in Europe and the UK in the late '50s and early '60s. These were one of the most popular Beat-group guitars in early 1960s Liverpool; all three Beatle guitarists played similar Club 40 models during their early stages as a group.

This Club 50 dates to around 1959, with the earlier style plastic-covered pickups mated to the newer 2-knob, 3 switch control panel introduced in 1958. This is a very rare guitar in the US; they were not imported or sold here when new, and have been mostly brought over individually by Beat fans in the years since. A very cool Hofner classic, in extremely playable condition.

Overall length is 38 in. (96.5 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 in. (5.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 1/4 in. (616 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).

This is a superb all-original example; there is some general wear to the finish, but the only alteration is the wooden bridge saddle has been lowered somewhat from below -- an almost ubiqutous modification on these period Hofners. A couple of back seams in the multi-laminate neck show signs of having been re-sealed and the neck has almost certainly been re-set, but overall this guitar is in fantastic condition for a Club of this vintage. An excellent player with the typical bouncy sound; includes a period German-made HSC. Excellent - Condition.