1970s Hoyer 5068 Brown Sunburst | Vintage Pre-Lawsuit Open-Book German Les Paul | Video

I offer here a real collector's item: a Hoyer 5068 Singlecut Les Paul Style electric guitar handmade by Walter Hoyer in Tennenlohe near Erlangen (Germany) from the 1970s (Pre-Lawsuit era), an own interpretation of the Gibson Les Paul Melody Maker with one-piece mahogany body, set mahogany neck, bound rosewood fingerboard with thick mother-of-pearl dot inlays, "open book" headstock, two hand-wired Hoyer single-coil pickups, tuning stable Schaller tuners and beautifully graded brown sunburst high gloss finish in a well maintained condition incl. vintage case and professional setup with new strings.

Founded in 1874 by Franz Hoyer in Schönbach (Czech Republic) and re-founded in 1945 by his son Arnold Hoyer in Tennenlohe, the guitar manufactory was one of the largest German guitar makers, producing many different instruments during the golden age of German guitar making. Hoyer was famous for high-quality, lovingly handcrafted guitars with a rich sound, of which the archtop models such as the "Herr im Frack" and the "Solist" also achieved international fame. In 1987, the third generation of Arnold's son Walter Hoyer ceased production, and the instruments available today have little in common with the Hoyers of the 20th century.

In the case of this rare own modification of a Gibson Les Paul Melody Maker by W. Hoyer, which was probably built in the early 1970s, i.e. a time when detailed replicas of the American originals were not yet being admonished ("Pre Lawsuit Era"). In fact, some of the replicas were in no way inferior to their models ("German Gibson"), in some cases they even surpassed them, so that Gibson & Co. had no choice but to take legal action against them.

This early Hoyer Les Paul has a good technical design and combines the typical details of an early Gibson Paula: solid mahogany body, glued mahogany neck, open book headstock and a bound rosewood fingerboard with fat mother-of-pearl dot inlays.

Sonically, two hand-wound single coil pickups offer a versatile, wiry-singing sound that may not bring as much output as humbuckers, but offers an authentic '70s feel with warm-bluesy sound options and more differentiated reproduction.

A sound sample of the guitar itself can be found above at the end of the photo gallery.

The slightly thicker C-shaped mahogany neck, together with the comfortable string action and cutaway, allows for super playability.

It is truly a vintage Gibson instrument with exceptionally high build quality, 120% '70s vintage Paula charm and gigantic sound!

Technical specifications:

• Origin: Tennenlohe, Germany
• Year of manufacture: 1970s
• Body: solid mahogany
• Neck: set one-piece mahogany neck with medium wide C-profile
• Fingerboard: rosewood with mother-of-pearl dot inlays
• Headstock: Open book mahogany headstock with Hoyer logo abalone inlay
• Pickups: 2x hand-wired Hoyer single coil pickups
• Electronics: 3-way switch, 2x tone and 2x volume controls
• Tuners: Schaller (original)
• Pickguard: Black, 4-ply
• Finish: Brown sunburst, high gloss
• Nut width: 41.3mm
• Weight: 3.3kg
• Incl. shaped case

These early Hoyer Paulas are rare and highly sought after:

https://reverb.com/item/29696366-extremely-rare-hoyer-5068-melody-maker-1970s-sunburst-made-in-germany?locale=fr

This guitar is in great original Player condition and works technically fine. Visually, there are some minor traces of normal use (dents, scratches, paint cracks, etc. - see pictures) - but all superficial and absolutely insignificant for the age. Thanks to a fresh setup with new strings, the guitar is excellently tuned.

Before parting I will check the guitar through (I am a guitar teacher of many years) and ship it by DHL for 24.99€ within Germany or 49.99€ within the EU.

Please see all photos & clarify any questions before buying. Thank you! :)