Vintage Circa 1965 Hofner 173 "Brokat" Vinyl Finish Electric Guitar w/ Original Hardshell Case!

Up for sale is this vintage circa 1965 Hofner 173 electric guitar in the extremely rare and sought after "brokat" vinyl wrap finish. These are uncommon everywhere, but you never see them in the States which is why we freaked out when we saw the case open up for the first time!

This instrument is all original with the exception of one of the tremolo cover back plate screws. It's in good condition for its age, but this one was obviously played which has lead to some very attractive wear to the vinyl wrap in the "arm wear" region on the front and on the back of the body. The vinyl wrap is tight in most places but has shrunk a bit around the horns and the piping is pulling a bit too in those areas which is just how these age. We have tried to capture the worst of this "issue" in the photos. The original finish on the neck is heavily checked and can be felt while playing. It doesn't bother us, but we like to be transparent about anything and everything.

Our tech just went over this one and tweaked the set up a bit as well as sprayed out the electronics. Everything works as it should with the exception of the volume knob which has no effect on the volume (it's stuck wide open, it seems) and the pot just spins. Since it's original and Hofner used fairly unconventional pots, we opted to leave it alone and leave it to the next owner on how they want to handle it. The tone controls and pickup selector sliding switch all work as they should. The guitar plays great with comfortable, low action all the way up the neck. The neck is straight and good to go, which is a bit of a feat on a vintage Hofner instrument. The original frets show wear but still retain a good amount of life.

The original hardshell case is included and is in good condition although it shows heavy wear from protecting the instrument over the years. There is some seam separation and the handle is missing (pictured) but all of the latches and hinges are present and work as they should. The instrument will be well-packed inside to ensure safe shipping.

Perfection doesn't exist with vintage Hofner's and, if you're in the market for one of these, you probably already know that. With that being said, this one is a very nice example of the model all things considered and we truly believe that you'd be hard-pressed to find a better playing (and looking!) example...

Please be sure to check out our other listings for more great items!

THE FINE PRINT: Most of our items are used/vintage. That being said, all sales are FINAL and we do not offer returns. We only ship within the US. We do NOT make exceptions to this rule. We do not accept online trades. Please check our feedback and buy with confidence. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us!