1958 Höfner 456 Blonde Archtop – Exceptional Flame Maple – Germany w/ case

Description

Beautiful and increasingly hard-to-find 1958 Höfner 456 archtop in natural/blonde finish with exceptional flame maple back and sides.

This guitar has the elegant, lightweight European jazz-box character that made late-1950s Höfners so special — resonant, responsive, and visually striking without being overbuilt.

The flamed maple on this example is particularly dramatic and gives the instrument a much higher-end appearance than many surviving examples from the period.

Features

• Made in Germany – 1958
• Blonde/natural finish
• Highly figured flame maple back and sides
• Vintage Höfner pickguard currently installed
• Original pickguard included
• Original saddle included
• Floating bridge with custom compensated bone saddle
• Original open-gear tuners
• Multi-ply binding
• No adjustable truss rod (period-correct construction)
• Currently strung with low-tension Thomastik-Infeld Jazz strings for a neck-friendly vintage setup

Condition

Very clean vintage condition with normal cosmetic aging and patina appropriate for a nearly 70-year-old instrument.

The neck is straight and the guitar has excellent geometry with comfortable playability.

At one point a Firechief reissue pickup had been mounted to the side of the fretboard extension. The small mounting holes were carefully filled and sealed. The repair is minor, stable, and purely cosmetic.

A custom compensated bone saddle was made because the original bridge screws did not provide sufficient adjustment height. The original saddle is included with the sale.

The guitar retains its authentic vintage appearance with no heavy restoration or over-refinishing.

Tone

Warm, woody, articulate vintage archtop tone with excellent acoustic projection and a very lively response.

Wonderful for:

• jazz
• fingerstyle
• chord melody
• folk/roots
• recording
• ambient/atmospheric work

This guitar has a refined, open acoustic voice that feels much more alive than many heavier laminated archtops.

Why This One Is Special

The combination of:

• blonde finish
• unusually strong flame maple
• healthy neck geometry
• tasteful vintage stewardship
• preserved originality

…makes this a standout example of a late-1950s German archtop.

A beautiful collector/player instrument that is equally inspiring on a stand or in the hands.

Includes

• Original pickguard
• Original saddle
• Semi hard case made by Breedlove included for safe shipping

Shipping

Professionally packed and fully insured.
Local pickup welcome.