Hofner Congress Brunette c.1958 Hollow-Body Archtop Electro Acoustic Guitar

Here for sale we have a very special Hofner Congress Hollow-Body Archtop guitar in Brunette finish. Made in Germany, our research and the specification of this guitar indicate that it was made around 1958/59 - certainly pre-1960 due to the absence of a truss rod. The Hofner Congress was an affordable guitar available in the UK through the Selmer catalogue for 20 years between 1953 & 1973, and was one of Hank Marvin's first guitars. 

This guitar features a set-neck construction comprising a Laminated Maple body, 2-piece Maple neck and 22 fret Rosewood fingerboard with matching bridge.  Chrome hardware has been fitted by a previous owner including a trapeze tailpiece and 3-On-Plate open-geared tuning machines. A single-coil pickup has been installed in the neck position by a previous owner, and is wired to a master volume control. 

The 2-piece Maple neck plays well, with a profile that could be described as a substantial 'D' shape. The nut width is notably narrow when compared with modern instruments, and in combination with the substantial neck profile provides a unique and characterful playing experience that is sure to inspire some fresh musical ideas. The Rosewood fingerboard is pleasant under the fingers, and with a highly practical 10" radius allows for smooth jazzy lines in all registers. 

The acoustic tone of the Hofner Congress is warm and gentle, delivering an understated yet detailed low end, clear mid range and bright but not brittle treble response that beautifully colours the overall sound of the instrument. The amplified tone provides a more powerful bass response, and is certainly traditional sounding for a hollow-body 'jazz box'. This is a wonderfully preserved and highly playable instrument with a unique playing experience and tone, and at around 60 years old has plenty more to give. 

Brand- Hofner

Model- Congress

Finish- Brunette (Sunburst)

Year- c.1958

Made In- Germany

Body- Laminated Maple

Neck- Maple

Fingerboard- Rosewood

Fingerboard Radius- 10"

Frets- 22

Scale Length- 25.5"

Nut Width- 1.638"

Pickups- Aftermarket Single-Coil (Neck)

Controls- Master Volume

Luthier Report

Our ID: 119012411832

Weight: 3.95lbs  

Serial: N/A

Aesthetic Condition:

Headstock: Overall very good condition. Checking to the finish is present to all surfaces, in line with aged nitro finish. Light scratching to the front and rear face is visible under direct light from certain angles. This is most noticeable to the front face around the machine heads. Light denting which has damaged the finish is present to the top edge. Close inspection of the tuning machines reveals small holes to the rear of the headstock where the original tuners were fitted. 

Neck: Overall very good condition. Checking to the finish is present across the rear of the neck, in line with aged nitro finish. Light scratching and denting is present to the fingerboard, only visible under direct light from certain angles. This is most noticeable to the higher register. Chipping to the finish is present to the rear of the neck, most noticeably to the lower/mid range centre. The edges of the neck where the fingerboard is joined show signs of finish wear, inline with playwear for an instrument of this age. The side dot markers have been painted on by a previous owner. A small hole where the pickguard would originally have been fitted is present to the treble side edge of the fingerboard, next to the 17th fret. This is stable and presents no structural concern.

Body: Overall very good condition. Checking to the finish is present to all surfaces, in line with aged nitro finish. Light scratching, denting and scuffing is present to all surfaces, most notably to the treble side lower bout of the rear face. Cracking to the finish is present around the heel of the neck. We believe this guitar has previously had a neck reset. This does not flex under pressure, therefore causing no structural concern. A small hole has been filled to the treble side waist, where the pickguard would have originally been fitted. 

Condition of Frets:

The frets show notable signs of use, not affecting playability. The frets are very flat from 12th fret onwards. All the frets show flattening and denting to some degree. There is not enough material remaining in the frets for any further fret work.

Current Set Up:

Truss Rod: N/A

Hardware: Fully functional with light signs of wear. The machine heads are missing the ferrules, however they are still fully functional. The bridge shows a split to the bass side. This has been successfully glued and presents no structural concern. The non-original electronics include a Gretsch knob. The original Hofner Compensator tailpiece has been replaced with an appropriate trapeze style tailpiece that functions correctly. The tuning machines have also been replaced at some stage by a previous owner. No original parts are included.  

Structural: No concerns or issues to note.

Height of the string from the 12th Fret-2.25mm - Bass 3mm

Please be aware that the action on a guitar may move slightly in transit and this measurement is the current height.

Strings on Guitar - 10-46

Although this luthier report details a lot of imperfections, it is worth noting the age of the guitar. The overall condition is very good, and we believe the instrument has been very well looked after to be as playable as it is today.

Electrics: 

Full working order. This guitar would not have originally come with a pickup. The electronics have been fitted to a good standard and are fully functional. 

Case & Accessories:

Gear4Music soft shell hard case

Fully functional with light signs of wear. 

Please be aware that for international buyers import fees are not included in our postage and packaging cost, this only covers the cost of the guitar being sent to you. Import fees will be charged by Customs upon the guitar's arrival in the recipient country. Due to Brexit, this also applies to EU buyers. We advise checking the total import cost with Customs as this is not information we are able to accurately provide.