Hofner Contemporary Series Verythin Guitar

ny Guitarist reader who lived
through Merseybeat or the British
rock ’n’ roll boom that preceded
it will know the value of the Hofner
brand. While Burns was a sort of
British Fender, Hofner guitars – built
in Germany but distributed through
Selmer’s in London – were our Gibsons
at a time when neither American
marque was available in the UK, due to
an embargo on ‘luxury’ US imports.
Guitarists like David Gilmour, Justin
Hayward and Roy Wood all learnt their
craft on Hofners, while the three guitar-
playing Beatles (and original bassist
Stu Sutcliffe) picked up various models
during their stints in Hamburg.
The two instruments reviewed this
month echo both that Beatles infl uence
and Hofner’s ‘mock Gibson’ history.
Paul McCartney’s choice of 500/1
‘violin’ bass made the Hofner name
world famous, while the Verythin (once
called Verithin) was the semi of choice
for those who found the ES-335 simply
too elusive, or expensive.
Both guitar and bass come from
Hofner’s new Contemporary Series:
classic models made in China, with
prices that belie their sumptuous looks.
Verythin CT
Just as many British guitarists of
the sixties were shocked to discover
that the Gibson Les Paul was solid,
due to their familiarity with Hofner’s
hollowbody Club range, so they were
equally bemused to fi nd the ES-335
wasn’t completely fi lled with air. The
original Hofner Verithin was a semi-
acoustic in the true meaning of the
word, in that it was slender-bodied and
hollow. The latest Verythins – both the
German-made top-end models and this
Contemporary (CT) version – have
an ES-335-style solid centre section
designed to curb the hollowbody howl
for which they lost popularity in the
high-volume late sixties.
Put together from laminated timbers
with a fi nely fl amed maple veneer on
the top, back and sides, at 30mm at
its rims, the Verythin’s body is thinner
than an ES-335 by a full 10mm. Its twin
cutaways are a good deal shallower too,
lending a particularly elegant look to
the instrument. Hofner may well have
taken its cues from the great US makes,
but from American inspiration came
some genuine originals.
The guitar’s one-piece glued neck
is also maple and joins the body at the
100 SUMMER 2006
A
Hofner takes two of its classic designs and adds Chinese manufacturing. The result?
Affordable heritage by Neville Marten (Verythin guitar) and Roger Newell (Violin bass)
Hofner Contemporary Series
Verythin guitar & Violin bass
£425 & £450
HOFNER CONTEMPORARY SERIES VERYTHIN GUITAR & VIOLIN BASS £425 & £450
ELECTRICS & BASS GUITARIST INTERACTIVE
HOFNER VERYTHIN CT
PRICE: £425
ORIGIN: China
TYPE: Hollowbody
f-hole electric
BODY: Pressed laminate
with fl ame maple veneer,
fully bound
NECK: Maple
SCALE LENGTH:
648mm (25.5-inches)
NUT/WIDTH: Plastic/
45mm
FINGERBOARD: Pearl-
dotted rosewood
FRETS: 22, medium
jumbo
HARDWARE: Nickel-
plated stud tailpiece,
tune-o-matic bridge
and sealed ‘tulip’
button tuners
STRING SPACING,
BRIDGE: 52mm
ELECTRICS: Two Hofner
humbuckers, volume
and tone for each pickup
and three-way toggle
selector switch
WEIGHT (kg/lb): 3/6.6
RANGE OPTIONS:
The Verythin Standard
(£1,320) kicks off the
German-made range.
Look out for the new
single-cutaway Club CT
to be released later this
year (approx. £450)
LEFT-HANDERS: No
FINISHES: Black,
sunburst (as reviewed),
transparent red, natural
Hofner UK
07977 402016
www.hofner.com
HOFNER VERYTHIN TEST RESULTS
Build quality
Playability
Sound
Value for money
■ WE LIKED Great looks; vintage vibe;
individuality; sweet tones
■ WE DISLIKED The slightly generic feel
of the neck
The Verythin’s
fl ame-maple
looks may divide
contemporary tastes
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