❌SOLD❌ Hofner Club 40 Thin Archtop Electric Guitar Natural, 1957

The Hofner Club 40 was built from around 1953 until the early 1960’s, distributed by Selmer in the UK and very popular with skiffle groups and players, including both John Lennon and George Harrison.   At this time, Hofner guitars were built in Bubenreuth, Bavaria.

Bearing similarities to violin bass construction, the Hofner Club 40 features a sealed, hollow body, with a solid Spruce top and Maple for the sides and flat back. The body is bound with black and a white/black purfling layer. The neck is Maple with a zero-fret Rosewood fingerboard. The pickup is a Fuma single coil model, which were used from 1953 to around 1955. The treble side strip tuning gears are replacements. The neck does not have an adjustable truss rod, so its profile is quite full.

In the mid to late 1950’s, youth around the UK were looking for instruments to play a style of music named Skiffle that shot to popularity with Lonnie Donegan leading the pack. There is perhaps a similarity to the later rise of Punk – Skiffle didn’t require expensive instruments or much if any formal instruction. The Hofner Club 40 was one of the best, reasonably priced electric guitars at the time and it was the first decent electric for both John Lennon and George Harrison. Lennon bought his in 1959 and used his until obtaining a Rickenbacker during 1960 in Hamburg. Harrison traded his Hofner President for a Club 40 shortly after Lennon got his, and both guitars were used with The Quarrymen.

Here we’re looking at a Hofner Club 40 dating to around 1957, in quite good working order and with largely original components, aside from the treble strip tuner. The Fuma pickup is likely original. The original pick guard is missing. The natural finish is in quite good condition, with light lacquer checking and wear. The original Hofner decal on the upper bout is intact and in good shape. Fret wear is minor, and this guitar may have been professionally refretted at some point and plays very well.

This Hofner Club 40 is sold with a non-original fibre (cardboard) case.