Hofner Model 460
to come...

Hofner Model 461/S
The faker’s guide	The black beauty with the dancing seal f-holes and an extra oval- shaped hole near the fingerboard
Related Selmer Model	none
Introduced	1952?
Body Size / Depth / Length	16" lower bout, 12" upper bout, 2 15/16" depth, 20.25" long; available only with venetian (round) cutaway; cutaway tapers with neck, with curved body detailing on cutaway side
Body Woods	laminated; spruce top, bookmatched maple back, maple sides.
Finish	black
Neck Woods	three piece maple/beech/maple, perhaps five piece as well?
Fingerboard Style / Woods / Inlay	rosewood fingerboard, 11-piece mother-of-toilet-seat, white and black plastic block inlays, w/b/w binding, w/b/w plastic string spacer
Peghead Overlay Style	three strip pattern of white mother -of-toilet-seat /black / white mother - of-toilet-seat, each strip separated by thin detail of b/w purfling; black middle section has either arrow shape outline inlaid in white or inlaid in solid white mother-of-toilet-seat
Scale Length	25.5", jumbo frets
Binding and Purfling	w/b/w/b/w/b/w/b on top and back, w/b/w/b on sides
F-holes	oval hole below fingerboard, two unusually-shaped f-holes (based on a 17th century viola d'amore pattern), single thick layer of white binding
Tuners	open strip tuners with white or mother-of-toilet-seat rectangular plastic buttons on brass plates, pressed bushings?; individual open-backed nickel-plated tuners with white buttons?
Bridges	black-dyed maple, footed, height-adjustable, compensated with slanted bone insert.
Tail-pieces	nickel-plated, Lyraform; hinged, floral-shaped base attached to end of guitar with three screws or pins. Engraved Hofner name
Hofner Logo	Impressed into wood below treble foot of bridge, later gold decal on upper bass bout
Pickguards	white mother-of-toilet-seat

Hofner Model 462/S
The faker’s guide	The cats-eyes model.
Related Selmer Model	none
Introduced	1953?
Body Size / Depth / Length	16" lower bout, 12" upper bout, 2 15/16" depth, 20.25" long; available only with venetian (round) cutaway; cutaway tapers with neck, with curved body detailing on cutaway side
Body Woods	laminated; spruce top, bookmatched flamed maple back, flamed maple sides:
Finish	honey throughout, natural also
Neck Woods	five piece maple/mahogany/maple/ mahogany/ maple
Fingerboard Style / Woods / Inlay	rosewood fingerboard, 7-piece contrasting mother-of-toilet-seat, white and black plastic block inlays, w/b/w binding, w/b/w plastic string spacer
Peghead Overlay Style	three strip pattern of white mother -of-toilet-seat /tortoiseshell / white mother -of-toilet- seat, each strip separated by thin detail of b/w purfling: later versions have unbound, black wood veneer face with mother of pearl inlay in floral/vine pattern inlay.
Scale Length	25.5", jumbo frets
Binding and Purfling	w/b/w/b/w/b/w/b on top and back, white on sides
F-holes	rounded cat’s eye f-holes, single thick layer of white binding
Tuners	open strip tuners with white or mother-of-toilet-seatrectangular plastic buttons on nickel plates, pressed bushings.
Bridges	ebony, footed, height-adjustable, compensated bridge with adjustable fret-wire inserts.
Tail-pieces	nickel-plated, frequensator or escutcheon tailpiece; hinged, floral- shaped base attached to end of guitar with three screws or pins.
Hofner Logo	gold decal on upper bass bout
Pickguards	white mother-of-toilet-seat

Hofner Model 463
The faker’s guide	Viva Espana! The mahogany bodied one with pretty coloured purfling
Related Selmer Model	none
Introduced	1951?
Body Size / Depth / Length	16" lower bout, 12" upper bout, 2 15/16" depth, 20.25" long; available with or without venetian (round) cutaway; cutaway tapers with neck, with bound hard edge body detailing on cutaway side
Body Woods	solid spruce top on acoustic model, one piece ribbon mahogany back, ribbon maohgany sides.
Finish	natural throughout, neck stained brown to match mahogany
Neck Woods	five piece maple/ mahogany/ maple/ mahogany/ maple.
Fingerboard Style / Woods / Inlay	rosewood fingerboard, x-piece mother-of-toilet-seat, white and black plastic block inlays, w/b/w binding, w/b/w plastic string spacer
Peghead Overlay Style	three strip pattern of white mother -of-toilet- seat /tortoiseshell / white mother -of-toilet- seat, each strip separated by thin detail of b/w purfling. later versions have unbound, black wood veneer face with mother of pearl inlay in floral/vine pattern inlay. Also acrylic over gold HOFNER and treble clef/staff pattern on black.
Scale Length	25.5", jumbo frets
Binding and Purfling	multi-coloured wood purfling on top and back, with white binding, white on sides
F-holes	single thick layer of white binding
Tuners	open strip tuners with white or mother-of-toilet-seat rectangular plastic buttons on nickel plates, pressed bushings.
Bridges	ebony, footed, height-adjustable, compensated bridge with adjustable fret-wire inserts.
Tail-pieces	lyraform tailpiece; hinged, floral-shaped base attached to end of guitar with three screws or pins.
Hofner Logo	gold decal on upper bass bout
Pickguards	tortoiseshell

Hofner Model 464/S
The faker’s guide	The red one with flame-shaped f-holes and an extra rhombus shaped hole near the neck
Related Selmer Model	none
Introduced	1952?
Body Size / Depth / Length	16" lower bout, 12" upper bout, 2 15/16" depth, 20.25" long; available only with venetian (round) cutaway; cutaway tapers with neck, with curved body detailing on cutaway side
Body Woods	solid spruce, one piece flamed maple back, flamed maple sides.
Finish	dark red to red burst
Neck Woods	five piece maple/ mahogany/ maple/ mahogany/ maple
Fingerboard Style / Woods / Inlay	rosewood fingerboard, x-piece mother-of-toilet-seat, white and black plastic block inlays, w/b/w binding, w/b/w plastic string spacer
Peghead Overlay Style	bound in black/white with white sides, mother-of-toilet-seatface with black inlaid rhombus, on which is glued white plastic bar that looks like music staff, with treble clef in centre, also unbound, black wood veneer face with mother of pearl inlay in floral/vine pattern inlay.
Scale Length	25.5", jumbo frets
Binding and Purfling	w/b/w/b/w/b/w/b on top and back, w/b/w/b on sides
F-holes	diamond-shaped hole below fingerboard, single thick layer of white, also with white plastic bar that looks like music staff, with treble clef in centre. flame-shaped f-holes, single thick layer of white binding
Tuners	open strip tuners with white rectangular plastic buttons, chased nickel plates, oversized bushings.
Bridges	ebony, footed, height-adjustable, compensated bridge with adjustable fret-wire inserts.
Tail-pieces	escutcheon tailpiece; hinged, attached to end of guitar with four screws or pins.
Hofner Logo	gold decal on upper bass bout
Pickguards	white mother-of-toilet-seat with gold pinstripe

Hofner Model 465
The faker’s guide	the rosewood bodied one with herringbone purfling up the wazoo
Related Selmer Model	none
Introduced	1951?
Body Size / Depth / Length	16.5" lower bout, 12" upper bout, 3" depth, 20.25" long; available with venetian (round) cutaway; cutaway tapers with neck, with curved rosewood body detailing on cutaway side
Body Woods	solid spruce top, bookmatched rosewood back, rosewood sides
Finish	natural
Neck Woods	five piece maple/ mahogany/ maple/ mahogany/ maple
Fingerboard Style / Woods / Inlay	ebony, inlaid with rosewood panels with white plastic strips on either side. Rosewood panels then inlaid with three-piece "bow-tie" inlay of mother of pearl, w/b/w binding, w/b/w plastic string spacer?
Peghead Overlay Style	bound in white with white sides, black-stained wooden face with HÖFNER inlaid across top, inlaid leaf, "lily and vine" pattern in mother of pearl.
Scale Length	25.5", jumbo frets
Binding and Purfling	Thick white binding with herringbone purfling around top and back, rope (half-herringbone) purfling on sides
F-holes	conventional shape, single thick layer of white binding,surrounded by herringbone purfling.
Tuners	open strip tuners with white rectangular plastic buttons, chased nickel plates, oversized bushings. Later individual open-backed tuners w/ nickel plates w/ floral motif, ornate mother-of-toilet-seatbuttons w/floral motif?
Bridges	ebony, footed, height-adjustable, compensated bridge with adjustable fret-wire inserts.
Tail-pieces	nickel-plated escutcheon tailpiece; hinged, attached to end of guitar with four screws or pins.
Hofner Logo	gold decal on upper bass bout
Pickguards	white mother-of-toilet-seat, tortoiseshell, eventually clear acrylic

Hofner Model 468
The faker’s guide	Big box with flamed maple or birds-eye body
Related Selmer Model	Committee
Introduced	1953?
Body Size / Depth / Length	17.5" lower bout, 12" upper bout, 3" depth, 20.25" long; available with venetian cutaway; cutaway tapers with neck, with curved body detailing on cutaway side
Body Woods	spruce top, one piece birds-eye maple back, birds-eye maple sides: also book-matched or one piece flamed maple back and flamed maple sides.
Finish	brunet (various shades), blonde
Neck Woods	five piece maple/mahogany/maple/mahogany/maple
Fingerboard Style / Woods / Inlay	ebony, inlaid with rosewood panels with white plastic strips on either side. Rosewood panels then inlaid with three-piece "bow-tie" inlay of mother of pearl, w/b/w binding, w/b/w plastic string spacer. Very early versions were inverted, with rosewood fingerboards, inlaid with ebony panels. Committee had three-piece "rose and leaves" inlay instead.. In mid-‘50s, outer binding changed to mother-of-toilet-seat, string spacer changed to mother-of-toilet-seat /red/ mother-of-toilet-seat. Base of back inlaid with b/w/b purfling in stylized, symmetrical floral motif, emerging from and merging back into b/w/b portion of back purfling
Peghead Overlay Style	bound in white with white sides, black-stained wooden face with HÖFNER inlaid across top, inlaid leaf, "lily and vine" pattern all in mother of pearl. Committee had "rose and vine" inlay instead. In mid- ‘50s, outer binding changed to mother-of-toilet-seat. Oh, yeah, until around '63, Committee headstock was big goofy thing.
Scale Length	25.5", jumbo frets
Binding and Purfling	w/b/w/b/w/b/w/b on top and back, w/b/w/b on sides originally. In mid- ‘50s, outer binding changed to mother-of-toilet-seat
F-holes	conventional shape, single thick layer of white binding, later versions had w/b/w binding
Tuners	open strip tuners with white rectangular plastic buttons, chased nickel plates, oversized bushings. Later individual open-backed tuners w/ nickel plates w/ floral motif, ornate mother-of-toilet-seatbuttons w/floral motif
Bridges	ebony, footed, height-adjustable, compensated bridge with adjustable fret-wire inserts.
Tail-pieces	nickel-plated escutcheon tailpiece; hinged, attached to end of guitar with four screws or pins. Committee: lyraform tailpiece until early ‘60’s, then escutcheon tailpiece
Hofner Logo	gold decal on upper bass bout
Pickguards	clear acrylic

Hofner Model 470/S
The faker’s guide	"That’s not a Golden Hofner, that’s a 470" - you’ll almost always be right and vintage dealers will swoon in your presence
Related Selmer Model	Golden Hofner (1960 only)
Introduced	1955?
Body Size / Depth / Length	17.5" lower bout, 12" upper bout, 3" depth, 20.25" long; available only with venetian (round) cutaway; cutaway tapers with neck, with curved body detailing on cutaway side. Golden Hofner had larger body size
Body Woods	solid spruce top, heavily-flamed book-matched maple back and sides
Finish	blonde only
Neck Woods	eleven piece flamed maple neck with mahogany and ebony strips in centre area
Fingerboard Style / Woods / Inlay	ebony, inlaid with rosewood panels with white plastic strips on either side. Rosewood panels then inlaid with three-piece "bow-tie" inlay of mother of pearl. Golden Hofner had three-piece "rose and leaves" inlay instead. w/b/w binding, mother-of-toilet-seat /red/mother-of-toilet- seatplastic string spacer. In early ‘60s, outer binding changed from mother-of-toilet-seat to tortoiseshell, string spacer changed to tortoise/white/tortoise. Base of back inlaid with b/w/b purfling in stylized, symmetrical floral motif different from Model 468, emerging from and merging back into b/w/b portion of back purfling. Corner of cutaway also has purfling detail. Portion of wood surrounded by purfling is stained dark brown.
Peghead Overlay Style	bound in white with white sides, black-stained wooden face with HÖFNER inlaid across top, inlaid leaf, "lily and vine" pattern all in mother of pearl. Golden Hofner had "rose and vine" inlay instead. In mid-‘50s, outer binding changed to mother-of- toilet-seat. About 1960 it changed to tortoiseshell. Oh, yeah, Golden Hofner headstock was big goofy thing.
Scale Length	25.5", jumbo frets
Binding and Purfling	maximum on top and back, w/b/w/b on sides originally. In mid-‘50s, outer binding changed to mother-of- toilet-seat
F-holes	conventional shape, w/b/w binding. In early ‘60s, outer binding changed from white to tortoiseshell
Tuners	elaborately chased gold plated open strip tuners with mother-of- toilet-seat buttons with floral motif. Later individual closed-backed gold- plated tuners with engraved motif, mother-of- toilet-seat buttons with floral motif, all by Kolb
Bridges	ebony, footed, height-adjustable, compensated bridge with adjustable fret-wire inserts.
Tail-pieces	gold-plated escutcheon tailpiece, elaborately chased; hinged, attached to end of guitar with four screws or pins.
Hofner Logo	gold decal on upper bass bout
Pickguards	clear acylic, Golden Hofner had underside painted gold

Go to Part 1, Introduction.
Go to Part 2, General Model Info.
Go to Part 3, Specific Model Info.