The Hofner 172 is one of those guitars that's permanently on the Just Guitars want list. Unfortunately we run across them only very infrequently, so when we do spot one, we pounce! These are one of the great vintage guitars, and this example is the cleanest and coolest we've ever seen.
The Beatles
A brief historical note before we tell you all about this amazingly cool guitar… With the huge impact of the Beatles and other beat groups in Britain and Europe in the early sixties, suddenly everyone wanted to play guitar and put a band together, and everyone wanted Hofner guitars because that's what the Beatles played. Demand was so great that suddenly Hofner were unable to keep up production if they were to continue using their traditional and time-consuming paint and lacquer process, hence the much more time-efficient introduction of leatherette cladding. It was a quick fix that only lasted until the company was able to remedy their production demand dilemma, so there isn't a huge number of these ace guitars around – but those that are are worth every cent!
6th week of 1963
With pots dated the 6th week of 1963, this 172 was produced right as Beatlemania hit, and just shy of fifty years old, is in absolutely phenomenal condition. All original, including one of the coolest hard shell cases we've seen in ages – check out that crazy cool crocodile skin pattern in the photo to the right. (100% genuine faux crocodile!)
Fantastically clean!
The guitar is in fantastically clean condition, with no dings, no damage, no tears whatsoever in the vinyl covering. The twin Hofner pole-adjustable pickups are clean and bright, or you can easily get some Les Paul murkiness in there via the original sixties Beatles-style control panel; separate volume controls for each pickup, plus rhythm/solo, bass and treble switches. The knobs are all gold and shiny and the pots are smooth and clean. The open-back tuners work perfectly, and even the Hofner logo – the decal often scuffed or chipped – is absolutely perfect. European Maple neck, Brazilian Rosewood board, matched pairs of MOP dot markers… this is one neat vintage package!
Full pro setup
And not that it needed it at all, but the guitar has just received a full pro setup, so it's totally ready to play the minute you open the case. And it plays great – like a dream in fact – with perfect action and frets that look almost new, plus, the original tremolo is fully intact and works flawlessly. Check out the photos – especially that killer case – then click that BUY button. This is one of the best value, genuinely collectible vintage guitars around – you will not be disappointed
Just Guitars
