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dave robinson wrote:All the fittings, pickups and finish are identical and the sound is' right'

if that's the case, it doesn't matter surely?

It's OK, nobody is reading this

I thought he was just being Frank...

It's good to learn that Dave has now found out that his Hofner is the genuine article. I just hope that any other past Music Ground customers from this site have a similar outcome, if the authenticity of their purchase(s) has been brought into doubt.

Although I am a reasonable enough player to tell if a guitar is any good, I'm sure that the 'mojo' of playing a good, vintage guitar would be lost on me and something of a waste.

My two, 'best' (and most expensive guitars) both date from 1994 and are the closest that I have to becoming 'vintage', as I can't ever forsee parting with them. One's a PRS Custom 22 and the other is one of the numbered, 1954 Stratocasters. Both were bought near mint, over twelve years ago. The Strat. was a bargain. Just £600, bought at the London Music Show. These guitars have 'cured' me of the need for anything more expensive, as their inherent quality far exceeds my ability to get the ultimate out of them. True, I could buy more costly instruments, but I doubt if they would be any 'better' than these two.

Whilst on my high horse, pontificating on those dastardly guitar fakers, it suddenly occurred to me that I was one of them and also guilty of producing a fake!

Five years ago, my then 11 year-old son spotted a photo. of Hendrix's psychedelic Flying V in a guitar mag. He owned a £125, black '67 V copy and knowing that I'd been a graphic artist in an earlier career, asked me if I could replicate the finish on his guitar. He used his pocket money savings and bought me a dozen of those car touch-up pens, in the closest colours and I set to work.

After sourcing pictures of the Gibson 'Inspired By...' Hendrix V, off the internet, many hours and sore eyes later, I'd managed to pull it off. I sent a photo and story into Guitar & Bass magazine and won a set of Seymour Duncan p.u.'s to install in it. My son didn't want to stop there, withdrew some cash from his bank savings and we sourced a set of Gibson Klusons, an Allparts replica Vibrola, period correct knobs and a Gibson Flying V truss-rod cover. It really did 'look the business' and when my son checked out one of the £7k 'real' Gibsons, he actually thought that my artwork looked closer to the original!

This guitar was never meant to fool anyone or be sold on, only to gratify my son's request to have a guitar that looked just like Jimi's. It's still his favourite guitar now and the envy of all his guitar-playing mates. It's also nicely 'aged', due to my son's acidic sweat and the fact that he never cleans his guitars! I'd put a photo of it on here if I knew how.

Stephen.

All this Hofner Talk reminded me of this article From The beatles Guitar Site
Not 100% related But A certain hofner bass And Justin Harrison do get a mention.

http://www.thecanteen.com/mccartney7.html

Regards
Jay

Dave R,

...and of course (as an 'aside'), speaking of vintage, the man who uttered those words 'Please don't call me Shirley' and made them famous on screen passed away only recently, one of my all time favourite actors actually. He also did a TV commercial with HBM too I think. RIP Leslie.

The advert was for "Red Rock" (it's not red and there are no rocks in it) which can be found on You Tube.

Nick