1957 Hofner Congress

PeckhamGuitars

Fixed up this old Hofner Congress...feeling great to play

Still in original hard case



Got a slightly older one also which is in need of a lot more of a clean up and some replacement machineheads

Anyone had one of these before?

Corvus

Nice .. Not one of those but got a Senator with single pickup I've had since the 80s. Its playable but I'll be doing a neck reset one of these days.

JezWynd

Corvus said:

Nice .. Not one of those but got a Senator with single pickup I've had since the 80s. Its playable but I'll be doing a neck reset one of these days.

I’ve read several times about old Hofners requiring a neck reset. What happens to them that requires this remedy?

ICBM

JezWynd said:

I’ve read several times about old Hofners requiring a neck reset. What happens to them that requires this remedy?

It falls off .

They have a tendency to separate at the glue join in the built-up heel, just below the top of the body. Worse, they then quite often got glued back together at the wrong angle, making the action extremely high - or sometimes low - so it can be necessary to take them apart and correct that.

JezWynd

Thanks @ICBM, old Hofners seem prone to failures; necks, pu wire. Anything else to be aware of? Does the Hofner here lack a truss rod?

PeckhamGuitars

This model lacks a truss rod yes, but they did one shortly after with a truss rod i believe. 
This one I've just got set up feels and plays great, the neck seems fine to me....

ICBM

JezWynd said:

Thanks @ICBM, old Hofners seem prone to failures; necks, pu wire. Anything else to be aware of? Does the Hofner here lack a truss rod?

Yes, the truss rods were introduced in 1959 (late, I think).

Yes, there are several common issues - although that’s most of them - they are not amazingly good quality guitars despite looking very nice. The electrics usually sound good, the acoustics are more variable - nice ones are the exception rather than the rule unfortunately, they’re all ply and usually sound like it.

This one is also fairly unusual in having the original pickguard intact - they’re often missing or having been cut out for pickups at the end of the neck.

PeckhamGuitars

Would I be fair in thinking them to go for between £400 - 500?

ICBM

PeckhamGuitars said:

Would I be fair in thinking them to go for between £400 - 500?

Maybe even a little more in that condition with a case. I think the last one I saw went for £499 with no pickguard and no case. To be honest I’m not quite sure why! It looked a lot better than it sounded...

Corvus

JezWynd said:

Corvus said:

Nice .. Not one of those but got a Senator with single pickup I've had since the 80s. Its playable but I'll be doing a neck reset one of these days.

I’ve read several times about old Hofners requiring a neck reset. What happens to them that requires this remedy?

It's a pretty small glueing area. Some get cracks & breaks in the heel area, sometime it's general movement not unique to Hofners but very common in them. Mine's solid structurally but the bridge is lowered down now.
The joint is relatively easy to work on - apparently - I've not dived in yet but not worried about it.

With a Hofner look at the bridge (as well as the heel area), is it lowered right down, does it look like it's been shaved to make more room etc. Actually the same for old Gretsches too and others.

Playing wise I have no probs with mine, it's well used & well travelled but you do have to be OK with tiny skinny frets, the radius and the big ol' neck. Don't pay the silly prices you see on fleabay though.

I'd say my Senator with the black pickup, all original is worth maybe £400 tops, realistically, and assuming no reset needed. Lower spec ones should be less value. But asking prices are really wildly all over the place.

PeckhamGuitars

Well this one is up for sale if anyone knows anyone looking for one. It's in a hard case. 

JezWynd

PeckhamGuitars said:

Well this one is up for sale if anyone knows anyone looking for one. It's in a hard case. 

It's certainly in lovely condition. I've never seen one with the logo in that position, strange placement.

musicman100

ICBM said:

PeckhamGuitars said:

Would I be fair in thinking them to go for between £400 - 500?

Maybe even a little more in that condition with a case. I think the last one I saw went for £499 with no pickguard and no case. To be honest I’m not quite sure why! It looked a lot better than it sounded...

You should look at eBay completed listing, 

i would say ur realistically way off 

Henrytwang

The headstock logo looks a bit strange and seems to be in the wrong place. I can’t see a truss rod cover , is it a pre adjustable truss rod model?

ICBM

musicman100 said:

You should look at eBay completed listing, 

i would say ur realistically way off 

I would say that since it actually sold for that, I’m dead on.

I was a bit sceptical too given the sound, but if people pay it...

PeckhamGuitars

Henrytwang said:

The headstock logo looks a bit strange and seems to be in the wrong place. I can’t see a truss rod cover , is it a pre adjustable truss rod model?

Yes it's pre truss rod. 

Here's one with an added pick up 

http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/gallery/archtops5/arch61.html

There was a very brief period in 57 where they used that headstock logo and placement before introducing the truss rod and the more well known diamond inlay headstock design

Dave_Vader

I've got a '56 that sounds and plays lovely - at certain times of the year.

It has seasonal banjo syndrome due to the lack of truss rod and plywood construction.

I still think the £250 I payed for it 20 years ago was way over price, and I doubt it would make that back now.

Never selling it though, I love that plywood sound. In springtime...

Sassafras

Doesn't Dave Rawlings play something similar? He always makes it sound very good.

Edit: no he doesn't. He plays an Epiphone Olympic. Silly me.

Henrytwang

PeckhamGuitars said:

Henrytwang said:

The headstock logo looks a bit strange and seems to be in the wrong place. I can’t see a truss rod cover , is it a pre adjustable truss rod model?

Yes it's pre truss rod. 

Here's one with an added pick up 

http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/gallery/archtops5/arch61.html

There was a very brief period in 57 where they used that headstock logo and placement before introducing the truss rod and the more well known diamond inlay headstock design

I had one with no adjustable truss rod and that pickup which I bought used in about 1962. Although there was no adjustable truss rod I believe that the necks were steel reinforced.

Skipped

I feel great nostalgia for vintage Hofners.

It becomes awkward when someone (for example) asks me to compare the playability with the cheapest 2018 Squire by Fender guitar.

freddiemaskell

I wouldn't mind paying £300 for this Congress.  How do I go about it?