# General Mandolin Topics > Vintage Instruments >  Hopf mandolins

## julyorchid

Can anyone give me any information/history on Hopf mandolins?  I knew they made fiddles but have never heard of mandolins before.  There is one here in town for sale.  It has a striped back.... I think it would be called a bowl back.  The front has what appears to be a stamp that says original Hopf.  Just wondering if this was a true brand or some kind of knock off/imitation.  thanks in advance for your reply.

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## allenhopkins

Well, Hopf made waldzithers, which are mandolin-family instruments.  *Here's* a mandolin apparently pictured in the 1976 Hopf catalog.  As to whether they made them themselves, or had them made by another manufacturer, I dunno.  The pictured instrument has the slotted headstock typical of German mandolins, though.

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## julyorchid

Thank you for that info Allen.  It does look kind of like the picture you sent.  Maybe a little broader across the front.  I just thought it might be a fake because I had never heard of a Hopf mandolin.  I may go back and take another look at it.   Thanks again.

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## barney 59

They made guitars as well. There were some Hopf archtop Jazz guitars built (or designed at least) by Gustav Glassl that are pretty nice.

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## barney 59

By the way I think the Hopf that is associated with violins was a builder in maybe the early 19th century. Different Hopf.

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## Martin Jonas

Hopf have been going for a long time, at least since 1669, and during that time thay have gone from master luthier workshop to massmarket producer of cheap guitars and mandolins, back to a small(-ish) master luthier workshop.  The current generation of the family is Dieter Hopf, and his web site (in German) is here.  The current mandolins look quite nice and are around 1000 Euros.  The guitars cover a much wider range of prices, from 300 Euro to over 10000 Euro.

The famous violin maker was Caspar Hopf (1677-1711), an ancestor of Dieter.  For much of the 20th century, Hopf were a fairly big instrument factory making guitar and mandolins and various other instruments mostly for the lower end of the market.  My father has a 1960s Hopf guitar, which while it sounds rather nice is by no means a high-end instrument.  I have seen photos of Hopf mandolins from about the 1920s to the 1970s, and they look very much like other modest German mandolins of the period.  There may well have been much higher-grade ones as well, but I haven't seen any.

Martin

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brunello97

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## julyorchid

Thank you Martin and Barney for the info. It  was very helpful.   I didn't realize that we were talking about different hopfs.  The instrument I saw was unusual (to me) and sounded rather pretty, but I don't need another low-end mando.  Thanks for your help.

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## Graciela

Old thread, new question!
Acquired this Hopf Bowlback a while back. Nothing online (including here) about this design. There is no internal label, just the Hopf decal.  Anyone know about this one? It’s nothing like the photos I’ve seen of the Dieter Hopf instruments.  Thanks!

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brunello97, 

DavidKOS

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## vic-victor

German factory-mаde instrument from Markneukirchen, has nothing to do with Diether Hopf, I am afraid. Hopf was a known brand for violins that was widely used to be stamped on factory-made cheap violins in the beginning of 20th century. I guess that mass production business has eventually evolved into making guitars and mandolins. Having said that it could be a lovely instrument, anyway.

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DavidKOS, 

Graciela

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## brunello97

> Old thread, new question!
> Acquired this Hopf Bowlback a while back. Nothing online (including here) about this design. There is no internal label, just the Hopf decal.  Anyone know about this one? It’s nothing like the photos I’ve seen of the Dieter Hopf instruments.  Thanks!


For a contemporary era "factory made mass market" instrument, this looks nice. 
(Remember, much of L+H, Vega and Martin mandolin output might be described in somewhat similar terms....)

Hopf did a decent job with the Embergher-ish bowl recurve profile leading to a very clean neck joint.  The soundhole / fretboard extension / scratchplate combo is very cleanly designed as well....not something IMHO that LE ever really worked out...from a design perspective, that is.  :Wink: 

A pity they couldn't have spent another funf pfenning for at least a mediocre tailpiece...or maybe that's a replacement. 

I owned a 3M (MassMarketMarkneukirchen) Embergher knock-off for awhile and thought it was a decent mandolin.  
Very bright and "Roman" sounding.  I'll admit the _very_ narrow nut width was a challenge for my size XXXL hands.

I look forward to hearing from Graciela about how this plays and sounds.

Mick

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## Patrick Melly

Six years ago I bought this Hopf mandola from the MC classifieds - the label reads Dieter Hopf, 1990. The scale length is 17 1/4".

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## Patrick Melly

More of the Hopf mandola:

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brunello97, 

DavidKOS, 

Graciela

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## Graciela

Thanks for the input and info.
 Mick, it sounds very good. Good projection and sustain. A surpringly warm-ish tone for a Bowlback. No plinky or tinny sounds. (those are technical terms I hope you understand!) It’s very well made, and not as “heavy” and sturdy feeling as the Suzuki-style bowlbacks. The action is normal and it’s an easy player. The floral interior lining is a whimsical touch

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brunello97

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## brunello97

> Thanks for the input and info.
>  Mick, it sounds very good. Good projection and sustain. A surpringly warm-ish tone for a Bowlback. No plinky or tinny sounds. (those are technical terms I hope you understand!) Its very well made, and not as heavy and sturdy feeling as the Suzuki-style bowlbacks. The action is normal and its an easy player. The floral interior lining is a whimsical touch


Thanks, Graciela.

Those are the qualities I look for in a bowlback, too.  I've preferred the more Neapolitan and Sicilian sound, I suppose, myself. Given the music I enjoy playing.

I've only owned one Suzuki and we parted ways right quickly.  "Heavy and sturdy" is an understatement.  

Given their size and subsequent attention to design detail, I do enjoy when mandolin luthiers turn their design intention to the interiors as well, even if it is a reflection of the bowl making process....like the ultra thin layers of interior veneer in Roman mandolins.

I'm glad you are enjoying the Hopf mandolin.  

I would appreciate and learn from more conversations about the classic era MNK mandolins.   

Mick

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