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Thread: Hofner Mandolin

  1. #1
    Registered User mandrian's Avatar
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    Default Hofner Mandolin

    Hi,

    I got a nice looking mandolin from EBay thinking that it would probably be a wall hanger, but upon receiving it, it looks like it's worth setting it up to make it playable and see what it sounds like.

    I believe it to be a German Hofner instrument from the early 60's and it bears a resemblance to Hofner 545 that Dawg plays in Tone Poems 2, but it does not have the cats eyes soundholes. I'm no expert but it looks like mahogany to me with an arched back and top and nice carved headstock. Finger rest is held by 3 screws to top with cork washers. Anybody know what the model might be?

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    I've got a few questions in terms of getting it playable.

    1. The trapeze tailpiece is resting pretty much on the top. Is this normal or is there perhaps some distortion of the top? I've removed the hardware from the instrument to clean it up, but here is best as I can show the top. Maybe some bulging between bridge and taipiece?
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    2. What do the original bridges look like on these things and what sort of measurements might they have? The bridge on it was a non adjustable bridge that had not been fitted properly and the string spacing was screwed up, so I'll have to ditch that and buy something else. I think that an adjustable bridge would be too tall, so a non adjustable seems the likely bet.

    Any comments or advice appreciated. Sorry if orientation of photos is screwed up, if you click on them they show properly.

    Regards

  2. #2
    Registered User mandrian's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hofner Mandolin

    Hi,

    Might turn into a wall hanger yet!

    The good news - I took off the tuners and serviced them and they came up great. The bad news - I took off the trapeze tailpiece and tried as best as I could to clean it and then refitted it. At that point, it for a minute looked like the tailpiece was designed to have the bass side fractionally nearer to the bridge than the treble side. Did not seem to make sense and then it dawned on me the tailpiece had been fitted off centre by about 4mm. See photos.

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    Must have been fitted that way in the Hofner factory back in 1960 or whatever. So much for German precision engineering. Perhaps it was a prototype or training piece. I certainly cannot find an exact match on the net.

    I will try and refill the existing holes and relocate the tailpiece correctly. Any recommended way to fill the holes? The mandolin only cost £85, but I want it to look and play the best it can, so that it does not spend its entire future life on the wall!

    Regards

  3. #3
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hofner Mandolin

    Hofner and Framus seemed to share some similarities. There are vintage catalogs for Framus online but none for Hofner that I'm aware of. If anyone has one post the link. In the meantime here is every post on the cafe with the word Hofner in it.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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  5. #4
    Mandolin tragic Graham McDonald's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hofner Mandolin

    Here are some mandolin pages from 1963 and 1973 Hofner catalogues. Not sure where I got them from. Those mahogany models are mahogany faced plywood pressed into shape, and as long as the neck stays in place that can be quite nice instruments. The necks are set in to the neck block in the same way as violins and can come loose. Alternatively, the lower part of the heel is a block glued to the main part of the neck shaft and that glue join often separates.

    Cheers

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  7. #5
    Mandolin Dreams Unlimited MysTiK PiKn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hofner Mandolin

    Trapeze does not match the catalogs. Fholes don't match. Description of other model #'s are close - but might be saying plywood.

    You mentioned existing tailpiece was low - perhaps top flex or sagging ( more common w plywood - perhaps require remove back to strengthen top w bracing or tonebar. Altho the pix w no bridge (2nd pix) shows nice arched top - but it might sag under load?? Can't tell from pix - top arch does not look distorted as it would with a top sag. Maybe ok. If so you can do a lot with a fitted bridge, and a one piece will give better sound.

    Fill tp holes with any wood that fits screw holes such as scrap, toothpicks, or dowel with glue; then redrill to help screws. Consider there's likely an endblock in there. Can't see if there's a strap button involved - similar repair only larger.

    Is the neck body joint ok?

    Bridge I would make a one-piece. Or, use the existing one fitted - if the top is not sagging.????

    It looks pretty and finish is in good shape - possibly due to wallhanging due to unplayable. Unfortunate???? It could also be unplayable due to fret levelling and dressing. Nut looks like a fake replacement. Fret levels, nut, bridge - these could work together to get playable action.

    It would be nice if you can figure out some of these repair details. Hard to say from pix; but a few little fixes might make a big difference. Extra Light strings might be needed.??

    Kinda scattered thoughts here; hard to say without seeing it. Hope this helps the idea department.

    EDIT - Hard to say; but the lengthwise neck pix, shows possible top distortion near bass-side f-hole. If true, that could be the killer, or perhaps fix by remove back?
    The Harmony is my sig suffers that fate.

    = The Loar, LM700VS c.2013 = "The Brat"
    = G. Puglisi, "Roma" c.1907 = "Patentato" - rare archBack, canted top, oval
    = Harmony, Monterrey c.1969 = collapsed ply - parts, testing, training, firewood.


    "The intellect is a boring load of crawp. Aye. Next wee chune".

  8. #6
    Registered User mandrian's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hofner Mandolin

    Hi,

    Thanks for the reply. Yes, still have not found an exact match anywhere on the web. In terms of the body, I thinks it all mahogany plywood. Probably some variation on the 545.

    I think the existing trapeze will be all right. I had not realised its two halves pivoted, so as long at it holds clear of the top when strung up I should be all right.

    The neck joint looks solid, although the neck is not angled as far back as most mandolins I've seen. I'm hoping that is just the Hofner design and might explain why they pretty much all seem to use a one piece relatively low bridge. The existing (replacement) bridge is not usable. It's poor quality and the string spacing was screwed up by whoever fitted it, probably a result of them not realising that tailpiece was off centre. Based on this I'm getting a new one piece bridge made by Cafe member Dave in France who specialises in making these to order.

    I think the top looks fine to my amateur eye, so hopefully it will all work out. It's all good fun anyway and a learning experience. Not looking forward to fitting Dave's new bridge as I've not done that before, but we'll see what happens. I'll post an update in a few weeks and tell you whether it's on the wall or not.

    Regards

  9. #7
    Registered User Bill Snyder's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hofner Mandolin

    Here is one thought to be a Framus that looks like yours but with a sunburst finish.
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    Bill Snyder

  10. #8
    Registered User mandrian's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hofner Mandolin

    Hi,

    Yes, I saw that one. It has got a lot of similarities, but is different in terms of not having the carved headstock and the woods are different. That one might actually have a spruce top as opposed to mine being mahogany plywood pressed top?

    Regards

  11. #9
    Registered User mandrian's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hofner Mandolin

    Hi,

    Well it's probably best described as a playable wall hanger as it now stands. Looks better than it sounds!

    I recentered the off centre tailpiece and fitted the bridge that Dave made. The trapeze tailpiece is lightly touching the top where the strings emerged. Not sure if that adversely impacts the sound. No buzzing or anything. Might put a thin rubber washer under it to hold the metal marginally off the wood. The action is nice at 1.5mm at 12th fret.

    Anyway it was the first time I fitted a bridge so at least I learned a little.

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    Regards

  12. #10
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hofner Mandolin

    Well it's probably best described as a playable wall hanger
    That's not unusual.

    Looks better than it sounds!
    Unfortunately that's not unusual either.

    Every day is a great day when you learn something.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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  14. #11

    Default Re: Hofner Mandolin

    Hey, it's a nice looking mandolin! Nothing wrong with that. My music room has many things hanging on the wall that look really cool, but aren't the greatest, soundwise.

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