Part 7 Dating Hofners.
As stated in Part 4, there are numerous guitars about containing serial numbers that predate those prior to 1958 which are still available in Hofner’s own records. The only satisfactory way to establish the year of production during this early period is by an internal examination as described in Part 4. This can be a very rewarding exercise as not only the year of production can be found but also the actual day and month.
Hofner Bass Serial Number
Detailed below are some serial number and corresponding dates as extracted from my own guitars.
Hofner Acoustic Guitar Identification
Model | Serial Number | Body Date |
Committee | 2129 | 31/08/54 |
Committee | 2536 | 31/10/57 |
Committee | 3745 | 20/03/61 |
Committee | 3932 | 12/08/63* |
Committee | 3950 | 25/06/63* |
President | 2277 | 24/09/55 |
President | 5549 | 18/03/59 |
President | 7293 | 22/03/60 |
* It can be seen from the Committee numbers, anomalies occur even in the simple task of co-ordinating serial numbers and dates.
In the following tables I have used a little initiative to arrive at the probable serial numbers that are shown against the years before 1958. These are relatively accurate but would have to be verified by physical inspection.
Hohner Bass Serial Number Lookup
Model | First Serial Number | Last Serial Number | Year | Remarks |
Committee | 2000 | 2141 | 1954 | |
2142 | 2282 | 1955 | Pre truss-rod models | |
2283 | 2325 | 1956 | ||
2326 | 2564 | 1957 | ||
2565 | 2950 | 1958 | ||
2951 | 3313 | 1959 | ||
3314 | 3677 | 1960 | Truss Rods Introduced | |
3678 | 3745 | 1961 | ||
3746 | 3793 | 1962 | ||
3794 | 3954 | 1963 | Redesigned headstock | |
3965 | 4109 | 1964 | ||
4110 | 4177 | 1965 | ||
4178 | 4189 | 1966 | ||
4190 | 4247 | 1967 | ||
4248 | 4258 | 1968 | ||
4259 | 4264 | 1969 | ||
Committee Thinline | 1000 | 1175 | 1960 | Truss Rods Introduced |
1176 | 1275 | 1961 | ||
1276 | 1325 | 1962 | ||
1326 | 1485 | 1963 | Redesigned headstock | |
1486 | 1525 | 1964 | ||
1526 | 1653 | 1965 | ||
President | 1500 | 1874 | 1953 | Pre truss-rod models |
1875 | 2180 | 1954 | ||
2181 | 2490 | 1955 | ||
2491 | 2985 | 1956 | ||
2986 | 3480 | 1957 | ||
3481 | 5100 | 1958 | ||
5101 | 6533 | 1959 | ||
6534 | 7967 | 1960 | Truss Rods Introduced | |
7968 | 8047 | 1961 | ||
8048 | 8126 | 1962 | ||
8127 | 8309 | 1963 | ||
8355 | 8728 | 1964 | ||
8729 | 8976 | 1965 | ||
8977 | 8982 | 1966 | ||
8932 | 8988 | 1967 | ||
8989 | 8995 | 1968 | ||
8996 | 9002 | 1969 | ||
9003 | 9015 | 1970 | ||
9016 | 9029 | 1971 | ||
President Thinline | 1 | 681 | 1960 | Truss Rods Introduced |
None Listed | None Listed | 1961 | ||
682 | 822 | 1962 | ||
823 | 962 | 1963 | ||
963 | 1134 | 1964 | ||
1135 | ???? | 1965 | ||
Senator | 1000 | 1040 | 1953 | Pre-Truss Rod Model |
1041 | 1087 | 1954 | ||
1088 | 1375 | 1955 | ||
1376 | 3738 | 1956 | ||
3739 | 4403 | 1957 | ||
4404 | 7800 | 1958 | ||
7801 | 9801 | 1959 | ||
9802 | 11400 | 1960 | Truss Rods Introduced | |
11401 | 11702 | 1961 | ||
11703 | 12079 | 1962 | ||
12080 | 12680 | 1963 | ||
12726 | 13516 | 1964 | ||
13517 | 13674 | 1965 | ||
13675 | 13768 | 1966 | ||
13769+ | 1967 | |||
Senator Thinline | 1 | 375 | 1958 | |
376 | 845 | 1959 | ||
846 | 1088 | 1960 | Truss Rods Introduced | |
1089 | 1227 | 1961 | ||
1228 | 1316 | 1962 | ||
1317 | 1404 | 1963 | ||
1405 | 1533 | 1964 | ||
1534 | 1660 | 1965 | ||
Congress | 2000 | 2850 | 1955 | Pre-Truss Rod Models |
2851 | 4717 | 1956 | ||
4718 | 5808 | 1957 | ||
5809 | 7800 | 1958 | ||
7801 | 8859 | 1959 | ||
8860 | 9917 | 1960 | Truss Rods Introduced | |
9918 | 10958 | 1961 | ||
10959 | 12278 | 1962 | ||
12279 | 13371 | 1963 | ||
13922 | 14321 | 1964 | ||
14322 | 14891 | 1965 | ||
14892 | 15141 | 1966 | ||
15142 | 15366 | 1967 | ||
15367 | 15456 | 1968 | ||
15457 | 15471 | 1969 | ||
15472 | 15517 | 1970 | ||
15518 | 15523 | 1971 | ||
Club 40 | Pre | 254 | 1957 | Pre-Truss Rod Models |
255 | 420 | 1958 | ||
421 | 921 | 1959 | ||
922 | 1534 | 1960 | Truss Rods Introduced | |
1535 | 1674 | 1961 | ||
1675 | Onwards | 1962 | ||
Club 50 | Pre | 478 | 1957 | Pre-Truss Rod Models |
479 | 650 | 1958 | ||
651 | 1151 | 1959 | ||
1152 | 1782 | 1960 | Truss Rods Introduced | |
1781 | Onwards | 1961 | ||
Club 60 | 1 | 180 | 1958 | Pre-Truss Rod Models |
181 | 681 | 1959 | ||
682 | 1296 | 1960 | Truss Rods Introduced | |
1297 | 1607 | 1961 | ||
1608 | Onwards | 1962 | ||
Club 70 | - | - | - | Footnote |
Verithin | 1 | 350 | 1960 | Truss Rods Introduced |
351 | 699 | 1961 | ||
700 | 1238 | 1962 | ||
1239 | 2223 | 1963 | ||
2260 | 3313 | 1964 | ||
3314 | Onwards | 1965 | ||
Verithin Florentine Deluxe | 1000 | 1190 | 1965 | |
1191 | 1293 | 1966 | ||
1294 | 1388 | 1967 | ||
1389 | 1403 | 1968 | ||
1404 | 1408 | 69/70 | ||
1407 | 1411 | 1971 | ||
Ambassador | 50 | 177 | 1965 | |
178 | 443 | 1966 | ||
444 | 468 | 1967 | ||
469 | 480 | 1968 |
Return to HOFNER GUITAR PROJECT INDEX PAGE
Hohner Guitar Lookup Serial Number 893437 Was The instrument with the serial number 893437 was made in 1989 in Korea. We (my guy and I) have a white Hohner ST Special electric guitar. We dont know if it was purchased new or used, but the sticker is still on the neck at 329.00. A seven-digit serial number beginning with six, for example, indicates 1996; a seven-digit number beginning with seven denotes 1997; an eight-digit number beginning with 98 denotes 1998, etc. A “KC” prefix was introduced on Korean-made instruments in 1997, designating instrument made in. This website possesses NO DATABASE of guitars made by manufactures, instead simple serial code patterns that are available on this site and in the wider guitar community are used. It follows that potential scammers can use this knowledge to try to trick unsuspecting buyers. If you have any doubts as to a guitars’ authenticity please contact. Hohner bass serial numbers?? Is there a web site? I bought one used a while ago; Headless Fretless 2 emg PU's active. I refinished the synthetic board (round would damage) and put flat wounds on. Missing battery door but hey.
© Ramsay McKinnon 2006.