Hofner Instruments

Founded in Schönbach in 1887 by master luthier Karl Höfner, the company became the largest manufacturer of stringed and fretted instruments in Germany. In 1955, Walter Höfner, a creative businessman as well as a violin and guitar maker, invented an electrically amplified semi-acoustic bass. The distinctive 500/1 bass was launched at the 1956 Frankfurt Music Fair and subsequently rose to fame under a different name. In 1961 Paul McCartney bought his first Höfner bass in a shop in Hamburg and used it on many of the Beatles' most famous songs. Paul still plays his "Beatle Bass" live on stage today.

In addition to the world famous Beatle- Bass, Hofner also make wonderful acoustic instruments, arch-tops and many other product lines. We now feature some fabulous classical guitars, such as the HM85 and the HGL7.

Check out Hofner's website here.

Back to Murch Music Main Page