I travelled ‘darn sarf’ today. Two hours each way. And for what? A new guitar!
I’ve wanted a nice old vintage arch-top guitar for years. I was lucky enough to borrow a Hofner President from my pal Patrick, for a period of several years. That was a gorgeous instrument. But rather beyond my budget.
The President was also fully ‘lectric. Whereas this, a Hofner Congress, is fully ‘coustic!
The Congress was at the low end of Hofner’s offerings, way back when it was launched. And remained at the budget end of their catalogue during its heyday. And it had a heyday, being a very popular ‘decent yet affordable’ axe, those many moons ago.
I read online somewhere that this was Hank Marvin’s first guitar!
Anyway, this has been on the list of potential guitars for me, in this line – hollow bodied, arch topped – for several years. I know it’s hardly a top of the line legend. But they look lovely, and plenty of folk online testify to them being decent enough, even possessed of a degree of charm.
But even these budget axes of yesteryear have become quite expensive. They typically sell anywhere between £200-800! So when I found this one pretty cheap – they were asking £85 – I thought it worth taking a look at. I drove the 70 odd miles to Thundersley, Essex, and decided I’d get it.
It has a fairly major issue; the neck. This was a pre-truss-rod guitar. And the tension of the strings on the neck has bowed it. It looks as if it’s possibly even been broken, and repaired. The frets are appalling, and two are missing, suggestive of further fiddlage!
The body is in good order, and looks lovely. All the other fittings, bridge, tail-piece, scratch-plate and tuning keys are original. The guitar is numbered 7735, which, according to a website that supplies such info’, means it’s of 1958 vintage!
Here are a few more pictures.
My plan is to take the neck off, repair it, and put it back on. Keeping it as original as I can. Ideally with the addition of a truss-rod. I have no idea if this is feasible, using the neck as it is.
Another idea is to fit a different neck. One with a truss-rod. There’s one pictured below. But I’m not so keen on that idea, for two reasons. Silk purses and sow’s ears, for one, and originality and integrity for another.
Well, for now I’ll leave the strings off, and see if the neck bends back into shape. In the mean time, I’ll gaze on her adoringly, and dream of the fun I’m going to have tickling her strings some day soon, when she’s restored to a more playable state.