Hofner Chancellor User manual

Guitars & Basses
– since 1887 –
Karl Höfner GmbH & Co. KG
Egerlandstr. 38
91083 Baiersdorf-Hagenau
Germany
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www.hofner.com
Guitars & Basses
– since 1887 –
Höfner
Electric Guitars
& Basses
Chancellor
Jazzica
President
Verythin
Club Bass
Violin Basses
Höfner specialist dealer:

Master violin maker Karl Höfner founded his own stringed and fretted instrument
company in Schönbach, Germany in 1887. With a reputation for quality,
craftsmanship and innovation, Höfner soon became the largest manufacturer
of stringed and fretted instruments in Germany. Thus, in 1907 Karl Höfner was
entrusted with the repair of the King of Saxony’s violin, and the master performed
his job to the full satisfaction of his client.
When his two sons, Josef and Walter, joined their father's company in 1919
and 1921 respectively, acoustic guitars already represented a significant part
of Höfner’s instrument production. In a market dominated by inexpensive
student guitars during the 1920s and 1930s, Höfner guitars were already
establishing new standards and the company capitalized on that leadership
during the decades that followed.
The product range of Höfner is extensive and not only limited to string instruments
and acoustic guitars. Höfner has built excellent electric guitars since the 1950’s.
Höfner hollowbodies graced the clubs and concert halls of Europe’s post-war
jazz scene, and Höfner solidbodies and basses were among the instruments
that ignited the musical imaginations of many who would later launch the
”British Invasion.”
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 music shop in Hamburg. Paul’s ‘Beatle Bass’ can be heard
on many of the Beatles‘ most famous songs and still accompanies him on
stage and in the studio to this day.
A new chapter in Höfner history began in 1997 when the company moved to
a new production facility near the village of Hagenau. Millions of Euros have
since been invested in state-of-the-art, environmentally-friendly production
technologies. Today, Höfner continues to build fine quality, hand-crafted hollow-
body and bass guitars for new generations of players and collectors.
Guitars & Basses
– since 1887 –
Karl Höfner,
founder of the company
A major asset of Höfner is the large
selection of naturally air-dried and
seasoned tonewood.
The traditional way of binding the body
Guitar production around 1965
500/1 (1956)
Golden Höfner (1960)
Committee (1959)
President (1956)

The free-floating Höfner
jazz guitar pick-up is
attached to the end of the
fingerboard, thus enabling
the guitar top to resonate
freely all the way up to the
neck joint. The pick-up is
mounted in a special
surround which offers
height adjustment for the
pick-up as a whole and,
thanks to the individual
pole-pieces, separate
volume adjustment for
each string.
Chancellor
The Chancellor is the new flagship of Höfner’s jazz guitar
range. Our Master luthiers have put all their years of
experience and craftsmanship into creating this gem. With
its 17“ body width the Chancellor carries on where the
legendary ‘Golden Höfner’ of the 60s left off. Furthermore,
thanks to its sophisticated construction, it meets all the
demands of today’s professional guitarists – and yet
remains timeless.
Only the finest tonewoods, which are naturally air-
dried and seasoned for many years, are selected.
We use narrow-grained German spruce for the all-
solid top and European flamed maple for the fully-
solid back and sides.
Each top and back is individually graduated and hand-
carved.
Guitars & Basses
– since 1887 –
5
Hand-carving a Chancellor top
Durable yet light in weight, Höfner’s
hardshell cases are rigidly constructed with
five layers of wood and provide a secure
yet very portable environment for storing
your guitar.
Chancellor with natural finish
Chancellor with violin varnish
See page 14 for specifications.
Like the guitars they protect, Höfner’s
hardshell cases are carefully crafted to
ensure a snug fit and to minimize random
movement.

Every Höfner Jazzica
Custom includes a set of
ebony soundhole plugs
which are simply inserted
into the sound hole
openings to reduce the
potential for feedback at
higher volume levels.
Use of the soundhole
plugs will dampen the
instrument’s acoustic
output but will enable the
player to increase amplifier
volume with less risk of
feedback.
Guitars & Basses
– since 1887 –
Jazzica Custom
As the most innovative of Höfner’s hand-made hollow-body
guitars, the Jazzica Custom seamlessly blends old-world
craftsmanship with contemporary features.
For example, the ’Contour’ body design draws guitarist
and instrument closer together, enabling one to seem like
a natural extension of the other without compromising
structural integrity or tone. And, as Germany’s largest
maker of guitars and violins, we freely apply our
expertise across the Höfner family of instruments.
That’s why the Jazzica’s solid German spruce top
is hand-carved and graduated, similar to a traditional
violin. That’s also why the Jazzica’s top is braced
with a bass bar – again, like a violin.
Quality without compromise – Höfner’s Jazzica Custom
is a masterpiece of meticulous craftsmanship that
redefines the expectations of what a hand-made archtop
guitar should be.
7
The Jazzica’s 24-fret neck is joined to the
body at the 16th fret, thereby easing access
to the upper registers and encouraging
new fingerboard explorations across two
full octaves.
The traditional way of binding the body
Fret work on an
archtop guitar’s neck.
The Jazzica Custom exemplifies beauty
that is functional as well as cosmetic.
For example, separate ebony tone and
volume controls and a streamlined ebony
pickguard. What´s more, the floating pickup
attached to the base of the neck preserves
its solid German spruce top acoustic
integrity and maximizes its resonance.
See page 14 for specifications.

President Series
Höfner’s President Series establishes the current models as worthy
successors to their legendary namesake which, as celebrated
examples of premium European archtops, are owned by
renowned and influential jazz guitarists.
While many design elements of Höfner’s President Series
have a traditional flair, special features – such as the 16th
fret neck-to-body joint – distinguish them from ordinary jazz
guitars.
Thin President
Höfner’s hand-crafted excellence and uncompro-
mising flexibility invigorate the familiar platform of
the Thin President. A sustain block inside the body
made of a solid piece of high quality timber is hand
fitted to both the German spruce top and the flamed
maple back. The master volume and tone controls
for the Höfner standard size humbucking neck pickup
are tastefully covered by solid ebony knobs.
Guitars & Basses
– since 1887 –
The Thin President’s bridge
produces the warm tone
typical of ebony and resets
the standard for balance,
accuracy and intonation on
an archtop guitar. The saddles,
made from high-grade fret
wire, may be moved to
intonate your choice of string
type or gauge and adjust
the string spacing
with pinpoint
precision.
9
A President’s hand-carved neck
Thin President
New President with natural finish
New President
The New President represents the pinnacle
of the guitar maker’s art. Exquisite woods
– from the hand-carved, solid German
spruce to the flamed maple back and
sides – exude an aura of stunning physical
beauty. Gold-plated hardware, ebony trim
and mother-of-pearl fingerboard inlays add
just the right touch to the New President’s
tasteful elegance.
The New President exemplifies beauty that
is functional as well as cosmetic. For
example, separate tone and volume
controls are mounted discreetly on the
New President’s streamlined ebony
pickguard. And, as with the floating pickup
attached to the base of the neck, the lack
of milling holes in the solid German spruce
top preserves its acoustic integrity and
maximizes its resonance.
See page 14 for specifications.
New President with
violin varnish