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Rare, Vintage, Jazz, Archtop, Guitar, Gibson,
Byrdland, D'Angelico, Guild, Hofner, Benedetto, Guitars for Sale,
Guitar Collection,
Rare, Vintage, Jazz,
Archtop, Guitar, Gibson, Byrdland, D'Angelico, Guild, Hofner,
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Restoration. |
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#073 Hofner. The Burgundy President. |
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1. On Arrival I photograph
every detail. It
comes in useful later! |
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I bought this guitar
knowing it would need a little work.
When I had it in my hands I was pleased to confirm that it
had been well cared for over the years, it played
reasonably well, and it had not had any repairs.
There had, however,
been quite a bit of plectrum damage to the top and there
were two deep chips and a 1" gouge to the headstock,
so a light restoration was in order. |
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Some vigorous plectrum
damage on the Bass side. |
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................. and
right along to the Bridge! |
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Years of grime deep in
the checking! |
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Chips and a deep gouge looked
unsightly. |
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A good strong neck joint
but with natural shrinkage and finish cracks as usual! |
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I don't really want to
leave the strap-button there, |
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That heel-cap has been
re-glued. Alarm Bells! |
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A slight flaw in the
neck! |
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2. Stripped and Recorded. |
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Years of dust and fluff
but it all works. |
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Better than a
wiring diagram. |
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3. Synopsis. |
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Overall, the
Burgundy President is in good condition for its age.
It has a lot of cosmetic wear and tear but is structurally
strong. Its original pickup has gone
and been replaced by a 510 Super Response (in
Gold - unlike all the original fittings).
It needs a 511 Staple pickup but otherwise I believe I can
keep the original electrics. There is a
flaw in the neck (damage in manufacture by
the look of it because the original finish covers it)
so maybe that's why there is a "2" stamped on the headstock!
I have never seen that before with a Hofner - a
factory second?? That could be why
it was hidden away in a corner until the factory closed in
1984.
I would prefer to
leave this as original as possible. The plan is
to refurbish the finish, repairing the more serious
areas but otherwise letting it show its age.
I may use a period pickup but I am considering using a
genuine Hofner Re-issue Vintage 511.
I have a period Bridge for it and everything else is original
and re-useable. |
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4. Cleaning,
dealing with neck issues and rejuvenating the finish. |
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I always start with the
neck. I need to know that it will play nicely
before I invest more time! Cleaned, sanded
with 1800 Dry, and oiled. Not quite dry
yet! It will get 4 or 5 dressings with
Gibson Fretboard Conditioner (the best). |
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Coat after coat of clear
cellulose flooded into the chips, then flatted and polished. |
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Much better and the
checking lines are still there as they should be.
Originality is preserved! |
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Finished.
A gentle refurbishment of the body and neck now
complete. Any damage repaired followed by
hours of flatting and refinishing of the top coat to
minimise the plectrum damage - but the
originality of the finish (and its hard life) has been retained.
After a lot of polishing it is now ready to build-up! |
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Faithful reissue of
Hofner's trusty type 511 Staple pickup. |
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It sounds really good
across the range. |
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5. Current Status. |
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Restoration Completed
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Back
to Restorations. |
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