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	#067 Hofner President Acoustic. 1964.


	The best of Hofners sunbursts was around '64 - '69.


	Fiddle-back! Well nearly - nice heavily flamed, matched Maple veneer.


	Classic, post 60 headstock in perfect condition.

	Background. This is what my hobby is all about - finding lovely old guitars, bringing them back to life and allowing them play at their best. To find a completely unmolested acoustic President had been an ambition for years. I had seen several acoustics with various holes drilled in the neck or body to fit pickups but this was just as it left the factory! Just like my first Hofner but with a truss rod. It had clearly spent most of its life in someone's loft. There was very little evidence of play time but it was covered in mould, dust, dirt and ......... sporting Nylon strings!!!! After many hours of gentle cleaning and polishing, and restoring the chipped Bridge, it looks just like new! Just a little more effort now enables it to play better than when it was new. Now I would love to be able to play it amplified but I don't want to loose it's integrity. No screw holes from me!! I think I will make a hand carved pickguard with a mounted pickup so that the whole unit can be added or removed using only the original pickguard mounting points.

	Here is a before and after Gallery:


	Fortunately the mould was only on the exterior of the guitar. The fingerboard and bridge were worst affected. There was no evidence of moisture inside the body so all the joints are good and strong. Structurally it is perfect with a nice straight neck.


	The bridge was chipped where the pickguard pin entered. Nylon strings!






	Ebony dust mixed with a little Polymite, laid into the chip and finished.


	#8487 makes this a 1964 guitar. It is clearly an acoustic model but the label reads President brunette E2 with the E2 crossed out whilst still in the typewriter. Hofner labels sometimes need a little interpretation. Interestingly Hofner were still marking their top guitars MASTER CLASS in 1964.


	A fine, sunny morning and good lighting for a deep-clean. I always use 25% vinegar in water and go over it twice if I need to. Just look at the colour of the cleaning rag. It came up like this even before polishing!


	After a thorough cleaning and oiling the fingerboard, a light fret dressing and re-profiling of the frets was all that was needed.




	So, out of a dusty attic I now have an original President Acoustic, just like new. Definitely a collectors guitar!

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