Hofner Verythin Standard

Wanted to follow up on my earlier review. My Hofner Verythin Standard is still one of my favorite guitars. Two main points: My guitar tech says this guitar has a bone nut, which is nice to know and even nicer to have. Also, I have tried a lot of string gauges on this guitar, and I favor the Skinny Top Heavy Bottom (.10 .13 .17 .30 .42 .52) selection - the heavy EAD strings get the biggest sound from the thinline body, but you can still bend away on the GBE strings with no difficulty.

I have played the daylights out of this guitar several days a week and in a lot of different situations, and it is not so delicate after all. No problems.

stunning.

I mostly play blues/rock, and it suits me perfectly. Mine has the minihumbuckers, which I actually prefer to their full-size humbuckers; they seem a bit hotter and have more variation in tones. I use a Fender Blues DeVille 4x10, which it sounds beautiful through. I have played it through a Vox AC15CC1 and a Mesa Boogie Maverick with 2x12 and it sounded beyond perfect. I also use a delay from time to time and occassionally a visual sounds jekyll and hyde, as wll as a cry baby. My only complaint is that it makes audible noise when I move the toggle switch.

This guitar came absolutely perfect, though I did have it set up just so I could have the action to fairly precise settings.

it's too pretty to play live...but yeah, it would be as sturdy if not sturdier than any other semihollow out there. Extremely high quality and very reliable, very light.

if you can, get one. I sold other guitars after I bought this one because of its unbelievable tone and quality. Hofner knows what it is doing; it's been in the stringed instrument business since the 1870's or whatever.

German made, just like the other reviews, mini-humbuckers,Schaller tuners, stop tailpiece, tune o matic type bridge. Flamey maple front and back, and a 25 1/2 scale neck. Its a good looking guitar, except for my taste there is a tad too much clear finish, making it look a little cheap. Gibson style 3 way switch, two tone controls, two volumes. In the middle you can "mix" the tone. A big plus to me, since I sometimes have back problems, but prefer to stand when I play, is that it is very light.

Plug it in, turn it up and you're in 335 territory. I've owned more than 10 real 335's through the years. This sounds every bit as good as the best 335's and maybe more articulate and less muddy, probably because of the longer scale length. The mini pickups are great (Kent Armstrongs). The tones are very musical and seems to me to cover more tonal territory than a 335. I play rock, jazz, pop and country and everything in between.

Pretty flamed maple top and back, but as I said, too much clear coat, gives it a plastic look. I bought it used, so set up was already pretty good, and I will tweak it some more.

It's well built and very solid, quality construction. I never play without a backup--I've had PRS's to fail.

Never dealt with them.

I've been playing in working bands for 40 plus years and still do.
I really like this guitar--it's light, sounds great, plays fine. I like the longer scale length on a semi-hollow--I think it tightens up the articulation. You can get some fat, juicy, warm tones out of these guitars. It nails the jazzy, bluesey tone that I like.

mine was bought used, i think it is only a year or two old because it is like new condition with no wear of any kind. The top, back and sides are flamed maple and it has a european hard rock maple neck
Rosewood fretboard, bound, with 22 frets and Abalone double dots with triple dots on the 12 and 21 frets, wierd kind of not 22nd fret. This my favorite guitar i have ever played, it is near perfect for jazz and whatever you need excellent clean guitar sounds for. I have big hands and i do not like the neck on gibsons hollow-bodies (24 3/4 scale)with a narrow neck at the nut. For me it is cramped and i like the 25 1/2 inch scale, i think hammer ons and pull offs sound more dramatic on a full scale. And i don't think gibson quality control is up to par with Carvin,Fender, Rickenbacker, Godin, or even close to the perfection hofner nearly achieves. Don' get me wrong Gibson makes them great but the es 137 classic is not as well made as the hofner semi acoustics. but is the same price.

Neck width at nut: 1 3/4? (44mm)--Machine heads: Schaller M6 with tulip buttons --Bridge: Schaller GTM
Schaller GTM stop tailpiece
Pickups: Hofner 514/VS-B, 514VS-N humbuckers
2 volume controls, 2 tone controls, 3-way pickup switch
Nickel-plated hardware
Colours: transparent amber, transparent cherry
With Hofner 3052N Deluxe wooden hardshell case, tweed-cream covering

The only quam i have with this guitar is that it does not handle overdrive much. it feeds back pretty bad. The mini humbuckers provide awsome crytal clear tones that shimmer and bring out the subtle nuances as well as single coils, in my opinion they behave more like single coils than humbuckers, but they are silent, I play through a carvin belair vintage tube amp, and the sound is bright. If your going to buy a hofner verithin standard buy a new one. Call the distributer and have them send one to your local dealer, which they will do on a risk free basis. Hofner will pay shipping both ways to your local dealer at no risk to you or the shoppe. The brand new ones have a maganony center block which gives a warmer darker tone. That would give tonal perfection to this superb instrument. The new ones coming out of the factory have full sized pickups which i can not comment on because i have not heard them. but if you want to replace them it is now easy.

the pickup selecor does crackle a little bit- may just need cleaned out. Ok i bought mine on ebay, somebody had filed the nut too low and tried to fix it by layering beads of superglue in the places it was too low, i am having a new one cut and i think it came out of the factory fine and some fool messed it up then tried to fix it. the action is great, it has small frets like the les paul custom, and i love the way it plays.

fragile and Susceptible to humidity change. but that is the trade off to having wonderful acoustic overtones. this guitar is made in germany, have you ever seen anything come out of germany that wasn't built great? I mean products and mexican vw's don't count.

ive been playing for about six years and have been spoiled by only playing seagull, carvin, fender, and gibsons and i think that Hofner makes as good of a guitar as anybody. i wanted a gibson ES 137 but those narrow short necks are not my bag and the 490R pickup is kind of muddy. This guitar is unique i never see them, actually before mine arrived in the mail i had never even seen one before. A vibrato would be cool but its alright.

Made in Germany. Purchased new in March 2005. All maple 335 style, but ultra thinline with a 1 1/4" depth. Body measures approximately 16 1/2" at lower bout, 9 3/4" at waist, and 11 3/4 " at upper bout. Also features a 25 1/2" scale length and 1 3/4 " (44 mm) nut width. Tapered hard rock maple neck is wide and chunkier than your "C" shape. Rosewood fretboard, 22 big frets, neck joins body at 19th fret. I have average sized hands with thick (OK, they're fat!) fingers and the neck and fretboard fit me just fine. Tuners, GTM bridge, and GTM stop tailpiece all Schaller. Two volume and tone controls and a three way pick up switch. Two Hofner mini humbuckers. My guitar did not come with the coil split feature mentioned in some reviews below, but does not need it. (The Hofner Verythin Classic model has the coil split feature.) Serial number starts with E, so maybe my guitar was made in 2004? Comes with great looking and sturdy tweed cream colored wooden hardshell case that fits guitar snugly. A Hygrometer and humidifier come with the case.

I would describe my style as blues and classic rock with occasional forays into country and pop. I usually play this guitar through either a Rivera Quiana Studio or a Mesa Boogie F-30, and the variety of sounds that I can get is simply amazing. Don't let the mini humbuckers scare you away. There is nothing small about the tone and number of different sounds that you can achieve with this guitar.

Action set up sweet and low from the factory. Superb fit and finish. My guitar has the transparent cherry finish, which has black shading along the edges - combined with cream binding, nickel plated hardware, rosewood fretboard with mother of pearl style dot inlays, and black controls and black headstock (which has a "Hofner" and double flower design inlay), this guitar projects a very smart, elegant, and understated appearance. The Verythin Standard also comes in an Amber finish that seems to accentuate the flamed maple more so than the cherry finish, sometimes to the point of garishness in my opinion. Some people go nuts over the flame, but not me.

Extra care required here. With the thinline body and thin wood at the back and top, this is a more delicate guitar than most. I play this guitar several times each week, and the finish, hardware, and strap buttons all still look and work great. I have played live several times with my Standard with no problem. I always have a backup no matter what guitar I take with me.

Never a problem, so never dealt with customer support. Two year warranty that covers defects from faulty materials or workmanship, but the work is to be done at Hofner in Germany.

I have been playing for about five years. Also play a Hamer Monaco Superpro, a Hamer Monaco Elite Mahogany, an old Fender Squier Japan fat strat, a 1973 Guild M-75CS, and a 1974 Guild M-75CS. Amps I own are a Rivera Quiana Studio, Mesa Boogie F-30, Dean Markley DMC-40, and a Tech 21 Trademark 10. I purchased the Hofner Verythin Standard after playing a Hofner Verythin Classic owned by a friend. I prefer the stop end tailpiece on the Standard model and can live without the coil split feature. My Guilds both have that feature and it's nice to have but hardly essential. I also considered a Yamaha SA 2200, which has a coil split feature, the Guild Starfire IV, and a Hamer Newport, which sounded awesome, but decided on the Hofner because it sounded just as good as the Hamer and with the 25 12" scale length and 1 3/4" nut width it just felt better. I would purchase this guitar again.

Made in 2003 in Germany. True to its name, the VeryThin is indeed very thin, about 1 1/2 inches wide on the edge. Has 2 Hofner mini humbuckers, Schaller bridge and tuners, bone nut, big frets, and most importantly, 25.5 scale. A 335 type with a 25.5 scale is VERY rare. I have not found any other except for a Gretsch.

My style is a blues rock type of thing. This guitar is perfect for me, as the tone is rich! The sustain is unbelievable, it rings forever. There is a great range of tones available when using the 3 way. I use a Mesa Boogie 22+ and a home made Champ. This guitar suits them beautifully.

I must say, I cannot find a flaw anywhere on this guitar. The setup had to be done to my liking by myself, but I cannnot fault them for this. All components are top notch. It is a high quality instrument.

I would use this without back up. As it is a semi hollow, I won't be exposing it to any harsh conditions, but why would you anyway?

I have heard great things about the company, and they were very helpful and courteous when I had a few questions.

I have been playing for 38 years. I have owned perhaps 100 guitars, mostly strat like. I have recently begun to appreciate the semis, and was on the search for a 25.5 scale. I had entertained the idea of having a 24.75 scale changed to accomodate me, but that was going to be 3-400 dollars for the modifications. This guitar, while thin, has a tremendous tone and playability. I will not hesitate to look for more Hofner products.

Must be pretty new as they came out in 2000.
If you can tell by the serial #C05281 let me know.
I tried to find out at the Hofner site but to no avail.
This beauty is the amber finish. The headstock is of the flower variety.
It has the black control knobs and black pup switch which is not like any of the pictures I've seen. The amber in all the pics I've seen came with gold knobs and a white pup switch. Not complaining mind you.
The finish is flawless, as is the rest of the guitar.
The humbuckers are mini, and I've heard that they are designed by Kent Armstrong. I do not know for sure, as the shop from which I purchased the from had lost the manual.
Most of the features have been addressed already. However...the nut looks to be bone, and is slotted at angles to match the line up of the tuning keys. I was concerned about string pull, but so far no problems.
The top is so thin. It is laminated, but I can only see two layers.
This must contribute to the resonant sounds and overall sweetness. The top is only 1/8" thick!
This is indeed an alternate choice over a Gibson and the rest of the pack. In my opinion, the better choice. With the type of tone controls provided (10 single coil, 8 and below humbucker) this guitar is going to beat any other 335 clone out there.
I've noticed that the bridge has felt underneath the studs.
I always replace the hardware with TonePros, so it may or may not sound a little different if I do not replace the felt when I switch it out.

Jazz, rock, blues. Covers the bases.
Even can get a fat Tele sound!
Through my Bassman RI or Carlson Turbo Pup it's a gas.
Completely quiet.
Very rich sweet complex sounds.
Better than a ES335.
I know, cause I've got one.

Action came well out of the case.
Even the strings are of good quality!
However...I always do a little tweaking to personalize it for me.
This guitar did not need alot though.

This is and will remain a studio guitar.
As the top is so thin, I do keep the axe in it's case.
The case has a humidifier in it, so I keep the axe in it's case.
Shame to keep it there though, as it is a beautiful looking instrument.
I'd rather hang it on my wall!
Everthing is solid.

Not sure.
From what I've heard I can rely on them.

Great axe.

Made in Germany in 2002 or thereabouts. This is a 335-type guitar, and as the name implies it is much thinner than the typical 335 guitar. This greatly reduceds the weight and bulk. It feels and maneuvers like a solid body, yet the tone is definitely that of a 335. This concept was what attracted me to this guitar.

The layout is similar to a 335 -- two tone knobs, two volume knobs, and a 3-way toggle, tune-o-matic stop tailpiece, 22 medium-jumbo frets on a rosewood fretboard with abalone shell dot markers. However, the Hofner passive circuit allows for noiseless single-coil sounds when the tone is on 10. From 8 on down it goes into humbucking mode. The pickups are Hofner's own design

The body wood is laminated all around, with an amber veneer of highly flamed maple. So much flames that you might want a fire extinguisher nearby. I mean, the flames are just dazzling.

The absence of a pickguard means pick marks on the pretty finish, but on the other hand it would be a shame to hide the wood with any pickguard.

This guitar will give you all the sounds that a 335 puts out, plus you have the option of putting it into single coil (SC) mode. In SC mode, it is not going to sound like a Fender; instead it gives a lighter, airier sound that is quite unique coming from a 335-looking guitar. As such, you can use it to play just about any type of music. I bought mine to play mostly blues and jazz.

Flawless. Hofner quality control is just so tight -- a custom handbuilt guitar from a luthier would not look any better. I repeat, flawless.

There is no reason to believe that with proper care and attention, this guitar would not be reliable or durable. But you cannot treat it like a Telecaster. Treat it like a lady and everything will be fine.

I bought it used, and I don't think the warranty is transferrable. But I don't anticipate anything going wrong with this guitar.

If you want an alternative to the ubiquitous 335, this is worth considering. Hofner is a German company, and its workmanship is just superb. The light weight and the thinness really sets it apart from other 335-type guitars. Strapped on, it is hardly noticeable you have a guitar on. This is one of the most gorgeous-looking guitar I have ever come across, but it is the tone that matters more than looks. With this guitar you get both.

I apologize if I inadvertintly submitted this review twice, due to clumsy fingers.