Hohner HW 640

This is a no-frills guitar. However, if you are looking for a great sounding instrument for an affordable price, this may be the guitar for you. Its simplicity is beautiful in and of itself. I find myself drawn to it whenever I am in the room and see it on its stand.

This is where this guitar excels. I have been amazed at the great sound which comes out of this guitar. Based on other reviews, I have updated the bridge and bridge pins to tuscony. I really enjoy the sound when I play it.

While this is a plain guitar, it is very well built. I did have to adjust the action which was a bit high for my liking. After making the adjustments, I really like the feel. The craftsmanship appears to be very good.

I have had my guitar for a little over a year now. It seems to be holding up very well to daily use. I have found that this guitar stays in-tune for extended periods which indicates solid construction. I recently was away for several weeks and was surprised to find the guitar was still in tune when I picked it up to play.

I really cannot comment since I have had no reason to contact the manufacturer for support.

I really enjoy this guitar. I thought I would purchase it to use as a beater, but find myself using it daily and not wanting to abuse it since it is such a nice sounding instrument. I have no desire to go spend a lot more money for another brand which will not sound better than my Hohner.

I like the satin finish. Im left handed, so it was nice to find a quality lefty guitar for a reasonable price.

Great all around sounding guitar. I would recommend it to anyone looking to pick up a better than average guitar for a below average price.

All of the fit and finish seems to bee well above what you would expect from a $199 guitar. No complaints.

Just bought it a couple of days ago no issues yet. From the other reviews, it sound like I dont have to much to worry about.

I happened to be at a pawn/guitar shop purchasing some used equipment for work. As I waited for other customers to finish with the shop keeper i picked up this guitar to pass some time. I was amazed at the sound quality. I played it before I looked at the price tag, so I was a bit surprised to find that it was brad new and under 200 bucks.

This is just a correction to my previous review - the sound upgrade is made by replacing the plastic SADDLE with Tusq (or bone or similar), not the BRIDGE as I indicated in the review. Sorry, but it is a good example of an all-too-common misuse of guitar part names! And don't forget to replace the plastic bridge pins, too!

See other reviews. This doesn't have a lot of "features" in terms of bells and whistles. However, I would just add that this guitar is attractive in its simplicity - I find the satin finish very appropriate visually, as it probably is tonally in terms of letting the sound ring clear and true. The tortoise binding on the body and neck is kind of different - haven't seen another guitar with that and a nice match to the tortoise pickguard. The maple does not have the flash of quilted maple - but it is still eye-catching - and a nice bookmatch on the back.

I bought this guitar for an everyday beat around guitar bacause of the reviews on this site. My fellow guitar players were right - it is an absolutely incredible sound value!

BUT HERE'S A SECRET (I don't recall if someone else mentioned this) - if you want to take the sound to the next higher level, replace the plastic bridge with a bone or tusq bridge (you'll have to shape it to match the orginal bridge's compensation) and the bridge pins with tusq (or some other hard material instead of plastic) and you will be blown away - REALLY!! The volume increased a bit, but the real impact was on the resonance (fuller) and the sustain (longer)- and also the enhanced tonal clarity througout the range. These mods, that should cost between $25-$30, will really make you wonder why you would pay 5-10 times as much (or for me 10-20 times as much since I got this for such a bargain price) for a guitar with a more popular (prestigious?) name on the headstock that really only sounds marginally better.

This was a slightly used guitar, and I concluded that the setup was pretty much as from the factory. Low action, truss rod adjusted for appropriate relief, easy to play, using elixir light-medium (12-56) strings or lights (12-53) with no problem. In my northern NY home it got dried out this winter (I was foolish enough to have it hanging on the wall so I could play it easily) and got some serious buzzing. Two weeks in the case with a humidifier and it was right back to where it started.
I am impressed with the quality of the construction - no glue overruns inside the body, none of this little consruction to be found that seem to be the norm for inexpensive guitars. My only complaint about the guitar AT ALL is that a couple of the fretwires seem a little smaller than the others.

This is my cheap play anywhere guitar. While I am not reckless with my instruments, I don't worry much about it since it was so inexpensive - and it has been very dependable. It has seemed very solid (although not a heavy instrument) and is holding up fine.

No need for contact.

My high rating is based upon the dollar-for-dollar sound value of this instrument. I have been playing since the late 60's. Currently the guitar I use most when I play out (lead worship in an evangelical church) is a wonderful Tacoma DR-20E3 - another guitar that is under-rated in comparison to the 'big boys'. My other favorite is a vintage Yamaha FG-612S 12 string from the last 70's that also blows away the competitio with its fullness, resonance and sustain and setup. AFter playing the hohner for awhile, I have to take out the Tacoma and remind myself that there is a difference (the hohner doesn't have quite the guts (volume and overall sound) of the Tacoma - but at 1/8th of the cost....

I have played just about everything out there commercially (not boutique/designer guitars) at music stores or owned by friends - Martin, Taylor, Larrivee, Guild, Gibson, Breedlove, Tacoma, and cheaper, etc. etc. It is my opinion that you will be hard-pressed to surpass the value of this instrument - especially as modified. If you have $1000's to just put where you want to, then buy your high end Taylor 610 or other maple guitar. If you are a pretty regular guy like me who just wants to make good guitar music with no more cost than necessary, especially for the glory of God, then pick one of these up and make the modifications I suggested.

Please see the other reviews for all the specs. However, I have not seen mention of the fact that this lowly, cheap import has SCALLOPED TOP BRACES! This is an unadvertised bonus that undoubtedly adds to the instruments exceptional tone. Grab your girl's compact mirror, a flashlight and see for yourself.

I'm a semi-pro musician (this means that I have a day job) who's been playing guitar since the Nixon administration. I've owned and played many, many axes in those years. This guitar absolutely takes the cake for best tone per buck. Come to think of it, it's probably the best sounding guitar I've ever owned (this includes Ovation, Alvarez and Guild). The tone is very even. No booming lows like a Martin D-28, but more focused and tight. The mids and highs bark louder than my neighbors terrier. Very LOUD!

It's all about how it plays and how it sounds. You already know my opinion of it's sounds, so how does it play? Once I dialed in my preferred set-up, it plays great. I tend towards a high action with heavy strings to get max volume and tone. As you would expect with this set-up there's virtually no string buzz. The factory compensated saddle does a fine job of intonating the strings-not perfect but very close. As far as fit, finish and the rest-WHO CARES! Absolutly all of it's visual flaws (very minor nit-piks) are hereby forgiven due to it's angelic voice ( Anybody remember Ella?)

It has survived many a road-trip unscathed. Very stable tuning indicates to me that it's rock-solid. Should be good for years of abuse.

This guitar is GREAT! I was not shopping for a new guitar nor did I have any intentions of buying one. However, after picking this little gem off the rack and playing it for all of ten minutes, the credit card was out and the deal was done. If this guitar was stolen I would most definitly buy another. In fact, for the money, I would buy a bunch and give them as wedding gifts, Christmas presents, hand them out to trick-or-treaters... More people need this guitar. YOU need this guitar.

Dreadnought size, maple back and sides, etc. I am writing this review as a follow up from one I made about seven months ago. Features are listed well in other reviews.

I still really like the sound. I wish it had a little more bottom end, but it's not bad for a maple guitar. The overal sound and resonance are superb. I've gotten many compliments on the sound.

I'm still very happy with the quality of the fit and finish. The action has been a little finicky. Even though I humidified the guitar over the Wisconsin winter, the string height showed noticeable changes. I had to shim the saddle for a while to stop minor buzzing on the low E, but now have removed the shim again with no buzz. That's one of the drawbacks of a solid top, not just with this guitar.

I play this guitar maybe an hour per day. After about nine months, the first four frets are showing more wear than I would expect. I bought the appropriate fret wire (.080x.043) and will most likely replace a few frets soon. Other than that, this guitar is solid. I gig it (church gigs) without a backup all the time. The thin finish still looks new.

I contacted the factory about the premature fret wear and they said it was not covered. So much for the warranty.

Even though the frets are wearing too fast, I still really love the guitar. It has a unique look and sound that I enjoy. Thankfully I can replace my own frets for a couple of bucks. My next guitar will have stainless steel frets, if I can find them.

Features same as other reviews

Sounds Fantastic,I bought this based on the other reviews here,and I agree with them all,has a rich full sound that rings clear when playing chords or fingerstyle!

Only needed minor truss rod adjustment

Not sure how the finish will last over time,but it looks great now,otherwise it appears to be a very well built guitar, the quality of korean built guitars has really come a long way over the past few years.

Don't know ,but they are a big well known company that has been around for a long time.

I've been playing for a little over a year,but have been around friends who play for about 25 years.If this were stolen,I hope I could find a similar deal,but would pay a little more to get another one.I just think for the money ther is no better guitar out there,

2002 Hohner AW 640 dreadnought acoustic guitar. Made in Korea. Solid spruce top. Laminated maple back neck and sides. Sealed die cast tuners. Compensated bridge.

I've always loved the look of natural finish maple guitars, but many of them sound thin and tinny. This one is bright, but has very focused bass. It is not as deep and boomy as a mahogany dreadnought, but the sound is more refined. Other guitars I have owned started to sound muddy when played hard, but this one just gets loud and clear. I play fingerstyle, strumming and flatpicking . . .mostly at church. I really like the sound when it's fingerpicked. The guitar had been in the store for a while and the strings were corroded black. Needless to say, it sounded terrible until I brought it home and put new ones on. I trusted other reviews about the sound, and with new strings . . . wow. . .it sounds better than almost every guitar in the store.

I bought the guitar as-is when the store was going out of business. Their guitar techs had all quit and the set-up was not checked in the store. There was some buzzing on the low E when played hard. I shimmed the saddle a little and backed off on the truss rod a bit for a little more neck relief and the action came right in . . . fairly low and buzz free. The thin neck has a wonderful fast feel.

The wood on this example is just beautiful. The factory must have been all out of bland wood when this one was made. It has a beautiful highy figured tiger maple bookmatched back. The top is nicely bookmatched and has tight grain. The neck is straight grained and the glued up pieces match well. Other examples in the store had relatively ordinary looking wood. The satin finish is quite good. There is a little glue squeeze out on the bottom edge of the bridge, but it barely shows. The frets had a little harsh feel to the edges, but a little work with Scotch Brite smoothed them up. A little Danish oil rubbed onto the rosewood bridge and fretboard improved things.

I have not owned this guitar for long, but it looks and feels like it would last. I play it in public without a backup. It stays in tune very well.

It has a lifetime warranty, which I hope I'll never have to use.

I have been playing since I was in college in the 70's. I got away from playing for a few years, but took it up again in '95. I got a mid-range Fender acoustic then and decided to move up. I was looking at a beautiful Guild D30 maple guitar for over $1000. This one is not quite as elegant, but it's very nice. It reminds me of a Simon and Patrick guitar I almost bought. This guitar actually cost less than half of what my Fender cost, but I consider it a step up. I think I'll keep it forever.

2002 Hohner HW640 acoustic guitar; solid sitka spruce top; maple back and sides; rosewood fingerboard. Solid features for the price

Amazing guitar for the price. I wanted a new acoustic and needed to stay in the under 600.00 range. I played every acoustic guitar in this price range at four different shops. I kept coming back to the Hohner HW 640 but resisted buying it at first because I thought there must be something wrong about this guitar to sound this good but cost so little.

After doing some homework and reading very good reviews for this Hohner model (including Acoustic Guitar Magazine rating it in the 10 best under $500), I decided to buy. I have been playing it for a few months now and I'm still sold. The sound is bright and full and can be as sweet or as load as you want to play. I really like the woody sound that it has with the satin finish. Most guitars in this price range have beautiful glossy finshes and no tone.

I installed phosphor bronze strings to warm the tone a bit and also added a Martin thinline pickup since I play at church and need to run through an amp. Tone through our sound system was a little too bright but sounds nice through my amp with appropriate tone settings.

Factory set-up was excellent. I had two guitar techs check it just to be sure and both said there was little they would change on the set-up. The guitar plays well but took some time for me to adapt since I have played a telecaster almost exclusively for several years. The Hohner neck is a bit wider but with some playing time I find the benfit in clean playing is worth the effort. Action is good until you get to the 10-12th fret area where the guitar is still playable but requires a bit more effort.

Finish is a personal taste thing but I really like the look, feel, and sound of the satin finish. Only flaw noted was a slightly thin spot in the finish on the back. The back also has a couple nicely book matched knots in the wood. While this might be considered a flaw, I think it just adds some interesting personality.

The fit is very good. All joints fit tightly and there is no glue slop on the inside at all.

I have only played it for a few months but I play a lot at home and at church. No problems so far. Tuning keys are not name brand but work smoothly and hold tune very well. I have bumped the guitar around a few times and have yet to put a mark in the finish. It seems suprisingly durable for satin. Frets are breaking-in nicely with no sign of unacceptable wear.

No dealings with the company. Hohner web-site is OK but could be more informative.

I have played guitar for almost 30 years and have owned several fine and a few not-so-fine guitars. I am also an avid home recording enthusiast and appreciate instruments that work well in the studio and on stage. Since a have a family and other things in life I enjoy, so budget is always a factor

You can't beat this guitar for the price. In fact, the only guitar I played that I liked better was a Taylor that was literally eight times more expensive. I like the Hohner much better than the lower end Martins and Takemines that I played while shopping. If something happened to this guitar I would buy another without hesitation. Someday when I have 1600.00 to drop an a guitar...I'll check the Taylor again. Until then...couldn't be happier with my Hohner.

I assume this is a 2000 model year guitar, made in Korea. It is a full dreadnought with solid spruce top and maple sides & back. It has a maple neck, a 20 fret rosewood fingerboard with pearloid dot inlays, and location dots on the top side of the neck. The neck joins the body at the 14th fret. It has chrome, covered "schaller" type tuners and a string thru the body bridge with saddles that can be shimmed or replaced. The instrument has a satin finish, allowing its natural blond woods with their distinctive grain patterns to really show through. It is well bookmatched, front & back, and has a "tortoise" style pickguard and body binding front & back.

I am presently either pick or finger strumming, or finger picking this instrument. And the sound has really amazed me. It has both crisp, bright highs, and deep, full lows. The sound is rich and has very good sustain. Finger strumming really brings out the full body of this guitar. It also has sufficient volume for being only an acoustic. I am presently using it in a small combo consisting of an electronic keyboard, electric bass, and several vocalists and I can normally still rise above them when required, whether I am finger or pick strumming.

I am using the guitar "as purchased" with the exception of replacing the strings with a set of GHS Bright Bronze Lights. The action is more than acceptable as it was set up at the factory, being low enough to be relatively fast, and easy to bar chord. The finish is a lot more durable than I expected. The guitar has received numerous "knocks" against chairs and music stands, and I know of only one nick in the headstock. I have not found any surface flaws of any type, all joints being very well matched. All bracing seems to be solid, no fret buzz, and no indication of any loosening inside the body.

This instrument appears to be constructed quite well. I have owned low-end guitars that would go out of tune between songs, during songs, even if you looked at them wrong, but this guitar stays in tune on the stand, in the case, or while playing throughout the entire evening. The tuners are precise and solid. One thing I am noticing is some fret wire wear after about 5 months of use. This may be normal, I don't buy new instruments very often, mostly used, and they generally show some wear when I get them. We will watch and see.

Haven't needed any (and hope I won't).

At the time I bought this instrument, I was looking for a good, low cost guitar I could take with me to motorcycle rallies, packing it in my bike trailer. I wanted something I wouldn't mind getting scratched up or even broken, a "throw-around,through-away". The purchase price included a chipboard case, strap, neck button, and tax. I probably will have to buy another "cheapie" for camping, as this guitar has exceeded my expectations and is too good to be expendable.

I am an old rocker from the 60's, been playing for well over 35 years, mostly rock and folk rock from the 60's & 70's era. Most recently I have been playing Christian contemporary and praise music with a small combo. This guitar suits the bill quite well and is strickly accoustic, not even being "miked".

I also own several other guitars including a 60's Gibson SG, 70's Fender Strat, 60's Mosrite Ventures model, Fender Mustang, Fender Tele, and a Washburn Woodstock. I have owned a Gretch "Country Gent", Vox 12 String, a Kalamazoo solid body, and a Silvertone by Harmony.

I have been very pleased with this guitar. The quality displayed is, in my opinion, exceptional for the price I paid. In fact, I am now looking at getting a 12 string accoustic, and am seriously considering a Hohner HW-12.