Hofner Instruments History
Karl Höfner
Founded in Schönbach in 1887 by master luthier Karl Höfner, the company became
the largest manufacturer of stringed and fretted instruments in Germany. Craft
skills and business initiative laid the foundation for a reputation that, even
before World War I, extended far beyond the borders of Germany.
His two sons, Josef and Walter, joined their father's company in 1919 and 1921 respectively. They successfully expanded Höfner's worldwide market, enabling them to survive the years of recovery, which marked the phase after World War II and the related resettlement from the "Sudetenland" to Bavaria. In 1950, new production facilities were built in Bubenreuth.
To date, more than two million stringed and fretted instruments - from student to master models - have been produced, 75% of which have been exported worldwide, emphasizing the outstanding position enjoyed by Karl Höfner GmbH in the world market.
The product range of Höfner is extensive and not only confined to stringed instruments and classical guitars. 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 shop in Hamburg and used it on many of the Beatles' most famous songs. Paul still plays his "Beatle Bass" live on stage today.
A new chapter in Höfner’s history opened in 1994 when the company joined the internationally successful Boosey & Hawkes Group. Since then millions of Deutschmarks have been invested in new production technology. In 1997, the company moved from its premises in Bubenreuth to the neighboring village of Hagenau.