Lennon's Hofner Club 40

[larrywassgren]

Yes Tim, I forgot the Westminster. It would have been in that crate for certain. I wasn't implying Hofners were cheap instruments. They are very well made, especially if you get the early ones from '56-'64. Beatlemania hit the USA
on February 9, 1964 and from then on Hofner had to manufacture a lot of Beatle basses to try and
keep up with demand. The quality went down because of this. I've owned quite a few pre-'64
Hofner Beatle basses and Club guitars and they are
great. They were all bought from Europe or bought in the USA from a serviceman who would have brought one back from Europe. We just didn't get the early ones in the USA as they didn't import them here until the Beatle market
came along. It is pretty amazing that the hyde glue wouldn't let go on McCartney's Cavern when you think it played nearly 300 shows at the dark, damp Cavern. I also have a Rosetti Solid 7 that
I bought about 8 years ago. Although it has the
'ski slope' neck and is only good for slide guitar, the neck joint is very solid on it. I don't think the construction was that poor, it's
just that the electronics and bridge/tailpiece are
lacking. Perhaps Paul could have kept on using it longer if it had played in tune to begin with.
I think this is probably the biggest drawback on the guitar. Maybe out of frustration Paul did a
Pete Townsend on it one night at The Top Ten Club.

[Tim_Fletcher]

With Hofner 500/1 basses it was the same in the UK, I don't think anyone had seen one until 1963 when the Beatles burst onto the scene. I'm sure Selmer probably rushed a batch onto the UK market, probably not enough to meet demand.

Larry, would you say your Solid 7 body is made of laminated plywood ? I had assumed they were made of hardboard (masonite) like Danelectros, as I seem to remember seeing a smashed one once (hey, maybe it was THE smashed one.....LOL). Can't tell from my Bass 7 as it has all it's paint. If it is hardboard, then it wouldn't be as sturdy as plywood construction.

[larrywassgren]

The Solid 7 I have is the same shaded red color
as your bass Tim. There is some wear around
the edges and a chip on the front that shows the
wood underneath, so it must be plywood. It defintely surprised me when I bought it. For years I had been thinking Solid 7, and seeing how
thin Paul's was I thought for sure it was solid.
But it is definitely hollow. It's not a guitar Chet Atkins would be interested in, I just like it because of the Beatle connection. They are very rare though, and seeing as a lot of people buy old Strats and LesPauls and put them in glass cases, at least I use this around the house for slide!

[Tim_Fletcher]

Plywood it must be then, that might explain why my Bass 7 is still in one piece. I have to confess that it's currently hanging on a wall between a Senator and a Colorama, and they do look good there though they get taken down and played when I get the time. They're not guitars anyone would want to gig with, so I don't feel too guilty about it.

[simer4001]

Please excuse me if I am repeating anything. I couldn't read the entire conversation, but I heard a rumor that McCartney actually has the Hofner Club 40. I don't know if it is true or not.

Music Ground in the U.K. is selling a reproduction "StarClub 40". Although I don't believe it was ever played at the Star Club. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[Tim_Fletcher]

I don't think McCartney ever owned a Club 40 - as far as I remember he's never mentioned owning one, and in all likelihood he just borrowed John's Club 40 for a brief period between John getting his 325 and subsequently selling his Club 40. You may be thinking of George, he has a Club 40 but not his original one. I think Club 40's were long gone by the time they played the Star Club.

[admin]

Tim: I have recently heard that Hofner is considering a reissue Club 40. Would this be the StarClub 40 of which Brian Simer speaks?

[larrywassgren]

I think that Music Ground made one prototype Star
Club 40, but it never went into production. I talked to Rob Olson who works for Hofner about 6 months ago. He was going to come up and look at my Lennon style Club 40 and measure it and then they were going to produce a limited run of these.
I haven't heard from him since so I don't know if
it is still going to happen. Maybe it is just being delayed awhile. If everyone e-mailed Rob Olson at Hofner it might help get things going.
Have you heard anything different from Music Ground Tim?

[simer4001]

Justin is a good source at Music Ground. I will email him and find out the status of the re-issue.
In my previous posting I mentioned that McCartney may have the Club 40. To clarify, I heard that he has Lennon's Club 40. I did not mean to imply that he has one of his own.

I also know that Music Ground has been trying to set up a US distribution center, but I don't think that has happened yet.

[Tim_Fletcher]

I didn't ask about the Club 40 re-issue when I was at Music Ground, Justin was at home with the 'flu, but I'm sure he'll update you.

Where did you hear the rumour ? I suppose it's not impossible that McCartney has had Lennon's Club 40 stashed away somewhere for all these years, but it seems unlikely as Lennon stated that he sold it, and McCartney has stated on many occasions that he was guitar-less and forced onto the piano for a while (presumably when the Solid 7 was broken) which wouldn't have been the case if he'd had the Club 40. Might he have bought it back in recent years ?

Music Ground are setting up a new shop on Denmark Street in London, but I haven't heard anything about a US operation.

[Tim_Fletcher]

As a postscript, I found that the text of the letter to Stu I saw at "The Beatles Story" has been published before : it's in "Backbeat", and the letter was from George, not John.

[simer4001]

Here is the email from Justin re: the Hofner Club 40 re issue:

Brian
Thanks for the note and sorry for not contacting you sooner as our server
has been down anyway re your questions on the club yes its in production as
we speak they will be avaailble the first part of next year the cost will be
around the 1000$$$$ mark and we have forward orders of around 60 pieces have
a good day and keep well
Best Regards
JUSTIN

I hope this helps.

[Nick_Thiel]

It is very possible that the new Club 40 will be displayed at NAMM in Jan 2001. Hofner has been going around in circles on this one as well as a 500/5 President reissue. I doubt the President will be ready for NAMM, so it will likely end up being another year before we see that one.

Music Ground has very little to do with things at Hofner these days. The new owners (Boosey & Hawkes) are doing their best to distance Music Ground from Hofner. If there is an American net-work set up for Music Ground, all Hofner guitars will have to be purchased through B&H in the US if they are intended for US sale. They have already been spanked in the past for flipping guitars to the US market cheaper than what US dealers can do. So now Music Ground is just one of the hundred and something Hofner dealers that are now out there, the monoploly is over.

[simer4001]

Hey, I came across this old thread and thought I would give it new life. Hofner did release a John Lennon signature Club 40. Gary @ NCM has two of them.

http://www.voxshowroom.com/northcoast/h ... lub40.html

[deaconblues]

Too bad they cost an arm and a leg...ironic that the cheapo Club 40 now costs more than a 325c58.