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The VintAxe Guitar Forum • View topic - Hopf prototype

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Hopf prototype

Posts related to vintage guitars produced in Europe, Canada or Australia

Moderators: cheepaxes, VintAxe, Phizix

by jesperhviid » Wed May 14, 2014 12:19 am

Hello

I have this 60s Hopf guitar.
A lot of things suggest that it is a prototype.
I cannot find any information on this guitar.
It could be an early prototype for the Saturn 63 or Carina.
It has the same headstock and almost the same body shape.
So my question is; how do I set a price on this guitar?
The prices for Hopf guitars on ebay range from 500$ to 3000$.
Here are some photos:
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Best!
Jesper
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Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

by Phizix » Wed May 14, 2014 6:19 pm

Wow, a very unique instrument, I have never seen a Hopf guitar before. The finish is certainly striking and it looks to be in excellent shape.

I don't know what value the history of it or its status as a prototype guitar might add but it appears similar in build quality to guitars of the era that sell for $1200-$2000. The only hopf guitar I could find on ebay that has sold is a saturn 63 for $1250. Just looking at this guitar for what it is I would say $1200 is a good minimum starting point and it may be worth much more to the right collector depending on what its history really is. These guitars are just simply not available enough in the USA for there to be any kind of market for them. All we really have to compare them to are instruments of similar build quality from Europe and what they have sold for at auction in the past. To me it compares to an Italian made 60's Eko sparkle guitar in the $1200 range. Its difficult to say what affect its rarity as a 60's German made guitar may have on its value but I'm sure to the right buyer it could be much higher, especially if it really is a one of a kind prototype.

Have you tried contacting the hopf company to see if they could give any information as to its origins?
http://www.musikwaren-hellweg.de/hopf/s ... -hopf.html

How did you acquire it?

Best of luck!
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by jesperhviid » Wed May 14, 2014 11:54 pm

Hello!

Thank you for your answer and thoughts.
I bought it of an auction in Denmark fairly cheap.
I had clearly been in a garage/attic since the 70s or even 60s.
But this is why I couldn't get any information from the seller.
It is in really good shape now and almost 100% original.
I cleaned all the electronics, changed the frets and gave it strap buttons, where it just to have them.
Are you sure the Dieter Hopf company you linked to, is the company that made these guitars?

Best!
Jesper
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by Phizix » Thu May 15, 2014 11:30 am

I'm certainly not sure but I figured it was close enough that it might be worth a shot, It's likely the company has changed much and / or been aquired by another company since the 60's but who knows, there is just so little information available.

This is what the blue book says about hopf
"HOPF
Instruments previously made in Germany from the late 1950s through the mid-1980s.
The Hopf name was established back in 1669, and lasted through the mid-1980s. The company produced a wide range of good quality solid body, semi-hollow, and archtop guitars from the late 1950s on. While some of the designs do bear an American design influence, the liberal use of local woods (such as beech, sycamore, or European pine) and certain departures from conventional styling give them an individual identity. Hopf produced electric guitars through the 1970s, and has focused on classical guitars since. In 2006, Eastwood Guitars reissued the Hopf Saturn 63 with a few minor improvements. Source: Tony Bacon, The Ultimate Guitar Book."

The price of an Eastwood Reissue Saturn 63 is listed at $879 just for a point of reference, they are no longer available new. http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/saturn-63-sunburst/

"In 1992, it (vintage saturn 63) was featured with Robert Smith in The CURE video, FRIDAY I'M IN LOVE."
So that is probably the most famous use of a Hopf Guitar in pop music. You can see the Hopf pretty well throughout the video starting around :35 seconds on the left side.


Here is a demo video of the Saturn 63 just for fun


and another of a Hopf Telestar
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by opotable » Thu May 15, 2014 12:12 pm

Dieter Hopf is the right address, whether he'll be able to actually tell you anything about the guitar i don't know.

You might get some facts or at least educated speculation if you post on :

http://www.euroguitars.co.uk/

If you don't feel like joining more forums then let me know and i'll ask for you. :wink:


I'm not so sure that this guitar will be worth thousands of $$$'s in Europe...........
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by jesperhviid » Thu May 15, 2014 1:51 pm

Ahhh! Great. Thank you so much for the help.
I just assumed that the classical guitar company was a completely different one.
Now I've e-mailed them and hope for an answer.
It'll be much easier for me to decide on a price when I know some more about this guitar. :)

Thanks a lot!
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by opotable » Sun Jun 01, 2014 3:09 pm

did you get any answer?

i posted about it on euroguitars but nobody's bothered to make any comment yet.
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