Any Hohner love out there in TDPRI land?

I’ve found very little reference to Hohner guitars in this forum, and often times when they are referred to, it is in either apologetic or deprecatory terms. In other words, owners seem to feel like they have to apologize for their instruments when they mention them, and comments by others often belittle the brand. I’ve read a couple of exceptions to this rule, but just a couple.

For the record, I am talking about their acoustic guitars, not their electrics (Tele copies a la “The Artist”). I’ve never played their electrics, but I have owned a Hohner acoustic for more than 26 years.

I have never felt as though I had to apologize for my Hohner G940, a very nice dreadnaught made (in Japan) from 1979 to 1985. Yes, I know that Hohner now seems to focus on entry level, not higher end, guitars. I have not played any of these, and so quality may very well have gone downhill.

But 25-30 years ago, things were different. The Hohner brand had some very good guitars made in Japan, and at that time an imported Japanese guitar was a quality item.

So, the reason for this thread is twofold: to see if there is any other Hohner love out there among my fellow TDPRIers; and to (hopefully) gain some respect for Hohner guitars, or at least for the higher end models of yesteryear.

Along this line, I will be posting pics and specs and my evaluation of my Hohner G940. But first, I want to pause, and see if any others will answer my question: is there any (other) Hohner love out there in TDPRI land?

Hmmm … only 22 views and 0 replies to my post in 35 hours. Apparently, the answer to my question is “No.”

Or maybe I’m just looking in the wrong place. I would have thought that the “Acoustic Heaven” sub-forum was the place for this thread. However, I am asking essentially about the existence of a fan base for Hohner guitars, so maybe this thread should be submitted to the “Guitar Owners Clubs” sub-forum.

I will keep my promise about posting pics and specs and my evaluation of my Hohner G940 in this thread, but if no replies come in after that, then I will consider starting a “Hohner Owners” club in the “Guitar Owners Clubs” sub-forum.

In the spring of 1983 I bought a Hohner G940 acoustic guitar at a local shop, for about $600. Here are some pics of what I’m talking about.

Some of my guitars. The Hohner is on the right in the picture (in my left hand). The other acoustic is my Breedlove AD25/SM acoustic/electric, and my Logan Custom mahogany Tele is in the middle.
http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/500/My_Guitars_-_some_of_them_-_and_me.jpg

An older pic, of me playing the Hohner for my grandson Corbin (he turned 8 on Wednesday).
http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/500/Corbin_PaPaw2.jpg

My Hohner in action.
http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/500/My_Hohner_G940.jpg

There is very little information about Hohner guitars to be found on the Internet. And concerning my model, the G940, I’ve found no information on the Internet except what I’ve posted to this forum.

The Hohner G940 was a higher end guitar back in the day. One indicator of this (though not the best) is the price tag. As I said earlier, I paid about $600, which was serious money (for me, anyway) in 1983. According to the online calculator on the US Bureau of Labor Statistics website, $600 in 1983 had the same buying power as $1,300.20 does in 2009.

But a better indicator of the higher end status of this model is the quality of build. About a year ago I contacted Hohner via their website, and got a response from Mike Blaylock, Hohner Fretted Instrument Specialist. He confirmed what I have long known about the quality of the G940.

The Hohner G940 model (a dreadnaught, as is obvious from the pictures above) was made in Japan from 1979 to 1985. The top was described back in the day as “aged close grain solid spruce.” Well, mine’s 26 years old now, so the top is definitely aged spruce. The back and sides are solid select mahogany. The neck is solid Honduran mahogany with an ebony fingerboard. The bridge is rosewood. The bindings are maple. The nut and compensated bridge saddle are bone. The bridge pins are ebony. The position markers are maple inlays. The scale length is 25.5".

That neck still plays like butter, and she has balanced tones and great projection, no doubt due to all the solid woods and the dreadnaught size. She’s not an acoustic/electric, so I play my Breedlove at gigs. Even so, my Hohner G940 is still my #1 guitar in my meager collection (a mere 5 guitars).

Sounds and looks like a good guitar to me. Several Japanese guitar factories, contracted in the '70s with companies from around the world--isn't Hohner a German harmonica and accordian manufacturer?--to make guitars under their labels. The guitars are very often high-quality instruments such as yours obviously is, with good craftsmanship, solid tops and sometimes back and sides too, also sometimes "bling" like fancy inlay work.

I keep guitars hanging in my classroom for my kids to play. Last year a graduating senior presented us with a brand-new Hohner. It's made in Indonesia, and not solid-topped as yours is, but it's got a nice sunburst finish, and it's highly playable; the kids like it a lot.

Sounds and looks like a good guitar to me. Several Japanese guitar factories, contracted in the '70s with companies from around the world--isn't Hohner a German harmonica and accordian manufacturer?--to make guitars under their labels. The guitars are very often high-quality instruments such as yours obviously is, with good craftsmanship, solid tops and sometimes back and sides too, also sometimes "bling" like fancy inlay work.

I keep guitars hanging in my classroom for my kids to play. Last year a graduating senior presented us with a brand-new Hohner. It's made in Indonesia, and not solid-topped as yours is, but it's got a nice sunburst finish, and it's highly playable; the kids like it a lot.

Thanks for your response, P Thought. I would have figured that at least some pickers in this forum, international as it is, would be Hohner owners (say that 5 times real fast). Oh, well...

Glad to hear that the student models are nice and playable. Mine is really a great guitar. Not the fanciest inlay work ever, but it's all wood. This baby just sings and rings, and is the best playing acoustic I've ever had my hands on. I've played some nice Takamines, Guilds, and some Taylors and Martins, and this Hohner can hold its own with any of them.

. . .Hohner owners (say that 5 times real fast). . . .

Thass funny!:lol:

P.S. The more I play mine (mine's a Tak, though,) the more I like "hogs".

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll277/hobbster01_bucket/theprinz.jpg

Thass funny!:lol:

P.S. The more I play mine (mine's a Tak, though,) the more I like "hogs".

I've played some really nice Takamines over the years. My younger brother's, a nice sunburst he got as a birthday gift in 1975, was just a really sweet guitar. (It was stolen about about a decade or so later. :cry:)


This one is pretty cool:
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll277/hobbster01_bucket/theprinz.jpg

:confused:

I have two--my wife's from the 1980s and a newer all-mahogany-laminate made-in-China one of unknown year (I bought it at a garage sale). Both are good players and sound surprisingly good for "cheap laminated guitars." I'll have to look up the model numbers.