Höfner GmbH & Co. KG
ActiveHagenau, Bavaria, Germany
Founded inSchönbach, Germany
BiographyHöfner, known formally as Karl Höfner GmbH & Co. KG, was founded by Karl Höfner, a German luthier, in Schönbach in 1887. The firm began manufacturing stringed instruments upon forming, and still maintain a reputation for their production of guitars, bass guitars, and orchestral stringed instruments. The current factory out of which Höfner operates was established in Hagenau, Bavaria, Germany in 1964. In 1994, Höfner was subsumed by Boosey & Hawkes and, following near bankruptcy, The Music Group in 2003. In late 2004, the company was again sold to Höfner’s former general manager, Klaus Schöller, who retains ownership. Among their well-known models are the Chancellor and Committee arch-top acoustic guitars, and the iconic Violin Bass guitar. Their instruments have most famously been used by members of The Beatles: Paul McCartney employed a left-handed model 500/1 electric bass guitar throughout the majority of his career. The firm remains the largest manufacturer of string instruments in western Europe.
