1967 ‘Arizona’ guitar, made by Hofner in West Germany for Selmer. There’s varnish checking, but no structural issues with the wood at all. No cracks, no splits, no separation. Back and sides are laminate, and I think the top is too, but I’m not 100% on that. The top is a thing of beauty in any case, with a sunburst that’s better executed than the one on an Atkin forty three I once owned, which cost five times as much. The body is X-braced. I’ve been buying and selling acoustic guitars for over twenty years and I’ve never seen another, so it’s definitely a rare beast.

The original selmer headstock had a crack in the Perspex overlay (see last picture), which isn’t really noticeable, but as the guitar was built by Hofner I decided to do some modding and covered it with a plastic self-adhesive veneer and a Hofner script decal to give it that 50s g*bson look. It wasn’t a rush job, and I made a point of doing it in such a way that it could be reversed, so the veneer can simply be unstuck should the new owner wish to revert to the original headstock design. I also polished up and de-rusted the tuners while I was at it.

A high quality celluloid ‘batwing’ pick guard (US made, not Chinese) has been added at £90 expense. I’ve also added a ‘no-jak’ end pin at £20, as it was fitted with a pick-up when I got it. I’m a purist where acoustics are concerned, but if you wanted to add a pick-up again it would be easy to do and wouldn’t require any drilling. The guitar comes with a non original but decent quality Stagg hard case (not pictured) which fits it well.

The action looks very high in the photo, but it’s actually around 5mm on low and high Es at the 12th fret. Intonation is good, and the guitar plays with ease all the way up the neck. The neck is of strong composite construction and has a beefy profile, and the fretboard has a pronounced radius, which makes for easy chord formation. The zero fret is a distinctly European touch and aids true intonation. I’ve never been sure why this feature isn’t more common, but so it goes. The neck has a truss rod, and any adjustments would need to be made through that, as there isn’t much saddle left. Finally, when I had it listed before a couple of people were concerned about the bridge pins not sitting flush, to which all I can say is that they work. I haven’t x-rayed the guitar or had a good look under the bridge, but nothing about the way it plays or sounds gives me cause for concern in that area.

Please see the videos I recorded below for an overall view and sound samples. The strings in the videos were heavy gauge and had been on the guitar for over a year, but have since been changed to extra lights, which have really turned it into a strummer’s dream and made it a lot easier on the fingers. Would make for an excellent recording guitar.

https://youtu.be/oVJZLVZtbTw

https://youtu.be/bGVxZMtHb58

Inspection welcomed. Collection much preferred to ensure both parties are happy, but will post if necessary. I’m not offering returns, so please make sure you ask any questions or request additional photos before purchase. I will entertain *close* offers, but nothing silly please. I’m not desperate to sell it and don’t particularly need the money right now - I just have another smaller bodied guitar that I play more and it seems extravagant having this languishing in a case. It deserves to be played.

TL;DR: a handsome and incredibly rare 60’s dreadnaught that was ethically made, sounds great, and was built to last. And all for less than a modern Chinese instrument. What’s not to like?