During the 1950s, when US imports were banned in Britain, the German-based Hofner company offered some of the better-quality electric hollow-body models available to British guitarists.

With the Hofner Club 50, guitarists had the appearance, at least, of a guitar comparable to Gibson’s Les Paul. Where the Gibson was a true solidbody, however, the Hofner’s lack of soundholes belied a hollowbody underneath it’s solid spruce top. As with Hofner’s more famous violin-body “Beatle bass”, the small, hollowbody not only made it lighter in weight, it provided a unique sound.

The single-pickup Club 40, double-pickup Club 50 and fancy, maple-bodied Club 60 played a role in the early careers of some of Britain’s best-known rock guitarists. John Lennon’s first electric guitar was a Club 40. Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple started his career on a Club 50, but the boomy sound prompted him to trade it in towards a Gibson semi-hollowbody. The fancier, maple-bodied Club 60 helped along Moody Blues guitarist Justin Hayward and Pink Floyd’s Dave Gilmour.