To the best of our knowledge this is a circa 1956 Hofner Club 40. It is in very good condition. The action and playability is great, and it sounds so cool!!!

The Hofner Club 40 was a hollow-body electric guitar from the 1950s that gained prominence in the UK during the skiffle craze and the rise of the British beat music. It is best known for being the first electric guitar owned and played by both John Lennon and George Harrison of The Beatles. 

The Club 40 was introduced in 1955 by the German company Hofner, initially as the Model 125. In 1956, it was imported into the UK by the Selmer company and sold under the name "Club 40". It was the most affordable in the "Club" series, which also included the two-pickup Club 50.

The guitar featured a semi-hollow body with no f-holes, a design inspired by the Gibson Les Paul. It was made with a spruce top and a maple back, sides, and neck, and a rosewood fretboard.

The Club 40 came with a single single-coil pickup in the neck position. Early models featured a circular or elliptical control console, which was later replaced by a rectangular one after 1958.

• The Beatles connection: The Club 40's place in music history was cemented by its association with The Beatles.
  • John Lennon: In 1959, Lennon purchased a Club 40 with help from his aunt. It was his first electric guitar and he used it for about a year with The Quarrymen and the early Beatles before upgrading to a Rickenbacker in 1960.
  • George Harrison: Around the same time, Harrison traded his Hofner President model for a Club 40. He also played it with The Quarrymen before moving on to a Futurama.
  • Paul McCartney: Lennon later loaned his Club 40 to McCartney, who re-strung it to play left-handed for a time.
• Notable owners: In 1966, George Harrison's Club 40 was given away as a prize in a competition in Germany. It sold at auction for $430,000 in 2018 and has since been displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Other notable musicians who played the Club 40 include Steve Winwood and Ed Kuepper.

The guitar we have here has had the D string tuning key repaired with a different button, the pots and output jack have been replaced and the originals are in the case. We were told that the case is original, but cannot confirm. The original pickguard is missing, and the volume and tone knobs have been replaced with proper reproductions.