Karl Höfner GmbH is a German Manufacturing is the transformation of raw materials into finished goods for sale, or intermediate processes involving the production or finishing of semi-manufactures. It is a large branch of industry and of secondary production. Some industries, like semiconductor and steel manufactureres use the term fabrication. Although handicraft production has been... manufacturer of A musical instrument is a device that has been constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. In principle, anything that somehow produces sound can serve as a musical instrument, but the expression is reserved generally to items that have that specific purpose. The academic study of musical instruments... musical instruments, now part of The Music Group is a European parent company which owns several important musical instrument manufacturers which were formerly part of the music division of the Boosey & Hawkes Group. Besson (brass instruments) Buffet Crampon (woodwinds) Karl Höfner (stringed instruments and guitars) Julius Keilwerth (saxophones) Roderich Paesold (stringed instruments and... The Music Group. The company was made famous by The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. The Beatles were the most influential music group of the rock era. They affected the post-war baby... The Beatles' bassist Paul McCartney, as photographed by Richard Avedon for the 1968 LP The Beatles (aka The White Album). Sir James Paul McCartney,KBE, MBE (born June 18, 1942), better known as Paul McCartney, is a British musician, composer and producer. He was born at Walton Hospital, located in northern Liverpool near... Paul McCartney's use of their left-handed 1962 500/1 "violin" model. Today it is known as the "Beatle Bass" or "Cavern Bass" (after the This article is about the city in England. Did you mean Liverpool, New South Wales or other places called Liverpool? Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside in north west England, on the north side of the Mersey estuary. Liverpools skyline, as seen from the River Mersey... Liverpool club where the Beatles played in their early days).

History

The Höfner company was founded by A luthier is someone who builds or repairs stringed instruments, ranging from guitars to violins. Well-known luthiers Violins, violas, cellos, basses Italian Antonio Stradivari the Guarneri family the Amati family Guadagnini Bergonzi French Jean Baptiste Vuillaume and family Charles Jean Baptiste Collin-Mezin Etienne Vatelot German Leopold Widhalm American... luthier Karl Höfner in the city of Schönbach in The Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. Due to its central location, Germany has more neighbours than any other European country: these are Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the... Germany in 1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). Events January January 20 - The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl Harbor as a naval base. January 21 - The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is formed January 26 - Battle of Dogali: Abyssinian troops defeat Italians... 1887, and soon became the largest manufacturer of A string instrument (also stringed instrument) is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones. Sound production in string instruments The string bass is often plucked or bowed depending on the... string instruments in the country. His sons Josef and Walter joined the company around 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. January 9 - Britain announces it will build 1,000,000 homes for war veterans. January 10 - League of Nations holds its first meeting... 1920, and began spreading the brand's reputation worldwide. The company suffered some upheavals during and after Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (60,000 ft) into the air. August 9, 1945 World War II was a global conflict that started in 7 July 1937 in Asia and 1 September 1939 in Europe and lasted until 1945, involving the majority of the... World War II, but survived and continued to thrive. The company built new factories in Bubenreuth in Events January January 5 - US Senator Estes Kefauver introduces a resolution calling for examination of organized crime in the USA January 6 - The United Kingdom recognizes the Peoples Republic of China. The Republic of China severs diplomatic relations with Britain in response. January 9 - The Israeli government recognizes the... 1950.

Because of the relatively low prices of their instruments, they became popular among poor Liverpool musicians. When one poor Liverpool musican, sporting their 500/1 bass (see below) hit it big, they jumped on their bass's fame to get rich. They reissued the 500/1 model, briefly experimenting with other designs, every year or so. Today, they are very successful with their '62 500/1 reissue.

Acquisitions

In 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. Events January January 1 - North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect January 6 - Nancy Kerrigan is clubbed on the right leg by an assailant under orders from... 1994, Höfner became part of the Boosey & Hawkes Group, and was able to expand and upgrade its facilities with the influx of cash. In 1997, the company moved from Bubenreuth to Haguenau (German: Hagenau) is a commune of northeastern France, in the Bas-Rhin département, of which it is a sous-préfecture. Population (1999): 33,943. History Haguenau dates from the beginning of the 12th century, and owes its origin to the erection of a hunting lodge by the... Hagenau.

After the musical divisions of Boosey & Hawkes were bought by UK investors (the Rutland Fund), a new parent company called The Music Group was formed. Höfner has been part of this conglomerate since 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. Pascal Couchepin becomes President of the Confederation in... 2003.

The Famous Bass

The 500/1, an electrically amplified semi-acoustic bass, was invented by Walter Höfner in 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday. Events January-April January 2 - Panama president Jose Antonio Remon is assassinated. January 19 - The Scrabble board game debuts. February 8 - Nikolai Bulganin ousts Georgi Malenkov February 13 - Israel obtains 4 of the 7 Dead Sea scrolls. February 23 - First meeting of... 1955; the 500/1's were very light and easy to play, but had a very rich, warm, and gorgeous tone.

In 1961 (As MAD Magazine pointed out on its first cover for the year) was the first upside-down year - i.e., one that looked the same upside down - since 1881, and the last until 6009. Events January January 1 - The farthing coin, used since the 13th century, ceases to be... 1961, the The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. The Beatles were the most influential music group of the rock era. Initially they affected the post-war... Beatles' original bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe (June 23, 1940 - April 10, 1962) was a short-lived member of The Beatles and a painter who worked in a style related to Abstract Expressionism. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Sutcliffe was never a skilled musician, having joined the group because of his friendship with John... Stu Sutcliffe, left the band to pursue an art career. The Beatles were without a bass player, and none of them wanted to start playing it … except Paul McCartney. Paul had seen another bass player in Hamburg using a violin shaped bass, and when he saw one in the window of a Hamburg music store, he bought it and paid for it outright. Because of the bass's symmetricality, it would be easy for Paul to play it left-handed. Paul used it and made it famous. He liked to play it because it was very light and easy to play melodic bass lines on. Though he retired it around the Sgt. Pepper's time, the little bass remained famous.

It is quite ironic that Paul bought his because it was the cheapest (30 quid!), decent sounding, symmetricaly shaped bass he could find, whereas today, you cannot buy one for less than two thousand dollars.

In 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events January January 7 - Akihito becomes Emperor of Japan following the death of Hirohito. The Heisei period begins January 8 - the Kegworth Air Disaster - A British Midland Boeing 737 crashes on approach to East Midlands Airport - 44 dead... 1989, Elvis Costello Declan Patrick Aloysius McManus (born August 25, 1954), better known by his stage name, Elvis Costello, is a popular British musician, singer, and songwriter of Irish descent. He was an early participant in Londons pub rock scene in the mid-1970s, and later became associated with the... Elvis Costello convinced McCartney to unearth the Höfner for their collaboration "My Brave Face". Since that time McCartney has used the instrument in concerts as well, especially when playing old Beatles numbers.

External link

• Höfner GmbH page at The Music Group (http://www.musicgroup.com/Instruments/hoefner/FrameHoefner.htm)