What guitar is this?

Jonathanthomas83

So basically, my dad found his real father after 59 years of searching, this weekend. We heard back from him after doing a Ancestry DNA back in August. He was born and still resides in Kentucky, USA!

The family sent me some pictures of him when he was younger. This is him on the right, playing a very cool looking guitar - seems it runs in the family!

Can anyone help me identify both guitars, especially the one on the right, please? It seems to have a fairly unique headstock.

Cheers!

(Typical of me thinking about guitars, amongst some fairly amazing news, like this! ha)

ESBlonde

The Headstock looks a bit Hofner to me.

Pick guard is quite distinctive though, otherwise an HI J5 model from the poor quality print.

Clearly not right see below.

Great news about hooking up with long lost family too, I hope you get to meet and fill in some of the gaps.

ICBM

It looks like a Framus, although several of the German brands 'shared' features on some models so it can sometimes be hard to pin down exactly.

The flat-top is very plain, which makes it more likely to be a cheap American brand I think - the headstock shape is quite like (but not exactly) a Columbian.

andy1839

Astro Strohmer?


Or this...
https://www.12fret.com/sold/1950s-arnold-hoyer-archtop-herr-im-frack/


Same headstock shape and different coloured 12th fret inlay

ESBlonde

Ah Got it. R Hoyer guitar

Heres the same headstock shape and Pickguard

https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guitar-amps-gizmos/69291-pickguard-design-r-hoyer-archtop.html

A bit more about the maker (But In German so I'm lost).

http://schlaggitarren.de/archtop/rodebald-hoyer/

Jonathanthomas83

Wow, that's amazing, guys, thank you so much! :-)

I've never been into those, personally, but now I know my grandfather liked them, then I need to play one!! I'll find out if he still has it! As you can imagine, it's not the first thing on my list of questions! haha. Not sure my dad would be too impressed if I prioritised that question either!

ESBlonde said:

Great news about hooking up with long lost family too, I hope you get to meet and fill in some of the gaps.

Thank you, mate, that's very kind of you! It certainly has filled some gaps!

JezWynd

Congratulations on finding your family, it must be exciting. Re guitar, the Hofner President is a near match, headstock shape and detailing is very close...



or see the Hoyer below, scratchplate is a good match.