Instrument: The Rodebald Hoyer model Jazzstar was one of the finest German archtops at the time. Massive, solid, a 17" classic. Expensive at the time, of course, hardly affordable for ordinary people and correspondingly rare today. Our model has a highly faded date stamp in the body: you can see the 23rd for the day, an 8 or 9 for the month and the year 1959 (or 1958).
Material: Massive, bookmatched spruce top. Body and back made of maple, the back again bookmatched and gorgeously flamed. The fingerboard is made of very dark, almost black rosewood with perloid rectangular inlays, red at the 12th fret, as usual for Rodebald Hoyer. Very elaborate bindings around body, fingerboard and soundholes, three-coloured and up to six-ply, always beautiful brown marbled perloid on the outside. Sevenfold lengthwise glued, blocked neck made of maple, in the middle with a dark wenge stripe and next to it two beech stripes. It is made of one piece, including the headstock, and the design even runs through the attached heel. Bolted neck with Stauffer-Legnani system. Open tuners with thick celluloid axles, massive lyre tailpiece, ebony bridge. Beautifully marbled pickguard made of brown perloid. The headstock is made of wonderful perloid, white on the outside, a red wedge on the inside, as usual for Rodebald Hoyer. Only the best materials were used here.
Instruments history: Largely unknown. At some point many years ago, the Stauffer screw of the neck fastener was probably loosened and never tightened properly again due to a lack of suitable tools. The result was that the string action was much too high and the guitar became unplayable. You wouldn't believe it, but for this reason it remained untouched for over four decades until the owner gave it to a neighbour, who in turn passed it on to us, together wit a Höfner 455/S.
Restoration work: Complete cleaning inside and out, body blown out. All lacquer surfaces were polished extensively. The fingerboard was sanded and oiled, the frets polished. The tuners were disassembled, cleaned and re-oiled. The hardware as well as the pickguard were polished, the bridge got new saddles made of fret wire, because the old ones were rusted. Of course, we also tightened the neck screw again, and the neck sits perfectly in the body again. Finally, new 11 gauge Pyramid bronze strings were put on and a complete setup was done.
Current condition: This beautiful blonde Rodebald Hoyer is a timeless classic. The guitar is in a unique dream condition, technically and visually perfect. It is very noble and of high quality, with a tasteful and harmonious design throughout. The love and enthusiasm of Rodebald Hoyer is in every detail! The Jazzstar is completely original. Beautiful, very slightly crackled nitro varnish, almost no patina for a 64 year old instrument. There are actually no playing marks to be found. The sound is loud, woody-warm, with endless sustain and very assertive. Everything is 100% stable, all glue joints are bombproof, the neck system works perfectly. The playability is excellent, pleasantly low string action, easily adjustable in both directions by bridge screws. The guitar is naturally odourless and clean. The tuners are like new and absolutely tuning stable. The neck is straight as a die due to the eightfold glueing including the fingerboard, no truss rod is needed here. This Jazzstar is a player for demanding connoisseurs, but also the very first choice for collectors! Because there will certainly not be another one in this condition in the near future.
Measures: Overall length 42.7”/108,5 cm; body length 21”/53,5 cm; lower bout width 17”/43 cm; waist width 10.6”/27 cm; upper bout width 12.8”/32,5 cm; body depth 3.1”/8 cm; scale length 25.4”/64,5 cm (zero fret to saddle), fingerboard width 1.6”/4,1 cm at nut, 1.9”/4,9 cm at 12th fret; overall weight 2.440 g, string action on 12th fret 0.08”/2 mm (adjustable).
Purchase and payment: Just send us an email to info@german-vintage-guitar.com and you will receive your invoice immediately. Or simply order here through the shop.
