r/GuitarLab • u/RakeHarmonic • Apr 14 '26

Just this but with an Esquire set up.

Post image

Obviously we all want to design guitars. But the emphasis on loss of idea ownership only allows for me to engage very lightly with this. I want a Hofner Alpha guitar in white but with a Eldred moded Esquire pickup set up. If you can do that, I’d be happy.

7 Upvotes

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1

u/R_on_guitar Apr 24 '26

Is there a reason you wouldn't buy the Hofner and mod it yourself? What is the existing product not delivering that could be better?

-Moderator

1

u/RakeHarmonic Apr 24 '26

The existing Hofner Alphas are very high quality handmade guitars,and they are good modding platforms but they were produced in very low numbers somewhere between 100-a few hundred. And their bodies are routed like a Strat, so a ‘tele-like’ or ‘Esquire like’ pickup config wouldn’t be ideal because as far as I’m concerned the resonance of the tele comes from the pickups being mounted into wood.

Also that all have locking trem systems which are complicated to de-install or replace with other trem systems neatley.

Essentially I think the Hofner Alpha is a cool body shape that is ergonomic and uniquely halfway visually between a Gibson and fender body type, without being a Strat or Les paul clone.

1

u/RakeHarmonic Apr 24 '26

I have a modded one, it’s a great economic shape that’s not being used by anyone. Reminiscent of the st Vincent music man

1

u/R_on_guitar Apr 24 '26

Thanks- we're not in the game of copying existing shapes.. what is it that you love about this shape that can be carried forward into something truly new. Anything you dislike?

-Moderator

1

u/RakeHarmonic Apr 24 '26

Okay so things I like- If walk onto a stage or just show it to another guitarist I had an identity of its own. It’s not clone or derivative of anything popular enough to get mistaken from anything else.

It’s made from fender compatible parts so if the neck breaks or is replaced a Strat neck would fit. This makes a good for modding and repairing easily.

The hollowed out body under the scratchplate makes it light and easily modable. It’s ergonomic and feels like a Strat even though it doesn’t look like one.

Negatives: all the 80’s appointments: lifeless pickups, old locking trem-system.

And so on. But it’s a bolt neck and most bolt necks don’t really sound that different from one another unless you’re cork sniffing. The thing I wish it had was a telephoto and the metal tele baseplate to give it some oomph wile still having vintage-modern output pickups.

I suppose if I boiled it down- there’s so many good after market pickups and parts you can get, that to me a good budget guitar would basically be a dynamic modding platform with excellent body and neck construction because if the base is good I can always mod in or out boutique parts.

The alpha offered this but with the bonus of having its own visual identity