🛠️ Talking Guitars: Höfner News, Workbench Mods & Guitar Jams 🎸#guitarlivestream 12/19/25

🎸 On this episode of Talking Guitars, we kick things off with some major guitar-world news — Höfner, the legendary instrument maker behind Paul McCartney’s iconic violin bass, has reportedly filed for bankruptcy. What does this mean for the brand and its legacy? We break it down. According to No Treble, which cites court documents from the Fürth District Court in Bavaria, Höfner has filed for bankruptcy. The documents state that preliminary insolvency proceedings were ordered on December 10, 2025, at 5:05 PM, a move intended to protect the company’s assets from further financial deterioration. The report also notes that, according to a longtime former employee, Höfner has been dealing with financial challenges for quite some time. Dr. Hubert Ampferl has been appointed as the insolvency administrator and is now responsible for addressing the company’s debts and seeking potential investors. This isn’t the first time Höfner has faced restructuring. In 1994, the company became part of the Boosey & Hawkes Group, was later sold to The Music Group in 2003, and then acquired by Klaus Schöller in 2004. Höfner was founded by Karl Höfner, originally as a violin-making workshop, before expanding into guitar production in the 1930s. The company went on to develop the Violin Bass in the 1950s, cementing its place in music history. Höfner celebrated its 135th anniversary in 2022, marking well over a century of influence on musicians around the world. We also dive into a great rock ’n’ roll story that one of our viewers tipped us off to — the tale of Jimmy Page losing a Les Paul, only to be reunited with it years later. Then it’s straight to the workbench 🔧 🔥 Ron installs a Lollar Pickup in one of his Jackson guitars, and 🔥 I drop in a set of sealed tuners Ron recently sent me onto my Squier 50th Anniversary 1996 Stratocaster. 🎥 Want Your Stream to Look Pro? 👉 StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/4906555367489536