Hermann Hauser II (1911–1988) was a German classical guitar maker and the second generation of the Hauser dynasty. Son of Hermann Hauser I, he carried his father's Torres-based "teutonic" style into the second half of the 20th century from the family workshop in Reisbach, building guitars for Andrés Segovia, Julian Bream and the Romero family.
At a Glance
- Born: 1911
- Died: 1988
- Workshop: Reisbach, Germany
- Trained: with his father, Hermann Hauser I
- Played by: Andrés Segovia, Julian Bream, Pepe Romero, Celedonio Romero, Angel Romero
- Models: his classic concert guitars and the "Llobet" model after Miguel Llobet's 1859 Torres
- Family line: father of Hermann Hauser III; grandfather of Kathrin Hauser
Second Generation of the Hauser Dynasty
Hermann Hauser II was born in 1911, the son of Hermann Hauser I, and learned his craft working alongside his father. Before or during World War II the Hauser workshop moved from Munich – where the building that once housed it was later destroyed in the war – to Reisbach in Bavaria, and it was in Reisbach that Hauser II built his guitars after his father's death in 1952. His son Hermann III and granddaughter Kathrin still work there today, with many of the same tools and even woods stocked by the earlier generations.
Hermann Hauser II is considered to be one of the greatest makers of the twentieth century. The Hauser dynasty, now spanning five generations, has produced instruments played by countless concert artists including Andrés Segovia, Julian Bream, the Romeros and many others.
Julian Bream, Segovia and the Romeros
Among his most famous instruments is the 1957 Hauser II that Julian Bream played from 1959 to 1963 and immortalized on the album The Art of Julian Bream (1960). In 1969 Hauser II built three "sister guitars" from the same woods: No. 851 for Andrés Segovia, No. 852 for Pepe Romero, and No. 850, which Pepe also owned for many years. Pepe first played these guitars in January 1970, on his first visit to Hauser II's home in Reisbach.
The Romero family remained close to his work: his 1970 cedar-top guitar for Celedonio Romero was one of Celedonio's favorite instruments for recordings and concerts for the next two and a half decades, and was later inherited by his youngest son Angel.
The Hauser II Style and Sound
Hauser II was very comfortable with cedar for the top, and in some of his late-1960s guitars for the Romeros he used a split, "V-shaped" lower harmonic bar, which opens up more of the soundboard to the vibration coming from the bridge area. He also built the "Llobet" model, based on the 1859 Torres of Miguel Llobet which his father had studied (see our 1969 "Llobet").
We believe his guitars of the 1970s to be a synthesis of his sturdier, stiffer designs of the 1960s combined with the sleeker, more slender body shape of his earlier work done alongside his father. This style is very distinctly "Hauser II", and many of his best guitars were built at this time. Playability is easy, thanks to his slender and very comfortable neck shape.
The sound has the attributes of a great Hauser that have attracted great players from Bream to Segovia to the Romeros and beyond – crystal-clear fundamental tones with almost perfect separation, basses that are steady and precise, and at the same time a lyrical charm and sweetness, particularly in the trebles. At its best, a Hauser II is like a loud and balanced piano, with the warmth of a great Hauser I.
In 1973 he joined and inlaid a redwood top for one of his guitars; decades later his son and granddaughter each built a guitar with the same wood – one instrument from each of the last three generations of the workshop.
Hermann Hauser II Guitars at GSI
Many Hermann Hauser II guitars have passed through our doors over the years. You'll find guitars currently in stock by clicking the "Guitars In Stock" button in the header of this page as well as earlier examples in our Museum by clicking the "Guitars In Museum" button.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Hermann Hauser II?
A German classical guitar maker (1911–1988), son of Hermann Hauser I and father of Hermann Hauser III, who worked in the family workshop in Reisbach.
Who played Hermann Hauser II guitars?
Andrés Segovia, Julian Bream (his 1957 Hauser II, 1959–1963) and the Romero family – Celedonio, Pepe and Angel.
Where was the Hauser workshop?
Hermann Hauser I began in Munich and moved the workshop to Reisbach in Bavaria before or during World War II; Hauser II, III and Kathrin Hauser all worked in Reisbach.
