Sean Hancock is an Australian classical guitar maker from the Gold Coast of Queensland who built his guitars on Tamborine Mountain, in the Gold Coast hinterland. Making guitars since childhood, he is known for Hauser-inspired guitars with a balanced, clear sound.
At a Glance
- From: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
- Workshop: Tamborine Mountain, Gold Coast hinterland
- First guitar: 1992, at age 11
- Award: Nescafé Big Break, 1997
- Influences: Hermann Hauser – especially Segovia's 1937 Hauser and a 1966 Hauser II
A Family of Guitar Makers
Sean Hancock was born on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia, and has lived there most of his life. He and his family moved to Tamborine Mountain, in the Gold Coast hinterland, and set up their workshop in that beautiful area. Guitar building has been a major part of his life since childhood, when he began helping his father make guitars; his brother is an amateur guitarist as well as a luthier, and their house has always been full of music and musicians. Fine woodworking goes back generations: his great-great-grandfather, Arthur Collingwood, worked on Westminster Cathedral in London.
Sean made his first guitar in 1992, when he was just 11. He did not go to high school but was approved by the Queensland Department of Education to study at home, so most of his days were devoted to guitar making. He later studied design at Griffith University on the Gold Coast.
The Nescafé Big Break and a Visit to GSI
At 16 Sean won first prize in the "Nescafé Big Break", a competition run by Nestlé Australia to help young Australians achieve their goals in business and the arts. It allowed him to upgrade his workshop and visit the USA the following year with his father and brother – a trip that included GSI.
Hauser-Inspired Guitars
Sean is influenced by many makers: his father owned two Ramírez concert guitars (1968 and 1969), a 1967 Reyes flamenco and more. At GSI he saw several fine instruments, most notably a 1966 Hauser II – the guitar that left the longest-lasting impression. As Sean says: "It was not as powerful as the guitars I was used to, but it had a clear, sweet and most of all, balanced sound that appealed to me. I am also a fan of the visual aesthetic of Hauser guitars; like many German designs they have a clean, well-proportioned look that is tastefully geometrical without being too square or too rounded."
His guitars aim for a balanced, Hauser-like sound with excellent projection, comfortable playability and close to perfect workmanship, with German spruce tops and backs and sides of Indian or Brazilian rosewood, maple or flamed New Guinea rosewood – a very light wood that sounds like Indian rosewood but a little more open and vibrant, like cypress.
Sean Hancock Guitars at GSI
Sean Hancock guitars have passed through our doors over the years. You'll find earlier examples in our Museum by clicking the "Guitars In Museum" button in the header of this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sean Hancock?
An Australian classical guitar maker from the Gold Coast of Queensland, building since childhood, known for Hauser-inspired guitars.
What guitars influence Sean Hancock?
Above all Hermann Hauser's – Segovia's 1937 Hauser and a 1966 Hauser II he saw at GSI.
