1956 Hermann Hauser II No. 581 SP/CSAR

This 1956 Hermann Hauser II No. 581 is a spruce and CSA rosewood classical guitar from the Hauser workshop in Reisbach, Bavaria – an early-period Hauser II with a silky, honey-colored top and plenty of power.

No. 581: A Powerful Hauser II of the 1950s

Labeled No. 581 and dated 1956, "Reisbach/Vils", this guitar is very powerful for a Hauser II of this period, with excellent projection. Its fundamentals ring clear and bell-like, each note almost perfectly separated from the next, over strong, steady and precise basses – the balance of a loud piano, combined with the lyrical charm and sweetness of a warm, loose Hauser I. Playability is easy, due to the slender and very comfortable neck shape.

Top and Condition

The old, aged top has a deep, honey/amber quality in the patina with plenty of silk. There are some repairs to the top, carried out about ten years ago by Yuris Zeltins. A great sounding, looking and playing Hauser II, and a dream for either collector or performer.

Hermann Hauser II: Third Generation of the Hauser Dynasty

Hermann Hauser II (1911–1988) – Hermann Hauser Jr. – is considered to be one of the greatest makers of the twentieth century. Grandson of the luthier Josef Hauser and son of Hermann Hauser I, he learned his craft working alongside his father, and after his father's death in 1952 he carried the family's Torres-based "teutonic" style into the second half of the century from the Hauser workshop in Reisbach, Bavaria. His son Hermann Hauser III (the fourth generation) and granddaughter Kathrin (the fifth) still work there today – see Hermann Hauser III & Kathrin Hauser – with many of the same tools and even woods stocked by the earlier generations.

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.

The Hauser II Sound

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. Playability is easy, thanks to his slender and very comfortable neck shape.

Books on Hermann Hauser II

Orfeo Magazine No. 4 is devoted to the Hauser dynasty, and a 1960 Hauser II is among the guitars shown in Orfeo's "34 Classical Guitars in Life Size":

Orfeo Magazine 1-5

Orfeo – 34 Classical Guitars in Life Size