By the year this instrument was built in 1928, Hermann Hauser was already well-acquainted with the work of Antonio de Torres - indeed he had seen and studied Miguel Llobet's 1859 (FE 09), even having drawn a plan of it in 1922, and in 1926, acquired an 1860 Torres (FE 13) from Llobet - two instruments that would have a permanent impact on his style. In 1924, he met Andres Segovia for the first time and was also able to examine his 1912 Manuel Ramirez (built by Santos Hernandez), and again, this instrument also had a profound effect on his own work - most famously the "Manuel Ramirez" head on Segovia's guitar would remain a favorite of Hauser's for over a decade after his first encounter with it and appear on many of his guitars (including this 1928). Speaking of the headstock, Julian Bream (who owned this guitar from 1950 until 1992) was so fond of it, he had a jeweler craft a brass plate with his initials "JAB" (Julian Alexander Bream) which was installed on the top of the head veneer. Included with the guitar are some photos of Bream with the instrument and a letter of authenticity and provenance by Bream. It is almost certain that this is the Hauser described in his book "A Life On The Road" where Bream says he picked it up for a "fiver"! It is also possible that this guitar was used at his Wigmore Hall debut in 1951, which would make it the guitar that launched his 50-year career, also ending at Wigmore Hall, where GSI president David Collett flew out to attend in 2001, where Bream was playing a 1940 Hauser, ex Augustine.
As for sound, it’s remarkably ahead of its time. As already noted, Hauser was exploring and building various Spanish styles in the 1920s and his guitars from this period tend to have a more “Spanishy” sound which should be expected. However, the style of sound that Hauser is most famous for developing – what Julian Bream called the “teutonic sound” (improved balance, clarity, brilliance in the trebles, evenness of sound, sturdy/firm basses) is fully expressed in this guitar. This sound becomes more commonplace in instruments he built in the mid-1930s and beyond, so it’s really astonishing to hear an earlier guitar already fully-loaded with these qualities normally associated with his later instruments. It is also incredibly powerful, even by modern standards - this easily in the top percentile of Hauser I guitars we've seen for volume.
Condition is excellent for such an old instrument and as mentioned in Bream's letter, it was restored to its current condition in 1989. One of notable repairs is the use of a thin piece of cedar for the soundboard splice, a repair that greatly impressed Yuris Zeltins when he saw it many years ago for its blatant attempt to not be camouflaged or hidden, but rather express itself as part of the guitar's history, along with the JAB plate on the head. Very honest and of course extremely well-done! It has been kept since this time in performance-ready condition, making it suitable for the concert stage, recording studio, or simply for a luxurious evening of private playing. Truly a remarkable and rare instrument with a great backstory from one of history's most important luthiers.
