1936 Hermann Hauser I SP/CSAR (ex Manuel López Ramos)

Manuel López Ramos owned this 1936 Hermann Hauser I, a Munich classical guitar in spruce and CSA rosewood that was revered and coveted by Andrés Segovia, and is in completely original condition.

The López Ramos Hauser and Segovia

This guitar was built one year before the famous Hauser of Segovia, which is now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It was previously owned by Manuel López Ramos, and was revered and coveted by Andrés Segovia. Upon the death of Segovia in 1987, López Ramos fitted a felt headband around the top of the headstock, and to this day it has not been removed once – a very charming detail.

Sound and Condition

The condition of the guitar is completely original, including finish and tuning machines. The sound is out of this world (listen to the recording below to hear its majestic voice). It has perfect balance and the clarity of a piano, yet possesses a warm, almost dark, human voice-like quality. Beautiful and rare, this is certainly one of the most collectible guitars we have had at GSI, for its provenance, quality of sound and condition.

Heard on "Valseana"

Marc Teicholz playing "Valseana" by Sergio Assad on this 1936 Hauser I – the title track (track 15) of his CD Valseana, 18 waltzes on 18 guitars supplied by GSI.

Valseana – Marc Teicholz

Hermann Hauser I: Master Guitar Maker of Munich

Hermann Hauser Sr. (1882–1952) is best remembered for the remarkable instruments he built in the Spanish style after 1924. In that year, both Andrés Segovia and Miguel Llobet visited Hauser. Segovia was impressed by the quality of Hauser's work and wrote his impressions, noting that he "immediately saw the potential of this great artisan if only his mastery might be turned to the construction of the guitar in the Spanish pattern, as immutably fixed by Torres and Ramirez as the violin had been fixed by Stradivarius and Guarnerius" (Segovia in Guitar Review, 1954).

Segovia, Llobet and the Spanish Model

Segovia encouraged Hauser to build instruments based on his 1912 Manuel Ramírez guitar (built by Santos Hernández) after he examined and made measurements of this instrument. At this time Hauser also had the opportunity to examine Miguel Llobet's famous 1859 Torres, which would also become a decisive influence on the maturing "Hauser" style.