1957 Hermann Hauser II No. 600 SP/CSAR

This 1957 Hermann Hauser II No. 600 is a spruce and CSA rosewood classical guitar from Reisbach, once owned by the Venezuelan concert artist Froila Esther Niño Passios, a student of Alirio Díaz.

From a Venezuelan Concert Artist

We acquired this instrument from the family of its original owner, the Venezuelan concert artist Froila Esther Niño Passios, who had been a student of Alirio Díaz. In 2016 the guitar was repaired by Yuris Zeltins, who spliced one crack in the soundboard and repaired one crack in the back. It is in concert-ready performance condition.

Sound and Playability

For a Hauser II of this period it is very powerful, projecting with ease. The fundamentals are clear as a bell and almost perfectly separated, the basses very strong, steady and precise; overall the guitar plays like a loud, balanced piano that keeps the lyrical charm and sweetness of a great, warm and loose Hauser I. The old, aged top has a deep, honey/amber patina with plenty of silk, and the slender, very comfortable neck makes it easy to play. A classic Hauser II in all respects – it sounds, looks and plays great, 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