1958 Hermann Hauser II No. 616 SP/CSAR

This 1958 Hermann Hauser II No. 616 is a spruce and CSA rosewood classical guitar from Reisbach – just four numbers away from Segovia's 1958 Hauser, and the Hauser II heard on Marc Teicholz's CD "Valseana".

No. 616, Four Guitars from Segovia's 1958 Hauser

One of the most beautiful guitars we have ever seen from Hermann Hauser II. The materials used on this instrument are unbelievable – the CSA rosewood on the back and sides is of the most stunning variety we've seen on any guitar, and the old, aged top has a deep, honey/amber quality in the patina and contains generous amounts of bearclaw. Of historical interest, this guitar (No. 616) is only four guitars away from Segovia's 1958 Hauser (No. 612).

Sound

It is a very powerful Hauser II for this period, with excellent projection: bell-like fundamentals with almost perfect separation, very strong, steady and precise basses, and the balance of a loud piano softened by the lyrical charm and sweetness of a warm and loose Hauser I. Playability is easy, due to the slender and very comfortable neck shape. A great sounding, looking and playing Hauser II, and a dream for either collector or performer.

Heard on "Valseana" by Marc Teicholz

This guitar was one of the instruments selected for GSI's CD "Valseana", on which Marc Teicholz plays 18 waltzes on 18 different guitars supplied by GSI – this Hauser II is the guitar of Gilbert Biberian's "November Leaves" (track 6).

Valseana – Marc Teicholz

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