1960 Hermann Hauser II No. 665 SP/CSAR

This 1960 Hermann Hauser II No. 665 is a spruce and CSA rosewood classical guitar from Reisbach with a bearclaw top – no cracks and incredibly fine original condition for its age.

No. 665: No Cracks, Original Condition

Condition is excellent – no cracks or damage at all. There is a blemish in the top, done at the time of construction by Hauser II, and some mild playing wear from regular use over the past half century. But for a guitar of this age, it's in incredibly fine, original condition. The old, aged top has a deep, honey/amber quality in the patina and contains generous amounts of bearclaw.

Sound

This is a very powerful Hauser II for its period, with excellent projection. Every note has a very clear, bell-like fundamental with almost perfect separation; the basses are very strong, steady and precise. The whole has the balance of a loud piano – yet with the lyrical charm and sweetness of a great, warm and loose Hauser I – and the slender, very comfortable neck makes playing easy. 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