1969 Hermann Hauser II No. 852 CD/CSAR (Romero collection)

This 1969 Hermann Hauser II No. 852 is the cedar and CSA rosewood classical guitar built for Pepe Romero – his concert guitar for "Opera Fantasy" – from his personal collection, which we featured at GSI in 2013.

Built for Pepe Romero: "Gebaut für Pepe Romero"

This instrument was built by Hermann Hauser II for Pepe Romero in 1969, and it has a dedication to Pepe inside the guitar: "gebaut für Pepe Romero" ("built for Pepe Romero"), signed by the maker. It is one of three "sister guitars" from the same woods – No. 851 went to Segovia and No. 850 later also came to Pepe. This guitar appears on his album artwork for "Opera Fantasy" (see photo in gallery) and has been used in live performances many times over the years.

It is made with cedar for the top – a wood that Hauser II was very comfortable with – and features a unique bracing pattern under the top with a split, "V-shaped" lower harmonic bar, which opens up more of the soundboard to the vibration emanating from the bridge area. The sound is lush yet firm and bold, characteristics of the best guitars by this maker.

Pepe Romero's Guitars at GSI, June 1, 2013

This instrument was one of six guitars from Pepe Romero's personal collection that were featured in a memorable event in the GSI showroom on June 1, 2013. These six instruments were chosen in particular since they are the key guitars that have most influenced his son, luthier Pepe Romero Jr., over the course of his life, both before and during his activity as a luthier. The guitars were presented by Pepe Jr. and played by none other than maestro Scott Tennant. This was about as personal a connection with these absolutely historic guitars as one could get, with background stories and information provided by Pepe Jr., who has studied these guitars intimately (and literally lived with them). And to have them played by Scott Tennant in a great-sounding intimate space made this a once-in-a-lifetime concert. In the video above, Pepe Jr. tells the story of this guitar before Scott plays it. Click here to see photos of the event.

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