In 2017, an early guitar by Hermann Hauser I found its way into the workshop of his grandson, Hermann Hauser III. Nearly three decades earlier, in 1989, HH III had already carried out careful restorations on the instrument. Built in 1914, this guitar is considered so extraordinary for its time that a closer examination revealed striking findings — findings that rewrite the commonly accepted timeline of how German luthiery embraced the Spanish tradition.
Hermann Hauser I (1882–1952) was born in Munich at a time when German guitar making was firmly rooted in Alpine and Viennese traditions: maple backs, zither-influenced construction, and a sound world far removed from the warm, full-bodied tone of the Spanish school. What changed that? A concert, a handshake, and one extraordinary guitar.
The Guitar That Changed Everything: Miguel Llobet in Munich
On 10 November 1913, the Catalan guitarist Miguel Llobet gave his first Munich concert. He performed on a guitar by Antonio de Torres, built in 1859 — one of the most important instruments in the history of the classical guitar. Hermann Hauser I is said to have been present, and on that occasion presented Llobet with one of his traditional maple guitars.
The encounter left a mark. From 1 to 3 March 1914, Llobet performed again in Germany — in Landshut, Nuremberg, and once more in Munich. The inside of the 1914 Hauser guitar reportedly bears the inscription "10. III. 1914". Hermann Hauser III notes that the inside of the top was traditionally signed and dated shortly before the body was closed, suggesting the guitar was built between Llobet's two Munich visits — a period of intense creative reflection for Hauser.
This is not merely a historical footnote. It is evidence that Hauser I began exploring Spanish construction principles a full decade before the date commonly cited in guitar history literature.
A Guitar Unlike Any Other Hauser Had Built
The 1914 instrument stands apart from everything else in the Hauser lineage of that period. Its features read like a catalogue of conscious departures from German tradition:
Construction and Materials
The guitar has a three-piece back. The outer wings and the sides are Brazilian rosewood — a material described as uncommon in German guitar construction of the period, more typically associated with zither making. The centre section is rippled maple with a central rosewood strip, creating the visual impression of a four-piece back. The combination is both aesthetically distinctive and acoustically significant.
The spruce top already shows what is referred to as the Hauser Patent bracing on its inside — though HH I only formally registered the patent on 9 November 1920. This means the bracing system that would later define the Hauser sound was already present in 1914, six years before the patent.
Form and Scale
The plantilla — the outline shape of the guitar body — is described as Spanish in form and closely related to the dimensions of Torres's FE 09, 1859, the very instrument Llobet played in Munich. The scale length, slightly under 65 cm, points to the same model. These are not approximations; they suggest Hauser had studied Torres's guitar with considerable precision.
The Spanish bridge, with wings shaped like a roof construction, is unique among Hauser guitars. The side depth and the arched back link back to traditional methods HH I used in his Viennese and Munich models — a bridge between two worlds, both literally and figuratively.
Details and Craftsmanship
White celluloid rims on back and top are highlighted as relics from zither construction — a trace of the tradition Hauser was moving away from. The rosette of several wooden rings is associated by HH III with Josef Hauser, pointing to family continuity within innovation. The machine heads are described as luxurious, with strong black rollers and a Quick Tuner on the first string. An oval hole in the headplate is noted as a traditional Hauser detail. The neck — mahogany, glued to the body, with a flat back — is connected to the term "Albert neck", a reference to the Munich guitarist Heinrich Albert.
Why It May Have Remained a One-Off
Despite its exceptional qualities, the 1914 guitar appears to have remained a single example. Several factors are put forward: the cost and scarcity of Brazilian rosewood, the expectations of existing clients for Hauser's established maple models, and the profound disruption caused by World War I (1914–1918). A luthier working in Munich during those years was not operating in conditions that favoured radical experimentation or new material sourcing.
The experiment was shelved — but not forgotten.
The Spanish Turn: After 1924
After the growing success of Llobet and later Andrés Segovia on the international concert stage, a decisive shift occurred in the German guitar world. Hauser I turned more fully toward the Iberian tradition associated with Antonio de Torres and Manuel Ramírez. The 1914 guitar suggests this was not a sudden conversion, but the resumption of an inquiry he had begun a decade earlier.
A parallel development occurred in Markneukirchen: Richard Jacob "Weissgerber", whose work is described as influenced by Llobet's visit in 1921, produced a "small Spanish model" from 1922 now in the collection of Christof Hanusch in Berlin. The Spanish wave reached German lutherie from multiple directions.
Segovia would eventually play a Hauser — the famous 1937 guitar, which he described as the greatest guitar of our time. Segovia's relationship with Hauser became one of the most celebrated partnerships in the history of the instrument. Julian Bream also performed on Hauser instruments, drawn to their combination of power and clarity.
The Hauser Sound: German Precision Meets Spanish Soul
What defines a Hermann Hauser guitar? The answer lies in the synthesis the 1914 instrument already gestured toward. Hauser guitars are characterised by a combination of powerful, richly coloured Spanish qualities and a silvery clarity particularly suited to polyphonic music — qualities that make them equally compelling for the drama of Tárrega, the architecture of Bach, or the grandeur of Rodrigo.
The fan bracing — derived from Torres, refined by Hauser — gives these guitars their characteristic responsiveness and tonal depth. The precision of German craftsmanship ensures consistency and longevity. The result is an instrument that feels at home in both the intimacy of a practice room and the projection demands of a concert hall.
If you are exploring classical guitars at the highest level, the Hauser lineage represents one of the most significant chapters in lutherie history. Instruments by Hermann Hauser I are among the most sought-after vintage guitars in the world — documents of a moment when two great traditions met and produced something entirely new.
Sound, Playability, and Legacy
The sound of a Hauser guitar is not easily described in the vocabulary of specifications. Players speak of immediacy — a directness of response that makes the instrument feel like an extension of intent rather than a tool to be operated. The tonal palette is wide: from intimate pianissimos that carry detail and warmth, to fortes that fill a room without harshness.
The 1914 guitar, in particular, is described as "Spanish with German elements" — a phrase that captures the hybrid nature of Hauser's achievement. It is a unique sound and time document within the history of international guitar construction, as HH III himself frames it. Its existence supports the claim that Hermann Hauser I explored Spanish construction already in 1914, not beginning only in 1924 as is sometimes assumed.
For players and collectors drawn to instruments with documented historical significance, the Hauser tradition offers something rare: a lineage where each generation has built on verifiable foundations, and where the guitars themselves carry the evidence of their making.
Explore guitars inspired by this tradition in our classical guitar collection, or read more about the luthiers and guitarists who shaped the repertoire: Francisco Tárrega, Agustín Barrios, and the great classical guitarists who brought these instruments to the world's stages.
Karlstein, 15 July 2018
Siegfried "Hogi" Hogenmüller
Original article: read here
View the 1914 Hermann Hauser I guitar: view instrument
