Gerold Karl Hannabach

Gerold Karl Hannabach – Guitar Maker

Gerold Karl Hannabach grew up in a family of string instrument makers in Schönbach/Egerland, which is now Luby/Czech Republic. He attended the specialized school for string instrument making in his hometown and received training in violin and bow making. At the age of 16, he had to join the war effort and became a French prisoner of war.

At 17, he followed the displaced Schönbach residents who had found a new home around Bubenreuth and began an apprenticeship in string instrument making under Arnold Hoyer in Tennenlohe, who was also originally from Schönbach. He completed this apprenticeship in 1953. In the same year, he established his own workshop in Bubenreuth.

Initially, he sustained himself by producing mass-market travel guitars. In 1966, he passed the master craftsman examination in guitar making. He was appointed as a specialized teacher at the training workshops for musical instrument making in Bubenreuth and became the Deputy Master of the Guild. Starting from 1969, Hannabach only sold individually crafted instruments “to interested players and soloists”.

In 1973, he embarked on a study and information trip to Spain, where he exchanged knowledge with renowned guitar makers like Hernandez and Fleta. From 1978, Hannabach became a lecturer at international “guitar-making seminars”. In 1979, he played a significant role in founding the “Bubenreuth Violin Making Museum”, which he continued to support with expertise. In 1980, he was appointed as a “publicly appointed and sworn expert for the string instrument making trade”.

In 2002, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit on ribbon by the German government.

Gerold Karl Hannabach built more than 4000 instruments, including travel guitars, children’s guitars, ukuleles, and notably the soloist guitars that carried his name across the world. His son Karl decided early on to follow in his father’s footsteps and continue the tradition.