Hauser Classical guitar

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Ricardo

Posts: 14801
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

Hauser Classical guitar

I know luthiers get annoyed when we just talk about guitars here vs building, but thought some might be interested in this. I get
asked by family friends often "how is your dad's guitar doing"....it's a classical, Hermann Hauser II 1968, and I admit I am limited to
what I can play on it, but I DO like to keep it in shape. Here is a bolero I composed recently (playing against some pre recorded
arps and rhythm) so I am playing very careful trying not to touch the top at all. Some close ups of the details of the guitar, but
something is wrong with mic on the IPhone, it's got a weird warble. I heard that Escudero used a similar guitar and put a tap plate on
it....only problem for me is the high bridge but it would make a nice negra soundwise.

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CD's and transcriptions available here:
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2014 23:38:26

Ricardo

Posts: 14801
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Hauser Classical guitar (in reply to Ricardo)

The crack under my right arm has always worried me, although it is older than me I think. My dad lent it to a student for a recital,
and the guy banged it agains his desk. The superficial cracks in the finish were from humidity when my Dad had to check it on the
airplane, also before I was born I think. I thought the V slot that attaches the headstock was interesting.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2014 23:46:41

Andy Culpepper

Posts: 3023
Joined: Mar. 30 2009
From: NY, USA

RE: Hauser Classical guitar (in reply to Ricardo)

Hauser who?
Throw a couple coats of orange lacquer and a golpeador on there it might make a decent guitar I guess.

Kidding of course. It must be cool to have your father's instrument, and know that you can pass it along to your son if he wants it. Beautiful guitar.

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Andy Culpepper, luthier
http://www.andyculpepper.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2014 23:55:33

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Hauser Classical guitar (in reply to Ricardo)

Sure Riconde' but what kind of saddle are you using? Space age titanium floorocarbobized whale baleen treated with goose hackle oil?

Pfft..get with the times maaaaan.

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Ok ok, beautiful playing thank you for showing us that guitar. It must be nice to have something from your dad that is so special. The ending picado run up near the body join was really tasty. It was good to hear it played though the whole range. I appreciate you taking time to show and play some flamenco stuff on such a nice guitar. A welcome addition. It's one thing to barrage luthiers with a million questions about inexpensive factory guitars, quite another to treat us to a Hauser family creation played with sensitivity.

Now I must send Barkell over to examine the braclet, it looks like the one Paco de Malaga wears.

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https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 9 2014 4:05:27

Ruphus

Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010

RE: Hauser Classical guitar (in reply to Ricardo)

Thank you for the clip and congrats to the heirloom!
-

Me came to appreciate this make through a take on James Greenberg´s site.
Actually there were tracks of several Hausers, but one take from a 1920 specimen was ( or is still, dunno whether still hosted ) really special.
Featuring that outstanding pristines that yet carries nasal timbre in the mids and those highs that make me associate bells of clay.

Hausers indeed to my ears provide a tone that makes me associate properties of clay. Especially however that one guitar from 1920. What a sound!

Hauser I created a soundfield of its own.
There are other kinds of wonderful pristines that I deem as "British" signature, or fundamentally different timbres like the mellowness of romatic sounding axes ( typically Spanish ), or the cigar box charme of builds in Latin America, all occupying their own kind of niche.

And Hauser is the one I envision for `the cathedral´gig.
Many of todays finest luthiers seem to achieve Hauser´s huge clarity. And some also deliver those colorful mids in the same time.
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I think Segovia badly misused the poor guy, treating him as if he had been missing out on something ( while I suspect that it might have rather been about dimensional adjustments to Andres´ large paws ), with folks now thinking that Hauser wasn´t capable before receiving Segovia´s instructions.
However, it seems as if the man was building at his finest before already.
-

Only 3 or 4 years ago I missed out on an auction on an intact specimen from early 20th century that was offered for cheap and apparently quite something.

I have seen pics of some old Hausers clumsily "restaurated" or better said: messed up. If only people would respect the uniqueness and value of historical artifact enough to stay away from it with amateur skills.

Ruphus

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 9 2014 9:27:29

Tom Blackshear

Posts: 2304
Joined: Apr. 15 2008

RE: Hauser Classical guitar (in reply to Ricardo)

Ricardo, Back in the early 60's I was invited to see and try out a new Hauser guitar at a fellows house. It was very even in its tone and was quite different from a 1958 Ramirez I owned at a later date.

The big difference was the tone and the way it played compared to the Ramirez, and the price for the Hauser was $1400 landing cost compared to $125 US for the Ramirez. I have to admit I was sold on the Spanish guitar.

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Tom Blackshear Guitar maker

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 9 2014 10:32:26

Ricardo

Posts: 14801
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Hauser Classical guitar (in reply to Ruphus)

quote:

I think Segovia badly misused the poor guy, treating him as if he had been missing out on something ( while I suspect that it
might have rather been about dimensional adjustments to Andres´ large paws ), with folks now thinking that Hauser wasn´t capable
before receiving Segovia´s instructions.

Actually, I was surprised when I measured this guitar years ago....it's the shortest scale guitar I have. 648mm or something.
Certainly smaller than my 650 conde...and the 670 sobrinos de esteso. Scale length really seems arbitrary to me, and I am always
amused about complaints as my fingers never cared before I got out the ruler. What is more interesting is the compensation issue
we recently discussed. The Hauser here is OVERLY compensated, and I certainly can notice that thing in the high register. Especially
against the back track with a different guitar. I can pull the string a bit for intonation, other guitars need a push. I think the
popularity of this type of instrument came from playing Baroque stuff, as the intonation thing makes Bach sound a lot sweeter, for
example. Maybe it's more "well tempered" than "equal tempered" with this compensation thing. After all the fingers can get what
they want out of the guitar more than what the mathematics intend (IMO). Rasgueados sound not bad at all on this guitar
which is the main concern I think between a classical or flamenco design.

Ricardo

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CD's and transcriptions available here:
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 10 2014 3:39:21

Ruphus

Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010

RE: Hauser Classical guitar (in reply to Ricardo)

If I may wildly speculate on the compensation, maybe at that time guitar lutherie had not yet fully adapted to nylon characteristics. Or maybe Dupond´s formula was still different from todays, eventually somewhat ressembling gut properties / coming with larger diameters?
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I would not have expected Hauser to have taken over Segovia´s demands / specifications to his building template.

Unlike Ramirez.
Provided I recall that correctly ( Sir Vega may correct me ) Ramirez applied Segovia´s requested dimensions to their line of classicals. Which resulted into bulky necks, enlarged spacings with nut and saddle and higher action.
Other makers then copied the XL standard from Ramirez.
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In respect of Tom´s evaluation, I sort these brands into different chambers. Hauser-a-likes, as you suggested for baroque and other clarity ringing tasks, Ramirez rather for the smooth / romantic soundfield.

Besides, in contrast to Ramirez modern classicals that I tried in 2006, I am amazed by that old flamenca I have.
Badly dried out through transport ( and - as came to my mind after only 4 years

- probably also with the hair drier procedure that a luthier engaged to remove the golpeador to my request) this thing still keeps recovering yet after FOUR years, and even though at times I do think to be approaching its sonic limits, ever more revealing quite a potential for sound sculpturing.

Leaving me wondering once again, as to how a shop could produce something that fine with just firm specs unconsidered of individual wood properties.

Ruphus

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 10 2014 10:51:12