Why Hauser?

Herman Hauser’s partnership with musical virtuoso Andres Segovia was an influential, magical moment in the history of music. Prior to this partnership, the guitar was viewed by the larger concert-going public as a somewhat limited “folk” instrument, belonging at home, or at most with the aristocratic elite as a parlor instrument. When Segovia began playing Hauser’s instruments, the guitar began to gain legitimacy as a viable concert instrument. Segovia deemed his 1937 Hauser “the greatest guitar of our epoch.” Segovia tirelessly concertized and recorded with this guitar for decades, winning over audiences and critics little by little, until the classical guitar’s position was secured as a concert-worthy instrument. This 1937 Hauser is now regarded one of the most iconic guitars in history. It now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Our Approach

We embarked on designing the Córdoba Hauser by examining an authentic 1937 Hauser from the inside out. With a goal of understanding the essence of this iconic guitar, we studied wood thickness, bracing designs, material choices, wood grains, and vibration patterns. The combination of our own luthiers’ expert hands, trained eyes, and intuitive ears lead to an examination that was part science and part feel. After listening to and playing these guitars for hours on end, we fully analyzed the balance, resonance and response of the Hauser to fully inform our own design choices.

Construction

Built with a solid Englemann spruce top and solid Indian rosewood back and sides, the Córdoba Hauser’s construction gives it controlled overtones and a pure, direct sound. Adding color and nuance is completely up to the player, with movements toward or away from the bridge effecting the brightness or velvetiness of the sound. Perfect for the player looking for maximum control over their own dynamic and modulation choices, the Córdoba Hauser also features a Spanish cedar neck topped with an African ebony fingerboard. Our small team of skilled luthiers has added modern refinements such as a truss rod, geared tuning machines and a breathable nitrocellulose finish to make this a guitar for contemporary players. A hardshell humidified archtop case is included. This guitar is handmade in the USA.

*The Córdoba Hauser model is also known as the Córdoba “Munich 1937” model in Europe.