Description
Gerold Karl Hannabach Classical 1983
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Tony Elder / Steve Jackson
Black Dot Music
Est 1985
Build: 1983, December
Serial Number: 621
650mm scale
German Spruce, ‘Hazel Spruce’
East Indian Rosewood (maybe Wenge???)
Sound: Spanish, with a German ‘accent’ of note articulation Condition: Fair
Gerold Karl Hannabach (https://www.face book.com/geroldkarl.hannabach) was born 1928 in Luby (formerly Schönbach) Czechoslovakia, 5 miles from Markneukirchen, Germany, the famous town that produced C. F. Martin and numerous other guitar makers. His father was a string maker, and his Uncle founded the famous firm of Hannabach Guitar Strings. He studied violin and cello in Schönbach, was conscripted into the Germany army in World War II when he was 13 or 14 and was in an anti-aircraft batallion in Schweinfurt, was captured and held in France at age 16, and began making guitars with fellow Schönbacher Arnold Hoyer in Bubenreuth, Germany, at age 17 upon his release in 1945. (After the Second World War, the 500 locals in Bubenreuth agreed to accept in their midst 2,000 musical instrument makers from Schönbach in Egerland–half the village!–who were essentially deported there as refugees). Bubenreuth makers include Oscar Teller, Roderich Paesold, Armin Hanika, Framus, Hofner, Pyramid Strings, and scores of others.
Hannabach opened his own guitar making shop in Bubenreuth, in 1953, and continues to build until 2013. Here is a video documentary of Hannabach in the NAMM Oral History Archives, recounting (in German) his early life and guitar making career: http://www.namm.org/library/oral-histor … -hannabach. Here is an extensive photo documentary of his career in its prime: http:// www.gitarrenbrevier.de/gb_studiu … index.html. Here is a roughly translated interview with him: http://translate.google.com/translate?h … %26hl%3Den
Hannabach visited the renowned Spanish guitar maker Ignacio Fleta twice in Barcelona, Spain, and learned building techniques from him.
As a teacher, Hannabach has instructed many luthiers as apprentices over the years, including Michael Sander, Ludger Wannenmacher, and the husband-wife team of Brunswicker & Apelt (with whom he continues to teach hands-on seminars regularly).
Recently, Hannabach was instrumental in opening the Bubenreuth Stringed Instrument Museum. In his 80s, Hannabach continued to build guitars by hand in his workshop. He died in 2015. His last guitar was made in 2013 with help from his son, Karl.
This guitar displays all the hallmarks that make Hannabach instruments so fine. The top is perfectly quartered, 75-year old German Spruce with lovely cross-grain silking. The back and sides are a deep, rich, reddish-purplish East Indian Rosewood. (It could possibly be Wenge, as he was advertising himself building with this wood during the 1980s).
The rosette is a handmade rendition of the Hannabach coat of arms, repeated on the end graft.
The label is hand-signed and numbered by Mr. Hannabach.
The action is great, and the guitar sings wonderfully in all registers.
The structural condition is 100%, with no issues whatsoever.
Cosmetically, there is some very light ‘crazing’ to the thin lacquer finish, which can be seen only upon close inspection and at a certain angle. Many dents in the lacker finish and edges plus scuff marks on the base/front of the instrument. All with the potential to be repaired.
