What's New

January 2012

Dear visitor, just in case you’ve been here before, I did make some changes to this page but most of them are farther down.

As I said in my last update, I now consider myself semi retired and having cut my production in half I average only six instruments a season. Most of them are still orders but also some instruments I always wanted to build and now have the time for.

One of those was the reissue of my “Hauser” classical model.  Way back in 1973 it was the first classical guitar I ever built. Following a plan, more like a sketch, of a 1930 Hauser that I had gotten from Jean Larrivee, I continued to build guitars in that style right into the early 80’s.

A few years back I had the chance to see a “Hauser” I had built in ’76 for Eli Kassner, Toronto’s acclaimed guitar teacher. It had aged beautifully, had great tone and power and it gave me the incentive to revisit that design. And so my “35 Anniversary Project” became the reinterpretation of that old Hauser design. This was not to be copy, just as my earlier guitars were not copies, but more like a homage to Hermann Hauser. And just maybe, I also wanted to find out for myself how my experience of over three decades of guitar building would influence the result. Using that exquisite set of 30 year old Brazilian rosewood with a wild “Haselfichte” spruce top might have also have contributed to the outcome. It might well be the finest guitar I’ve built, a wide dynamic range, expressive, with beautiful singing trebles and a warm bass. It’s as close to my ideal guitar as I’ve ever come.

Click on the image to enlarge

2009 Hauser “Haselfichte” top

2009 Hauser “Haselfichte” top

You can hear it played by Patrick Kearney on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUK2BhtImHg

Click on the image to enlarge

The unique arched bars of the 1930 Hauser design

The unique arched bars of the 1930 Hauser design

I completed the Maple “ Hauser“ in time for the 2011 Montreal Guitar Show and had a great response with it. With its Maple body and Cuban cedar neck the guitar is very light and vibrant with a lot of clarity and warmth. While at the show it also got played by Karl Marino, a talented young Montreal guitarist, in a recording for the French magazine La Guitare. You can listen to by going to:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgtdytrSyAA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlHxR-JxeNg

Click on the image to enlarge

Detail of heel and body

Detail of heel and body

Since I’m not planning to sell the above mentioned 35 Anniversary Brazilian Rosewood Hauser I’ve begun a new one, also in Brazilian rosewood and using my very last spectacular Haselfichte Top. I hope to have it completed by Springtime of this year.

I really haven't kept up with all the new communication tools like Facebook or YouTube, and so after looking at Patrick Kearney's clip on YouTube I was surprised to see that quite a few other guitarists playing Graf guitars have posted clips. You can find them by searching “Oskar Graf” or “Oskar Graf Guitars”. Yes, there’s also one of me giving a talk in German about my approach to guitar making. I think it has English sub-titles so you can sort of follow my ramblings.

In closing, rumours that I've quit building are a bit premature! I'm going to continue at a reduced pace for a few years yet. Just because I don't update my website regularly, I know the last update was nearly 2 years ago, doesn't mean that I've stopped working.

For a listing of guitars I have for sale, please visit “The Collection” page and check out my newest instruments.