Each of these guitars has been hand picked by Jorge Montalvo (Casa Montalvo Guitars) of Berkeley Music Exchange for me. They span the spectrum from a very warm Spanish tone (Hauser Cocobolo Classical with Cutaway) to a traditional Flamenco sound (Hauser Concert Cypress Flamenco). The Cutaway Hauser is the latest addition to my Montalvo guitar family. The Hausers are excellent reproductions. The "playability" of these four guitars is excellent. I believe these guitars are among the best quality available anywhere for the price.

I learned about Jorge's guitars in the Fall of 2000 from Stephen Paul (Esteban). Esteban is a master guitar player from whom I have learned a tremendous amount by listening to him play and watching his videos. Esteban appears regularly on the Home Shopping Network (HSN). See his website for Upcoming Events.

Although I have never personally met Jorge Montalvo, I have talked with him many times on the phone. He has been a pleasure to work with and very knowledgeable about the guitars he sells. I highly recommend the Concert Montalvo guitar series. Each of these guitars is hand made with its own unique personality.

Brief description of each of the guitars.

Hauser Classical - This is a slightly smaller guitar than the others. The Cocobolo wood grain on this particular guitar is spectacular as evidenced by the image provided above. It has a surprisingly loud volume for its smaller size. The base range I would evaluate as a moderately deep Spanish tone. The mid and treble range is clear but not overly bright. Smaller hands will feel comfortable on this guitar that has a scale of 654 mm, and a width of 13 5/8". There is also a slightly larger model of this guitar that is the same size as the Hauser Flamenco.

Hauser Flamenco - Like the Hauser Classical, this guitar has a contoured (raised) top and back. While this makes the guitar more time consuming and difficult to build, it adds to the richness of the tone produced and the volume of the guitar. The Hauser Flamenco sound is brighter than the classical Hauser, but still offers a warm base range. The treble range favors a bright, but not sharp tone. This guitar's scale is 661 mm. The body is 14 1/4" wide, and the fingerboard at the nut is 53 mm. The flame cypress wood grain finish on this guitar is stunning.

Concert Cypress Flamenco with Cutaway - This is a fun guitar to play. I had a Fishman Natural I pickup installed in this guitar. I play it through a Fender Acoustasonic 30 Amplifier. This combination (guitar, pickup and amplifier) makes for a beautiful sounding and well balanced package. The sound clips above of this guitar have been recorded without any amplification. This is the same make and model that Esteban uses for his HSN concerts.

Hauser Cocobolo Classical with Cutaway - This particular guitar has a uniquely pure Spanish sound which is can be heard on the above audio clips. The deep rich base tones and yet, bright trebles make this guitar a versatile concert performer. The Hauser Concert Cocobolo Classical Guitar's size and weight are responsible for the deep Spanish sound and volume. This is also a wonderful and exciting guitar to play.